I used to use Mennen Skin Bracer all the time. Stopped for the last 15 years and just used it for the first time again ten minutes ago . Somehow the scent now seems different to me. I don't like it as much now. It seems to smell more like Vicks Vapo Rub than I remember . . more mentholated. Have they changed the scent on that stuff? Or has my sense of smell changed?
Has Mennen Skin Bracer changed?
- Thread starter umgowa997
- Start date
Well, it is in a plastic bottle now.
I think that might have something to do with it.
There's noticeably more menthol (and a mellower scent) to the plastic bottle formulation. Almost all colognes and aftershaves are reformulated once they go plastic to compensate for the inherent flaws in putting an alcohol based compound into a plastic bottle.
I bought some generic last year -- I don't know just a cheap day, I guess.
Now I try it and like the effect on my skin, but the scent is controversial.
I read on the label it has ethylhexyl methyloxycinnamate, which I think contributes to the bracing effect.
But the current genuine Skin Bracer doesn't have this ingredient or a few others. Any generic product of a famous brand like this will match the listed ingredients exactly, otherwise the buyer has too much resistance to buying it.
I'll be dipped. Just checked the drugstore site -- Walgreen's. They show ingredient lists. The ingredient is in the copy, not the original. It's better known as Octyl Methoxycinnamate, a sunscreen.
Now I try it and like the effect on my skin, but the scent is controversial.
I read on the label it has ethylhexyl methyloxycinnamate, which I think contributes to the bracing effect.
But the current genuine Skin Bracer doesn't have this ingredient or a few others. Any generic product of a famous brand like this will match the listed ingredients exactly, otherwise the buyer has too much resistance to buying it.
I'll be dipped. Just checked the drugstore site -- Walgreen's. They show ingredient lists. The ingredient is in the copy, not the original. It's better known as Octyl Methoxycinnamate, a sunscreen.
Hmm, HMMM. Talk about catching an error a month and a half too late!
In my previous post I meant to say that there was noticeably less real menthol in the plastic version, and more in the glass.
I apologize to anyone walking around for the last six weeks with corrupted data.
In my previous post I meant to say that there was noticeably less real menthol in the plastic version, and more in the glass.
I apologize to anyone walking around for the last six weeks with corrupted data.
Why does such an extensive reformulation of the fragrance happen when the alcohol level is reduced? I can guess that the volatility of the cologne changes, and that the reduction might have some effect on keeping the ingredients in solution, but that's just my guess based on what I think I remember from high school Chemistry. What's the real explanation?
Well, you've got it in a nutshell. The alcohol itself isn't really the culprit, but the alcohol's reaction to plastic is what in turn, starts a chain reaction in the other chemicals involved. Alcohol, being as volatile as it is, attacks the cellulose agents often used in the production of modern polymer, which in turn causes the plastic to attack the other chemicals in the formula. As such, the level of alcohol isn't really reduced, but a different type of alcohol (which in most cases is less destructive to plastic, but much more aggressive to human skin) may be substituted or combined, or other volatile agents like Menthol may be substituted for a less conspicuous, but likewise detrimental agent.
Another concern is the chemicals that are used to strengthen plastic against the effects of volatile agents, which is generally known as a CARC coat, or Chemical Agent Resistant Coating. I believe this to be a generally benign compound, but the effects of using it in controlled environment have shown evidence that it could possibly lead to several health problems, though no conclusive link has surfaced. The jury's still out on that, but what bothers me is that no one has made the effort to discover what happens when the alcohol in your ancient bottle of Brut 33 finally dissolves the CARC coat and all those agents that shouldn't be anywhere near your skin are all the sudden floating around in your topical solution. Based on the very limited testing that I've personally carried out, I don't see much of a concern there. But what does trouble me is a lack of concern from the cosmetics and fragrance houses that don't seem to care at all what happens to their products ten years down the road and what that structural breakdown may mean to the users health.
As far as fragrance, usually what happens is that if genuine essential extracts were used in the original glass bottle formulation, they are almost assuredly replaced with a synthetic substitute. Long story short, for the same reasons mentioned above. Genuine extracts (not all, but most) help to break down a CARC coat, and in turn the dissolved coating makes the essence sour.
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The Barbasol knock-off of SB available at Dollar General is noticeably different from Mennen's. The Barbasol has a lot more Menthol.
Rob, you have a chemistry background, and you are respected for your research into fragrances, specifically aftershaves and what happens to them when they are put into plastic bottles, however, I don't quite understand the logic of less alcohol when putting an aftershave in plastic.
For example, some liquor is sold in plastic bottles. I have never seen a plastic liquor bottle leach plastic into the liquor. Heck, I've bought 100+ proof liquor that was in a plastic bottle, let it sit for years, and did not notice any ill effect.
