Canned gels/foams

[Alfredo Becerra]

Ok, so, I'm neither defending nor attacking canned goo. I just want you to post, specifically, why is canned gel/foam bad?

I want to know, objectivelly. Don't tell me that it is bad because it does not work for you, don't tell me that it is because it is cheap, don't tell me it is because it dries YOUR skin. I don't care about one specific person, I want to know why they are bad like cigarrettes are bad.

Are there issues with the chemcials in the canned foam/gel? if so, list the specific chemical and offer proof, offer a source we can all verify. A chain e-mail or an article at poopchute.com does not qualify as a credible source.

I also don't want to know about all of it being subjective and all that noise. I know there is a lot of subjectivity here and I understand it, but the way canned gel/foam is protrayed here suggests that some may have objective reasons why it is bad.

 

[KeNd0]

Ok, so, I'm neither defending nor attacking canned goo. I just want you to post, specifically, why is canned gel/foam bad?

I want to know, objectivelly. Don't tell me that it is bad because it does not work for you, don't tell me that it is because it is cheap, don't tell me it is because it dries YOUR skin. I don't care about one specific person, I want to know why they are bad like cigarrettes are bad.

Are there issues with the chemcials in the canned foam/gel? if so, list the specific chemical and offer proof, offer a source we can all verify. A chain e-mail or an article at poopchute.com does not qualify as a credible source.

I also don't want to know about all of it being subjective and all that noise. I know there is a lot of subjectivity here and I understand it, but the way canned gel/foam is protrayed here suggests that some may have objective reasons why it is bad.

Hmm. I read this after voting. The vote just said, "Do you think they are bad". Yes I do, but I have no proof that these are my thoughts. You will just have to take my word that I think they are bad.

 

[luvmysuper]

Ok, so, I'm neither defending nor attacking canned goo. I just want you to post, specifically, why is canned gel/foam bad?

I want to know, objectivelly. Don't tell me that it is bad because it does not work for you, don't tell me that it is because it is cheap, don't tell me it is because it dries YOUR skin. I don't care about one specific person, I want to know why they are bad like cigarrettes are bad.

Are there issues with the chemcials in the canned foam/gel? if so, list the specific chemical and offer proof, offer a source we can all verify. A chain e-mail or an article at poopchute.com does not qualify as a credible source.

I also don't want to know about all of it being subjective and all that noise. I know there is a lot of subjectivity here and I understand it, but the way canned gel/foam is protrayed here suggests that some may have objective reasons why it is bad.

Ahhh, there's the rub.

The trouble always starts when people are encouraged to speak for others, and not for just how they personally feel.

This skews the possible answers here, because if people are only permitted to vote it's bad if they can prove that it is bad for OTHER people, you will get very few votes saying it is bad.

How about if they can only vote that it is good if they can prove that it is good for other people, otherwise they have to vote it is bad?

How about if by being "bad" some people actually think that means good?
You know, like "Man, that gel is BAAAAAD!!!"

What if it is used in a manner inconsistent with its labeling? Is that still a Federal Offense?

 

[bluefoxicy]

Canned goos are awesome because you can put them in the dry ice freezer, then take them out later and cut the can open. Leave the brick in a coworker's desk (the prior version of this was "car" but desk seems less destructive).

 

[wilsondude]

Bad, bad, stuff; and I do have proof. Ah, shucks, I need to take this call.....
be back in a sec........

 

[Gustav]

I usually get a very uncomfortable itch from some ingredient in Gilette's canned gels and foam. Since I switched to creams and soaps this has become a thing of the past.

 

[Alfredo Becerra]

Well, I now have all the proof I need.

I stumbled upon this website and found what seemed to be gentlemen having fair discussions and swapping techniques and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of certain products. At first I embraced this forum as such, but in a short time became very disappointed.

I am sure there are a few here doing so, but for the most part I found a bunch of people making statements they are not qualified to make, making suggestions based on nothing else than a little razorburn they happened to get one time using X soap, or giving medical advise. People disregarding years of market research and with all these conspiracy theories about cartridge companies and mafia doctors.

Then, on top of it all, when you want to know why X product is bad no one gives you a good reason, no one has anything coherent to say. Why are X products BAD? Because they cause cancer or because the don't work FOR YOU?

I have looked for other sources and found them all to agree with each other, except this forum which seems to be composed of "renegade shavers"
Do you honestly believe that THIS forum is right and every single bit of information on the entire web is wrong?

Don't care if the moderators kick me out, I don't intend to stick around anyway.

 

[mmack66]

Well, I now have all the proof I need.

