Best European shaving creams

[chazt]

Reading through this thread I see there are so many European creams. And I’ve tried just a relative few. While I started out with creams as many likely do, my definite preference is now soaps. Every so often though I still do reach for a shave cream.

I’ve enjoyed Palmolive green and red tubes as well as a number of Proraso green and red tubes. Both do a fine job, but I preferred the scent of the Proraso products (fwiw, I didn’t get on with the Blue). I understand the St. James creams are excellent. Personally, I couldn’t get past the intense scent and piffed it to a pal.

The D.R. Harris creams are very good. They seem like blood relatives of the BullGoose private label. Presently working through a ~50/50 mashup tub of DRH Arlington and Asylum English Collection Aloe (also available under other labels I believe - the Knightsbridge and other lines seem equivalent). When that’s used up I’ll turn my attention to a fresh Baume.Be cream and a twice used tub of the Asylum English Collection Bay Rum. Really should just break them out and enjoy them more often. Soaps just dominate my rotation.

 

[Zhang Doe]

Can I ask wer you bought the cade as I can't get it anywer or the after shave...
Many thanks
Sam...

Sorry, my RAD's been nearly cured so not on here as much. I see @Tortuga provided an answer. In my case, I have the aftershave balm, purchased pre-owned but never used.

 

[MasterJoiner]

Tks to all the helpful people on this great forum I have found the aftershave balm and the shaving cream..

 

[BlacknTan]

Reading through this thread I see there are so many European creams. And I’ve tried just a relative few. While I started out with creams as many likely do, my definite preference is now soaps. Every so often though I still do reach for a shave cream.

I’ve enjoyed Palmolive green and red tubes as well as a number of Proraso green and red tubes. Both do a fine job, but I preferred the scent of the Proraso products (fwiw, I didn’t get on with the Blue). I understand the St. James creams are excellent. Personally, I couldn’t get past the intense scent and piffed it to a pal.

The D.R. Harris creams are very good. They seem like blood relatives of the BullGoose private label. Presently working through a ~50/50 mashup tub of DRH Arlington and Asylum English Collection Aloe (also available under other labels I believe - the Knightsbridge and other lines seem equivalent). When that’s used up I’ll turn my attention to a fresh Baume.Be cream and a twice used tub of the Asylum English Collection Bay Rum. Really should just break them out and enjoy them more often. Soaps just dominate my rotation.

I've been getting back into creams a bit of late. I tried the St. James of London Mandarin & Patchouli on a whim from Bullgoose, partially to support Phil after his legal difficulties. I was quite pleasantly surprised with the performance, and the scent was a winner for me. I also got the matching AS Balm.

 

[chazt]

I've been getting back into creams a bit of late. I tried the St. James of London Mandarin & Patchouli on a whim from Bullgoose, partially to support Phil after his legal difficulties. I was quite pleasantly surprised with the performance, and the scent was a winner for me. I also got the matching AS Balm.

Bill, I know you enjoy scents, but if you’ve ever considered an unscented cream, have a look at LPL/Lainess donkey milk soap. While labeled “soap,” its consistency is similar to DRH Arlington, Baume and the Asylum English Collection creams. I mention those three because they come in similar size/shape containers, so making a comparative reference is pretty straightforward. It lathers easily and has substantial cushion and glide. I’m working through a tub and have two backups. I don’t need two backups. Would you would like to try it?

 

[beb023]

My vote goes to Executive Shaving. Their creams are thick, rich and provide a level of protection not found in many other prodiucts.

 

[Estariol]

Balea Sensitive from DM shops. No worse than the Palmira Classic for $1.5 or 1.25 Pounds

 

[Scheerder]

Haslinger vegetable based, Cella bio, 3p, Figaro monsieur (Oud), d21 formula from TDS. All €3-€10.

They perform well on my face and unspecified body area’s, some work well on certain parts of my wife.

All this is highly subjective and somewhat affordable, ymmv…

Cheers,

Scheerder.

 

[BlacknTan]

Bill, I know you enjoy scents, but if you’ve ever considered an unscented cream, have a look at LPL/Lainess donkey milk soap. While labeled “soap,” its consistency is similar to DRH Arlington, Baume and the Asylum English Collection creams. I mention those three because they come in similar size/shape containers, so making a comparative reference is pretty straightforward. It lathers easily and has substantial cushion and glide. I’m working through a tub and have two backups. I don’t need two backups. Would you would like to try it?

I'm sorry Charlie, Mrs. BnT left Monday morning to spend time with the grandchildren in Minnesota, and I've been as busy as a one armed paper hanger..

You will have a PM incoming later on tonight.... after I feed the dog and myself... in that order!

P.S. I know the wife will be coming back... she misses the dog!

 

[Estariol]

Hungarian Barbon crream, made by the company Caola - it has some menthol in it so it lightly stings my face when applied for the second pass, but all in all a solid performer for $1.8

P.S. An addendum about the Balea Sensitive cream: though an excellent performer, a bit more amount of cream is needed at the start of lathering, because it tends to dissipate/disappear slowly. About 1.5x the amount of other creams i've tried so far.

 

[Paper Plane]

Tried a LEA sensitive this morning and was pleasantly impressed.

