L'Occitane CADE Aftershave Balm

I feel like a million bucks when wearing this stuff. And that makes it worth it, except that I tend to only wear on special occasions. The scent lasts all day. Drop the price by 10 bucks and I'd buy by the case.

Generally, I've found pricey ASBs mediocre across the board, to the point that I've decided to stick to the stuff barbers used on me when I was a kid: witch hazel. Smells pleasant in its own subtle way, and does the job. And I was a happy little camper with this arrangement...until my Sig. Other got a shipment of goodies she ordered from L'Occitane for herself, which came with the usual "teaser" sample packets. They happened to include a sample of their Cade ASB, which she promptly tossed my way, "in case you're interested", she casually added. I put it next to my razor stand, just in case.

On my next shave, I decided to give the Cade sample a go, remembering the last sample I tried (Baxter), which was merely "okay", meaning not good enough to justify spending that kind of cash, but figuring that L'Occitane, given their overall rep, might be a little better than that. I was wrong: it's WAY better. From its wonderfully subtle (and lingering) scent, to its texture, to how it simply makes my skin feel right after applying, and hours afterward - the stuff lives up to its billing, which was sort of shocking given my disappointment with so many others.

Of course, the downside is that I am now enamored with an ASB priced solidly in the luxury-goods category, which isn't exactly my thing. At 34 bucks for a 2.5oz tube, this seems pretty spendy, but one mitigating factor is that, like the fabled Brylcreem, a little dab will literally "do ya"...in fact, you don't want to use any more than the tiniest dollop you can manage to coax from the tube. That two and a half ounces should go a pretty long way.

Highly recommended, albeit reluctantly. ;-)

This is a very good ASB. The scent is marvelous and matches the soap (which IMO is not of the same quality). The ASB is able to provide a lot of comfort after a bad shave and does not leave the face feeling tight.

It can be a little greasy, and therefore, may not be suitable for humid climates, but is definitely the ASB to use in a dryer winter weather.

L'Occitane CADE Aftershave Balm, is a great little aftershave. The scent is fantastic and similar to the splash, but IMO is a little more woodsy and the juniper is stronger, but not overpowering.
The moisturizing capabilities are up there with moderately priced moisturizers, so this one is great in the winter time, but may be a little too heavy for dog day summer use or those with oily skin. I have dry, sensitive skin myself so it's fantastic. It also makes a great accompaniment to their splash, which I find to a be light on the moisture scale, also it knocks out any of the alcohol burn lingering from the spalsh. It's such a good moisturizer that even on dry cold days after application, I find no need for a moisturizer.
One downside, is there is virtually no immediately cooling sensation, but with so much moisture after a few minutes it will provide the desired effect. Also at $26 for 2.5 oz. it's a little steep in the price department.
The quality and efficacy are both very high, but again, probably not ideal fro those with oily skin. It is also effective at fighting razor burn.
I would recommend anyone to go out and pick up this balm, even if it's just for winter use or application of the neck only to help soothe the easily irritated skin of the region.

Here's a link to the discussion thread, if you'd like to comment on this product without entering a review.

This is one of the very first A/S balms that I bought with my AD... I was very disatissfied with how it turned out. What got my goat is the fact that it neither cooled nor moisturized my face...I felt empty after applying it...In fact I thought that I hadn't used enough so I went back for seconds and just ended up feeling sticky. I know this is a well-made, quality product..but not for my face.

I traded it to a friend for some DR Harris Pink, and a small Coral Skin Food. If I were you, I would not lay down the money based on reviews, but I would order Scotto's Sampler and try them b4 you buy them.

Hopefully this helps...

As stated, $28 USD for 2.5oz is pretty steep considering what it is. Quality-wise it's okay and does a good (bordering on great) job of moisturizing and fighting razor burn but the scent strongly reminds me of Grandma's cold cream, or as my wife calls it, "Oil of Old Ladies." Luckily the scent itself dissipates within the first half hour but then you're left with nothing at all. It really is a good moisturizer for cold weather so I just accept the scent for what it is. I tend to use this only on really cold days (below freezing) for the skin protection it offers but overall I much prefer Trumper's Coral Skin Food.
Jack

I have used the CADE asb off and on for about a year now. This product has always rescued me when I get in a rush and get a little razor burn. Not only is it great at quelching the razor burn but, IMO, moisturizes as good or better than anything else that I have tried. Yes, the price is somewhat steep and it has a "old-lady" scent that my wife also commented about, but I think the positives greatly outweigh any of the negatives of this balm. In regards to its cooling sensation, I don't really feel that it gives any sort of cooling sensation (as compared to proraso and nancy boy's) but I don't want all of my balms to give that feeling...especially as I find this a great cool-cold weather aftershave balm.
EDIT: For what it is worth, I used a sample of this balm and it lasted for nearly 6 months with use of about 1-2x per week...So, while the price is high, it will probably last you quite a while.

One review noted that this did not seem to moisterize. This product has a relatively high percentage of shea butter. This tends to soak completely into the skin upon first application. If you put another application on, then it will seem too heavy as one reviewer noted.

I have found this to be a very nice product that refreshes the skin after a shave and protects it throughout the day.

I bought the balm, the splash and the shaving cream. The balm was the best, the splash quite good, and the shaving cream terrible (and overpriced). This winter, the balm has been great in preventing burns from the cold as much as from shaving. I love the scent. I do apply some Jack Black moisturizer over the balm after it has settled in just for extra moisturizing in winter.

I really like the Cade range from L'Occitane and agree with other comments here that the shaving cream isn't up to much. The Cade aftershave and Eau de Toilette are really excellent but the Balm is the stand out product. Some here have suggested that it's greasy but I find that it is easily absorbed into the skin and calms my face down rapidly.

Any UK readers who visit the Bicester Shopping Village can go to the L'Occitane outlet shop and get a good deal on this stuff. Highly recommended.

I passed the L'Occitane shop in Solihull today and noticed that they've released a Cade 'Youth Cream'!!. They should have put some more work into their Shave cream instead.

Some of the ratings are N/A but rather than give low scores which could affect the total negatively I marked them up. The long and short of it is : For years I have been trying creams and soaps galore along with balms, moisturiser etc. The search is over. Not only is the Cade soap utterley magnificent, followed up with the cade balm it produced one of if not the best shave I have had in years. Calming and moisturising was absolutely spot on. Reasonably priced and a wonderful scent to boot. The Trumpers and T & H soaps and the enchante and aos conditioners have just gone in the tried but not used anymore box! If you want top notch products at reasonable prices, do yourself a favour and at least buy the soap and asb, as they would say...Je ne regrette rien! Incidentally I bought the soap in the aluminium bowl which my missus highly aproves of in our bathroom suite rather than the tatty wooden bowls of others and cheapo plastic pots. I also bought some of their youth moisturiser and a Sandalwood soap - both fabulous!

I went into the L'Occitane store (Happens to be about 15 minutes from my house) and they gave me about 5 samples of this balm. After two uses I can say I absolutely love it. It goes on thick but not greasy and and the wonderful scent sticks around for quite a while.

Good Stuff.

I am quite fond of this aftershave balm, however I feel it is best suited for winter, as the high shea butter content, as well as the long list of heavy skin moisturizers can prove to be a bit greasy for summers use. Fights razor burn admirably, moisturizes well, and proves to be a decent product, however it is not inexpensive!

Price- $28 for 2.5 ounces- ouch! (Although it is rather thick and a little goes a long ways!)

Quality- Great ingredients, nice subtle scent, high-quality product

Fights Razor Burn- This is one of those products that seal up your skin and then does its magic...

Efficacy- Works for me!

Moisturizing- Thick and packed with shea butter- doesn't get much more moisturizing than this

No alcohol burn- None to speak of

Overall- Great product- My go to favorite for the winters (Nancy Boy aftershave balm for the summer months)

This was one I wanted to love but... the scent (birchy) is not my favorite (and my girlfriend calls it "old"), it actually has a little burning sensation on my skin (which is pretty sensitive, you are unlikely to get that), and it's not as effective at saving my face as my go-to balms.

That said, it's nothing like terrible, but you probably want to know what scent you're getting into before buying.

Two words...WINTER BALM. This stuff is so thick, so heavy, and so greasy I don't see how anyone could use it anytime except the dead of winter. It's incredibly moisturizing but I don't have particularly dry skin and I live in Georgia so I just can't use this balm on a regular basis. It feels like I've got Crisco on my skin.

Its great stuff.

I love this stuff. So what if it's thick? It heals and soothes amazingly, better than Nivea Sensitive in my opinion. The only downside is the high price. Definitely a must-try for those with dry, sensitive skin.

I got a tube of this as a gift last week. Previously I was using Cade soap and really liked the woody scent. This balm has rapidly been becoming my wintertime go-to-balm. I love the scent and love the way it makes my skin feel. No alcohol burn, but I usually finish every shave with a witch hazel splash with has a bit of alcohol in it anyway. I find that I have to put a good amount on my face and that to make it work best, i do not over-massage it into my face - I just slather it on a bit and let it dry. I can still smell the woody juniper scent hours later. I will definitely buy this again when the tube runs out.

Wow this is just a super balm, and the scent is awesome