Is a good canned foam possible?

[oldblue]

I know that simply asking the question here may be heresy, but I'm curious: could a canned foam be made without the typical aerosol can propellants such as butane, isobutane, and propane? I looked at the Proraso canned foams and they have these too.

I enjoy doing the brush and bowl routine with the green Proraso tub, but sometimes I wish I had the convenience of a canned foam when I need to get the SS&S routine done quickly and get on the road.

Are there any chemists or product engineer types out there who might know if this is feasible?

oldblue

 

[rac]

hi
just been a way for a month ,normally use the proraso and a brush ,for a change took a can of goo ,in the jungle could be a problem ,travelling light ,so bought a small can of goo...never again .what rubbish it is ,next time will take a cut in half soap stick and a small cheap brush ,after two weeks gave up shaving . the can of goo was launched to a bin .
it was so good to go back to the proraso when i got back ,no blocked up razor ,

 

[curtis909]

Once you use a good cream or a soap it is pretty hard to use that junk in a can....

 

[Bobtrumpet]

I haven't tried them, but supposedly the Proraso and Speick canned foams are good.

 

[DunEdinRanger]

I think the laws of time and physics say that you can not.

However, the precursor to all this was the famous Burma Shave which sold ready made lather in a glass jar.

 

[kingfisher]

How would you get the lather out of the can without a propellant?

 

[LinuxMintyFresh]

First and foremost, it is definitely possible to to just about anything with cost as no obstacle, but these products use the propellants they do because of their price and efficacy. It wouldn't make economic sense to use other, more expensive propellants when these are available and sell well in most places. I'm sure there are other propellants that might work (nitrous oxide comes to mind, like in whipped cream cans), but again I don't think companies will fix a problem they don't see as a problem. A lot of canned goods now use a bag in a pressurized tube to expel the goods without having them come in contact with the propellant. (see here) If you do that, though, then it would be a goop that was expelled and not a foam which is my those canned gels have agents in them that foam on contact with air. So I think your answer is "yes" with a "but, not likely." If you really need a canned goo for those hurried days try this or this. If you're still concerned about propellants, there are a lot of brushless creams out there that are easy and quick to use. Alba and Kiss My Face come to mind.
Hope that helps.

 

[perlslacker]

I always used Barbasol when using a Mach 3 or whatever, and I still use it when I'm in a hurry. As my technique has gotten better I can get a decent shave with little irritation from it.

Best part is that a can of it is like $2 so if it doesn't work out for you you're out about one couch worth of change.

 

[ShaveAddict]

I haven't tried them, but supposedly the Proraso and Speick canned foams are good.

Yeah Proraso foam can is not bad, i have a can and it do the job when im in a hurry.

 

[WinstonSmith]

At one of the sites I work at, the lavatory has a dispenser for antibacterial hand soap that foams the stuff as it's dispensed. There is no propellant, the gadget evidently uses the force of pressing on the dispenser button to force product through an aerating nozzle.

If the problem is the propellants, I believe they could be worked around. I'm just not sure the problem is the propellants!

 

[Telecaster52]

At one of the sites I work at, the lavatory has a dispenser for antibacterial hand soap that foams the stuff as it's dispensed. There is no propellant, the gadget evidently uses the force of pressing on the dispenser button to force product through an aerating nozzle.

If the problem is the propellants, I believe they could be worked around. I'm just not sure the problem is the propellants!

someone needs to figure out a way to fit one of those to a tube of cream

 

[rafikz]

When it comes to canned products, I prefer gels.

Foams are horrible, even the Proraso ones

 

[RoyalKooparillo]

I don't think you'll ever get the properties of a well-prepared lather made from a quality soap or cream with a propellant can.

I'm not sure if you've ever made your own whipped cream, but since it's close to Thanksgiving it's the first analogy that comes to mind... Whipped cream from a can comes out fluffed up, but within a matter of a couple of minutes it collapses and becomes soupy. Real whipped cream that you make yourself with a mixing bowl and a whisk DOESN'T collapse. You can keep it in your fridge for days and it will remain fluffed up, thick, and rich.

I know it's not a perfect analogy, but I think it gets to the root of it. Good ingredients in the correct ratios and manual-whipping makes good lather (or whipped cream). Mediocre ingredients fluffed by a propellant makes poor lather (or whipped cream). Although the outcomes may look similar, they really aren't at all.

From what I've noticed, it seems that propellant-prepared lather has completely different properties from manually prepared lather, namely...
-too many bubbles
-bubbles made from gas (not ambient air)
-not enough cream between the bubbles (fragile, poor lubrication, poor cushioning)
-can't hold enough hydration without collapsing

My $0.02 anyways.

 

[Deltaboy]

Colgate for Sen. Skin and Barbarsol are what I use in a Rush. Too bad Colgate stopped making theirs it was great and I have 1 can left.

 

[Chevyguy]

Colgate for Sen. Skin and Barbarsol are what I use in a Rush. Too bad Colgate stopped making theirs it was great and I have 1 can left.

Thats what I started out with and used until the gels came out in the mid nineties. I remember when you could get a can for well under a dollar. Barbasol with lanolin also worked pretty well.

Clayton

 

[Crazy Dave]

I don't know what they use for a propellant but I get a good shave with Nivia Extreem Comfort Shaving Gel. YMMV!

Colgate shaving cream was good an cheap but is now discontinued.

Dave

 

[mr_pacman]

Oldblue....you are in luck. Since you are in Western Canada, head down to your nearest Canadian Superstore. Go to the "organic" section, not the regular shaving section.

There, you will see a brand of shaving foam by Alba. It's in a soft, plastic bottle and it's a liquid. It foams up when you press the top button, due to some type of gadget in the head of the nozzle. It works fairly well, and doesn't have many chemicals in it.

 

[WhosYerBob]

KMF is the only gel I can use; canned foams and gels just burn my face something fierce.

 

[oldblue]

Oldblue....you are in luck. Since you are in Western Canada, head down to your nearest Canadian Superstore. Go to the "organic" section, not the regular shaving section.

There, you will see a brand of shaving foam by Alba. It's in a soft, plastic bottle and it's a liquid. It foams up when you press the top button, due to some type of gadget in the head of the nozzle. It works fairly well, and doesn't have many chemicals in it.

Verrrry interesting, thanks for the tip.

I've been into one RCSS and only picked up some re branded Personna blades. I've seen the Alba shave cream other places, but not anything resembling an Alba shaving foam. I will take a closer look in the 'organic' section next time I'm in there.

As the OP of this thread, it doesn't seem like such a dumb post after all. I learned something!

oldblue

 

[WinstonSmith]

Colgate for Sen. Skin and Barbarsol are what I use in a Rush. Too bad Colgate stopped making theirs it was great and I have 1 can left.

Back in the cartridge dark ages of two months ago, I used the Edge gel for sensitive skin with good results. I wouldn't hesitate to use it again in a pinch or while traveling, and it's ubiquitous. Never seen a superstore or a supermarket without it. Smells awful and feels like a hazmat spill on the face, but it provides adequate lubrication and mostly staved off irritation.

I tried a bunch of other gels, and the only one that compared favorably to Edge was the pink Skintimate stuff the wife used to get. That stuff was even better in the shave department but the smell literally made me gag and hung around for hours after a shave.