Art of shaving your thoughts ?

[Steve56]

I like AoS creams, they perform well and if you catch any kind if sale they’re very reasonably priced for the amount of cream and the performance. I have no issue with small amounts of parabens, they occur naturally, do not accumulate in the body, and degrade rapidly in the body and are excreted. I wish that there were more preservatives in shaving products. See the wikipedia link below.

I also have no issue with large companies making shaving products. no more north American artisans for me thank you, overfatted, over-scented, badly scented, watery products - and quite expensive to use. A large company producing cosmetic products will have better QC over ingredients and manufacturing. I’ll take Proctor and Gamble any day thank you. The only artisan products that I regularly use are MdC - the soaps are well cured, appropriately scented with Provençal scents. YMMV on scents and scent strengths of course.

Methylparaben - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylparaben

 

[ask4Edge]

Then they got acquired by P&G and changed the formula introducing parabens.

Pre-P&G (i.e. Creightons) TAOS did have parabens.

 

[anoop]

Pre-P&G (i.e. Creightons) TAOS did have parabens.

I’m not sure how, but for the period that I used their creams (sandalwood travel tube) I’m 100% certain that they did not contain parabens. I used to check the ingredients every time I bought one.

 

[anoop]

I like AoS creams, they perform well and if you catch any kind if sale they’re very reasonably priced for the amount of cream and the performance. I have no issue with small amounts of parabens, they occur naturally, do not accumulate in the body, and degrade rapidly in the body and are excreted. I wish that there were more preservatives in shaving products. See the wikipedia link below.

I also have no issue with large companies making shaving products. no more north American artisans for me thank you, overfatted, over-scented, badly scented, watery products - and quite expensive to use. A large company producing cosmetic products will have better QC over ingredients and manufacturing. I’ll take Proctor and Gamble any day thank you. The only artisan products that I regularly use are MdC - the soaps are well cured, appropriately scented with Provençal scents. YMMV on scents and scent strengths of course.

Methylparaben - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylparaben

I have a very different view on large corps. If P&G were to acquire Mühle, e.g., they would immediately shut down manufacturing in Germany, reduce product quality to where it appeals to a random 80% of people, and beef up marketing and sales. Mühle is by no means an artisanal manufacturer. They know how to do QC and do it better than P&G. There is a wide space between artisanal and corporate giants.

Corporations are run the way they are because of what the people leading them are taught in B-school.

 

[ask4Edge]

...the period that I used their creams (sandalwood travel tube) I’m 100% certain that they did not contain parabens.

About when?

About 20 yrs ago (when I began TWS) I bought a tube of TAOS cream and parabens was in the ingredients list;
at that time Creightons also made the 3Ts and DRH (all of which also had parabens).

 

[anoop]

About when?

About 20 yrs ago (when I began TWS) I bought a tube of TAOS cream and parabens was in the ingredients list;
at that time Creightons also made the 3Ts and DRH (all of which also had parabens).

Probably around 2007 or 2008 until the acquisition by P&G.

 

[ask4Edge]

FWIW, between 2007 and 2009, TAOS was in partnership with P&G, before being acquired in 2009.

 

[sarimento1]

I have a very different view on large corps. If P&G were to acquire Mühle, e.g., they would immediately shut down manufacturing in Germany, reduce product quality to where it appeals to a random 80% of people, and beef up marketing and sales. Mühle is by no means an artisanal manufacturer. They know how to do QC and do it better than P&G. There is a wide space between artisanal and corporate giants.

Corporations are run the way they are because of what the people leading them are taught in B-school.

interesting. what are some of the large corporations that match your profile?

 

[anoop]

interesting. what are some of the large corporations that match your profile?

I'm having trouble thinking of one that doesn't.

 

[sarimento1]

I'm having trouble thinking of one that doesn't.

oh, you can offer us two or three!

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

oh, you can offer us two or three!

I can give an example, but I don’t want to say their name due to possible liability issues. Big companies have a boatload of lawyers to protect the company’s image.

I worked for an office machine company from 1978 to 2010. At the beginning, the company was a single owner company and believed that if you delivered the best possible service, you could charge a higher price for it.

Our main competitor was Xerox, which was the lumbering corporate giant. We consistently won deal after deal against them because their customers were sick of the lousy service and old dated technology. They were willing to pay a premium for equipment and service they could rely on.

In 1990, the company sold to a holding company that was going around the country and buying similarly successful companies that did the same thing we did. For a time they allowed us to continue working the way we had in the past and our success continued.

In 1995, the holding company decided to consolidate the 250 companies that they had acquired into one corporate giant. They hired ex Xerox people to run the company at the corporate level. The new leadership made decisions based on what they had learned at Xerox. Our level of service began to drop as they cut the staff. We went locally from 80 service technicians in 1995 to 45 in 2010. They also decided that equipment that was traded in would be stripped for parts so we could use “good” used parts in the equipment that we had contracts on. So customers with a maintenance contract were now getting used parts.

