Gillette Foamy with K-34: The "K" Stands for Killer (Literally)

[GlennConti]

From the 1950s - Gillette K-34 Shaving Cream Products:

In the mid to late 1950s, Gillette was offering 3 versions of their trademarked K-34 (antiseptic hexachloraphene) shave cream: "Brushless", "Regular" and "Foamy Instant".

1955 Serial Toggle Instructions.

1958 Standard Toggle Instructions.

By 1959, in their Fatboy instructions, Gillette was downplaying the K-34 Tube-type product in favor of the "FOAMY instant" canned version. And, it seams the "Regular" version was gone altogether. In the modern age who had time to use a brush to apply lather when they were shaving?

Gillette K-34 "Brushless" Tube Shaving Cream.

Gillette K-34 Instant FOAMY shaving cream (79 cents retail) in a promotion with an early 60s Standard Slim.

In Canada, Gillette applied for on 7/29/1969 (0324627) and received a Trademark for the word K-34, hexachlorophene incorporated as an ingredient in shaving cream, on 7/31/1970 (TMA170302) but let it lapse on 9/26/1985.

In 1972, hexachlorophene was withdrawn from many products, including Foamy (Gillette), pHisoDerm (Winthrop) and Baby Magic Bath (Mennen) due to a public health scare. Restrictions were enacted after 15 deaths in the United States were reported following brain damage attributed to the ingredient.

As per the FDA, Though considered safe for many years, recent information has become available associating hexachlorophene with toxic effects, including deaths. Studies have shown that toxic amounts of hexachlorophene can be absorbed through the skin of humans, especially the skin of premature babies or damaged skin. Human toxicity reports include data on symptomatology, blood and tissue levels of hexachlorophene, and descriptions of neuropathologic lesions. Recent infant deaths due to use of baby powder accidentally contaminated with 6 percent hexachlorophene have occurred. The accumulated evidence of toxicity is sufficient to require that continued marketing of hexachlorophene containing products be carefully defined in order to protect consumers. [CITE: 21CFR250.250]

Therefore, use of this product (with K-34) today if obtained in new-old-stock condition is not recommended!!

Proctor & Gamble/Gillette continues to market shaving cream products today under the FOAMY brand name without using the problematic ingredient hexachlorophene.

--Glenn

 

[Bhugo]

Very cool. Thanks

 

[GlennConti]

Very cool. Thanks

Thanks my friend! I saw some NOS Gillette Shaving Cream w/ K-34 from the 1950s for sale on eBay and thought the pictures were cool. Then I remembered seeing the ads for the stuff in my razor instruction sheets/manuals. So, I researched this some more and thought I could make a small interesting article and add it to my web site. Thought I would post it here too. But, no one reacted for like 15 hours, so I thought it must be a real boring, loser, waste of my time, lost life in the process - article. Ha ha! So, thanks, both you and I so far thought it was of interest.

 

[Steve56]

Absolutely interesting post, thanks! I read it a couple of times.

Cheers, Steve

 

[Graybeard57]

Fun stuff (mostly). Thanks for sharing.

 

[G.W.]

I find the old Gillette instruction sheets interesting.

Man, $1.79 for an adjustable and a can of foam. It was a totally quality instrument (still is), and you just walked into a pharmacy and bought it. Now we have crappy plastic skin-mutilators on the shelves and have to hunt for quality pieces.

 

[auparson]

LOVE the post! It's great not only to see the old ads, but photos of the real thing. Thanks!

There are millions of us baby boomers who were bathed with Phisohex. It's amazing all the things we survived: riding on bikes without helmets, sitting in our dad's lap while he drove the car, playing lawn darts, and bathing in hexachlorophene. If I'm not mistaken, the 1972 ban hit Dial soap too.

Thanks for the post!

 

[GlennConti]

LOVE the post! It's great not only to see the old ads, but photos of the real thing. Thanks!

There are millions of us baby boomers who were bathed with Phisohex. It's amazing all the things we survived: riding on bikes without helmets, sitting in our dad's lap while he drove the car, playing lawn darts, and bathing in hexachlorophene. If I'm not mistaken, the 1972 ban hit Dial soap too.

Thanks for the post!

Yes Sir, you are right about the Dial soap having it in it too in the old days. Now-a-days the anti-bacterial agent/ingredient being used in consumer products is Triclosan. It doesn't work as well as K-34 on bacteria, but it doesn't kill you either. Colgate Total toothpaste has it in it and is the only manufacturer that has gone to the expense of proving it in scientific trials for the FDA. Most all toothpastes have just one active ingredient; Floride. But, Colgate Total has 2 active ingredients; so it gets my vote. Ha ha, lets just hope it doesn't cause brain damage like K-34! I'll find out in time I guess!?

 

[GlennConti]

This is what you get for encouraging me! If you thought I was overboard on the research for this post, look what I've found now:

A June 29, 1948 Advertisement for the stuff. It says "New" and is the earliest ad I could find, so I guess this is around when Gillette came out with it. As if bacteria on your face is really dangerous!?

This is the oldest type and you are supposed to use a brush to lather it. This tube was made in the 1950's is my guess.

 

[G.W.]

Oh man, I would love to try the old Gillette Lather tube.

 

[GlennConti]

Oh man, I would love to try the old Gillette Lather tube.

I have read posts about people that have used this product in the tube form and they said it was phenomenal to shave with. I guess one tube won't kill you. Just keep it away from open cuts or mucous membranes. Just be wary, K-34 was removed from the market for safety reasons. Realize also the advertisement say it wills bacteria not just on the skin surface but even a few layers deep - I mean this is strong stuff! I couldn't find what percentage concentration Gillette used, but at a 6% level in baby powder it caused death. Just saying...

PS: It was on the market, as best as I can tell, from 1948 to 1972. Do you like to sky-dive?

 

[Heron]

So much for the argument that it's only going to be on my skin for a few minutes before getting rinsed off.

 

[G.W.]

I have read posts about people that have used this product in the tube form and they said it was phenomenal to shave with. I guess one tube won't kill you... Do you like to sky-dive?

Heh, I meant I'd love to lather it up, MINUS the stuff that would kill me. It's all that good old-timey stuff, that kills people, that works the best.

 

[SGWB]

I worry less about being poisoned by anti-bacterials than I do about wiping out all of the harmless bacteria that normally lives on human skin, leaving a competition free environment for pathogens to colonize.

 

[FarmerTan]

I worry less about being poisoned by anti-bacterials than I do about wiping out all of the harmless bacteria that normally lives on human skin, leaving a competition free environment for pathogens to colonize.

+1.

 

[malocchio]

I remember the hexachlorophene scare quite well....I had used MENNEN stick deodorant with hex in it for years , it worked extremely well...In 1971 a baby in Europe died from talcum that had too high a concentration of hex in it, and panic ensued...Everything with hex was pulled off the shelves and destroyed... Whatever MENNEN used to replace the hex " did not work ", and I switched back and forth with several brands for a few years...I was working in a major supermarket when this all happened, and I pulled many items off the shelves during the hex panic of that year..