Acadian Spice Bay Rum

One of the nicest aspects of traditional wet shaving that I've run across is the breadth and depth of products available, seemingly tailored to every need that a guy could want. Razors, Blades, Brushes, Shaving Soaps and Creams and Croaps, etc., the variety of offerings is just stunning.

But perhaps the area that seems to be the most individualistic at times is the world of After Shaves. It makes sense, considering that for some, it's like choosing your personal "scent" / "cologne" in some ways. It's what you'll be smelling and others will smell on you. Of course there are many AS that fade quickly, allowing us to then use a cologne of our choice. Then you factor in skin sensitivity, the love (or hate) of the "bracing / burning" sensation of using alcohol-based Splashes vs. Balms or Lotions (or Shea Butter), and it turns into an area where personal preference is king.

As I've jumped into the world of traditional shaving, I've been looking for products that work for my sensitive skin, and for products that stay away from as many synthetic / toxic chemicals as possible, while still being effective and excellent.

Thanks to all you veterans out there, I found some amazing All-Natural Kickbutt Shaving Soap Products like Martin de Candre, Mike's Natural Soaps, Mystic Water, Queen Charlotte Soaps and more.

I was curious if there were any After Shave equivalents to the efficacy and purity of those Natural Shaving Soaps. And thanks to so many recommendations, I found Krampert's Finest Bay Rum Acadian Spice After Shave.

Initially, I wasn't sure if I'd like a traditional Bay Rum scent, but speaking with Mr. Krampert, I was told it was nothing like the funky smell that many would associate with a "Bay Rum." It's also lovingly hand-crafted in small batches in Maine, U.S.A. So I decided to try it. My package arrived quickly and safely. I eagerly opened up the bottle and took a whiff:

A *natural* gentle fragrance bathed my nose. Nothing overwhelming; just something that made me think of another time. I was planning on shaving the next day, so I put back the bottle and waited for the morning.

The next morning, I prepped myself for a traditional DE shave, and after finishing up and using a bit of Witch Hazel Toner, I shook the bottle of Krampert's Finest Bay Rum, and gingerly applied it to my face.

There's an initial subtle burn (there is Alcohol in it), but it goes away quickly; it's nowhere near as intense as, say, Floid Amber After Shave. But what makes the experience so pleasant is the scent:

It's a proprietary mixture of all natural essential oils and spices, and my nose picks up the smell of *real* cinnamon, cloves and fragrant spices.

It reminds me of the Holidays with family and friends. There's a happy feeling that gets evoked from this wonderful spice blend, and with my sensitive nose and personal experience as a longtime cook, I can tell this smells like the real cinnamon and spices I use to cook every day.

Besides the excellent natural fragrance, is the skin sensation after applying it:

My face and skin feel soft and moisturized; not dried out like how traditional alcohol-heavy splashes might leave one's skin. I was very surprised, but then remembered S's comment about how moisturizing it was; it really is!

45 minutes later and I can still smell a faint, gentle undertone of the cinnamon, cloves and spices, but it's never overpowering.

And best of all, it only registers as a "1" on the EWG toxicity database, which is awesome! (the lower the number, the better. Many commercial / mainstream products I've checked are much higher.)

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product.php?prod_id=503854

From the pleasing, genuinely satisfying scent, to the gentle, moisturizing properties after applying it to your skin, to the all-natural ingredients, Krampert's Finest Bay Rum Acadian Spice After Shave has quickly become my favorite after shave. Highly recommended.

Krampert's Finest Bay Rum Acadian Spice After Shave
http://www.krampertsfinest.com/

(Score (out of a maximum 10.0))

* Scent: 9.5
* Moisturizing: 9.0
* Quality: 10.0

* Overall: 9.5

Krampert's Finest Bay Rum AS
It is a great product, and am glad it is now available at Bullgoose- http://www.bullgooseshaving.net/krfiacspbayr.html

as well as the KF website- http://www.krampertsfinest.com/

The smell is great! not over-powering, but just enough to help carry-over into the next few hours after shaving, and can be *refreshed* with a light rub of water on the cheeks

It doesn't burn, but has a light cooling sensation. I use it after rinsing alum off my face, a light pat-dry, and on with the KFBR!

Excellent product... just need a bigger container!

Price: I don't live in Maine so I can't purchase this product but I had some gifted to me. Thanks so much Brian! So price, even if I had paid the retail that I see others mention would certainly be worth every cent and still receive a "10" from me.

Quality: Simply superb. I've not used another product that worked so brilliantly. Mr. Krampert has a market changer on his hands here.

Fights Razor Burn: I have nothing in my post-shave arsenal that works as well as this bay rum for repairing my skin after a harsh shave.

Cooling Sensation: N/A

Scent: To put it nicely I have only ever tolerated bay rum scents and my wife has vetoed each bay rum I've let her sniff. Krampert's Finest is the only bay rum that I thoroughly enjoy the scent of and even my wife likes it. She still doesn't like the smell of it in the bottle, but something magic happens when it interacts with my skin and then it get's a two thumbs up and even a wink!

Efficacy: This stuff is the epitome of efficacy for an aftershave product. It removes any irritation and repairs the skin from a rough or harsh shave. It doesn't require a horrible alcohol burning sensation to do it either. It does not dry out your skin, in fact it has better moisturizing capability than many balms I've tried. It leaves my face/neck feeling refreshed, smooth, and soft after each use. Bottom line is that Krampert's Finest actually accomplishes what all other aftershave products set out to do.

Moisturizing: This is the reason that Mr. Krampert shared his product with me. I have pretty dehydrated skin which causes my face to overproduce oil and gives me an oily complexion. Most splashes leave me way to dry and tight while most balms leave me greasy and sticky. This bay rum hydrates my skin amazingly. If I need more moisturizing then I just use more product. It never leaves my face with that Sahara desert dry and tight feeling that so many other alcohol based splashes do. It's quite amazing what Mr. Krampert has accomplished with a splash type aftershave since it moisturizes better than many thick balms.

No Alcohol Burn: Being a bay rum I was kind of expecting a decent burn when applied after a rough shave. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of this. The most I could say that I've noticed is a gentle warming sensation that just feels comforting. Maybe that's all those quality ingredients going to work helping to repair my skin.

I said it before and I'll say it again... Krampert's Finest Bay Rum is a market changer. He's put together the best aspects of a splash, with the best aspects of a moisturizing balm and delivers it all in a classically masculine scent that makes you feel confident and wise. You won't come across as some punk kid who you can smell coming around the corner. You also won't be wondering where this amazing scent disappeared to just minutes after application. It's there subtly all day if you really look for it. This is surely the bay rum of gentlemen!

Thank you for a wonderful product!