In 1995 we had 45% of the market share and the 30 or so other dealers split the remainder. We were the 900 pound gorilla that moved like a hummingbird. In 2010 when I left, we had 5% of the market share and were being bought out by a manufacturer that was looking for a direct sales outlet.

In a period of 15 years a big corporate entity destroyed the business model that had made us successful. The last time I spoke to one of the techs still there, they were down to 15 techs and there was talk of closing the office and have everyone work out of their homes.

That’s but one example of how a big company can destroy the product of a smaller company, just by taking them over.

 

[sarimento1]

I can give an example, but I don’t want to say their name due to possible liability issues. Big companies have a boatload of lawyers to protect the company’s image.

I worked for an office machine company from 1978 to 2010. At the beginning, the company was a single owner company and believed that if you delivered the best possible service, you could charge a higher price for it.

Our main competitor was Xerox, which was the lumbering corporate giant. We consistently won deal after deal against them because their customers were sick of the lousy service and old dated technology. They were willing to pay a premium for equipment and service they could rely on.

In 1990, the company sold to a holding company that was going around the country and buying similarly successful companies that did the same thing we did. For a time they allowed us to continue working the way we had in the past and our success continued.

In 1995, the holding company decided to consolidate the 250 companies that they had acquired into one corporate giant. They hired ex Xerox people to run the company at the corporate level. The new leadership made decisions based on what they had learned at Xerox. Our level of service began to drop as they cut the staff. We went locally from 80 service technicians in 1995 to 45 in 2010. They also decided that equipment that was traded in would be stripped for parts so we could use “good” used parts in the equipment that we had contracts on. So customers with a maintenance contract were now getting used parts.

In 1995 we had 45% of the market share and the 30 or so other dealers split the remainder. We were the 900 pound gorilla that moved like a hummingbird. In 2010 when I left, we had 5% of the market share and were being bought out by a manufacturer that was looking for a direct sales outlet.

In a period of 15 years a big corporate entity destroyed the business model that had made us successful. The last time I spoke to one of the techs still there, they were down to 15 techs and there was talk of closing the office and have everyone work out of their homes.

That’s but one example of how a big company can destroy the product of a smaller company, just by taking them over.

eric, you had a great career.
in due respect, i suspect your former company fell prey more to rapidly changing and disruptive technologies than to corporate culture.

 

[MHBru]

i give them a 6-7 out of ten... decent products but priced higher that other (and sometimes better) competitors. although it's where my journey started nothing draws me to them any more.

 

[anoop]

oh, you can offer us two or three!

i'm blanking out. i can't think of even one right now.

(truth is, if you can't already see it, then it's going to be a difficult and lengthy conversation that i'm not willing to have.)

 

[sarimento1]

i'm blanking out. i can't think of even one right now.

(truth is, if you can't already see it, then it's going to be a difficult and lengthy conversation that i'm not willing to have.)

it's obvious.
i understand your feelings.

 

[Kyle89]

Tried countless times to get a good shave from my tub of AoS Sandalwood, but gave up on it. Learned later that they changed their formula and it’s not what it used to be.
Beautiful scent, garbage lather. YMMV. For me, biggest ripoff in shaving.

 

[cmh737]

....For me, biggest ripoff in shaving.

Bummer. However, for me, AoS shaving creams are top notch and quite possibly my favorite shaving cream. As an aside, in terms of "biggest ripoff in shaving" - I can think of many, many other shaving products that fit that bill, but not AoS.

 

[Kyle89]

Bummer. However, for me, AoS shaving creams are top notch and quite possibly my favorite shaving cream. As an aside, in terms of "biggest ripoff in shaving" - I can think of many, many other shaving products that fit that bill, but not AoS.

Understood. Perhaps my wording was a bit harsh. My only experience with it is my single tub of AoS Sandalwood. I've tried many soaps, and can build a good lather. Whenever I use AoS, I get irritation and weepers. I do have a tough beard. I can get a better shave with an Arko stick. ~18 dollar price difference.

As always, YMMV.

 

[cmh737]

Understood. Perhaps my wording was a bit harsh. My only experience with it is my single tub of AoS Sandalwood. I've tried many soaps, and can build a good lather. Whenever I use AoS, I get irritation and weepers. I do have a tough beard. I can get a better shave with an Arko stick. ~18 dollar price difference.

As always, YMMV.

YMMV, for sure - no biggie. BTW, a question for you, and I'm not trying to crack wise: Is the AoS Sandalwood the only shaving cream you've tried, or just the only AoS cream? I have a reason for asking.

 

[Kyle89]

YMMV, for sure - no biggie. BTW, a question for you, and I'm not trying to crack wise: Is the AoS Sandalwood the only shaving cream you've tried, or just the only AoS cream? I have a reason for asking.

Only AoS cream I've tried. I've used quite a few other soaps/creams with good success. I really wanted to like my tub of AoS.
I used about half of it before I demoted it to cartridge use. I've had a few different people tell me they changed the formula and it's not as good as it used to be. I must say though, the scent is fantastic.