Ask Aaron Q/A: Proraso Shaving Cream: Tub vs Tube
Aaron is asked a question from a DE newbie about Proraso shaving cream and whether it’s better to store the cream in it’s original tube or a tub
Oliver Kenny, from the UK, asks:
“Hi, I am fairly new to shaving cream. I’ve been using an old safety razor I got from my Grandfather but I’ve just been using ordinary shaving gel with it. But now I bought a tube of Proraso from you. I have used a fair amount of it but was told putting it in a tub would make lathering easier. Would you recommend putting it in a tub? Another problem I have is that a barber friend gave me a 500ml tube as a birthday present along with an alum block and some razors. I am worried this is going to go out of date and hard before I use all of it and would putting it in a tub make that worse? As you can probably tell I am new to this whole DE safety razor game, and any advice would be hugely appreciated. Thanks, Oliver Kenny.”
Proraso Shaving Cream Tube (150ml)
AARON SAYS
“Mr Kenny,
If it were me, I would keep the Proraso cream in the original tube. It’s designed to be there and will retain it’s original composition that way, if you were t put it into a pot or tub, unless it was very air tight, it would begin to dry out. Now having it dry out on you would not affect the effectiveness of the product, just make it a little harder to use and lose some of it’s scent. All you need is about an almond sized squirt of cream to whip into some great lather. I have seen pictures of that 500ml tube, and it would take you years to finish it off! It should keep for quite a long time sealed in the pouch. I wouldn’t open it unless you plan on using the large tube or splitting it with some friends. As long as it stays air tight afterwords, it should keep well for quite some time! Enjoy it, Proraso is a great product!
Happy Shaving!
Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: Palm stropping & corking of razor blades
Aaron is asked a question about double edge razor blade harshness
Grant Letham, from the UK, asks:
“Hi, I’m enjoying my double edge shaving experience with my Edwin Jagger D89. Currently using routine of shower, King of Shaves shaving oil, lather – proraso or arko, 2 pass shave – 1 with and 1 across grain, cold water rinse and then moisturiser. I’m finding the first shave with a fresh blade can be risky in terms of nicks and cuts. Any clues as to how I can minimise / avoid this?”
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Letham,
I too experience new blade harshness occasionally. I have heard this can be due to tiny burrs left over from the manufacturing process. There are two methods I would recommend trying: corking and palm stropping.
For corking, take a natural cork stopper from a wine bottle, and run the blade edge into the cor gently two or three times.
For palm stopping, grasp the blade in the middle and rub the blade away from the edge on the thick of your palm. This can be a little bit tricky, so watch the following video tutorial to see exactly what I mean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogq4wfpT7hc. This should help with those new blade blues!
Smooth Shaving!
Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: Products to fight razor rash & burn & shaving spots
David Mahood, from UK, asks:
“I have just found this site. I am a professional person and need to shave once, maybe twice each day. I currently use Mach3 blades and sensitive shaving foam or gel. My problem is that I suffer really bad redness around the mouth and chin which quite often results in spots after close shaves. Can you recommend any products that will help or relieve my symptoms?”
Aaron suggests using a single bladed razor like the Merkur 37C Slant Bar DE Safety Razor
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Mahood,
Welcome to our site! Glad that you have been able to find us. As one who also works in a professional environment, I understand your dilemma. The first thing I would recommend is using a good post-shave balm. The ingredients in the balm will help to moisturize and heal your skin after shaving, and reduce the redness and burn.
Secondly you ought to try a pre-shave oil under your shave cream. The oil adds an extra protective layer that increases slickness and moisture to your shave.
If you are willing to go even farther down the rabbit hole I would suggest that you reduce the number of blades you shave with, and consider using a single blade safety razor such as many of the Merkur, Edwin Jagger, Parker, and Bluebeard’s razors we have here on the site. Along with this I would use a good quality cream and brush. These products are meant to give a comfortable and close shave without the irritation that occur by using the canned cream and gel products.
