Shaving Blog 4: The Final Chapter?

Previous entries in this continuing series that I never would have expected to exist...

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

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5 Oct 2021

Just tried Proraso shave soap in a bowl (the green tub) and DE blades from Feather for the first time. The internet shaving community as a whole kept recommending them as the absolute best products. The blades that I have used from Parker and Personna are both quite good (Personna is the better of the two) and, as we know, I love my Barbasol. Can Proraso take its place as my preferred shave product?

Well, not quite yet. I can't make a judgment call on the Proraso at this time. I need a few more shaves to see if my skin will respond to that product as well as my Barbasol. However, I can say that the Proraso did feel really cool on my face because of the Menthol. That was actually nice. It should feel great on those hot summer days.

Proraso shave cream with Eucalyptus & Menthol

The Feather blade though, was pretty good. It felt about the same as dragging a Personna DE blade across my face. However, I really felt the difference when putting on my after shave. SkinBracer has NEVER burned me quite that much. However, the burn might have been because of the Proraso. Therefore, I'll just stick to Barbasol like usual for the next shave to find out for sure.

Feather DE blades (100ct.)

7 Oct 2021

Shaved again today with the Feather blade and Barbasol's soothing aloe formula in the green can. This shave went much like any other with the Personna blades. I couldn't tell a difference, except that it seems to do the best work on the second pass when I'm going from side-to side. There was also a lot more audible feedback than the other DE blades I've tried so far. The shave sure was smooth, though. Virtually no nicks and the trouble spots were much easier to deal with this time. I guess I can now declare the Feather blades to be a winner.

That being said, the sleeve of 100 blades ('sleeve' is the term for a 100 count box with DE blades) that I bought cost me just under $34 on Amazon. A 100 count box of the Personna blades cost just under $15 on Amazon. So, Personna would still come out on top just because of the lower price. However, your mileage may vary. The blades that work for me may not work as well for you. Maybe for you Feather will actually be the sharpest blades on the market by far, like the internet swore to me.

Also went looking online to see if I could get some of the Pacific Rush, Sensitive Skin and Extra Moisturizing versions of Barbasol. None of the local retailers had the Extra Moisturizing or Pacific Rush versions. The only local store that had the Sensitive Skin version listed on their website was Family Dollar, charging $1.65 for a 10 oz. can. Not too bad. Their website didn't say if the local locations actually had it in stock, though.

So, I checked Wal-Mart's website to see if they had them available at all. Last time I checked, they only had the Original and Soothing Aloe versions in varying sizes. I happily discovered that they had the Soothing Aloe, Sensitive Skin and the Extra Moisturizing versions in the 10 oz. can for the usual $1.47 price that the Original formula costs in that size. I ordered a can of the Sensitive Skin and Extra Moisturizing versions via Wal-Mart+ and had them shipped to my house with free shipping, just because I don't want to go get them in person. The website said they should arrive by the 14th. They actually showed up the next day, being delivered by a Wal-Mart employee from the local store in his personal vehicle. Didn't expect that... 

Either way, I look forward to trying them out. 🙂 

9 Oct 2021

Just shaved with the Extra Moisturizing version of Barbasol. That's the version with the added Vitamin E. Overall, I like it a lot. It kept nicks and cuts to a minimum, had amazing audible feedback with the razor removing the whiskers and it smelled nice. The Original version has a soap-like smell which just smells like the personification of clean to me, which is a good. The Soothing Aloe version doesn't have any smell that I've noticed. I did notice that the Extra Moisturizing version didn't lather up quite as well as the Original and Soothing Aloe versions this first time, but it didn't need to, either. I had more than enough for the 3-pass method and going back over the trouble spots. There was also ZERO irritation in going over the trouble spots again too. Overall, I like this version. It is safe to say that we have another winner. I look forward to trying the Sensitive Skin version in a few days when I need to shave again. 😊

The 'Winner' schtick was bound to return sooner or later... 😜

1 Nov 2021

Okay, by this time I have tried the Sensitive Skin version and the Extra Moisturizing version again. This time, the Extra Moisturizing version lathered up far better than any shaving cream I have ever seen. I had enough product in the mug to do the 3-pass shave on my face at least twice! I felt bad about having to wash much of that shaving cream out of the mug and down the drain.

I've also had the skin burning sensation again, after using a new Feather blade for that first shave. The shaving cream used was one of the Barbasol flavors. So, it wasn't the Proraso that burned me. It was the new Feather blade shaving a little too close. Thankfully, I have found an easy way to prevent this burning sensation: pat down the shaved areas with a damp towel before applying the Aftershave. Therefore, Proraso is also a winner. I'll save that one for extra special occasions.

The Sensitive Skin version also has a fragrance to it like the Extra Moisturizing version, but different. The Sensitive Skin version's smell reminds me of a citrus fruit, probably because it includes papaya as an ingredient. The Extra Moisturizing version smells like some kind of freshly cut floral arrangement.

Good stuff that smells real nice.

They're both winners. However, I think I'll save the Sensitive Skin version for shaving body hair. That skin tends to be more sensitive than my face since the other parts of my body don't get shaved every few days like my face does. 

So, after all my rather informal experiments, my regimen/decision tree for choosing among these shaving products looks like this: 

Ordinary shave? Original version.

Skin feeling sunburnt (particularly in summer)? Soothing Aloe version.

Skin feeling dry (particularly in winter)? Extra Moisturizing version.

Shaving something other than your face? Sensitive Skin version.

Trouble spots on neck still refuse to become smooth even after multiple passes? Use the Barbasol 1919 cream in a tube.

Want to use something fancy just for a change? Use the Proraso.

As for the blades, I think I'll be switching back between the Personna and Feather blades. They both work about the same for me. I will say that the Feather blade provides EXCELLENT auditory feedback, though. I could probably use one of those to to create a shaving-themed ASMR video.

- Lord Publius