Indian shaving creams reviews

[Porgy Tirebiter]

Gentlemen, this thread is why I enjoy the entire B&B site! A scant six months ago I was happy with just my trusty Proraso. Thanks to continually updated reviews like these by chinmusic (great handle, by the way...you must be a cricket player), I've learned so much about what else is available elsewhere in the world. I've seen various previous posts about Godrej which piqued my interest, but until I see chinmusic's review I'll reserve judgement on whether or not to buy some.
My Dad spent five or six years as a child in (colonial) India when his father was an engineer for the British government, and has a strong affinity for India. I'd like to treat him to a Godrej shave, but only after you tell us how to properly prepare it!
Keep up the excellent reviews, we are all the richer for them.

 

[chinmusic82]

Gentlemen, this thread is why I enjoy the entire B&B site! A scant six months ago I was happy with just my trusty Proraso. Thanks to continually updated reviews like these by chinmusic (great handle, by the way...you must be a cricket player), I've learned so much about what else is available elsewhere in the world. I've seen various previous posts about Godrej which piqued my interest, but until I see chinmusic's review I'll reserve judgement on whether or not to buy some.
My Dad spent five or six years as a child in (colonial) India when his father was an engineer for the British government, and has a strong affinity for India. I'd like to treat him to a Godrej shave, but only after you tell us how to properly prepare it!
Keep up the excellent reviews, we are all the richer for them.

Thank you Sir for your wonderful comments and yes indeed I'm a lover of good fast bowling.

Godrej has been discussed in detail and reviewed far better than I could by many senior members on B&B-
http://badgerandblade.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=43067

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/111121-Godrej-Shaving-Cream

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/290459-Godrej-shaving-cream-Rich-Foam

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/81806-Godrej-Lime-Shave-Cream

I am trying to shed some light on lesser known creams before I tackle the well known ones.

I read in a couple of posts in older threads here by a vendor shaveabuck and another senior member malocchio that India is a powerhouse for cosmetics and there are about 60-70 shaving creams produced and available here! This was news to me and so I decided to see for myself if I can find all these creams. Who knows I might even find some that are better than the mainstream ones.

I still have close to 10 obscure creams I'd like to review before I do the Godrej line, but if you find some Godrej in the next few weeks don't hesitate to pick it up. It still is better than the ones I've reviewed up till now.

 

[chinmusic82]

Shahnaz Husain owns a leading herbal cosmetic brand in India. Most stores I've visited have many of her products for women. I did not know until recently that she had a line for men which also featured a single variety of shaving cream.

A friend who was visiting had brought this along and was kind enough to leave his tube of cream with me.

It has a very pleasant spiced citrus soapy smell and produces some of the best lather I've used. It has an unappealing green colour out of the tube(similar to T&H WI limes) but thankfully once whipped up looks like any other cream.


A fairly easy cream to work with and doesn't break down if you add a little extra water. The lather is slick and very comfortable to use. It leaves my face very soft but also dries it out a little bit which is a good thing, for my skin is quite oily.

IMHO it is the best lime scented cream I have tried from India.

At Rs170($3) for a 70gram tube it is also the most expensive Indian cream I have come across. It is not available in my state, but more readily available in the North of India. I haven't found any online sources...yet.

This is one that I will stock up on when I 3017 most of my other creams.

I could not find any reviews on B&B and have only seen it mentioned once in this thread way back from 2009, post number 18 -
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/94723-New-guy-from-India

More information about the brand can be found here-
http://www.shahnaz.in/product_manpower.asp

http://www.shahnaz.in/

 

[chinmusic82]

I seem to be using the same words to describe most creams but what can I say, this is a real gem! It does a fine job in all departments- lather quality, potent smell and post shave feel are all top notch.


This cream is so good that it is out of stock on all websites!
I have noticed that Indian cream manufactures usually bring out 3 standard scents- some sort of cologne/musk, a citrus and a menthol. Though I enjoy the scent of this cream the musk can get tiring after a while.

3 varieties of Zuska are available- musk, aquamarine and lime. All 3 are formulated with Allantoin and according to their website the
Musk is marketed for people with sensitive skin
Aquamarine for dry skin and the
Citrus for those with oily skin.

10. Zuska Aquamarine shaving cream(review) can be found here-
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/404227-Zuska-Aquamarine?highlight=zuska+aquamarine

Of the musk and aquamarine I find the latter to be slicker with better post shave feel, but having said that the musk by itself is still a good cream.
Priced at Rs.49(80 cents) for a 98gram tube.

The lime has proven elusive to find so if anyone has a tube could I request you to add a review here to complete the Zuska line?

 

[countrydirt]

11. Laser Ultra


I have a tube of the Laser Ultra and I have used it a couple of times. Here is my first disclaimer, I am pretty much of a face latherer and have very little experience building lather in a bowl or a scuttle.

I think this cream will make a decent lather in a bowl with plenty of work and water. It seems to be pretty thirsty. With that said, I rubbed a small amount right onto my scalp and built the lather right on my head with a damp brush. I had to dip the tips a couple of times to get the lather to be slick feeling and looking, instead of airy and dry feeling.
Scentwise, the Laser Ultra smells clean. I don't notice any one scent dominating, which is good.

 

[chinmusic82]

Troy agreed to help me review the Manhunt and Laser. Thanks for helping break the monotony of my reviews and for the great photographs!

I fell in love with the smell of the Laser cream and I felt it was very very similar to the T&H Grafton.
It like Blue Stratos and Amway Dynamite requires a damp brush with the water squeezed out to start with. I work it till its pasty and then add just a few more drops of water to get a useable lather. I found it reasonably slick with good glide. The post shave feel was nothing spectacular.
Every time I've started with a soaking wet brush I've always had mounds of dry airy lather.

Like all creams which require very little water, it can dry out a bit fast. For that reason I use this cream on those one pass plus touch up days.

I too find these type of creams easier to face/palm lather.
It was a difficult cream to work with but once I dialed it in, it gave me some good shaves.

 

[countrydirt]

12. Manhunt Skin Care





I received this tube of ManHunt shaving cream in a massive PIF from @chinmusic82 several months ago. I just got around to trying it this morning. The first impression was not very good as I found a dried and hardened plug of soap in the neck of the tube, likely from the factory level, but a little squeeze and the hardened bit came out and the soft cream was ready to be used. The cream in the tube is a yellowish color, but as you can see from the photos, the lather is white.

I expected to smell a bit more aloe vera, but I did not get any hint of that at all. It was more of a citrus smell, but not overpowering. Just a nice scent.

I lathered in my scuttle this morning and a small amount created quite a bit of lather. This photo is after 3 passes of shaving:

The lather was smooth and pleasant. It provided adequate cushioning and slickness for a good shave this morning. I'm sure this would make an excellent face lathering cream. I'm not sure I have the patience to bowl or scuttle lather every day.

The packaging and scent are nice and understated, not overwhelming or flashy. I think this cream fits well within what we have come to expect from Indian shaving products, solid performers at a great price.

 

[bryan1980]

I enjoy finding inexpensive creams at the local Indian markets. There is a new huge Indo-Paki store about to open in town. I'm hoping for even more choices.

What part of town? So far, all of the ones I've found have been in Irving (Patel Brothers in south Irving, and both locations of India Bazaar, one in s. Irving, and one in Valley Ranch). They usually have the complete line-up of Godrej, and Old Spice creams. I've also seen Axe at Patel Brothers.

 

[socialjunk95]

LASER ULTRA SHAVING CREAM.

chinmusic was kind enough to send a sample of this cream to me.
I completely agree with his review on the cream. I love the smell. But it dries out before I can even finish the 2nd pass!

 

[beginish]

This thread is awesome.

 

[malocchio]

I have tried several creams from various countries that were green or white,however,they all turn snow white upon lathering.

 

[chinmusic82]

Manhunt was one of the first obscure Indian creams I stumbled upon while looking for something different from the mainstream products.

I get a hint of tea tree oil and some citrus from the scent. Very mildly scented cream.
The performance was very good considering I picked up very old tubes(manufactured in early 2012). It was easy to lather and comfortable to shave with. A good cream worth a try if you chance upon it.