The scent was a bit odd at first but it’s growing on me.

steve

 

[PLANofMAN]

Not order specified, the ones easily acquired i tried and liked:
Palmira - made in Serbia with a century+ long tradition, not much of a smeller but what a performer! I wish there was a way you guys could try it...
Palmolive - everything was already said about this one - the quality is almost proverbial.
The Body Shop Maca Root - unfairly underrated, but overpriced, too.

And disliked:
Nivea blue (not sensitive) - caused stinging as soon as it touched my face
Denim - i don't know if it was batch specific or something else, but it was very thick, i almost couldn't squeeze it out of the tub and caused stinging after the first pass

Still to try:
Balea Sensitive from DM stores
Nivea Sensitive (white tub)

Harder to acquire but i'd like to try 'em, so i'll get 'em:
Barbon - Hungarian made
Figaro - Hungarian made
Speick - imma get the soap, too!
Intesa - Italian made
Figaro Monsieur (it has oud in it's fragrance, so needs to be tried along with the splash) - Italian made

Any sources for Figaro, that will ship to the U.S.?

Hungarian Barbon cream, made by the company Caola - it has some menthol in it so it lightly stings my face when applied for the second pass, but all in all a solid performer for $1.8

View attachment 135677

P.S. An addendum about the Balea Sensitive cream: though an excellent performer, a bit more amount of cream is needed at the start of lathering, because it tends to dissipate/disappear slowly. About 1.5x the amount of other creams i've tried so far.

I didn't get along with Barbon, but that's not unusual. I dislike mentholated creams with a passion. I see that both Barbon and Figaro have been reformulated since I last was able to find them. Any idea on how the newer formula compares to the old?

The white cap is rather fragile. The red cap looks odd, but works. Swiped from an empty tube of Euthymol toothpaste. Figaro has long been my gold standard for a good Fougere scent, but it's not for everyone.

...and yes, I know vacuum sealing these is overkill, since they are already hermetically sealed. Allow me my little quirks.

Edit: for anyone curious, the Figaro aftershave does match the shaving cream, and ditto for Barbon. Unfortunately, both have added menthol, which was an unpleasant surprise to me.

 

[Estariol]

Any sources for Figaro, that will ship to the U.S.?

I didn't get along with Barbon, but that's not unusual. I dislike mentholated creams with a passion. I see that both Barbon and Figaro have been reformulated since I last was able to find them. Any idea on how the newer formula compares to the old?

The white cap is rather fragile. The red cap looks odd, but works. Swiped from an empty tube of Euthymol toothpaste. Figaro has long been my gold standard for a good Fougere scent, but it's not for everyone.

...and yes, I know vacuum sealing these is overkill, since they are already hermetically sealed. Allow me my little quirks.

Edit: for anyone curious, the Figaro aftershave does match the shaving cream, and ditto for Barbon. Unfortunately, both have added menthol, which was an unpleasant surprise to me.

I didn't have the oportunity to use the old formulations of any of the Hungarian creams, unfortunately, so i can't help you with that. Barbon can be acqired locally in Serbia, but i've never seen Figaro sold locally, so didn't try the cream either. But i did get the Figaro aftershave from a friend and liked it more than the Barbon AS, a lot less menthol in it, but my face didn't like any of the two splashes, any mnthol in the formulation of any AS burns on my face, and as said above, lightly stings in creams. I do intend to find the Fugaro cream on my next trip to Hungary.

It's not a problem for me to send you a tub od Barbon, but the shipping would cost a LOT more than the cream itself, rouhly estimated at leas 5x more...
And unfortunately right now i don't have any knowledge of online shops that ship across the Atlantic, but i'll do some research on Hungarian sites since i speak the language, and get back to you.

EDIT:

No shops i could find ship to mainland USA, only to Samoa, Virgin Islands and the Pacific islands....

 

[PLANofMAN]

I didn't have the oportunity to use the old formulations of any of the Hungarian creams, unfortunately, so i can't help you with that. Barbon can be acqired locally in Serbia, but i've never seen Figaro sold locally, so didn't try the cream either. But i did get the Figaro aftershave from a friend and liked it more than the Barbon AS, a lot less menthol in it, but my face didn't like any of the two splashes, any mnthol in the formulation of any AS burns on my face, and as said above, lightly stings in creams. I do intend to find the Fugaro cream on my next trip to Hungary.

It's not a problem for me to send you a tub od Barbon, but the shipping would cost a LOT more than the cream itself, rouhly estimated at leas 5x more...
And unfortunately right now i don't have any knowledge of online shops that ship across the Atlantic, but i'll do some research on Hungarian sites since i speak the language, and get back to you.

EDIT:

No shops i could find ship to mainland USA, only to Samoa, Virgin Islands and the Pacific islands....

That was my experience as well. I reached out to Caola Alfa some years ago, trying to buy a pallet load of Figaro and never got a reply back. I just use what I have and enjoy it. There's many, many other products, though none so cheap (and good) as Figaro is/was, imo.

 

[chazt]

Tried a LEA sensitive this morning and was pleasantly impressed.

The scent was a bit odd at first but it’s growing on me.

View attachment 136457

steve

I‘d hope it’s similar to the scent of the old tallow puck and the aftershave splash. Unique and inoffensive. An excellent choice for a walk on a brisk autumn morning.