In my opinion they dried up with much more in barbershops during the 70’s after safety razors had found their way into every man’s home in America. Barbers had less folks coming in for shaves, therefore suppliers sold less product, causing a lot of the old school brands go extinct. At my barber shop we still use and sell Pinaud. To me, it’s the quintessential barber shop smell
When did aftershave splashes fall out of fashion? And why?
- Thread starter Macduff
- Start date
I was recently turned on to the Dickinson's enhanced deep cleansing witch hazel. It's still witch hazel with 14% alcohol but it also contains menthol, eucalyptus, and camphor no moisturizing ingredient/humectant like glycerin, PG, etc. 16oz bottle averages around $7.
The shelf space is occupied by 47 brands of beard balm, beard oil, beard butter, beard wax, beard wax remover, beard soap, man bun styling gel.... I'm lucky if I find Aqua Velva or Old Spice in most stores. Fortunately my drug store still stocks Clubman.
If there is one thing Walmart is good for, it's classic splashes. My local Walmart always has Aqua Velva, Aqua Velva Musk, Stetson, all three 'strengths' of Brut, old spice, and Skin Bracer, just to name a few. But yes, it's all buried far below the beard crap.
And not that I'm anti beard... I'm anti foo foo 5+ product daily regimen beard care.
Sally is good for Clubman, they sell the long neck 12oz barber bottles for around $7. Sign up for their rewards, you get something like $10 off when you accumulate $100 in purchases over time
My local Walmarts may have shelf spots for those but may only stock one bottle out of that list. Keeping stocks up has never been their strength.
I'm wondering if it's because the younger generations (16-39) don't care much for these classic drug store scents. Maybe they feel that they they are too dated scent wise to wear.
Haven't seen them lately. Not that I watch to much TV. But I do recall seeing Ax body spray commercials a few years ago.
Personally I like the scent of classic aftershaves better than Ax. But the Ax commercials also seem to targeting a younger audience too.
I don't think the 50 and over crowd buys much Ax and see that some jokes made about Ax. I'm assuming it comes more from that crowd. On the flip side I see younger generation tease about guys wearing Old Spice. When I go to Sally's to get a bottle of Pinaud Clubman. The girl at the till laughs and calls it old man.
Before I started DE shaving. I used an electric razor. Was told you don't need to use an aftershave. When you shave with an electric?
So I never bought any for 23yrs even though I liked the scents of some drug store aftershaves. I'd spray on some cologne if I wanted to smell good.
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I hear a lot of guys talk about the burn from the alcohol. If you are getting a lot of "burn" you are shaving off the top layer of skin...check your technique. I love the classics..Brut, Skin Bracer, a few of the Clubmans. My favorite, however, is old school gillette sun up. Its hard as hell to find but I scored 4 bottles. Its the only thing that goes with original Right Guard and I have never had a complaint. 
Many of the newer stuff smells, to me, like junior high school.
Many of the newer stuff smells, to me, like junior high school.I hear a lot of guys talk about the burn from the alcohol. If you are getting a lot of "burn" you are shaving off the top layer of skin...check your technique. I love the classics..Brut, Skin Bracer, a few of the Clubmans. My favorite, however, is old school gillette sun up. Its hard as hell to find but I scored 4 bottles. Its the only thing that goes with original Right Guard and I have never had a complaint.
I also LOVE Sun Up! PAA makes (actually, I think it's discontinued now) Sun Down which is closest thing to a clone I've ever found and it does smell great... I just refuse to spend $20+ on 100ml of splash. I'm a classic 'over-user' and can't fathom $20-$30 monthly budget just for aftershave.
I primarily use Electrics and still use aftershave. Well, plain witch hazel but sometimes a proper aftershave. Regardless, I use these products for more then post shave repair. I've got very oily blemish prone skin and live in a very hot humid climate so witch hazel and/or alcohol helps that situation dramatically. That's also why I don't use balms or any splashes with moisturizing ingredients or humectants like glycerin, PG, castor oil, etc.
I have tried the PAA SunDown. To my nose it is not even close...I like it, but its just not there. It might be because there is not source for actual oakmoss any longer. If you like something light for the summer and you have oily skin, try Gables Bay Rum. It works well as an astringent, dries down quickly to a bit of a clove heavy scent that only lasts a short time. And it is comparatively inexpensive.
Yes, I may be wrong but I remember reading that Clubman is the only product with 'real' oakmoss these days (because it's compounded over seas then reconstituted here like Guinness) and even that is argued because of EU regulations regarding it's possible skin sensitivity. All I know for sure is that Clubman burns like nothing else I've ever put on my skin and makes me as red as a tomato, even when I didn't shave.
Beardo: You know, I've got more time and money than I know what to do with. Can you help?
Clerk: Absolutely. See those six shelves over there?
AA
When I got into wet shaving 30 years ago, I used mostly after shave balms, especially proraso. Later, I tried Weleda balm and then their after shave toner. I find I prefer the toner which combines alcohol and witch hazel with some herbal essence. Most of the balms are a bit to oily for me, though in the winter, if my skin is dry I will use one
When I saw the title to the thread I had one reaction...
I did not use after shave splashes for decades and it wasn't until I started "wet shaving" 2.5 years ago that I started to use splashes. I am happy to swim against the tide on this one!
In Europe it was around the early 80s.
I started shaving in 1980 with what my dad gave me : a can of Noxzema canned foam,a 60s Gillette Fatboy and a bottle of Old Spice AS.
Sometime within the next year or two NIVEA flooded the market with adds about their great AS balm that doesn't "dry" your skin.
I bought a , plastic it was than, bottle of it ,used it once and threw it in the bin.
It was a slimy mess on my face and totally repulsive.
41 years later I am still shaving daily with the same Fatboy (and a Merkur 34c and Fatip) canned foam (the Noxzema is still my favourite together with the Proraso red) and after shave splashes (although my absolute favourite isn't OS anymore but Pitralon green)
I don't remember after shave ever being a big thing in my 55 years.
I do remember they were often unwanted gift sets with soap on a rope and talk etc.
Some of the stuff being sought after now was cheap, nasty or just plain over powering,
like Brut, Hai Karate, Blue Stratos etc.
Then again I'm from Scotland. Maybe men saw it all as a bit girly. Dunno.
I do remember they were often unwanted gift sets with soap on a rope and talk etc.
Some of the stuff being sought after now was cheap, nasty or just plain over powering,
like Brut, Hai Karate, Blue Stratos etc.
Then again I'm from Scotland. Maybe men saw it all as a bit girly. Dunno.
Splashes I recently bought (last 6 months) at my local pharmacies, supermarket, or big box stores (Mid-Atlantic USA):
- AV Ice Blue
- AV Ice Sport
- AV Musk
- Clubman Pinaud
- Clubman VI BR
- Clubman Vanilla
- Old Spice
- Skin Bracer
- Gillette Cool Wave
- Nivea Deep Comfort (PIF'd)
- Brut
- Stetson Cooling Moisture
- Dr. Jon's
- Stirling
- PAA
- Ogallala
- Maggard Razors
- Proraso
Bay Rum aftershave is what drew me into wet shaving. I think this may be happening in physical stores, drug stores and higher end retail stores, but online the availability hasn't gone away. As many have pointed out...the artisans are pumping out good aftershave splashes and balms like there's no tomorrow...all online. As for the pillar aftershaves...again, I think the market will move from the store in the strip mall to places like Amazon and other online retailers whose bread and butter is about shaving. Physical store front to online store is the trend more than the product disappearing entirely.
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