Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to compare the old and new formulations of some Taylor creams. This topic has been discussed at some length elsewhere, but I hope to pass along some of my own observations and give people data to make their own conclusions.
Executive summary: The scents of many of the creams have been drastically changed, mostly for the worse. This has been couched in the justification of "EU regulations", but I personally believe this is a an attempt to make these creams more accessible to modern tastes. Luckily, the shaving qualities of these creams are still exceptional.
Here is what Taylor claims they have done (ref: Barry Klein statements in SMF, etc.)
OK, here we go with my observations. First, the lavender. The original lavender was really something different and unique. Personally, as someone who grows lavender, I think it smelled nothing like lavender, but it was an interesting and relaxing scent. The new cream is more lightly colored, as shown below (sorry, my old tub is pretty empty)
New stuff is on the right, old on the left.
The new scent is a real lavender EO scent. It is a sweet lavender scent, compared to the (for instance) more minty AOS cream. This is probably the only change to these creams that is actually an improvememt.
Now for the lemon & lime. This one is just a travesty. First, once again, the amount of colorant has been reduced, as shown below:
You will also notice the texture is quite different between the two. So much for the consistency issue, more on that later.
The original scent was something very masculine. It had the citrus on a very strong woody base, which was one of my favorites - no sweet kid stuff. The new scent is a sharp, crystallized, candy sweetness, kind of similar to T&H Limes. The woodiness is gone almost completely. I should also mention that with all these comparisons, I did a blind sniff test - my wife randomly put the old and new tubs under my schnozzola while my eyes were closed. I can very easily tell the differences between the old and new formulas of all these creams.
The rose is another sad story. Once again, the original had a very strong woody base note that took this floral scent into the highly masculine arena. It was also easily the strongest rose scent out there among shave creams. The new scent is very faint, and is sweeter. The amount of colorant, as before, has also been reduced:
Honestly, it is now hard to separate this scent from something like T&H, which is very faintly scented. A real shame - this stuff used to be such a heady fragrance.
The Avocado has also undergone a major change. The original scent was a "green, soapy" scent with juniper. The new one bears it no resemblance. It smells just like a citronella candle. Yes - insect repellant....
You can tell the old and new Avocado by the color change in the label (and the fact that the new ones have the stick-on label):
Old is on the right.
The only bright spot in this saga is the St. James. It appears that they have not tinkered with the formula or amount of scent in this classic. Thank goodness.
At this point, you are probably groaning, and asking "but how do they shave?". The short answer is very well indeed. If I was a stickler, I would comment that the lather is of a slightly different nature - a bit softer than before, but very slick and cushioning. The Avocado in particular, I think, may actually shave better than the old version. This stuff is really teflon for your face, if you are willing to put up with that sweet citronella scent.
So there you have it. Taylor still continues to provide fantastic value and a wonderful shave. Unfortunately, we have seen the last of some truly classic fragrances, but that is the nature of the world we live in. Maybe they can come out with a "Taylor's classic" range later in time and make scads of money. I honestly believe that Taylor has used the aegis of the EU changes to take the opportunity to "update" their scents. Remember, this is my personal view of the changes, and is based entirely on speculation. It may well be that the real reason for the scent changes was compliance with EU regulations, but I find it hard to believe that Trumpers, T&H, Harris, etc. aren't racing to reformulate if that was the case.
And as for Taylor's claims of "consistency in texture, no crystallization", etc.... Poppycock, I say. I have seen as much variation in texture between creams as I ever have, perhaps more. I have seen super-loose creams and creams with a hard crystallized layer on top.
I'll continue to buy their products, while at the same time lamenting the loss of some really nice scents.
Executive summary: The scents of many of the creams have been drastically changed, mostly for the worse. This has been couched in the justification of "EU regulations", but I personally believe this is a an attempt to make these creams more accessible to modern tastes. Luckily, the shaving qualities of these creams are still exceptional.
Here is what Taylor claims they have done (ref: Barry Klein statements in SMF, etc.)
1. They have moved to decals on the lids instead of the old screen printing system, to allow more flexibility in packaging.
2. The amount/type of colorants have been changed/reduced due to EU regulations
3. Creams are now filled to the top to avoid the "half-full" cream effect
4. Creams are allowed to settle to avoid crystallization on top and provide a consistent texture.
2. The amount/type of colorants have been changed/reduced due to EU regulations
3. Creams are now filled to the top to avoid the "half-full" cream effect
4. Creams are allowed to settle to avoid crystallization on top and provide a consistent texture.
OK, here we go with my observations. First, the lavender. The original lavender was really something different and unique. Personally, as someone who grows lavender, I think it smelled nothing like lavender, but it was an interesting and relaxing scent. The new cream is more lightly colored, as shown below (sorry, my old tub is pretty empty)
New stuff is on the right, old on the left.
The new scent is a real lavender EO scent. It is a sweet lavender scent, compared to the (for instance) more minty AOS cream. This is probably the only change to these creams that is actually an improvememt.
Now for the lemon & lime. This one is just a travesty. First, once again, the amount of colorant has been reduced, as shown below:
You will also notice the texture is quite different between the two. So much for the consistency issue, more on that later.
The original scent was something very masculine. It had the citrus on a very strong woody base, which was one of my favorites - no sweet kid stuff. The new scent is a sharp, crystallized, candy sweetness, kind of similar to T&H Limes. The woodiness is gone almost completely. I should also mention that with all these comparisons, I did a blind sniff test - my wife randomly put the old and new tubs under my schnozzola while my eyes were closed. I can very easily tell the differences between the old and new formulas of all these creams.
The rose is another sad story. Once again, the original had a very strong woody base note that took this floral scent into the highly masculine arena. It was also easily the strongest rose scent out there among shave creams. The new scent is very faint, and is sweeter. The amount of colorant, as before, has also been reduced:
Honestly, it is now hard to separate this scent from something like T&H, which is very faintly scented. A real shame - this stuff used to be such a heady fragrance.
The Avocado has also undergone a major change. The original scent was a "green, soapy" scent with juniper. The new one bears it no resemblance. It smells just like a citronella candle. Yes - insect repellant....
You can tell the old and new Avocado by the color change in the label (and the fact that the new ones have the stick-on label):
Old is on the right.
The only bright spot in this saga is the St. James. It appears that they have not tinkered with the formula or amount of scent in this classic. Thank goodness.
At this point, you are probably groaning, and asking "but how do they shave?". The short answer is very well indeed. If I was a stickler, I would comment that the lather is of a slightly different nature - a bit softer than before, but very slick and cushioning. The Avocado in particular, I think, may actually shave better than the old version. This stuff is really teflon for your face, if you are willing to put up with that sweet citronella scent.
So there you have it. Taylor still continues to provide fantastic value and a wonderful shave. Unfortunately, we have seen the last of some truly classic fragrances, but that is the nature of the world we live in. Maybe they can come out with a "Taylor's classic" range later in time and make scads of money. I honestly believe that Taylor has used the aegis of the EU changes to take the opportunity to "update" their scents. Remember, this is my personal view of the changes, and is based entirely on speculation. It may well be that the real reason for the scent changes was compliance with EU regulations, but I find it hard to believe that Trumpers, T&H, Harris, etc. aren't racing to reformulate if that was the case.
And as for Taylor's claims of "consistency in texture, no crystallization", etc.... Poppycock, I say. I have seen as much variation in texture between creams as I ever have, perhaps more. I have seen super-loose creams and creams with a hard crystallized layer on top.
I'll continue to buy their products, while at the same time lamenting the loss of some really nice scents.
Last edited by a moderator:
