Mentos Ultra Shave Conditioner

This stuff has been working great so I thought I'd write a review. I have had a bottle of this stuff for over a year now but hadn't used it to much. At that time there was no buzz or mention of it at all on B + B. It was mentioned in a few posts here recently and I saw this review so I pulled the bottle back out and tried it again as an aftershave. Before this I had only used it as a pre-shave as suggested on the bottle. I didn't see much difference with pre-shave use but I can tell you it is fantastic as an after shave.

My bottle is the green, white and black one not the red and blue one which appears in the other review. It also appears that they changed the formula (for the better I think) when they changed the packaging. My ingredients differ from the previous review.

Ingredients: Alum, Borax, Sodium Bicarbonate, Silicone, Aloe, Allantoin, Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid in an aqueous perfumed base

My post-shave routine has been wipe down with Dickinson's witch hazel soaked cotton pad after a cold water rinse then dab with styptic pencil as needed for any weepers. After this dries I follow it up with an after shave balm. I have substituted the witch hazel with a Mentos soaked cotton pad and wow, the Mentos has been a step up.

The most noticeable thing has been how soft it leaves my skin. The aloe and silicone leave my skin silky smooth and soft as a marshmallow. My skin feels relaxed and comfortable all day. Another large benefit has been that I haven't had to touch the styptic pencil anymore. The first ingredient is alum and this product has stopped all weepers after application. The witch hazel did not do this at all. This has saved an extra step and made things quicker. There is no alcohol in this product and it does not sting going on. It goes on smooth, is fully and quickly absorbed and does not leave a sticky or tacky feeling. Also, it says it is in a perfumed base but I do not detect any scent so it does not interfere with cologne. I do not have a problem with ingrown hairs or bumps but the salicylic and glycolic acids in here will help with that if you have this problem. The directions say to use daily and the bump benefit will be seen in around 10 days. If you have very sensitive skin you might not be able to use this product daily due to the acids.

As far as I know this product is only available through barber supply stores and it is cheap. Overall, an excellent product that is hard to find much fault with. Move over witch hazel it looks like you might be permanently replaced. I think there should be more discussion about this product because I think a lot of wet shavers would like it. For shaving this stuff seems like liquid magic in a bottle.

This is from the bottle: ..."has been designed to provide superior protection for the special conditions of "shaved skin". With over 50 years of clinical study Mentos has developed Ultra Facial Conditioner a unique pH balanced alcohol & soap free formula that moisturizes sensitive skin and prevents ingrown hair. "

That's pretty much it. Basic product. It cost a whopping $2.95 a bottle when I bought a bottle from Atlanta Barber Supply this summer. You get five ounces. The company has been around a long time so not fly by night.

This is a liquid, you shake it up and apply. No alcohol. Generally goes on very smooth, can sometimes sting but just a little. Sometimes a little "salt" forms around the cap which is probably from the bicarb which acts as a pH buffer. No problem to wipe off with damp cloth.

Contains: purified water, sodium bicarbonate, Aloe, salicylic and glycolic acids (which draw moisture to skin and help keep pores/hair shaft clean of debris) in a perfumed water base.

(It's basically non-scented, you can hardly smell it). You can use it as a pre-shave conditioner as well as post shave, however I usually just use it post shave as an AS splash.

I have very sensitive skin on my neck. The product says use for 10 days for best results. I think if I used it for 10 days straight it would be a little irritating as it does gently exfoliate. I generally use it two days, then one day alum block, then two days etc. You could also put a lotion or balm over it if you wanted, but usually I don't..YMMV.

Makes your skin soft and keeps it moisturized and helps prevent ingrowns. You can use it on your whole face if you want.

Has all the right ingredients and price can't be beat. NB: the bottle colors appear to have been updated. Mine is red, white and blue and now they seem to have updated to green, white and blue.