Shaving Cream Question

[chobochobo]

It's taken me about 4 years to get through 3 tins of Proraso foam. I'd been using the soaps from Santa Maria Novello before that. The effect is comparable.

 

[chobochobo]

Try Proraso. They come in smaller travel sizes if you don't want the big tin that lasts ages.

 

[Fear and Loathing]

I think the biggest upgrade to your shaving isn't going to be what you spread on your face, but what you hack your hairs with. That Gillette-Fusion-Power-Extra-Super-Special-17-Blade-Pro-Plus monstrosity needs to go. Lift and cut is terrible for your shave and terrible for your skin. Get a nice gentle double or single-edge razor and learn to use it. Smooth shave and healthier skin.

I grew up shaving double-edge (my dad was old-school) and around ten years ago I switched to single edge... not straight-edge, but a new type of razor that uses Feather "Artist Club" blades. Quite a few manufacturers make them now. You get the benefits of a double-edge razor with the smoother shave of a sharper straight-edge blade, since Artist Club blades were originally designed for Feather's line of folding sanitary straight-edge razors for barbers.

To the original question, I used to %$# with bowl lathering, then face-lathering, and now I usually can't be bothered- mornings are hectic, and it has become less a ritual of "finding my zen" and more "this is making me late". So I picked up a couple of cans of Proraso and La Toja, and haven't looked back. Forgetting the ritual and the luxe factor, both function just as well as the most perfectly whipped bowl of whatever, applied with the finest silvertip badger brush. I switch it up between the two cans every few months to keep things interesting.

Oh, last thing- don't buy a OneBlade. Garbage.

Last last thing- if you do experiment with the wet-shaving route, find yourself a nice synthetic brush. Badger feels great on the face, but it needs to soak awhile before it can produce a good lather, and it takes a long time to dry when you're done, necessitating a stand to hang it from, or the knot (the bundle of hair attached to the handle) will end up deformed. The new synthetic brushes are really, really good. They feel essentially the same on the face, lather immediately, and dry nearly in minutes, so they always keep their shape, even if left to dry on their side.

 

[nootje]

It's taken me about 4 years to get through 3 tins of Proraso foam. I'd been using the soaps from Santa Maria Novello before that. The effect is comparable.

I can vouch for how long they last, but took the idea to a bit of a ridiculous level.
My wife, for her Phd, did some research in Florence for a while. Proraso is sold there in supermarkets, for about 25% of what it costs here. I took the entire shelf with me back to the Netherlands, which was 12 tins. That was 2014, I think the last tin is going to be opened this fall..

I shave with a merkur DE razor. Will be buying a Muhle in the very near future as a gift for myself, might even try their soap once the last Proraso runs out.

 

[grippybananas]

I've been using Proraso as well but the tube one. Is there a difference with the tin?

 

[nootje]

I've been using Proraso as well but the tube one. Is there a difference with the tin?

To be safe, I was referring to these:

Shaving soap in a jar - Refreshing - Proraso

Extremely fine, compact and creamy, it allows a close shave and protects the skin leaving it soft and hydrated. Produced in small batches, with the hot saponification process, it is deposited in steel containers and kept for 10-15 days in an air-conditioned chamber. During this time the soap...

proraso.com

Which is a ‘solid’ block of soap. So you’ll need to work up some lather with a bit of water and a brush. It’ll last a lot longer though.

The tubes are somewhat halfway between the pressurized soap in a can and the solid block I’m referring to.