Pre-Shave Conditioning Cream for Men, Refreshing and Toning with Menthol and Eucalyptus Oil, 3.6 oz

I rarely write Amazon reviews, but I really felt like I needed to both to dismiss some misconceptions about this product and also to give a more recent review. First of all, I need to dismiss the notion that this is for older men. I am 21 and I have very curly hair but very sensitive skin: the perfect recipe for ingrown hairs and razor burn. I have struggled with this and have tried everything on the market. I recently discovered the art of old fashioned shaving, and came across ideas for better shaving. I started out by switching my shaving cream from the crappy canned foam to a good cream. I tried the C.O. Bigelow shaving cream, made by Proraso, and conveniently sold at Bath & Body Works. I loved it. But, of course, it didn't quite solve my razor burn issue. So, I decided to research more products made by Proraso and decided to give this stuff a try. I'm hooked. This is the greatest stuff ever. It smells like eucalyptus and clean man; I don't see how this is something that should be confined to the older men out there. Are young men not supposed to smell clean? Grab a very small dab of this stuff, mix it with a small amount of water in the palms of your hands, and spread it on your beard. It will immediately begin to heat up/cool and numb your face. Wait a minute, lather up the Proraso shaving cream in your wet hands and rub over the pre-shave. Then, get to work and discover the numbing, smoothing effect this has. After, rinse with cold water to close the pores, apply a small amount of the pre-shave (the same way you did it before the shave) to use as a post-shave. Just dab dry with a towel. Let that soak in and you'll feel that burn-less, numbing sensation for most of the day until your skin has healed itself. Your face will be smooth as a baby's bottom, but you won't feel the heaviness of an after-shave balm. At the same time, I can honestly say I haven't had an ingrown hair in a while now. It's brilliant, really. Give it a try!

If you have a coarse beard, suffer from irritation, or any other shaving malady, you need to try this product. I've tried other pre-shave preps and nothing compares to this. The shave oils are too greasy and make my skin break out. Proraso is a unique cream. It is easy to apply. Just a little dab and rub it well into your face. I love the tingling sensation and the menthol. It just feels great going on. More importantly, this stuff is really softening your beard. I let it sit for about a minute before applying shave cream. Of course, I also use Proraso in the tube with a bowl/brush. Nothing fancy or expensive. Put the lather on top of the pre-shave and proceed as normal. You will find that your razor glides effortlessly. Your skin is not only hydrated but does not get roughed up. Using this daily can result in much softer and smoother skin. I use a DE safety razor, and the pre-shave routine has changed my shaving experience dramatically. Softening the whiskers is a challenge, especially if you live in an area with hard water. This product really does weaken the whiskers so your blade can just mow them down. I get a much closer shave now, no irritation, seldom a nick. Plus, your skin is so soft and shiny when you are done. When I am done shaving, I don't feel the need to use any aftershave. Just an alum block and a splash of cold water, and I'm good to go. (buy quality alum made in France, not made in India or China). Some folks even use this pre-shave as a post-shave, but I don't. Depending on your skin type, you'll have to decide on your post-shave routine. Not really important, but I just love that the jar is glass, not that packaging really matters. The glass jar indicates how committed Proraso is to quality throughout the entire product experience. Quality packaging emanates the feeling of luxury. A jar will last you several months with daily shaving. This is a small price to pay given how much it improves the shave experience. This product is so good, I wouldn't care if I had to buy it twice as often at twice the price. Save your face for pennies a day, and look your very best. BTW- I am a bonafide buyer of this product and have voluntarily submitted this review. No inducement or compensation from anyone.

Im 47 yrs old, used to shave daily in the military. I just shaved my full beard after 12 yrs, tried a couple different shave gels and always end up with a cut or two. I decided to try this combo and I can say this has provided me the best shave of my life. Smells good, feels amazing and zero cuts. I ordered an after shave and shave brush both by proraso. I only wish I had discovered this back in the day.

Over the last year or so, I have bought and used five different after shave lotions - Lucky Tiger, Proraso, Pinaud Clubman, and Captain's Choice (Bay Rum and Sandalwood). Depending on my mood, I used one or the other, so my comparison has been somewhat continuous. Overall, they are all excellent, however, they are naturally different in various ways, so one's taste may cause a preference for one or the other. Lucky Tiger is the least astringent. You don't get that cooling sensation. It's probably the most like a skin conditioner. Although its label says "with Aloe Vera", its other ingredients are not listed. Its aloe vera plus I suspect witch hazel are what make me say it is most like a skin conditioner. I don't think it has any alcohol. So if you're most concerned about keeping your face smooth and soft over the long run, you might prefer Lucky Tiger. The others all have alcohol and give you that familiar cooling, fresh, astringent sensation. I would say that Pinaud Clubman is the most astringent and cooling, followed by Proraso, Clubman's Bay Rum, and Clubman's Sandalwood. It's hard to say there is a difference between the two Clubman's varieties. The coolness of Proraso is minty and lingers a little longer. I don't believe in giving a product a poor review because it doesn't meet a personal preference (for example scent or astringency in an after shave). Therefore, I would rate them all as five stars. My preference is Pinaud Clubman because I like a cool feeling on my face after a shave. Also, when an after shave causes any razor burns and minor cuts to sting, I feel like I am doing something positive to treat them, even if another after shave might help them heal better without your feeling anything. Lack of stinging indicates fewer burns and cuts meaning that I've given myself a good shave. So, the more astringency the better for me. As a bonus, Pinaud Clubman is the lowest cost.