For creams I would recommends any Taylor of Old Bond Street, The Bluebeard’s Revenge, Proraso, Cyril Salter and many others here on the site. If you would like any more assistance or help in taking the plunge with traditional wet-shaving please feel free to contact us here and we’ll be glad to help! Thanks for your question!
Smooth Shaving!
Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: How do I prevent bleeding on the lower neck?
Derrick Rutherford, from the UK, asks:
“I have just started DE shaving, using a Edwin Jagger DE razor with Derby blades, Proraso pre and post shave on all three passes as well as plenty water, Proraso shave cream, alum block and then Prorasso pre and post shave again and then Proraso after shave balm. I do two passes down with gravity and then one across ,the problem is I still get bleeding on the lower neck and red blotches as well. I only shave every two days because of this, but, I absolutely LOVE it and will not go back to Gillette cartridges, but, I want to shave daily as it is a real pleasure. I dont put too much pressure on the razor, I let the weight of it do the work, Please help, A convert.”
Proraso Pre and Post Shave Cream
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Rutherford,
It’s hard to say exactly what might be going on but let’s see about a few things. Do make sure that your razor angle is good, especially on the neck. The proper angle, which depend on the razor, should be somewhere around 30 degrees. Keeping the angle is hard on the neck area so try locking your wrist and you shave and let your arm do the work. Another thing to check would be the blade. Derby blade work for many men but the might not be your best match. Do try several other blades seeing which best match your skin and hair type. The best way to this is to buy a blade sampler and work your way through the differing blades. Another thing I would check would be the direction of hair growth. Make sure you’re shaving with, then across, then against the direction or grain. If you follow those steps I think you’ll find much easier shaving and less irritation.
Happy Shaving!
Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: Can you recommend me a decent razor, shave cream & badger shaving brush?
Philip Morgan, from the UK, asks:
“I am thinking of starting to use a DE razor after a lifetime of overpriced Gillettes and not very good Azors. However, I am utterly bewildered by the choices on offer, from pre-shaves to post-shave products, especially brushes, razors, and blades. Re the razor I would like one razor, instead of several different razors for different levels of “aggression”. I have a beard that is quite tough in places, and currently have to shave against the grain to get a decent result – shaving with the grain leaves my face only half shaved. Any advice you can give me across the whole board of shaving products would be greatly appreciated.”
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Morgan,
Thank you very much for your question! As wet shaving becomes ever more popular the number of choices and options grows exponentially! Confusion is easy, and I hope to help with that. Regarding your razor choice, I highly suggest going with the Merkur Progress. It is one of the most popular adjustable razors on the market right now, and is well loved by anyone that I’ve talked to that has used it. Another thing that will greatly affect this end of your shave is the blade. Buying a blade sampler is a very good way to find out which blade works best for your skin and hair type.
Regarding a brush go with a badger hair brush around 20mm in diameter. This will give you the all around best general application brush that you can use for now, and you can choose the grade of hair (Pure, Best, Finest, Silver tip) that suits your budget.
Any of the other products are really kind of up to you. Many of the top brands have complete lines of products that go from pre-shave to post-shave with everything in between. My suggestion is to go with a well known brand such as Bluebeard’s Revenge, Art of Shaving, Geo. F. Trumper’s, Taylor of Old Bond Street, Truefitt & Hill, Proraso, Speick or another of many numerous others and pick the scent that you like the best. This will give you great products to use and in a scent that you will enjoy!
Smooth Shaving!
Aaron ”
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Ask Aaron Q&A: Finding the best double edge shaving products – Is it a case of trial and error?
Charles Singleton, from the UK, asks:
“Hi Aaron, it seems to me that double edge shaving is not as clear cut as shaving with my Mach 3! Now I have a wide choice different blades, razors, creams and brushes. Looking at reviews on websites and forums I get confused as to what to choose because when I find something that has a positive review I usually find an equally negative one! Is it just a case of trial and error as I can see this getting expensive?!”
