Brushless Shaving Creams Revealed and Compared

[brothers]

#21, Domenico Caracini 1913

1. Product name: Domenico Caracini 1913
2. Country of origin: Italy
3. Container size: 8.5 oz 250 ml tub
4. Price: $52.00
5. Cost per ounce: $6.11
6. Fragrance: Does it have a scent? Yes, unique classic fragrance
7. Texture: Describe the look and feel. Light amber, light stiff cream
8. Protective: Does it protect against razor burn and chafing? Yes
9. Lubrication: Is it slippery? Did it help the razor slide smoothly? Yes
10. Efficiency: Does it do what was expected to help me shave? Yes
11. Endurance: Does it require reapplication during or between passes? No
12. Washable: Does it wash off face & razor easily afterward? Yes
13. Moisturizing: Does it add/restore moisture? Yes
14. Time elapsed: How long did it take to shave, from prep to cleanup? 7 min
15. Brush lather: Will a brush make it lather in a bowl? Yes, thick whipped cream
16. Brush cleanup: Does it easily rinse out of a brush? Yes
17. Enjoyment: Did I enjoy the shave without a brush? Yes
18. Remarks: Highly moisturizing formula. Leaves the face feeling soft and smooth. Tub does not suggest any preferred method of application. This product was a gift. Whether used with or without a brush, this is a substantial and unique product, and when it eventually runs out I will purchase it again for my own regular use.


#22, Ingram Brushless

1. Product name: Ingram’s Brushless
2. Country of origin: England
3. Container size: 3.4 oz 100ml metal tube
4. Price: $9.00 Superlather
5. Cost per ounce: $2.65
6. Fragrance: Does it have a scent? Yes
7. Texture: Describe the look and feel. White, glossy cream
8. Protective: Does it protect against razor burn and chafing? Yes
9. Lubrication: Is it slippery? Did it help the razor slide smoothly? Yes
10. Efficiency: Does it do what was expected to help me shave? Yes
11. Endurance: Does it require reapplication during or between passes? No
12. Washable: Does it wash off face & razor easily afterward? Yes
13. Moisturizing: Does it add/restore moisture? Yes
14. Time elapsed: How long did it take to shave, from prep to cleanup? 10 min
15. Brush lather: Will a brush make it lather in a bowl? No
16. Brush cleanup: Does it easily rinse out of a brush? Yes
17. Enjoyment: Did I enjoy the shave without a brush? Yes
18. Remarks: In production since 1932. Contains menthol. Box is marked brushless, and claims superior lubrication and protection. Instructions on the box recommended applying the cream to the beard with the fingertips, which I did. This product lived up to the claims of lubrication and protection. I did receive a noticeably smooth and cooling shave with this product. After having experienced Ingram’s now for the first time, I may get a tube of the lathering version and try it.


#23, Nancy Boy Signature

1. Product name: Nancy Boy
2. Country of origin: USA
3. Container size: 6 oz 170g tub
4. Price: $15.30 (w/club discount)
5. Cost per ounce: $2.55
6. Fragrance: Does it have a scent? Signature
7. Texture: Describe the look and feel. White, stiff smooth cream
8. Protective: Does it protect against razor burn and chafing? Yes
9. Lubrication: Is it slippery? Did it help the razor slide smoothly? Yes
10. Efficiency: Does it do what was expected to help me shave? Yes
11. Endurance: Does it require reapplication during or between passes? No
12. Washable: Does it wash off face & razor easily afterward? Yes
13. Moisturizing: Does it add/restore moisture? Yes
14. Time elapsed: How long did it take to shave, from prep to cleanup? 7 min.
15. Brush lather: Will a brush make it lather in a bowl? Yes, see comment.
16. Brush cleanup: Does it easily rinse out of a brush? Yes
17. Enjoyment: Did I enjoy the shave without a brush? Yes
18. Remarks: Tub recommends applying product directly to wet beard, and claims superior moisturizing and lubrication. Appeared to live up to those claims. I did receive a noticeably smooth shave with this product. Producing lather from this product in a bowl with a brush requires too much time, brush work, and shaving cream. Doesn’t seem to shave any differently with or without being brush lathered. Loaned to me by my daughter. I have owned this the product in the past, but not currently. After having had the opportunity to experience brushless shaving with this product, I would purchase it again, and forego the brush.

 

[brothers]

So gentlemen, that's my Brushless project. I greatly enjoyed being able to do it, and want to thank you for reading and commenting. I have benefitted greatly through this process, and now I have several new additions to my shaving products.

I want to give a heads-up to John Crissman with Shaving Essentials. I purchased several of these products from him, and he surprised me by including a partially depleted tube of Institute Karite and a new tube of Speick for me to use in the project. John is working hard on a new website that I understand is located at Shavingessentials.biz. All the rest of these products were purchased by me, or loaned to me by family members.

 

[brothers]

I'd like to make a comment about one product that is not on the above list of reviews: Barbasol Brushless.

I was able to purchase, very recently, a NOS 7.8 ounce tube of "fresh" Barbasol. I've used it with a straight razor shave, and of course, reapplied it between the multiple passes. It performed as needed. The shave was smooth and moisturizing, with lasting softness.

