Cremo Shaving Cream Review – Great Value, But Other Needs Not Met
Cremo Shaving Cream
Coming with a trusted name, Cremo has been making shaving products for the discerning gentleman for years. Unfortunately, their quality does not hold up across all their products (we’re talking about this one).
Pros
Cost Effective! Does not cost very much money
Easy to Use
All Natural Ingredients
Available at most Brick and Mortar stores
The Squeeze bottle is great for travel use
Cons
It dries out very quickly
Sticky Texture doesn’t feel smooth on the skin
The texture is so thick it takes time to rinse off
It sucks the moisture out of my skin
It doesn’t protect well on its own
The Scent is somewhat off-putting
If you have taken a look at some of my past reviews of Cremo products, you will find that I am a pretty big fan of the brand. See the Cremo Cedar Forest Beard Oil Review and the Cremo Palo Santo Beard Oil Review for example.
When I saw this on the shelf at my local Walgreens, I recognized the name and jumped at the chance to give this one a shot.
While we have mostly been focusing on beard products and beard care for the past year or so, I begged and cajoled my editor (read: asked nicely, he’s a cool dude) to give me a chance to review this one.
Unfortunately, I don’t feel like Cremo stuck the landing with this shaving cream. It isn’t all bad though.
Cremo Shaving Cream Product Description
I won’t lie, when I see this stuff it makes me think more of a beard conditioner or hair cream rather than an actual lathered shaving cream.
It comes in a squeeze bottle, which I didn’t get at first. However, after using it for about two weeks now, I find that it is easy to use and pretty good for traveling.
Aerosol cans can’t be taken on a plane, and are always in danger of leaking. Triple-milled shaving soaps are heavy and take up a great deal of space. The tube is great for transporting, and the cap holds tight so it won’t leak.
Overall, this tube is great for guys who need to travel often and have to keep a close shave. If you are going to conventions or seminars and you need to keep yourself looking sharp, this is a great option.
Scent
The advertised scent for this soap is Sandalwood, which gives the shaving cream a “woodsy, masculine scent” to quote the Cremo Website.
I don’t smell it.
To me, it smells like someone attempting to hide the rank smell of raw sunscreen with an artificial sandalwood aroma.
Cremo is excellent about getting great aromas in their beard oils, so I found myself somewhat disappointed in this scent.
Granted, they also have several other options when it comes to scent as well.
- Distiller’s Blend – Kentucky Bourbon, Smoked Vetiver, and American Oak
- Palo Santo – Bright Cardamom, Dry Papyrus, and Palo Santo
- Classic – Slight Citrus Aroma
- Sensitive Skin – Unscented
- Refreshing Mint – Mint, Peppermint, and Menthol
- Sage & Citrus – What it says on the Tin. Strong Vegetable and Orange aroma
- Silver Water & Birch – Clean scent from the Mountains
- Bourbon Vanilla – Spice and Vanilla combined with a Kentucky Bourbon
- Heritage Red – Brazilian Mandarin Citrus, Spices, and Woody Amber
Perhaps these would be much better on my palette? Maybe, but this Shaving Cream feels very inexpertly mixed.
I am very happy to put my aftershave on afterward, I will tell you that.
Ingredients
The ingredients list for this shaving cream is dense. It is hard to see and pick out the good from all the 100-dollar chemistry words.
They have plenty of good and natural ingredients like Lemon, Olive, and Papaya extract. However, they are sharing space with things like Titanium Dioxide and Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride.
The former is a dye that gives the cream a smooth white color, while the latter is a conditioning chemical commonly found in hair conditioners.
There is nothing wrong with either of those chemicals, and they are nontoxic. However, they have a very off-putting and almost scary product name. I don’t want to have to bring a chemistry book with me to the store when I am attempting to get my beauty products.
The Lather and Shaving Experience
For this review, I’ve taken about three weeks to get used to using this shaving cream.
I have been shaving every other day, using my RazoRock Hawk V2 safety razor. The typical process is to lather it up with my shaving brush and make three passes: once with the grain, once across the grain, and finally against the grain.
