Luxury A/S Balm vs Drugstore A/S Balm

[Navy877]

You know.... I mean.....it's just.....I don't know man.

I have some luxury A/S Balms. Truefitt and Hill, L'Occitane, AOS, and they smell great and have nice texture and all that but I have to say Neutrogena and Nivea seem to knock the edge off razor burn and sooth the skin so much better from my findings. (One exception would be Baxters of California, that stuff rocks.)

Anyone else notice that? Am I expecting too much of the luxury brands? Are they being stupendous behind the scenes and I don't know it because I'm a rookie?

Anyway, just thinking out loud

Bruce

 

[rand77]

Generally I think the luxury brands have better "scents" but that is entirely subjective. There are lot of drugstore brands that are very serviceable products in their own right.

 

[BrookR1]

Yeah, I use Lubriderm 3 in 1 moisturizer as an ASB and it works better than any high end balm I have, but it has no scent. So, you're essentially paying for scent.

 

[Foyle]

Honestly, the only high end aftershave balm that I've been impressed with is Musgo Real. Its vastly superior to any drug store aftershave balm IMO. Better scent and better soothing and healing properties.

 

[Mick]

My top pic is (ready for it..........) Avon Wild Country. Same scent as Clubman original aftershave. Not a bad ASB either

 

[global_dev]

AdP balm and nourishing cream... way great

 

[Navy877]

Ok, Lubriderm 3 in 1, Acqua di Parma, Musgo Real and Avon Wild Country...

I feel some acquisitions coming on

 

[mikey]

Trumper Skin Food and Clinique Post Shave Healer is wwwaaayyy better than anything available in a drugstore.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[RobyGenoa1982]

I've Truefitt and Hill Trafalgar AS Balm and, although I love the scent, I'm not really impressed on the result. While, on the other hand, I've some cheap AS Balms from Bottega Verde (a nice Italian brand, more woman-oriented, but with a dedicated man section) which perform well.
But anyway, I prefer AS splashes, since I don't really need a balm.

 

[Omp]

I'd agree that for the most part, you are paying for scent with a top-end balm. Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet and AOS Sandalwood are a case in point. They smell wonderful and are moisturising but not particularly calming. Clinique is an exception. It is expensive but really is a very good balm for soothing and moisturising.

 

[parapaul]

I prefer my scent to come from whatever aftershave I wear, so I like the white or blue Proraso ASB and Nivea Extreme Comfort ASB equally. Both do an excellent job of calming and moisturising.

 

[Gingerbread]

I used to be a gigantic fan of Nivea Sensitive until they reformulated it and jacked up the price $2 a bottle. For not much more, I can get Proraso or anything else in that range and enjoy the variety.

 

[LoveThatBurn]

My top pic is (ready for it..........) Avon Wild Country. Same scent as Clubman original aftershave. Not a bad ASB either

I got an old dog bottled one. I find it to be weaker than Clubman, and that's why I like it as well. I typically buy up drugstore stuff because of the prices. The closest thing to "luxury" I want is Lucky Tiger.

 

[SeattleSparky]

I use Clubman aftershave balm quite regularly and enjoy it!! It leaves a bit of a tingle, and is non greasy

 

[The Accountant]

I use the Neutrogena Triple Protection Lotion because it has a SPF 20 and is unscented. I don't think any of the luxury brands contain a SPF ingredient although I have not looked for one. I prefer to add fragrance via cologne. SWMBO gave me a Cartier cologne for my birthday so you can bet that is what I wear!

 

[mistercitizen]

I've noticed differing results within a particular brand. Like, Neutrogena Oil Free Face Moisturizer (unscented and SPF 30) is great for me. Absorbs well, not greasy for a sunscreen lotion.... but Neutrogena Post Shave balm I don't care for. It's kind of random for me and I don't notice anything really one way or the other different between the luxury balms vs. the drug store balms except that the luxury balms tend to use more natural and fancy ingredients. Whether those ingredients improve results, I don't know..... but they definitely drive up the cost.

Ben

 

[maich]

I have to agree with the Baxter, it's my go to. I would say spending the extra doesn't always mean you're going to end up with a superior product

 

[Eeyore]

I only use two ASB products; Nivea Sensitive and Sanex Sensitive.

No, they don't have the exclusive smells of some other AS products, but both leave my skin in an excellent condition. And that's the most important thing for me.

 

[mistercitizen]

I might have to try the Baxter of California AS Balm. I really love the rest of their products. It's about half the price of T&H Ultimate Comfort AS Balm which has been sort of my go to unscented balm for the past year.

Ben

 

[Jeff_H]

I have to say that after trying Nivea Sensitive and Regular, along with a couple I honestly can't remember, I ordered a bottle of Weleda Aftershave Balm that I "think" I read about here when lurking a year or so ago. Since it arrived I have not tried or used anything else. It has a fabulous scent, which isn't strong and certainly not lasting enough to use as your "scent" for the day, but it relieves any irritation or burn and has made my skin so much better. Just healthy looking and feeling.

In my experience, price and value do not increase in equal measure. Of course this is different for each person. But there is a point where everyone feels the price no longer justifies the result, unless money is no object. For me, a $16 bottle of Weleda lasts nearly 2 months shaving 4-6 times per week. $8 a month on average is more than worth it to me. I usually buy 2 bottles at a time and order 3 times a year.

If you haven't tried Weleda, consider it. Not truly an AS..it's a wonderful smelling and working balm. Fantastic and worth every penny....to me. But generally I don't find the more expensive balms provide equal results for the money. The fun is trying different things until you find what works for you. As long as you believe the result justifies the price...it does.