Item Description
I haven't used canned foam since I started wetshaving seven or eight months ago. However, I was buying some Feather blades at West Coast Shaving and saw that they had Proraso foam on clearance. I was curious to see if this stuff was any good, so I added a can to my order. I've been using the foam on a regular basis for the last three weeks with both cartridge and DE razors.
Price: Clearance price of $6.00 for an 8.8 oz. (250ml) can at West Coast Shaving. Good sale price but I don't think I'd buy it at the regular $10/can. I seem to be getting good mileage from the foam however, as the can has lasted almost three weeks and still feels as if it's 75% full. I may revisit this rating once the can is empty, but for now I'll give it a relatively neutral rating.
Quality: The Proraso/Bigelow in the tube is one of my go-to creams, so that's my natural comparison point for the foam. The foam feels rich but a touch dry and airy, like I'd get if I overworked some Bigelow cream in a bowl.
Scent: It took me a while to warm up to the scent when I first tried Proraso but once I did I became a huge fan. The foam does not disappoint in the scent department and smells just like the cream in the tube: a big hit of menthol and eucalyptus that fills the bathroom. Unfortunately, the scent of the foam fades faster than that of the cream.
Latherability: The foam works into a decent lather on your face provided that your face is damp (like it says on the can) and not wet. Using too much water breaks down the foam rapidly into a slick, non-protecting mess. The lather isn't as dense as the lather you can make from the cream and feels somewhat dry.
Efficacy: Thanks to the menthol and the eucalyptus, the foam provides the same "face-freeze" effect of Proraso/Bigelow cream, although not quite as intense. If you get the water/foam ratio correct, it stands the whiskers up just fine, softens them sufficiently, and lets you mow them down properly; otherwise, you get a slick mess as noted above. The foam doesn't provide as much cushion as the cream: I only get enough protection for two full passes plus cleanup with a Feather. Beyond that point, I'm quite likely to experience some mild burn. Three passes is doable with a cartridge razor but again, beyond that point lies razor burn.
Moisturizing Properties: I would not say this foam provides any moisturizing to my skin, but I wouldn't say it dries my face out either; thus, a fairly neutral rating.
Packaging: This is the first canned product that has not shown signs of rust anywhere on the can after a couple of weeks in the bathroom. Kudos to the packaging folks!
Conclusion: I expected the foam to be terrible but I was pleasantly surprised: Proraso canned foam is fairly decent. It won't give you the cushion or slickness of a cream or soap, but it will get the job done as long as you don't need to make more than two or three passes. It's easily better than the canned gels I used to use and it smells fantastic. It's worth keeping a can around for emergencies or for guests who aren't into wetshaving.
The discussion thread for this review is here.
Price: Clearance price of $6.00 for an 8.8 oz. (250ml) can at West Coast Shaving. Good sale price but I don't think I'd buy it at the regular $10/can. I seem to be getting good mileage from the foam however, as the can has lasted almost three weeks and still feels as if it's 75% full. I may revisit this rating once the can is empty, but for now I'll give it a relatively neutral rating.
Quality: The Proraso/Bigelow in the tube is one of my go-to creams, so that's my natural comparison point for the foam. The foam feels rich but a touch dry and airy, like I'd get if I overworked some Bigelow cream in a bowl.
Scent: It took me a while to warm up to the scent when I first tried Proraso but once I did I became a huge fan. The foam does not disappoint in the scent department and smells just like the cream in the tube: a big hit of menthol and eucalyptus that fills the bathroom. Unfortunately, the scent of the foam fades faster than that of the cream.
Latherability: The foam works into a decent lather on your face provided that your face is damp (like it says on the can) and not wet. Using too much water breaks down the foam rapidly into a slick, non-protecting mess. The lather isn't as dense as the lather you can make from the cream and feels somewhat dry.
Efficacy: Thanks to the menthol and the eucalyptus, the foam provides the same "face-freeze" effect of Proraso/Bigelow cream, although not quite as intense. If you get the water/foam ratio correct, it stands the whiskers up just fine, softens them sufficiently, and lets you mow them down properly; otherwise, you get a slick mess as noted above. The foam doesn't provide as much cushion as the cream: I only get enough protection for two full passes plus cleanup with a Feather. Beyond that point, I'm quite likely to experience some mild burn. Three passes is doable with a cartridge razor but again, beyond that point lies razor burn.
Moisturizing Properties: I would not say this foam provides any moisturizing to my skin, but I wouldn't say it dries my face out either; thus, a fairly neutral rating.
Packaging: This is the first canned product that has not shown signs of rust anywhere on the can after a couple of weeks in the bathroom. Kudos to the packaging folks!
Conclusion: I expected the foam to be terrible but I was pleasantly surprised: Proraso canned foam is fairly decent. It won't give you the cushion or slickness of a cream or soap, but it will get the job done as long as you don't need to make more than two or three passes. It's easily better than the canned gels I used to use and it smells fantastic. It's worth keeping a can around for emergencies or for guests who aren't into wetshaving.
The discussion thread for this review is here.