AARON SAYS
“Mr Singleton,
Yes! I agree the many choices and options can be a bit overwhelming. If I can let me offer some products and advice to help get you on your way.
To start with get a good brush such as a Simpsons, Vulfix, Kent or Bluebeards Revenge. This paired with a good cream such as Bluebeards Revenge, Taylor of Old Bond Street, Proraso, Geo. F. Trumper’s and Truefitt & Hill will increase the quality of your shave a lot, even if you decide to keep going with your Mach 3. Should you take the plunge and go with a safety razor the Blue Beard’s Scimitar, Merkur HD, and the Parker 98 or 99R razors will be great ways to start. The most subjective part of wet shaving is the blade. For blades I really suggest you start by buying a single pack of each brand and figure out which rand works best for your face and hair types. Gillette, Merkur, Derby and Israeli made blades are great to start with. I highly suggest waiting on the Feather blades until you gain more experience. They tend to be *cough* VERY unforgiving of student mistakes.
These suggestions should narrow down the choices for you and I hope you enjoy your journey into wet shaving!
Happy Shaving,
Aaron”
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I chose wet shaving – Because it works
For millions of men, the daily act of shaving… sucks. We tear our faces up with overpriced razors with blades that go dull quickly and foams that numb the face, deal with ingrown hairs and irritation, and more often than not have stubble within a few hours. That’s the reality that so many of us wake up to every day. It doesn’t have to work like that, though. Shaving doesn’t have to suck.
There are communities on the web that pride themselves on shaving the old-fashioned way, with a safety razor (or straightedge!), a brush, a high-quality cream or soap, and a combination of aftershaves selected with meticulous planning. The group eschews the multi-bladed monsters with their overpriced refills and the cans of foam and gels that mostly numb the face and don’t really help shaving that much… but…
The dirty secret in the “wet shaving community” is that the multi-blade systems work, and for many people work reasonably well. They can produce a clean and irritation-free shave. For many people, a quick shave and shower IS a part of life, and they’re good with that.
The problem is that it doesn’t work for everyone. The multi-bladed razors leave me irritated and with horrible ingrown hair issues due to my fairly sensitive skin and a very thick beard. That combination is disaster when combined with the drugstore razors. For me, wetshaving isn’t something I do because I enjoy it (I do enjoy it, but that’s secondary). Wetshaving is something I do because I HAVE to do it. I use a brush and a cream or soap because the exfoliation and beard softening effects help to prevent ingrown hairs. I use a good aftershave balm and witch hazel because they help to repair the damage done by scraping a sharp blade across my skin. I use a safety razor because it efficiently slices the hair in my beard off closely to the skin without going too far.
For many, that morning chore of shaving and just dealing with the pain of irritation and ingrowns is something they just don’t know how to avoid. For me, it was an accidental click on a blog that led me in the direction of wetshaving. One thing led to another, and over the couple of years I’ve been doing it I’ve now acquired creams, soaps, aftershaves, razors, blades, brushes… and it’s all been a good experience. Shaving went from something I dreaded to a way to kickstart my day in the right way. Rainy and cold outside? Sandalwood soap and aftershave. Hot and humid? It’s a Proraso shave, baby! Face irritated from a bad shave recently? Speick cures all.
The kicker, for me, has been that it doesn’t add that much time to my morning rituals around my shower. Instead of a 3 minute shave I might take up to 7 or 8 minutes. And it’s WORTH IT. I save money by not blowing through the 15 dollar cartridge refill packs every week or two, I save my face with good products, and I feel pretty good starting the day. If you haven’t tried wetshaving yet, there’s no time like the present.
Jeremy is a wet shaving expert and blogger. He runs popular wet shaving blog Punkrockshaving.blogspot.com.
