Proraso Pre Shave Cream, 100ml, Sensitive Pre Shaving Cream for Men Softens Skin with Oat and Green Tea Extracts, Made in Italy, White

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I started shaving with Proraso green. I was fresh out high school and it was 2011. So there was no Stirling, or B&M, or… Well were any artisans around then? Crazy to think about. Scent: This is a great example of how wet shavers can profit by economies of scale. As many know, sandalwood from India is extremely scarce and protected, and hence quite expensive. Most shaving products that claim use of “sandalwood” are using synthetic simulations of the substance. Sandalwood is pretty easy to duplicate, so as long as the maker is not using dirt cheap fragrance oils, even artificial sandalwood can smell nice. However, the real deal is quite rare and costly, and even then, usually comes from other places than India. These products are the first step if you want to upgrade your shaving game. Creams and Gels are very similar and are used the same ways in your pre-shave ritual. A good way to think of Pre-Shave like this is that it’s like oil or grease for a machine. These products are going to help the razor glide over your face easily and help reduce irritation, ingrown hairs, and cuts. Marketed For: Proraso says “Proraso’s first line and still evergreen, it’s suitable for all beard and skin types.With the properties of Eucalyptus Oil and Menthol, the formula is designed to combine cleansing and toning with a refreshing and revitalizing effect.” The only one of the above that really should not be used with a brush at all is Kiehl’s. The rest can all be used brushless but benefit greatly from a brush. (Arguably Cremo benefits very little from a brush if at all.)

In my case, I began wet shaving in 2014. The market for shave software has changed an awful lot since then, and so has Proraso. The purpose of this article is to compare Proraso products to the newer crop of shaving soaps and creams, and also to compare the families of color based Proraso products to each other. Piero invented Proraso Crema Miracolosa, a eucalyptus-based cream that could be used before a shave to soften the beard and after a shave to soothe irritation, in 1950. It’s known today as Proraso Pre/Post-Shave Cream.The real problem with Proraso cream is the combo of mediocre cushion and little to no post shave protection. If you end up with a sore face after using Proraso Green, that sore face will be with you for a few hours unless you add some post shave balm or splash to your visage. Apply the cream, gel, or oil onto your fingers. You don’t need much! Just a few drops in your hand or your fingertips. As hinted above, the big challenge to Proraso Green comes from Cremo, an increasingly significant US brand due to its wide availability in both big box retail and online. Their creams are cheaper than Proraso and offer superior shave protection and post shave feel. The Cremo scents are arguably weaker / worse than Proraso, but I’d bet many cream users don’t care much about scents anyway and want a cheap and effective shaving solution. If this is you, Cremo might be a superior choice. It works fine with hand lathering also. I actually think YMMV can never be overused, because it is what it is—our individual experience on our unique combination of skin factors (many variables here), beard toughness and length, water factors, techniques, etc.

Summary: Given its low price point, and pleasant scent (for many), it’s hard to say bad things about Proraso Green. However, the poor cushion and non-existent post shave conditioning make it clear that Proraso Green is from an older generation of shaving software. I still feel this is a great way to start wet shaving, but once most users experiment with other creams or soaps, I think PR Green may either be eliminated from the rotation or saved as a once in a while trip down memory lane. We have a rather synthetic sweet anise and amber accord here, smelling like a sort of licorice cologne. The scent is very artificial, and even those who love, say, Cool Water will find this of little interest. The fragrance design is cloying, simple, and dull. The scent is certainly different from Green, and is arguably more modern, but it certainly is not very pleasant. Strength does not fade during the shave but does not linger much after the shave is done, which is just as well. This is not at all spicy, but rather sweet and only mildly musky. About the remaining article, well, probably is biased due the different price costs in US and here in EU/IT.Scent: Imagine your grandpa is a member of an old school jazz quartet that plays at local weddings. Now imagine you ask your grandpa and his band to play a Swedish death metal tune. This is kind of like what’s happening with Proraso Blue. Proraso, unlike some shaving creams, actually benefits greatly from using a shaving brush. In fact, I’d guess it was developed with a brush in mind. The menthol effect is of moderate intensity – anyone who has used one of the modern artisanal menthol soaps like those from Stirling or Barrister & Mann will find the Proraso take to be pretty mild by comparison. Pleasant enough, but not much of a face chiller. You can optionally use a hot towel at this point to really open your pores and get your hair follicles standing up, but that takes time to set up and isn’t totally necessary. Proraso though, as they buy ingredients in massive quantities can get real sandalwood and make it available to consumers at a dirt cheap price (similar to AoS, whose Sandalwood also has a similar verisimilitude and pretty close scent to Proraso Red, albeit at a much higher price). I don’t think this is Indian sandalwood (Mysore cultivar) but is probably the somewhat cheaper and less endangered Australian or Caledonian kind, which nevertheless are excellent and distinctive scents.

But if you are a cream fan, or perhaps simply wish to forego the expense and added time to use a brush, Proraso’s line is an affordable and generally admirable roster offering some diversity in both performance and scents. American Budget Shaving Ninja: The shaved gorilla in the room though is Cremo, the “American Proraso”, whose cheap pricing even outdoes Proraso and whose performance generally outclasses much of the Proraso line. Mark is in love with the Cooling Cremo cream, and I share his enthusiasm. Also like Proraso, Cremo offers many different scents along with some specious claims about different beard and skin types benefiting from variants. The Cremo lineup and its merits needs to be assessed in a separate review, but for now, I’d suggest any Proraso cream fan buy a tube of Cremo (Cooling or Original would be my suggestion) and do their own head to head showdown. Spanish Leatheris a scent with a western flourish, with deep base notes of Vanilla and Patchouli, with a lingering middle note of florals, and finishing with a sweet dessert-like aroma of clove.

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The secret – that is not a secret- is to start loading (and preferably a lot) with a well shaken, almost dry brush. Then adding water gradually. As every soap. So I will definitely end here saying that Proraso is theoretically a Brushless cream? More or less than – any – shaving cream, but sounds right that it can be applied with hands and without brush.