Cremo Barber Grade Original Shave Cream

This shaving cream has done absolute wonders toward helping me achieve the smooth, clean-shaven look I desire. My facial hair tends to grow pretty quickly, which means I usually have some fairly heavy beard stubble within just 24 hours of my next shave. Prior to discovering this Cremo product, my daily shaving routine in the morning consisted of using a Norelco electric shaver coupled with a pre-shave powder stick (i.e., Remington Face Saver Model SP-5). Due to my heavier stubble, using any sort of disposable razor blade was completely out of the question because doing so had previously proven too uncomfortable and irritating for my sensitive facial skin. I used that electric shaving method for years, but never actually felt (literally!) as if I was ever getting a truly close shave and frequently disliked my resulting facial appearance by just early to mid-afternoon. Because of my rapid stubble growth, it was not uncommon for me to appear as if I had the beginnings of a classic five o’clock shadow… WAY before five o’clock. That really irritated me because I always felt as though it made me appear rather unkempt (especially in the workplace), despite my very best efforts to appear otherwise. One day back in 2016, I happened to stumble upon this Cremo Original product in the shaving aisle at Walmart. The squeeze tube graphics caught my eye so I proceeded to read the info on the back of it. The claims of this cream were intriguing so I decided to give it a try…just for the heck of it. Wow, was this ever a game-changer! I was totally impressed by it then... and remain so today. Ever since, my face feels as smooth as a baby’s bottom (sound’s too much like a cliché, I know), which I had never before thought would even be possible to achieve without getting some sort of pricey professional shave. These days, my daily shaving routine still consists of pre-shaving with my electric razor for the purpose of cutting most of the longer stubble, but then immediately following up with Cremo and a 4-blade (my own personal preference) disposable safety razor. This provides me with a really close and smooth final shave without experiencing any discomfort from pulling or tugging on any longer stubble. To some folks, this method might seem a bit unconventional, but it’s really not that time-consuming and provides the kind of results I personally desire. Cremo makes your skin VERY slippery and that allows the razor blade to glide ever so easily over your face, cutting the stubble with far less effort. Plus, there's no discomfort or skin irritation (i.e., razor burn) afterwards. It’s like lube for one’s face…and it’s really a very simple--yet highly-effective--product. Personally, I find the mild, citrusy scent of this Original shaving cream to be quite pleasant and refreshing and have no idea why some reviewers seem to take issue it. It’s not particularly strong or offensive-smelling at all, despite the way they might make it seem. To each their own, I guess. Here’s the directions from the back of the Cremo tube: “Rub skin with the hottest water you can stand for 30 seconds. Crème is highly concentrated and water activated. Massage an almond-sized dollop onto your wet skin until a light lather forms. Less is often best. Shave. Add water as needed to keep it slippery, effective and easy to rinse from razor.” Just as those instructions say, I find that the most important part of this whole process is to first soften the stubble with hot water. The hotter the water and longer you can precondition (i.e., soften) your skin using hot water, the better. That’s how I manage to achieve the very smoothest shave. If I rush this part of the process and/or use water that’s less hot, then the resulting shave is simply not as good. It’s basically the same type of thing that the old-time barbers used to do when they placed a very hot towel on one’s face prior to using a straight razor. Whenever I’m not pressed for time, I’ll also occasionally shave while standing in the shower because I find that I can really soften up my entire face with hot water for a longer period of time that way. Also, just as the Cremo instructions say, only an almond-size amount of this cream is needed. Believe it or not, that small amount really does go a long way and there’s really no need to use any more than that amount. For me, this has the added advantage of extending the amount of product usage I can squeeze out of one single tube of Cremo. Whenever I feel as though some extra lubrication is necessary, while shaving, I simply splash on a bit of additional hot water and rub things a little bit to relubricate. It’s as simple as that, just like the directions say. A little bit of water is all that’s needed… not more cream. Over-lathering does nothing more than waste product and serve to clog the disposable razor blade. In summary, I most definitely recommend this cream! I only wish that it hadn't taken me so many years to discover a product like this one. C’est la vie.