This is a product that was genuinely fun to review. It is a no-nonsense and wonderful cream reminiscent of great barber shop staples like the J.M. Fraser line. It packs a wallop of menthol that’s unmistakable and strong enough to smell at arm’s length and beyond. Whether or not the scent is for you, I’m sure you’d like the performance it provides.
Palmindaya contains stearic acid, potassium hydroxide, coconut oil, water, lanolin, boric acid, sodium silicate, sucrose, menthol, glycerin and an additional fragrance. It comes in 60-, 240-, and giant 700-gram (25 ounce) sizes. If you ever get through the largest container, you’ll find it big enough to bathe the family dog.
Palmindaya is a softer-than-usual and slippery cream that seems to jump onto a brush. It’s easy to overload the brush if you’re not careful. I chose to take small dabs with my finger and apply light patches directly to my face. The Omega boar that I used made a generous, medium-thick, slippery lather that easily lasted four passes.
The lather was one of the slickest I’ve encountered, and it seemed to provide good cushioning. As lather the cream lost most of its menthol punch, and the other fragrance-base became more pronounced. It still had an old-time barber shop smell that reminded me of my youth.
The cream is soothing, refreshing and minimally moisturizing. I had an excellent shave, notable for its comfort as well as its closeness. I felt that a drop or two of a moisturizing lotion was called for.
Palmindaya may be difficult to find outside Brazil. It is available mainly through barber-supply outlets even within the country.
It’s hard to find, but your efforts will be rewarded if you manage to locate it.
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