 

[chinmusic82]

I first heard about this cream only after joining B&B and reading this write up by Kevan.

I have a high tolerance for strong smells and even I found this one rather pungent. It is a spicy turmeric sandalwood smell and the truest sandalwood I have found in a 'shaving cream', but has just a bit too much turmeric IMHO.

As a shaving cream it makes a decent lather which requires a bit of effort, provides good glide and excellent moisturizing.
In India turmeric is a multipurpose spice, used heavily in cooking and also for minor cuts and abrasions. I think its a great additive to a shaving cream.
Though I have stopped using it to shave with as the smell is a little strong, I continue to use it as a preshave for which I think it is better suited. I transfer the cream to a tub and air it out to reduce the scent.



I thought of taking some pictures of how to lather this up but I cannot top this brilliant video review by Steve Faragher (post 244).

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/238996-I-love-this-guy-s-minimalist-approach-to-shaving!/page13


Some other opinions of this cream can be found here-

http://badgerandblade.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=3093&cat=41

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/117287-Vicco-Turmeric-Cream-B-A-A-R-R-F-F


Highly contrasting views tells you that this one is only for the brave.


Note-The weekend has started and I like to use a cream from another country on Saturdays and a soap on Sundays. I will check back into this thread first thing on Monday morning with the next review. Have a great weekend everyone!

 

[socialjunk95]

I first heard about this cream only after joining B&B and reading this write up by Kevan.
View attachment 463815
I have a high tolerance for strong smells and even I found this one rather pungent. It is a spicy turmeric sandalwood smell and the truest sandalwood I have found in a 'shaving cream', but has just a bit too much turmeric IMHO.

As a shaving cream it makes a decent lather which requires a bit of effort, provides good glide and excellent moisturizing.
In India turmeric is a multipurpose spice, used heavily in cooking and also for minor cuts and abrasions. I think its a great additive to a shaving cream.
Though I have stopped using it to shave with as the smell is a little strong, I continue to use it as a preshave for which I think it is better suited. I transfer the cream to a tub and air it out to reduce the scent.
View attachment 463819


I thought of taking some pictures of how to lather this up but I cannot top this brilliant video review by Steve Faragher (post 244).

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/238996-I-love-this-guy-s-minimalist-approach-to-shaving!/page13


Some other opinions of this cream can be found here-

http://badgerandblade.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=3093&cat=41

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/117287-Vicco-Turmeric-Cream-B-A-A-R-R-F-F


Highly contrasting views tells you that this one is only for the brave.


Note-The weekend has started and I like to use a cream from another country on Saturdays and a soap on Sundays. I will check back into this thread first thing on Monday morning with the next review. Have a great weekend everyone!

I concur with your review. Good shaving cream properties but phew, that smell!!
I have a tube that I just used a couple of times and I don't think it'll ever get used again.
I also have their face wash which smells exactly the same. Yes, that'll never be used as well.

 

[chinmusic82]

I concur with your review. Good shaving cream properties but phew, that smell!!
I have a tube that I just used a couple of times and I don't think it'll ever get used again.
I also have their face wash which smells exactly the same. Yes, that'll never be used as well.

I actually really enjoy the smell, its just that it is very strong out of the tube. That's why I transfer it to a tub and air it out for a few weeks.

 

[chinmusic82]

Skipping my usual 'soap on Sundays' ritual, I revisited the Amway Dynamite. This cream has an extremely narrow sweet spot for the amount of water it can hold and once again I was left with a very dry lather halfway through my second pass. Adding a few more drops only made it airy and unusable. The cream is slick enough but without adequate hydration I can't see it being very protective and I was kept aware of the blade through out the shave. Its like Russian roulette with this cream, on one day I get spectacular results and the next is a disaster.

I won't be replacing this one.

In my first review I've written 'a good performer'. I'd like to change that to 'a temperamental performer'.

 

[socialjunk95]

I actually really enjoy the smell, its just that it is very strong out of the tube. That's why I transfer it to a tub and air it out for a few weeks.