I stumbled upon this website and found what seemed to be gentlemen having fair discussions and swapping techniques and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of certain products. At first I embraced this forum as such, but in a short time became very disappointed.

I am sure there are a few here doing so, but for the most part I found a bunch of people making statements they are not qualified to make, making suggestions based on nothing else than a little razorburn they happened to get one time using X soap, or giving medical advise. People disregarding years of market research and with all these conspiracy theories about cartridge companies and mafia doctors.

Then, on top of it all, when you want to know why X product is bad no one gives you a good reason, no one has anything coherent to say. Why are X products BAD? Because they cause cancer or because the don't work FOR YOU?

I have looked for other sources and found them all to agree with each other, except this forum which seems to be composed of "renegade shavers"
Do you honestly believe that THIS forum is right and every single bit of information on the entire web is wrong?

Don't care if the moderators kick me out, I don't intend to stick around anyway.

No one is obligated to provide with you any evidence to back up their opinions.

 

[JCee]

Well, I think you have to define what you mean by 'bad' or "good". That could be price, performance, market share, etc.. I don't think foam/gel is inherently bad, otherwise some 90% plus of shavers wouldn't use it. It meets their needs so I wouldn't say it was "bad". However for most of the folks here, for whatever individual reasons we have, now hold a higher standard. Be it for shaving performance, price, or even the green aspect, we feel traditional creams or soaps are superior.

For me personally, I don't think all foam is bad (some is certainly better than others though). But I tend to lean toward less expensive soaps and feel that compared to canned foam they give me better performance, a marginal price advantage, and (although I'm not an environmentalist by any stretch) a bit greener experience.

 

[kingfisher]

To be fair, this is, in fact, a forum of renegade shavers. Take it or leave it, that's pretty much what it is.

The vast majority of people use the canned gel or foam products and I suppose many of them are happy with those products. They certainly sell a lot of it.

HOWEVER, for the most part, people who made their way to this forum are people who were NOT satisfied with the canned gels and foams and wanted to try something different. Because we started out with a dissatisfaction (otherwise we probably wouldn't be here), it's kind of predictable that people on this forum aren't going to be fanboys for canned gels and foams. Again, if we were, we probably wouldn't be here.

I'm not sure what you're fishing for here. Do you want somebody to say out loud "OK, you got us...we have absolutely no objective proof that canned gels/foams are bad?" If that's what you want, consider this post to be granting your wish.

I. have. no. objective. proof. that. canned. gels. and. or. foams. are. "bad." OK?


Having said that, I much prefer to shave using shaving soaps or fine quality old-school creams, mostly because they SMELL better.

 

[DFrancis]

I think that everybody here knows that everything everybody says is in fact personal opinion. I don't use canned goo because i don't want too, I also prefer real cheese to canned cheese. Now i challenge everybody who likes real cheese to offer FDA supported scientifically proven evidence that canned cheese is utter crap.

 

[Sueto]

Alfredo Becerra,

I can respect and appreciate your post. I think the question for the poll could have been asked more precisely to remove any subjective answers that may occur. The poll is using a subjective question to answer something intended to be an objective one. The question I believe should have been asked is "Do you know if canned shaving gel or shaving foam are harmful to your health?" or perhaps a "Is canned shaving gel or shaving foam harmful to your health?".

I answered neutral due to not have the scientific background to break down the chemical make up of the gel or foam. I feel gels or foams were made with some kind of scientific background to do a job. For some that job is adequately completed by said products.

Even if chemical analysis was done, it may not matter due to the amounts of any potentially harmful ingredients and the exposure of a small amount of that product over time. To complicate matters worse, skin types are different and people have different reaction to the chemicals. The same can be said about any of our shaving products, not just foam or gel.

I personally prefer to use soaps or creams and have noticed a difference with the way my face feels in comparison to gel/foam. Very few threads here have been based on any sort of experiment or scientific data gathering. It is a forum of individuals with similar thoughts on shaving. The concentration may appear big, but it is an internet forum. An even smaller subset of this forum might be dermatologists that maybe able to give you the answer you need.

 

[Geordon]

Well, I now have all the proof I need.

I stumbled upon this website and found what seemed to be gentlemen having fair discussions and swapping techniques and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of certain products. At first I embraced this forum as such, but in a short time became very disappointed.

I am sure there are a few here doing so, but for the most part I found a bunch of people making statements they are not qualified to make, making suggestions based on nothing else than a little razorburn they happened to get one time using X soap, or giving medical advise. People disregarding years of market research and with all these conspiracy theories about cartridge companies and mafia doctors.

Then, on top of it all, when you want to know why X product is bad no one gives you a good reason, no one has anything coherent to say. Why are X products BAD? Because they cause cancer or because the don't work FOR YOU?