In addition to that, I alternated using my shaving brush and just lathering with my hands. This was mostly to see the difference in how the product did.
How does it Lather?
In a word? Poorly.
In multiple words? It could be much better.
The Cremo Shaving Cream is designed to be lathered up with added water as a base. It is very much like a shaving soap in that regard. You need to “charge” it with water to keep it slick and soft as you build up the lather with your brush or your hands.
It is much easier to do that with a shaving bowl and brush rather than with your hands. Though it can be done with your hands if you work at it.
If you do decide to use your hands to lather this shaving cream, be prepared to lather up with more from the tube each time you make a pass.
If you are using a bowl and brush, you won’t have to do as much lathering between passes. However, you will have to take extra time before you start shaving to build a lather in the bowl.
Don’t spend any time dawdling around between lathering up and shaving though. Cremo Shaving Cream dries up quickly. If you aren’t quick enough, you might find one cheek dry after you finish with the other.
How is the Texture?
Cremo advertises the texture of their shaving cream as impossibly slick. Honestly, that is only as long as you keep it hydrated. Otherwise, it turns into a sticky mess.
I even found that it would dry out to a sticky paste in my shaving bowl between passes, much less on my skin. You will always need to use more water than you think just to keep it slick enough to shave with.
The sticky texture also causes issues when you are attempting to rinse your face off after a shave. You almost need to scrub just to get it all off, and that will just make your skin feel even worse.
It also seemed to absorb the moisture in my skin as well. After shaving with this cream, my skin felt particularly dried out and burnt like I had just dry shaved with a straight razor.
I HIGHLY recommend using a pre shave with this shaving cream. Something like Proraso Pre-Shave Cream, Green Tea & Oatmeal is going to probably work the best to keep your skin soft and supple.
How is the Overall Shave?
Overall, I found the shave to be less than enjoyable. The shave I got was close and smooth, but it left my skin feeling dry and burned.
It felt like the shaving cream sapped all the moisture out of my skin. So when I put on my aftershave, that just made everything worse.
This cream might work better if you use it with a regular cartridge razor though. Something like a Schick or Gillette razor that has one of those hydrating blade guards would probably work best for this. This neatly ties into my thoughts that this could be a boon to someone who has to travel often.
Common Consumer Complaints, Issues, and Positive Reviews
Consumers are head over heels for this shaving cream, and I can see why most guys like it. While I have some more refined tastes, it is head and shoulders over something like Barbasol or Gillette.
Positive Reviews
One of the common positive points you see in the reviews for this product is the scent. A great deal of people seem to enjoy this sandalwood aroma. That includes my Dad, who thought it smelled great. Overall, this is a pretty subjective point, but I am glad people are enjoying their product.
Others have brought up how close the shave they can get with this shaving cream. Many guys are impressed with how clean and smooth their skin feels after using this one. For all my bitching though, I will say that the save was close and neat.
Finally, the price is amazing, and I’m not the only one who has noticed that. You can get this for less than 10 USD and that is NOTHING to sneeze at. 90 days of clean shaves for less than 10 bucks? What a steal!
Consumer Complaints
Many consumers do complain that it seems to take more than the advertised amount to get a good lather. This is true for me, and it seems more than a few guys. If you want a good-sized lather, you need to use more than the advertised amount just to make sure to get a lather. You will need to add water to get the good sudsy lather you want.
Others have remarked about the sticky texture you get on your skin as it dries out. Good to know I am not the only one who has felt this issue. Again, you will need to add water to get a good enough coverage on your face.
Final Thoughts – Who is Cremo Shaving Cream For?
Overall, Cremo Shaving Cream is nice but not great.
If you are traveling often, and need to keep your face nice and shaved while away from the house, then Cremo Shaving Cream could be a real boon. It transports easily and can work in most situations.
It works best with disposable cartridge razors, so I would not recommend this with a Safety Razor, Straight Razor, or a Shavette.
Who is it for? Grab this if you are on the go a great deal, or often have to use a cartridge razor. It will be an improvement from the canned and pressurized shaving foams. If you are used to using shaving soaps with a brush and bowl, this is nothing to write home about.