Maybe it deserves a second chance. I'll transfer it to a tub, let it air out for a few weeks and then try using it again.

 

[Try em all]

Vi John smells like incense sticks. Not intense!
Blue stratos has a typical drug store cologne smell( old spice etc).

Found a tube of the Vi-John two days ago, with a little difficulty. Couldn't find the Blue Stratos.

As it has been reviewed to be not too protective, I thought I'd use four times the amount I normally use.
Didn't work completely, but I'm sure that it was better than if I'd have used the normal amount.
It is slick, and can probably be used brushless as well.

But the smell! Gave me an instant cold. Too much for me. Vaguely like incense and a bit religious-y.
Besides, SWMBO didn't like the smell.
PIF'd it yesterday.

That said, however, others may not have the problem I do.
I am allergic to most perfumes and strong smells. Especially musk type smells. I love the smell of Old Spice, and Old Spice Musk, but I can't use them. They, like most other strongly perfumed creams, give me a running nose, which is why I couldn't use aftershaves for many years..
SWMBO also can not use her fav. perfumes or even creams if I'm around.
Over three decades, after much searching, I've standardised on 4711 as the only aftershave that suits me, although very recently, during sampler testing in a mall, I found that Nivea AS (not the sensitive) also does not give me problems. Immediately bought two bottles.
On the days I already have a cold, I use plain drug store surgical spirit / alcohol as an aftershave. It's available in pharmacies as Surgiclin spirit or Clinic spirit. It's essentially 70% isopropyl alcohol, the same as in many aftershaves, although some manufacturers of aftershave also use denatured spirit. I have oily skin, so it is not likely to do much damage.
If I do not use an aftershave or spirit, my face will itch most of the day.
India is a hot and humid country. Ideal breeding grounds for pathogens, making some kind of antiseptic necessary after a shave.
I know that some people use mild antiseptic creams like Boroline, but most creams are perfumed, and so not for me.

 

[socialjunk95]

Found a tube of the Vi-John two days ago, with a little difficulty. Couldn't find the Blue Stratos.

As it has been reviewed to be not too protective, I thought I'd use four times the amount I normally use.
Didn't work completely, but I'm sure that it was better than if I'd have used the normal amount.
It is slick, and can probably be used brushless as well.

But the smell! Gave me an instant cold. Too much for me. Vaguely like incense and a bit religious-y.
Besides, SWMBO didn't like the smell.
PIF'd it yesterday.

That said, however, others may not have the problem I do.
I am allergic to most perfumes and strong smells. Especially musk type smells. I love the smell of Old Spice, and Old Spice Musk, but I can't use them. They, like most other strongly perfumed creams, give me a running nose, which is why I couldn't use aftershaves for many years..
SWMBO also can not use her fav. perfumes or even creams if I'm around.
Over three decades, after much searching, I've standardised on 4711 as the only aftershave that suits me, although very recently, during sampler testing in a mall, I found that Nivea AS (not the sensitive) also does not give me problems. Immediately bought two bottles.
On the days I already have a cold, I use plain drug store surgical spirit / alcohol as an aftershave. It's available in pharmacies as Surgiclin spirit or Clinic spirit. It's essentially 70% isopropyl alcohol, the same as in many aftershaves, although some manufacturers of aftershave also use denatured spirit. I have oily skin, so it is not likely to do much damage.
If I do not use an aftershave or spirit, my face will itch most of the day.
India is a hot and humid country. Ideal breeding grounds for pathogens, making some kind of antiseptic necessary after a shave.
I know that some people use mild antiseptic creams like Boroline, but most creams are perfumed, and so not for me.

I'm sorry vi-john didn't work out for you!
I would recommend the biotique bio palmyra shaving cream. It's got a very faint green apple smell and its a fantastic performer.
Give it a try if you haven't already!

 

[Try em all]

I'm sorry vi-john didn't work out for you!
I would recommend the biotique bio palmyra shaving cream. It's got a very faint green apple smell and its a fantastic performer.
Give it a try if you haven't already!

Bio palmyra is my best performing cream.