I have looked for other sources and found them all to agree with each other, except this forum which seems to be composed of "renegade shavers"
Do you honestly believe that THIS forum is right and every single bit of information on the entire web is wrong?

Don't care if the moderators kick me out, I don't intend to stick around anyway.

I call shenanigans. You pose a poll that asks for opinion, then demand that we back up our OPINIONS with scientific proof? Do I think canned stuff is bad? Yes. Why? I don't like the way it smells, don't like the number of 13-syllable ingredients, don't like the amount of waste, don't like the cost-per-use. For me? It's bad. But, on the exact opposite of that coin, I buy canned stuff for my 15-year old son. I offered to show him how to use a brush and bowl, he wasn't interested. So, for him, canned stuff is good.

For the record, I also think that municipal water is "bad". I don't like the taste of chlorine. But, I don't have the room for an in-house water treatment system.

It's very difficult (nigh impossible) to back up opinion with fact. IF it's fact, it ain't opinion.

Shenanigans, I say!

Oh, and I feel sorry for you, if you are upset that we didn't meet your expectations. We're human beings in our own right, and we're not here to provide customer service. Being upset because of that does not bode well for you in The real World. Good luck with that.

 

[Sledgehammer39]

Coming off of gels/foams for years I gotta say that when I went to a brush and soap I noticed a much better shave and a nicer feel to my skin. My skin was always dry from the gels/foams. Of course YMMV, and this is just my opinion.

 

[Haber Dashing]

Hit the road Jack...

It takes a lot of nerve to ask people their opinion, and then say it doesn't count unless....

Nobody is throttling you upside the head and saying, "Hey, you, stop being so cheap and buy XYZ". We say, its YMMV. We may make a suggestion, but that's it. I'm not going to sit around reading medical journals to "prove" to you anything. Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.

 

[Pumpkin]

Personally, I don't think gels/foams are inherently bad (I never had any noticeable adverse reactions). However, my limited experience of good (not necessarily expensive) soaps and creams...applied with a brush...does lead me to believe that these are more efficacious at lifting and softening the hairs, which makes shaving easier and more effective!
The OBJECTIVE evidence of this is that I (and others) have had much better shaves using my old cartridge razor (with the new soap), than I did before (using just a gel). It's even better results combined with a DE/SE razor. To be totally even-handed I should probably try using my DE's with "goo in a can" just to check.
There is the added argument that aerosol cans (of any variety) are both wasteful and potentially harmful due to their material construction and the chemical propellants involved.

 

[michiganlover]

People disregarding years of market research and with all these conspiracy theories about cartridge companies and mafia doctors.

You do realize, that much market research can be spun to make it say what ever you want? That a lot of it probably doesn't hold up to the rigors of true scientific methods?

I don't personally care if canned goo is "good or bad". I just know for me, that just about every shaving cream, and shaving soap (regardless of price) I have tried is for me superior to the canned crap. That's all the proof I need.

 

[Pumpkin]

Do you honestly believe that THIS forum is right and every single bit of information on the entire web is wrong?

I've certainly not seen anything here claiming that anything written here is the gospel truth. However, it IS one of the nicer, friendlier parts of the web!

 

[col conk]

II don't care about one specific person, I want to know why they are bad like cigarrettes are bad.

People disregarding years of market research and with all these conspiracy theories about cartridge companies and mafia doctors.

Conspiracy theories , and years of marketing research? Knowing cigarettes are bad for you? Funny these two points were in your posts.

Years of "marketing research" lied to the public for years. Not only was smoking not harmful , but was good for you (calms your nerves,aids in digestion etc.) Even paid MDs to make TV adds saying so.

GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!

 

[midniterambler]

when i was a young man, if the array of shaving products (brushes, creams, soaps) were readily available to the american public- i probably would have had a much more satisfying and less painful shaving experience; and been less inclined to jump to every new cartridge razor (esp. those with the lubricating strips) that gillette brought out. when i switched to wetshaving, even with a sensor or mach 3, i got a much better shave, with less irritation. when my son made the switch, even though he continues to use a cartridge razor (the fusion), he finds it much more pleasureable to shave than before. i do think the foams and gels are bad- they are drying and they don't prep your face properly. i think that's why gillette added the lubricating strips. instead of marketing a complete line of high quality products (as do many of the british companies ), such as high quality creams, soaps, and brushes to complement their razors- they went in a different marketing direction, i suspect, in order to make their company more of a growth company than a value company. in the end, they destroyed the quality that had been associated with the company since it's inception (a story that has been repeated many times with other american companies and industires.)