Then I discovered that Barabsol has just very recently re-introduced Barbasol Brushless Therapeutic Shave Cream. My local Walgreens and CVS don't yet have it on the shelves, but I was able to purchase my own brand new 5 ounce tube from an Ohio based internet vendor, and it arrived yesterday.

The ingredient list is similar, not as complex as a few years ago, and the fragrance is much milder and totally different than before. I look forward to using it this morning with a freshly honed straight razor, and once that has been completed, I'll come back and post about new vs. old Barbasol Brushless.

I am so pleased that I am able to be every bit as excited about trying out a $2.50 drugstore shaving cream as I am about a $50 one. I'll be very interested in seeing how the new tube of Barbasol compares to "all of the above", (maybe one in particular).

 

[Tzar]

Thanks brothers, that was indeed a very informative thread. I will certainly give a try to a brushless shave soon, something I haven't done since using canned goo.

 

[goby]

Your daughter uses Nancy Boy?

You get my vote for Father of the Year!!! You raised a winner!

 

[whereisandy]

Awesome vault of information. Thanks for going through all the work to revieww and post all of your finds.

Now I'm going to have to go out to sample some of these specimens -- just so I can verify your findings of course

 

[chicken neck]

What about things like E45 and Nivea? I have heard a few people say they shave with these (basically moisturizers) and swear by the results. Anybody tried them?

 

[Petar Milas]

wow great stuff...

 

[Crackedlens]

Thank You !

This is very helpful !

 

[Jim B.]

Using a brush irritates my sensitive skin so I use brushless creams only. Kiss my Face and Cremo Cream both work just fine for me.

 

[brothers]

Using a brush irritates my sensitive skin so I use brushless creams only. Kiss my Face and Cremo Cream both work just fine for me.

Jim, the good news for you is that even though you can't use a brush, you can use any of the excellent shaving creams without a brush. Some of the best are specially formulated for sensitive skin, The Gentlemen's Refinery, La Toja Sensitive, Art of Shaving, and Taylor's. I believe if you search around in the archives you will identify a number of others that you might use, not necessarily just those that are marketed as brushless. Good Luck!

 

[Vlad]

Jim, the good news for you is that even though you can't use a brush, you can use any of the excellent shaving creams without a brush. Some of the best are specially formulated for sensitive skin, The Gentlemen's Refinery, La Toja Sensitive, Art of Shaving, and Taylor's. I believe if you search around in the archives you will identify a number of others that you might use, not necessarily just those that are marketed as brushless. Good Luck!

Ok, so is the whole brush thing superfluous? Do we use them because that's the only way to get something slick out of a soap, and we like the feel of lather? I'm wondering now if I have sworn off shave gels and such too quickly, and if I should keep one around at least for when I don't have time to build lather.

 

[Moe]

Ok, so is the whole brush thing superfluous?

Burma Shave spent over 25 years with many signs along many highways trying to convince men that was the case. The company was long gone (but the signs weren't) before my Dad taught me to use Palmolive cream with a brush. In the end, the customer base was eventually blinded by science, when butane and goo in a can could eliminate the brushless lathering step. I used that for 39 years before going back to a brush, this time with soap. The brush now won't be superfluous to me as long as I still have a pulse.

 

[baba]

Fantastic post. I read it cover to cover, very informative, very impartial and fair. Really well done. This needs to be put somewhere where others can read it as reference...wiki maybe?

Thanks for your hard work!

 

[brothers]

Fantastic post. I read it cover to cover, very informative, very impartial and fair. Really well done. This needs to be put somewhere where others can read it as reference...wiki maybe?

Thanks for your hard work!

Great idea Jim. I'll look into that. Thanks for the kind words.

 

[kingfisher]

I love the posts and all the effort you put into it, but I honestly don't understand it.

I tried shaving with Trumper's Limes without a brush and it was terrible. Any old canned goo would provide a much better shaving substance than un-lathered Trumper's, as far as I can tell.

So I guess I just don't understand how you managed to get usable stuff out of these creams without a brush. Maybe you could elaborate a little on the process? Thanks.

 

[brothers]

Sure, place the shaving cream on your palm, splash a bit of water into the hand, and rub both hands together briskly. After a bit of rubbing between the hands, then use both hands to apply it to your beard and shave.

 

[Pricklycactus]

Could you be more specific about the scent?

Also are you going to test Kiehl's too? Good reviews!

 

[brothers]

The reason I was so sparing with adjectives regarding the scent is because my smelling apparatus is very primitive, and I am the world's worst at describing how something smells. Plus, the biggest concern I had was that what one guy likes, the next guy can't stand. Nobody wanted or needed to hear whether I personally liked or disliked any particular fragrance. Each of us has to reach his own conclusion.

When I was doing all of these, Kiehls wasn't one that was available to me at the time. I realized that I couldn't try them all, and there would be some good ones that I didn't happen to have on hand.

 

[verdict]

Thanks for the reviews! I am definitely bookmarking this thread.