No love from JR Fraser...

[tantousha]

After reading numerous loving reviews about JR Fraser shaving cream, I went out and bought a tub of the Oriental Spice. The ingredients wowed me with the simple ingredients lacking parabens and other chemicals and the smell was so good I almost ate the damn stuff... but... I can't for the life of me get the amazing lather everyone talks about. I get a better lather from my Floris cream, Trumpers, hell even Proraso gives a better lather. Whenever I make a lather it always comes out rather runny, like I added to much water. That said though, upon applying it to my face, it starts to dry on the edges like I didn't add enough water. Furthermore I always get a really irritated face afterwards (despite the lack of chemicals). I've tried using both an Omega boar hair brush and a Fendrihan BBB.

So, lovers of Mr. Frasers cream... any ideas? I love the smell, I love the Canadianness of the product and I love the simple ingredients. All that's missing is the love of a good shave from it.

 

[DunEdinRanger]

I use a goodly amount of cream, a generous "snurdle", and let the water drip from my brush, then apply the cream into the brush and being to swirl away in the lathering bowl.

I always get a good lather. Hope this helps. GTG allergies kicking in.

 

[Wishoot]

I couldn't figure this cream out either. Having used the Polar Ice cream with success, I figured the Oriental Spice would be a no-brainer. For whatever reason, I just couldn't get the Oriental Spice to do what the Polar Ice did so well. Another member here is using it with apparent success however.

 

[tantousha]

To make things more complicated they just released a new scent called "Mosswood" which has my interest piqued... Dammit.

 

[DunEdinRanger]

To make things more complicated they just released a new scent called "Mosswood" which has my interest piqued... Dammit.

Mosswood Rocks! I think I will be using it all summer.

 

[RILEY]

Boosters Mosswood aftershave smells out of this world.
I bet the cream does too.

JM Fraser's cream paired up with Boosters aftershaves
are a match made in heaven

 

[DunEdinRanger]

The cream smells exactly like the after shave.

 

[Razorburne]

What does Mosswood smell like?

Any way of explaining it to someone who hasn't had the opportunity of smelling either?

I love the original Fraser cream and am interested.

I'm assuming Polar Ice is good?

 

[DunEdinRanger]

What does Mosswood smell like?

Any way of explaining it to someone who hasn't had the opportunity of smelling either?

I love the original Fraser cream and am interested.

I'm assuming Polar Ice is good?

It smells exactly like the after shave.

It's a clean scent and the best I can come up with is the scent of a northern forest early in the morning.

Remember, I am terrible at describing scents.

 

[tantousha]

Alright... so do you guys think that slight adjustments in my technique will eventually yield the perfect lather and I should splurge (well, $10 isn't really a splurge) for a jar of Mosswood? Or do you think that it's just not for me and I should PIF the jar of Oriental Spice I have to a friend of mine who would appreciate it? Bah....

 

[DunEdinRanger]

Get the Mosswood.

 

[cbrigstocke]

Whenever I make a lather it always comes out rather runny, like I added to much water.

Hmm. I'm guessing you've tried all sorts of different water to cream ratios already. Sounds like you've got a bad batch.

I find Frasers to be slightly irritating if I leave it on my skin too long. It seems like whatever is softening the beard bothers my skin after a while.

 

[mr_pacman]

The I don't own the Mosswood, but did get a chance to take a whiff a few days ago.

It reminds me of a Gillette deodorant my father used back in the early 80's.

 

[dems95]

I recently bought and tried the Mosswood, and I've run into the same problem: Can't get a good lather out of the stuff. I love the scent and all, and especially after reading several of the glowing reviews for the other J.M. Fraser creams I feel that I can't give up! I've tried a bunch of different technique combinations (wetter brush, drier brush, pure badger, best badger, boar, bowl lathering, face lathering, warm water, hot water, more cream, less cream, etc.), but I can't figure it out! Any help?

 

[drandall]

one thing i do notice with my tub of generic lime-scente frasiers is that unlike floris or TOBS where a pea-sized amount will yeild a bowl of lather, frasiers takes a larger amount, i'd say equivalent to a small almond.

mixed with a slightly higher than normal amount of water, i get easy lather which is slick and dense...but not particularly thick.

you might consider getting a spatula and mixing up your tub. i have no idea if there is anything in the booster-scented versions which could potentially help the ingredients to separate, but mixing it up certainly wouldn't hurt anything and might just help....

 

[Greybeard]

I recently bought and tried the Mosswood, and I've run into the same problem: Can't get a good lather out of the stuff. I love the scent and all, and especially after reading several of the glowing reviews for the other J.M. Fraser creams I feel that I can't give up! I've tried a bunch of different technique combinations (wetter brush, drier brush, pure badger, best badger, boar, bowl lathering, face lathering, warm water, hot water, more cream, less cream, etc.), but I can't figure it out! Any help?

What worked for me when I first started using Fraser's was more product (a snurdle and a half) than other creams and a pre-soaked badger brush that I gave one good shakeout to. I started lathering in a bowl and added some drops of water as I went along. It took a little longer to work than other creams but then the lather just exploded when I got the mix right.
I never have any problem face lathering. I load the once shaken out brush with the snurdle and a half and start lathering my wet face. If I need more water I just dip the very tips of the brush in water.

drandall is right. The lather is dense and slick but not fluffy.

 

[Jim]

Dip and twist your brush directly in the tub of cream for the perfect amount of product.

 

[Pebcak]

Dip and twist your brush directly in the tub of cream for the perfect amount of product.

That's the process I use and it works great. So good in fact that very quickly I have lather flowing out of the bowl.

 

[The Nid Hog]

Just my +1 for the Mosswood. Great fragrance from a good performer.

 

[RandalltheRed]

Ok, I'm sure someone will say I'm shilling for the line but I LOVE J.M. Fraser products! I love their aftershaves but since we are talking about cream...well I started with polar ice shave cream and loved it. My barber uses nothing but Fraser products and the polar ice scent is just so refreshing. Just before Christmas I picked up the 16 oz jar of their regular shaving cream (light lime scented) and I love the lather I get! You could search for a very long time to find a better shave cream and spend a lot more money.

I face lather using the stick the brush in the cream jar and swirl method and have had no complaints.