L'occitane Cade Cream - Unfit for purpose?

[TarikPasha]

After many years of eyeing up the Cade cream from L'occitane, I decided to buy a tube from Duty Free on impulse.

What a disappointment.

1) The cream seems to contain at least 1/3 of something which resembles moisturising cream. The stuff I put on before/after I start shaving. This makes the cream feel rather greasy on the skin.

2) I have a very hard time getting it to lather (I do live in a hard water region) compared to my Trumpers, Crabtree or ARKO creams. The solution seems to be to use more of the cream, but that just makes an already expensive product even more so!

3) The scent reminds me of Nivea hand creams. It's definitely not for me. I can smell a slight herby / spicy undertone in there but the hand cream smell overpowers it.

The only positive thing I can say about it is if you have very dry skin (mine is normal to greasy) you might appreciate all that moisturiser. And as many people have noted, the packaging is quite fun, reminiscent of a tube of oil paint.

Anyone care to defend this product?

(I'm using a Merkur DE with Derby blades, a Trumper best badger brush, and Trumper coral skin food).

 

[beginish]

It's not you. I am hard-pressed to think of a positive review of the cream. I have seen posts though that say it works quite nicely in a superlather with the Cade soap.

 

[The Nid Hog]

It really does take some work and there is that strange undertone of hand cream. I find that with significantly more cream than I would otherwise use and some vigorous face lathering, I can get a good shave with it. Superlathering with the Cade soap sounds like it would be good too.

 

[vertigo12314]

I tried samples. I used it once and never again. Painful shave.

 

[DougK]

I am a devoted fan of Cade soap but I can't stand the cream. It smells great but shaves horribly.

 

[DavidReed]

I think the problem with Cade cream is the shea butter, which is what gives it the moisturizing cream like consistency. I really like Cade soap but the sample of the cream I tried was dissapointing.

 

[BrianL]

I like it and would use it daily without hesitation. It is one of my favorites, I like the scent it reminds me of juniper berries. I tend to use the cream on special occations as I feel pampered when I use it. It lathers fine for me, I do have a water softener and I know that this cream works better with soft water. I also have a tube of the Cade asb and cannot wait until winter so I can use it.

 

[Ignatius]

Unfit for purpose

Don't mince your words mate

 

[elkaholic]

The cream does work, you just have to use VERY little water in order to make a good lather. I bought the cream, thinking it was the one that got good reviews, only to find that it was the soap. Still, I like it. It smells great, and makes a good lather when water is used sparingly. I use the L'Occitan ASB afterwards, which is SWMBO's favorite combination!

 

[goby]

The cream does work, you just have to use VERY little water in order to make a good lather. I bought the cream, thinking it was the one that got good reviews, only to find that it was the soap. Still, I like it. It smells great, and makes a good lather when water is used sparingly. I use the L'Occitan ASB afterwards, which is SWMBO's favorite combination!

I think that's the first positive review of Cade cream in the history of wet shaving!

 

[IamCDN]

I've been using Cade soap for quite a while, and with a L'Occitane store opening in my city I decided to pick up the cream as well.

I was honestly expecting much better for the price I paid. The soap is absolutely wonderful; it's a shame they can't mirror that quality in the cream. I guess I'll have to try making an uber-lather with the soap/cream. If that doesn't go this will be collecting dust on my shave shelf.

 

[Goodknightbri]

Love the soap and especially the aftershave balm. Cream is a difficult one. I did try the less water but still not so impressed...