More articles by Jeremy Mahler
Review of The Bluebeards Revenge shaving cream
After using this cream for a number of months, I thought the time was right to add my two cents to the mass of reviews and discussion already surrounding this new entrant into the world of shaving creams.
To date, the creams I’ve shaved with have included ones by Proraso, Speick, Taylor of old Bond St, Cyril Salter and the Body Shop. Now I’ve enjoyed all of those creams, they all have their own unique qualities, but amongst that list it would probably be agreed that the Taylor and Salter creams were the high-end products. The ones that rise slightly above the others: in terms of scent, performance and that little extra luxury factor. They’re the creams you might choose for your weekend shaves when you have more time to pamper yourself, or the ones to splash out on as gifts or presents.
'Overall then this is a very high-quality cream', says Richard
Well, I can now confidently say that the Bluebeards Revenge cream competes easily with those two ‘high-end’ creams and is fast becoming a favourite. It’s a very thick, dense cream which lathers easily and like the Taylor and Salter creams has a very wide margin in terms of how much water you can add to it. Some creams you add just a little too much water to and they become watery and ineffective, which can prove frustrating for the beginner looking to learn his or her lathering technique. With Bluebeards though you really have to go overboard with the water before you start to see a runny lather, making it perfect for those just starting out in the world of wet-shaving. Its density also means that it’ll last you a very long time.
I used this cream with my Muhle best-badger brush and my Omega boar, both times achieving a thick, lubricating layer of lather that stayed good for the entire shave and left my skin feeling smooth and clean. In terms of moisturising I find that with my dry skin I always have to use some sort of aftershave balm, with whatever soap or cream I’m using. I certainly didn’t feel any tautness or dryness when using this cream though, so I could see others having no need for any additional balm.
Overall then this is a very high-quality cream, which catches the eye and the curiosity with the boldness of its statements and presentation, then wins you over with its alluring scent and top-notch performance. An excellent cream I’d highly recommend. Richard Wall
The scent of the cream is very nice: warm and spicy yet quite mellow at the same time. I can certainly see what Bluebeards mean when they describe it as ‘barbershop with a modern twist’. The strength of the scent is I’d say about average: you get a good whiff of it whilst shaving and it lingers a little in the bathroom after you’re finished, but it doesn’t dominate a room like Tabac or a strong sandalwood scent does.
In terms of its claims to reduce beard growth using the ingredient decelerine I’d have to study and use the cream over a concerted period of time before coming to any conclusions. So far I’ve just added the Bluebeards to my rotation of soaps and creams, so can’t say with any certainty whether it does reduce the stubble. But there are plenty of reports singing decelerine’s praises, so I guess it’s working for some folk out there.
The packaging of Bluebeards is certainly eye-catching. With the skull and crossbones and bright blue background this is definitely the first one your eye would be drawn to in a line-up of creams, particularly when pitted against the more traditional products with their conservative and classic designs. Personally I prefer the more classic, traditional approach to packaging, but that’s just me. The tub does though have an advantage over its rivals in terms of being smaller, and therefore easier to include in your travel bag. Plus being all plastic it’s easy to recycle when you eventually do manage to empty it.
Overall then this is a very high-quality cream, which catches the eye and the curiosity with the boldness of its statements and presentation, then wins you over with its alluring scent and top-notch performance. An excellent cream I’d highly recommend.
More articles by Richard Wall
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Omega back in stock
We are delighted to have Omega back in stock, not only the shaving cream but the highly rated Professional series boar bristle brushes!
As a lot of DE shavers are aware, Omega are a worthy alternative to the popular Proraso shaving cream -both made in Italy and both create a fantastic eucalyptus scented lather. The significant difference is the price, £3.95 for a 147g tub of Omega vs £5.50 for 150ml tub of Proraso, and you’d be hard pressed to find a better introduction to quality shaving cream using a brush with the Omega Shaving Cream and Bristle Brush set for only £7.99!
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