Item Description
Coate's Tea Tree Shaving Cream is much like the funny kid who is not popular for some reason and is thus picked last for a group function. However, upon being picked this particular kid demonstrates that he or she is capable of kicking the rumps of the opposing side without breaking a sweat.
In short, this cream just wants to be liked amongst the roses and sandalwoods and allowed to do its job.
For a shaver with sensitive skin, this is an excellent cream to have.
Price: $29 (plus shipping) for a 5.8oz tub is quite a bit steep in my book. However, there is a lot more cream in the tub than meets the naked eye (I have been using it for almost three weeks straight and have not noticed a dent yet).
Quality: The cream is produced with an eye to quality. Upon opening a tub, be it new or in use, the cream glints with a freshness and moisture that beckons my brush in the morning. The cream is neither too hard nor too soft and feels very slick on the fingers. I am also rating this cream a 10 in quality due to the manufacturer's care with the scent (see below).
Scent: Tea tree oil is very potent stuff and I thought I would be blown away by the pungent odor of the oil when I cracked the tub for the first time. However, I was surprised and very pleased to find out that Coate's has taken their time to work on the scent to such a degree that one can tell it is tea tree oil yet not have to crack a door or window. The scent is telltail tea tree oil, yet along the lines of a very mild, medicinal smell like something your grandmother would use if you had a cold and still needed to sleep without VapoRub keeping you up all night. When heated in my scuttle and swirled around, the scent changes to an almost deep lemon scent. The smell passes along on the brush yet once it comes in contact with your face the scent goes away. Simply put, this cream wants to get to work helping you get a BBS. Sure it may not be a delicious sandalwood or exotic smell, but it is a reassuring and good smell in the morning (at least to my nose).
Latherability: Toss it into a warm moss scuttle and this stuff will coat your face and brush like an exploded Stay Puff Marshmellow Man. I use a little bit more water than usual with another English cream but the ratio is pretty easy to figure out.
Efficacy: For sensitive skin this cream is amazing. The antiseptic properties of the tea tree oil protect my face during the shave, while the hydration and slickness of the cream puts my Murkur HD onto a patch of smooth, safe ice. If I get a nick it is usually taken care of before I finish the pass, and at the end of the shave a splash of something with alcohol does not make me want to pound my head into the wall. My alum block seems to like this cream as well since there is a reassuring tingle from problem spots instead of the two second burn. My face also looks clearer from use of the tea tree oil and shave bumps have become a thing of the past for me.
Moisturizing: This cream works so well for me that it leaves my face a smooth, non-scented and soft platform for me to apply whatever sort of A/S or balm I wish instead of reaching right away for something to relieve dryness (as with TOBS Lime). I need some sort of aftershave or mild moisturizing, but it works in harmony with whatever I choose leaving my face just right vs. too "wet" or too "dry".
Packaging: A computer beige tub w/ green lettering that feels pretty solid yet plain. I do appreciate the notches in the twist lid that help to get the tub open with wet hands.
I think this is an excellent product, perhaps not for everyone but yet deserving a chance and worth of whatever respect you give it after extended use. In a way I am glad that the Coate's which is often looked down upon is the first Coate's cream review on Badger & Blade.
Discussion Thread: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?p=70839#post70839
In short, this cream just wants to be liked amongst the roses and sandalwoods and allowed to do its job.
For a shaver with sensitive skin, this is an excellent cream to have.
Price: $29 (plus shipping) for a 5.8oz tub is quite a bit steep in my book. However, there is a lot more cream in the tub than meets the naked eye (I have been using it for almost three weeks straight and have not noticed a dent yet).
Quality: The cream is produced with an eye to quality. Upon opening a tub, be it new or in use, the cream glints with a freshness and moisture that beckons my brush in the morning. The cream is neither too hard nor too soft and feels very slick on the fingers. I am also rating this cream a 10 in quality due to the manufacturer's care with the scent (see below).
Scent: Tea tree oil is very potent stuff and I thought I would be blown away by the pungent odor of the oil when I cracked the tub for the first time. However, I was surprised and very pleased to find out that Coate's has taken their time to work on the scent to such a degree that one can tell it is tea tree oil yet not have to crack a door or window. The scent is telltail tea tree oil, yet along the lines of a very mild, medicinal smell like something your grandmother would use if you had a cold and still needed to sleep without VapoRub keeping you up all night. When heated in my scuttle and swirled around, the scent changes to an almost deep lemon scent. The smell passes along on the brush yet once it comes in contact with your face the scent goes away. Simply put, this cream wants to get to work helping you get a BBS. Sure it may not be a delicious sandalwood or exotic smell, but it is a reassuring and good smell in the morning (at least to my nose).
Latherability: Toss it into a warm moss scuttle and this stuff will coat your face and brush like an exploded Stay Puff Marshmellow Man. I use a little bit more water than usual with another English cream but the ratio is pretty easy to figure out.
Efficacy: For sensitive skin this cream is amazing. The antiseptic properties of the tea tree oil protect my face during the shave, while the hydration and slickness of the cream puts my Murkur HD onto a patch of smooth, safe ice. If I get a nick it is usually taken care of before I finish the pass, and at the end of the shave a splash of something with alcohol does not make me want to pound my head into the wall. My alum block seems to like this cream as well since there is a reassuring tingle from problem spots instead of the two second burn. My face also looks clearer from use of the tea tree oil and shave bumps have become a thing of the past for me.
Moisturizing: This cream works so well for me that it leaves my face a smooth, non-scented and soft platform for me to apply whatever sort of A/S or balm I wish instead of reaching right away for something to relieve dryness (as with TOBS Lime). I need some sort of aftershave or mild moisturizing, but it works in harmony with whatever I choose leaving my face just right vs. too "wet" or too "dry".
Packaging: A computer beige tub w/ green lettering that feels pretty solid yet plain. I do appreciate the notches in the twist lid that help to get the tub open with wet hands.
I think this is an excellent product, perhaps not for everyone but yet deserving a chance and worth of whatever respect you give it after extended use. In a way I am glad that the Coate's which is often looked down upon is the first Coate's cream review on Badger & Blade.
Discussion Thread: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?p=70839#post70839
