Kappus Nautik

I found a tube of this in my local chemsit in Wellington NZ for $5 so thought I'd give it a go, I have already tried Kappus Aloe Vera cream which lathers very nicely and smells pretty good too.

This Kappus Nautik was no different in the lather front, just a small squeeze in the bowl will produce enough lather for at least 3 passes plus touch ups, and it's smells pretty nice too.

All up a very nice cream for a very small price, and I'm using this everyday now, I like it.

We all know these creams: small brands, nothing fancy, but a good product. If you're ever lucky enough to find the Kappus Nautic cream in a drugstore it will most likely be rendered insignificant in presentation and quantity by hordes of Palmolive and Wilkinson - don't let yourself be fooled though; KN is what a decent everyday shave is all about.

In Germany the cream costs roughly a buck, I suspect in the US you will have to pay the usual 3 to 5 $ per tube. The outer packaging comes across as, well, likeable in its 90s-ocean-wave-blue-sky-design. The cream itself is snug in a metal tube not unlike the Speick one. No reason to complain here.

Olfactory satisfaction is always a matter of opinion, however one thing can be said for sure: the scent is strong while lathering but significantly less noticeable after the shave. It's a blue, soapy, fresh fragrance; nothing special, but pleasant in its simplicity. And here's where the "Cool Water"-orientated package design makes sense: it is oceanic. In fact this is a scent I won't mind when going sailing next time, a tad like fresh water and a hint of a juvenile aftershave.

A look at the ingredients - Aqua, Potassium Stearate, Potassium Palmitate, Potassium Cocoate, Glycerin, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Palmitate, Sorbitol, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Cocoate, Parfum, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Silicate, Sodium Silicate, Menthone glycerin acetal, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool - reveals that for a shaving cream this is as good as it gets. In fact all ingredients are frequently used in natural cosmetics coming at much higher prices.

As you'd expect it from a decent cream lathering is foolproof and requires not more than a pinch of the product. The result of half a minute of working the brush is a thick, rich, slick cushion for the blade; definitely on par with the established drugstore brands or even the British high-class creams. During the shave itself the KN does a flawless job, three passes without irritation convinced my rather demanding skin.

Two things have to be mentioned - "contains menthol" says the blurb, and the list of ingredients agrees. But this is by no means a menthol cream - in fact without knowledge of it I wouldn't have guessed there is a menthol element at all.

In addition - whilst design and scent lean towards sea and water, the KN is not what I'd call moisturizing. Compared to other creams it left my skin surprisingly dry, but then again - moisturizing is what an aftershave balm is for.

All in all this is a nice everyday cream coming at a great price. If there's any way for you to get it - give it a try.