I wonder, if in their "infinite wisdom" the corporate bean counters don't ask for a reformulation to save $$ by replacing more expensive ingredients with less expensive ones, in addition to putting the product in plastic??
Can you help us understand why liquor doesn't have the same problems as an alcohol based aftershave in plastic bottles?
You have to understand the different types of alcohol, what the product is used for, and what effect (of any) the plastic will have on the degradation of scent of the product.
Aftershaves in glass typically contain one or more blends of isopropyl alcohol, which is degrading to plastic in a way that ethanol (drinking alcohol) isn't. Usually when reformulated, the Iso compound is substituted for something from the ethanol family, which is less degrading to plastic, but highly dependent on other conditions such as temperature and UV exposure. Ethanol grouped alcohols, or "low tox" types, are less stable than those of the Iso family, which is why their use in glass bottles is usually avoided.
In something like whiskey or vodka, the ethanol is made more stable through the distillation process. It can survive for many years in plastic in the correct environment without degrading the resistant properties of the plastic. You would notice "bad" whiskey sooner through taste than you would through scent.
In industrial grade blends like plain rubbing alcohol that aren't dependent upon taste or scent, the degradation of plastic doesn't cause any concern, nor is it typically noticeable.
That has a lot to do with it, sure. You have to think, if a company is already trying to cut corners by going to plastic, what's to stop them from reformulating a blend with cheaper ingredients, even when they wouldn't necessarily need to?
Even before they went to plastic, Old Spice and Skin Bracer started tweaking the formula for their aftershaves back in the early 90's. Both used to contain Saccharine as part of the proprietary blend, which helped give both OS and SB part of it's "spicy" zing. What they would like you to believe is that due to allegations of carcinogenic properties, saccharine was removed as a health concern. What they won't tell you is that those early rumors of health risks had already proven to be unfounded, and that they stopped using saccharine as an ingredient in order to cut corners. See, during the diet soda and artificial sweetener craze of the late 80's/early 90's, the price of saccharine went up pretty high, and it was just cheaper to drop it from the chemical stack in aftershaves. Since no one drank it, they wouldn't miss it right?
I thought most aftershaves contained SD40 alcohol, which is an ethyl alcohol.
Thanks, Rob! Good explanation.
You're correct. SD Alcohol starts off as an ethyl alcohol, but it becomes toxic once denatured. Isopropyl alcohol was once the standard for use in most aftershaves, until about fifty years ago when the switch to a specially denatured ethanol blend became the standard. The most common way to denature it was through the use of t-butyl alcohol, which when mated with propylene glycol changes the molecular structure of the ethyl alcohol and converts it into an isomer of propanol, i.e., Isopropyl alcohol.
Basically, for tax purposes, the pharmaceutical companies went around their exit hole to get to their elbow. This was fine until plastic came on the scene, and the modern methods of distillation and denaturing were found to be too harsh for plastic. Therefore a move was made to change the agents used in the denaturing process, which leaves the SD alcohol used today in aftershaves less of an Isopropyl compound (and hence, less antiseptic) and more akin to a true ethyl alcohol. Unfortunately, the newer processes of extraction can produce trace amounts of toxic byproducts- the effects of which we haven't fully discovered yet.
FWIW, ethylhexyl methyloxycinnamate is a UV blocker! Sunscreen in aftershave! I might try it on the beach, except that the scent tends to attract sandflies. I wonder what the actual reason for this ingredient might be? perhaps freshly shaved skin is more sensitive to UV.
Kevin Pernicano
Kevin Pernicano
I had the good fortune to purchase a vintage bottle of mennen skin bracer. When compared to the modern juice, vintage has a little stronger initial scent but lasted MUCH longer, perhaps 4 hours vs 1-2 hours! I put vintage on my Left wrist & new on my right to do a same day controlled comparison. Next day I wore vintage after a shave, the following day, new". I work in a hospital with a controlled environment. Same observation as the wrist test They really seem quite different to me, mostly in terms of longevity.
I contacted the manufacturer, Colgate-Palmolive and asked why they changed the scent of Mennen Skin Bracer. I was told that the scent has not been changed, but they have every right to do so. Seems others have noticed a significant difference in the scent also. That tells me that something is not exactly the same as it used to be. I've used Mennen Skin Bracer for over 62 years and I will never be convinced that the scent formula has not be modified. Regardless, I did receive a few coupons for other Colgate-Palmolive products. I will really miss the REAL scent of Mennen Skin Bracer from days gone by!
Don't remember the original but it does smell milder lately but not bad. Seems everything isn't like it was back in the day. BTW I pour 10 mls into a sample bottle, add menthol crystals and 2 drops of eucalyptus oil.
