I've been using the Foamy Barbershop lately. They added sorbitol and glycerin to this version. I use one of those BIG tech beehive brushes and have very good results in fact the consistency reminds me of white Noxzema. The scent does not linger.
Canned Foam
- Thread starter razorhead63
- Start date
The original Noxzema formula back in 1914 included cloves, camphor and menthol. My guess is the shave cream was mainly menthol.
I'm not sure I want to put camphor or cloves on my face while shaving. I wonder how common these scents are in shaving soap?
If you want to reproduce the Noxzema tingle, perhaps you could just add some menthol to your shave soap (or perhaps a good hand soap?). Here's one possibility:
1 OZ Menthol Crystals 100% PURE - Natural - GreenHealth | eBay
It is widely used to relieve minor throat irritation. Product Information.www.ebay.com
Eucalyptus is a related scent:
And then there are wintergreen and peppermint. Some stores, such as Walmart or health food stores, sell essential oils, sometimes in an assortment pack. While they might smell good, the effect on your skin, good or bad, is another matter.
Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap has a similar strong punch. At least one person reported shaving with it successfully, though I didn't. They have other interesting scents. If you have never tried washing with Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap, you should! It is to soap what espresso is to coffee.
Amen. As a kid in Scotland we had a small farmhouse with no running water and an outhouse. We'd bathe in Ellen’s Brook using Dr. Bronners peppermint soap. Felt like someone had zapped your whole body.
Just used my Barbasol Original foam and my Red Tip to plane off a 36-hour beard. The foam won't whip up for me with a brush; it has to go on by hand. I squirted more than enough into my shave bowl and applied it, rinsed after about 2 minutes and reapplied so it wouldn't dry out, and did a quick 2-pass shave. Very nice result.
Love the red tip
This week I went back to regular Barbasol ($1.44!). Very pleased with my bakelite slant.
I have two cans of Noxzema that are at least ten years old. Stuff works fine when I'm feeling lazy. When pressed for time I usually opt for Elegance Plus gel, as there's nothing to clean up.
- Thread starter
- #169
Just used Barbasol again tonight. Got good results. The secret of making foam work for you is to really rub it into the beard thoroughly. Give it at least a minute or so of doing it.It works wonders on even the cheapest of foams. Hell, I paid 9 dollars for a can of Proraso, it performs no better than the Barbasol…
Good to know!
I used Barbasol Original for a quick 2-pass shave last Sunday. It works well as always . . . though for some reason my skin felt, not irritated, but *alive* for a time after. Not in a good way. It faded quickly. But for a time I wondered if stretching my skin on ATG passes, which I've been doing now for a while, was not good to do with Barbasol.
I'm discovering when I use Barbasol or Gel my face doesn't feel so raw as it would when I make lather. My technique with lather must be lacking lately (been using brush/soap since 2013) because Barbasol makes my face sing. I'm tired of worrying about technique. SO tired. (If one thing is off it ruins a shave.) So I've been favoring shave foam and gel products and enjoying my shaves.
The problem may be due in part to the inherent high alkaline pH of soaps. If you want to experience what this feels like, try shaving with Kirk's Castile soap, which is just coconut oil and glycerin. It is very caustic and your face will burn when you shave. Since the ingredients are simple and natural, you cannot blame them (though natural ingredients can be more irritating than synthetic ones).
Because canned shaving mousse does not have to perform the functions of a soap, or to meet the legal requirements of manufacture and pH to be labelled "soap", it can have a more neutral pH. Unless you use a very aggressive razor with a very sharp blade and use too much pressure, I don't think a canned mousse shave will leave your face "raw." Some of the lanolin in Barbasol extra moisturizer probably remains on your face after you rinse, leaving your skin feeling pretty good.
However, since canned mousse is not a soap, it is essential that you wash your face thoroughly to get off dirt and oils before using it. To test this, try shaving without washing your face with soap first, just splashing it with water. I think you will find the shaving mousse and its lubricating qualities will break down before you finish shaving, though this may depend in part on the tap water. This may be one reason some people dismiss canned mousse after a few tries. If you MUST use canned mousse without washing your face properly, my guess is the Barbasol extra moisturizer may work best, as it is very thick. Let it sit on your face for a minute or two to soften your whiskers.
You also must shake the can very well to get good foam throughout the life of the can. This is especially true of Walmart Equate mousse. And throw away the first dry foam that comes out.
I put a very slight coating of Neutrogena soap onto my face before adding the shaving mousse for its lubricating glycerin. That's the one thing missing from canned mousse. Neutrogena is very neutral and non-irritating, so it makes a good pre-shave wash.
Barbers sometimes work the lather into your skin with their fingers. So I am experimenting with adding a small amount of mousse, massaging it into my face, then adding a thicker layer of mousse before shaving.
My alternative soap is Vi-John shave cream in a tube. I find it non-irritating. Barbers in India use it on customers who are sweaty, dirty, and have not washed their face, nor shaved in a few days. Yet it still works, on everyone. It has lots of glycerin.
Those are interesting insights there and much food for thought! Thank you!
I also like to have some sort of pre-shave underneath the mousse or gel, like a Cremo product, which I rub in with water to have a nice hydrated layer on which to rub in the Barbasol or gel.
I also sometimes whip some lather in a bowel with one of my nice brushes, apply, and wash off so there is a nice hydrated layer on which to rub in the Barbasol. It's a relaxing weekend activity and I can still get use out of my brush.
I bought up the last of the Noxzema canned foam when I saw them on clearance.
almost 15-20 cans...400ml size.
almost 15-20 cans...400ml size.
I use Regular Foamy from time to time since I love the scent and haven't found a traditional soap/cream that smells similar. I squirt a good golf ball sized amount out into a bowl which I have just swilled some water round so beads cling to the sides. I then add a few drops of glycerin to the Foamy and work it together with a damp brush, not too vigorous. You can't add a lot of water I find because the foam will break down, there is water in the can so the ratio is probably close to optimal at manufacture. The glycerin helps retain the extra water from the bowl and brush and prevents any dissapation. You get a really nice, marshmallow-y foam this way and it avoids that dry feeling you can sometimes get.
I've often thought about buying ingredients to make my own canned foam using a chefs whipping siphon but have just never got round to it.
I've often thought about buying ingredients to make my own canned foam using a chefs whipping siphon but have just never got round to it.