Do you need a pre-shave cream? I'm not exactly sure since I've been a slave to the multiple blade escalation process over the years and have just gotten into safety razors. But I read some reviews and took some advice and I bought this Proraso product. Here's what I'm using: Merkur saftey razor (non-adjustable) Feather blades Proraso shaving cream (green kind) Badger brush (a cheaper one) Proraso Pre-Shave cream Proraso after shave With all of the above in the equation, I can't really say that one particular product something so much better than the other. With that being said, the pre-shave cream WILL let you know that it's there. I typically leave this in the shower and apply to my face after a hot shower (technically while in the shower). Once I get out, I avoid drying my face and taking the pre-shave off. Once I get to shaving, I lather up the cream and apply with the brush. By this point, my face feels like I moisturized in Novacaine. It's that's powerful. But having both used and not used it - it does make a difference. When using my safety razor, once I pull a stroke, that area is pretty much dry of cream and everything else (sans pre-cream). The pre-cream tends to keep my face lubricated more and keep the razor gliding over the skin. I really enjoy it - even though it is quite powerful in leaving it on. Some other thoughts - it has a very Noxema like smell, feel and application but much more powerful in numbness factor. It does have the Proraso "green" overtone scent to it but not a lot. I'd really like to try the "red" kind with sandalwood (one of my favorite scents) but I don't think Amazon carries it as of this review. I have also tried this with a regular multiple blade razor (without cream) and it did a decent job. Overall, I believe it does its job well. My shaving goes a lot better, my face feels and looks better and I have a little more pep in my step. A true shave with a safety razor makes me feel more like a man and bit more classier. It's it placebo? I couldn't say but it is cheaper in the long run and makes me feel like crawling out of the rack in the mornings. That makes it a win in my book.

**updated in 2020** I have enjoyed Proraso products for both wet electric and blade (DE safety razors and cartridge razors) shaving and as such, have tried other things in their line-up. This Pre-Shave (Green, Classic) is the underperformer of the bunch. The White (sensitive) and Red (nourishing) are *much* better products. While I do have sensitive skin, I find the Red line to be the best. It smells a bit strong (sandalwood) but it is very thick and creamy. Unlike the waxy feel of Green, a small amount of Red really helps soften the face pre- and post-shave. Although not marketed this way, many people use Proraso Pre-Shave as a "soothing" post-shave balm and I will attest that it works great. After a shave, I will use a very small amount (barely a fingertip's worth) and rub it in and then use a normal aftershave lotion on top. The combo is great for keeping my skin soft and smooth. Based on my experience with the Proroaso Red Pre-Shave, I would likely recant my below comment about using Noxzema instead. I have used electric shavers for many years as I have to shave daily for work, yet my beards falls in the unfortunate grey zone between "thick/long enough stubble to shave with a blade daily" and "can skip a day." If I use a blade daily, my face is OK but my neck looks like I have been attacked, so electrics just work better for "looking professional." I recently switched to wet shaving with an electric and a website recommended the combo of Proraso pre-shave and shave cream. With a Panasonic ES-LV9N-S this works great and I can say it is as as close as a blade as any electric can get without any irritation. I am very pleased with the performance. Worth mentioning: this product looks and smells a lot like Noxzema and my first impression was "uh..is this just Noxzema that is overpriced?" My wife agreed it looked and smelled the same as well. I can state with confidence that it is not exactly the same- the Proraso pre-shave is a little thicker (waxier feeling?) and definitely stronger, with a far more intense smell and cooling feel. It is also harder to apply evenly due to the thicker feel. I used this for a month with great results and then on a whim decided to try a bottle of Noxzema in its place. For $1.50 I grabbed a travel size jar and gave it a test run. Due to its creamier texture, it applied more evenly. It blended well with the application of the Proraso shave cream after, and my shaves are just as close. Bottom line- for $1.50, the Noxzema works just as well as a $13 jar of this pre-shave. It is not the same product, but the ingredients are similar enough that when used in this application, the results are the same. I have seen several posts on shaving sites addressing this, some with very aggressive "that is impossible, one is a ladies' face wash and one is a man's shave product" but bottom line- they work equally well with Noxzema being much cheaper. I would recommend this product to anyone, but also recommend they do the same experiment I did and see what is best for them and their wallet.

Amazing quality and pre shave for a close and smooth shave, no irritation, years of quality !

This conditioning cream I use every time before shave my face. The best way I found is to wash my face with hot water prior to putting this cream on . After loading a little of the pre shave on my face and spreading it on a skin I give an exposure for a few minutes while brushing my teeth . I use a proraso shaving cream above this pre shave and shaving feels pleasant without irritation of my skin . After I wash off the shaving cream left overs and drying with a towel my face feels cool . The last thing is an Proraso after shave lotion that protects my face of irritation also . I like this combo a lot . I have been using them for a while and there are no plans to change my habit so far .

وضعه قبل الحلاقة يجعل الحلاقة سلسة و ناعمة و يقلل إمكانية وجود جروح في البشرة

Une bonne crème d'avant rasage, efficace et pas trop cher.

Niet twijfelen en meteen 2 kopen. Voor het scheren even insmeren, intrekken en inzepen. Je zult het verschil voelen. Ik gebruik het sinds kort ook direct na het scheren, voor de aftershave. Je gezicht voelt aan als de noordpool. ijskoud, maar wel lekker.

I can see why some get addicted to this product. This pre-shave packs a hefty hit of menthol that makes the eyes water and clears the sinus. It really helps with raising stubble and adds even more comfort to the shave. I'm smitten with it at first use (it was delivered a couple of hours ago) If you like menthol in your shaving routine, get some of this, it's heaven. I paired it with the Proraso Eucalyptus and menthol shave cream and the equivalent aftershave, I'm one very happy convert to this new addition to my routine.

It’s very refreshing and good for Pre share, you can feel the difference .