Barbasol Beard Busters

So, after my shaving renaissance and using some really good soaps and creams lathered with a brush, I decided to give my old standby Barbasol a try. I thought I'd use my Plissoft Monster to lather it on this time, rather than the time-tested mushing it on with my hands. The lather was thick, but almost scent free. I was using a Gillette Sheridan with a Gillette Platinum Plus blade and that's when the trouble starts. All over my face and noggin my razor is jumping and skipping. Yikes, not what I want from a shave cream at all. I bought a travel size, so I'm only out $1, but still I won't be trying this experiment again.

I have used this shaving cream for years. I stopped it for a while after acquiring a badger brush as I thought I needed a fancy cream or soap with the brush. After I used up the cream sample that came with the brush, I sprayed some Barbasol in my bowl and lathered it up. It was even better than before! It latheres nicely and applies very nicely with my badger brush.

If you're going to buy OTC lather in a can, this is the best bang for your buck. It works just as well as the higher priced canned lathers and gels on the shelf, IMO. I'm a TOBS fan, but this is what I toss in my bag if I'm traveling.

The only reason I even tried this stuff is because my grandpa uses it on a daily basis. I was surprised by just how much I like it, seeing as how most "canned gook" just does not work. This provides a decent cushion between my face and razor, and has a pleasant smell. The only one I don't care for is the Pacific Rush. I'm not going to give up my Proraso Sandalwood tube and Omega brush any time soon, but this is what I use when the brush needs a little time off.

I do not consider myself much of a shaving connoisseur. Married nearly a decade, I simply used whatever cream or gel my wife picked up for me and whatever blade was was the most inexpensive. Last year I took a trip and needed a travel size can of goop, so I picked up the Barbasol Original at a local Walgreens, remembering that I once used the stuff in my early 20s and liked it (especially the Aloe version). Not only was I nostalgically transported back to those days, but I discovered that the shave was slightly closer and more comfortable. Upon my return home, I immediately picked up a can of the Soothing Aloe. Liking that even better, I decided to look into the world of Barbasol online to see if they had any after shave splashes or lotions, and from there I was sucked into the world of Barbasol products. Now, having experimented with its entire product line, I will offer my amateur's review for my fellow cheapies out there. My go to, especially in the hotter months, is the aqua-blue striped Pacific Rush (hence my choice of avatar). This is because the cream pairs very well with its namesake in the after shave splash and balm categories, and my wife also likes its sudsy, somewhat soapy, but not overpowering scent (being a Californian, I am also biased towards Pacific-themed products, even though the connection here is just a marketing gimmick). My second favorite would have to be the yellow-striped Skin Conditioner, especially for the colder, dryer months, because of the lanolin, but the green-striped Soothing Aloe works well too. I pair these with the green-striped Brisk After Shave (and an unscented Aveeno after shave lotion), though my wife complains that its Pierre Cardin-like scent is a little overwhelming. The grayish blue-striped Arctic Chill is a great post-exercise cream, because of the added menthol, and the scent is really nice too. The purple-striped Mountain Blast (the hardest to find of the collection) smells really nice, too - though the orange-striped Sensitive Skin (aerosol can version) has a slightly similar scent, with some extra moisturizing additives. Finally, I tried out the orange-striped tube version of the Sensitive Skin Therapeutic Shave Cream and found that to do an excellent job of moisturizing the skin, although the shave takes longer and I have to vigorously rinse it out of my cheap blade. And of course, the Barbasol Original remains my go-to travel cream away from home. So there you have it, my experience with the (currently available) complete line of Barbasol products.

Barbasol Original Thick and Rich Shaving Cream
The well-known "original" scent/formula with red and white barber-pole stripes on the can.

Price: US$1.59 for 11 oz (312 g)–$0.14 per ounce, by weight. That is about as good as it gets, but in this case one gets what one pays for...

Quality: This is a mass-produced cream designed to be inexpensive and easy to use. It is not intended to be a top-quality product. To that end, it contains mostly artificial ingredients (although the list is short) and lots of air.

Scent: The scent is understatied but artificial, and therefore not entirely agreeable.

Latherability: This is an aerosol product, not one that requires using a brush to generate lather. It does seem more dense than other aerosol creams I have used. Out of curiosity, I attempted to whip this stuff with a badger brush in a bowl. The cream vaporized as though I had popped a balloon.

Efficacy: Good cushioning. Glide is acceptable with safety razors, but is insufficient for straight-razor use.

Moisturizing Properties: It isn't completely drying, but it does little in the way of moisturizing.

Packaging: Nothing fancy, just a steel can with push button on top. Prevents the contents from exploding, and dispenses the product as required, so I am OK with that.

Ingredients: Water, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Isobutane (or may contain Butane), Laureth-23, Fragrance, Propane, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

This is the stuff that I started shaving with because my dad has used it all of his life. I take it with me on trips and I will occasionally use it at home. It's the best value in shaving - bar none. It may come from a can, but the results are apparent. I can see why my dad hasn't used anything else. Plus, you can't beat the price of this stuff!

I use the aloe in my shaving cream warmer and follow it up with a hot towel. After that, I then use one of my creams or soaps. It really makes my beard soft right before my shaves.



It really makes my beard soft right before my shaves

I think this is a great traveling cream. I usually use soap for my shaves and have gotten rid of all my cans of goo. I keep a small one can of the Aloe Barbasol creams around for traveling purposes, I think it outperforms many of the other competitors. It is cheaper so I don't feel that I need to use it to get my money back. I like the smell and the latherability. I marked the quality down because I am not much of a caned cream guy but overall it gets my thumbs up.

love the smell of the original

I was on a three day trip recently when I realized I forgot my travel brush and cream. I've never had to take advantage of that little sign in the hotel bathroom that begins: "if you've forgotten any essential toiletry item....." so I was fearing the worst when I approached the front desk. They handed me a trial/travel sized barbasol beard busters (red)shaving cream can. I immediatly went online to read the reviews. I can certainly echo that I had absolutely no problems using this stuff with my red superspeed. Almost to the point where I'm considering making this my travel go to.

Great old time scent with a very dense lather. With good prep and a wet face the Barbasol lathered on quite nicely and provided an excellent cushion for a good close and clean shave. My razor glided pretty effortlessly with no nicks, cuts or weepers. Having not used this canned lather for many years I was quite surprised that it worked so well. The original Barbasol lather left my face a tad on the dry side but a good after shave routine would easily take care of any lingering issue. An excellent product for traveling or for when a quick shave is required. It will not replace my brush and favorite cream or soap, but I wouldn't hesitate to use it...anytime.

I use this as my travel shave cream; beats carrying around a mug, brush, tub of soap, etc.

It is actually quite good. I have the "w/ Aloe" type, and it is great. Considering it costs about $2...it's hard to beat for the price.

For every day shaves, I prefer my soaps and creams. But for a quick shave when I'm running late, or when I'm on the road, the Beard Buster fits the bill perfectly.

I recommend it to anyone.

I start with hot washcloth and unscented dove moisturing soap prior to my shave.
The beard buster original shaving cream works well enough to shave daily with my DE Gillette. After shaving BBS both WTG and ATG my face was 98%-99% free of any razor burn. Any pink areas on the neck dissapeared approx15 minutes. I will be trying the aloe in a day or so.
I did try an inexpensive shaving soap kit that shedded hair and left my face on fire.
Update. The aloe worked great maybe a little better than the origional. My face felt better using the same preperation and DE razor blade brand.
I washed my face with unscented dove moisturizing soap and hot water then applied the barbasol aloe combined with a older shick DE and a USA made dollar general blade.