We’re always on the lookout for new stuff, especially shaving creams – after all, we usually end up being shaving soap guys, but finding a new good shave cream isn’t bad either, right? Well, one of the things I usually hate about shave creams is, oddly enough, all the air; that’s usually what shaving creams are, right? I feel like I’m buying an 8oz tub of shaving cream just to get 6oz of foam.
With that in mind, I was shocked to find out that Cremo Shave Cream doesn’t have any air at all – it’s just a really thick cream that I can apply to my face, ostensibly giving me a more concentrated, nutritive feel to my shaving experience. Naturally, I was intrigued, so I tried it out. What did I think? Read on to find out!
A little Info on the Cremo Company:
The boys at Cremo Company have a pretty interesting story behind the creation of their company. Mike and Kyle had a reason to start Cremo and it wasn’t just for the sake of making some cabbage. They say that they came up with Cremo Shave Cream after having a hard time finding other products on the market that worked as well as the marketing gimmicks made you believe it was.
Sure, the commercials and print ads made you believe that these other shaving creams would get your face baby butt smooth, but the ineffective ingredients left them wanting more. After seeing success with Cremo Shave Cream these two guys expanded upon their product base and become the dynamic duo they are today.
So, How Did It All Get Started?
The Cremo Company is the brain child of white board inventor and super smart Stanford Engineer, Mike Boone. You see, Mike was fed up with a less than awesome shaving experience and he was pretty tired of the cuts, nicks and rough skin that came with the use of mediocre shaving creams.
One day, old Mike (well he’s not old per se, but you get what we are saying) decided to do a bit of research into the actual science behind shaving cream. Yeah, he’s that guy… but it totally worked for him and we are impressed with his take charge attitude. Mike came to the conclusion that there was a lot more money put into marketing the products out there than there was into the actual shaving creams/gels.
He was able to see that one of the big issues with these shave creams is that the foams are actually formulated as aerated liquids. This essentially means that air (gas) bubbles get trapped in there and kind of eliminated the proper oils from being included in the creams. Rather than oil helping you to glide that razor over your skin, you actually have airy foam that results in a jenky shave and potential injury to your face.
The next major thing that Mike noticed was that for the most part, high end shave creams also lacked in the quality that he was looking for. He noted that the ingredients were pretty common with a heavy emphasis on the glycerin and oils. To follow that up, he also did a bit of digging into some of those so called “exotic” ingredients. Sure, they were in the creams like the package said, but the amount in the actual product was pretty limited and doesn’t really add to the function of the shave cream.
The only solution that Mike could come to was to create his own company and to produce the kind of products that he wanted with the quality materials he expected. Thus Cremo Company was born and birthed its first little baby product, Cremo Shave Cream.
He brought on his buddy Kyle in 2007 and things have pretty much taken off at warp speed since then. Cremo offers products for both men and women now. They didn’t stop at shave cream either, in fact they have face washes and moisturizers for both guys and gals.
Pros and Cons:
Right away, I was a bit suspicious – the product’s tagline is “Try it Once to believe it. Enjoy it for life. It’s really that good,” which sounds like the kind of thing I’d say if I just wanted to sell anything to anybody. Also, a little pushy, don’t you think? I mean, I’ll decide for myself if it’s that good, thank you very much. However, as soon as I put it on, I realized that their boldness was warranted – it really is that good.
One really nice thing is that, because it’s so concentrated, you really only use a little bit at a time. Isn’t that sweet? A product that wants you to hang on to it without having to buy more. I can’t really fault them for that. About a quarter-sized dollop was enough for my freshly stubbled face, after I added enough water to spread out the mixture to my liking. It didn’t take much, but I found the cream itself took really well to the water itself, leading up to a nice, rich lather.
When it came time to actually shaving my face, I also found that the shave was actually pretty dang smooth. I could feel the astringent properties of the Cremo shave cream working my face, standing up my stubble and closing pores to make my skin feel smoother. Actually running my razor past it was a breeze, and I could usually get the vast majority of the material off in one fell swoop.
The only think I can imagine could be a problem is the actual washing off of the cream; for me at least, I had a heck of a time actually getting this stuff off my face. It just sticks to you that well; you’ll find yourself using a lot of water, and even then you’ll find little sticky bits on your face and neck up to a few hours later. It’s no huge deal, but it’s just annoying enough to mention. It doesn’t take away from the sheer heaven that is the actual shave, though, so be sure to keep that in mind.
Another thing I really like about Cremo, though, is the price – because it’s all so concentrated, you actually get a lot more cream for the money, since it’s comparably priced to other kinds of shaving creams. This way, you can keep yourself from going broke while still getting a good shave.
Who Uses Cremo Shave Cream?
As a shaving soap guy, I really was jazzed about Cremo shave cream. I think the people who could benefit from it most are guys like me who aren’t super into really foamy, airy, industrial-feeling shaving creams. If you don’t want to feel like you’re just rubbing meringue on your face, I highly recommend checking out Cremo. It’s a really good investment, particularly for the price, and there’s a gentle strength in the gummy, creamy concentration of essential oils and other natural ingredients that you’ll find in it.
I think people who want to save on their shaving expenses would really like it too; like we said before, it costs just about as much as some other big shaving creams, but gives you a whole lot more uses than normal. Just be sure to put an almond’s or quarter’s worth of cream on your fingers, and you’re good to go.
I’m not even sure whether to register this as a complaint, but I would say that one thing you may miss if you use Cremo shave cream is the whole wet shaving experience. For me, I find a lot of personal satisfaction in doing the ritual of the pre-shave, the whole business with putting your lather in your shaving scuttle, swirling it around with your shaving brush, and applying it laboriously to your face. Granted, it’s time-consuming, so the Cremo can save you time, but if you want things to feel more authentic, this product takes away from that somewhat.
Some Last Words Before Your Purchase:
All things considered, I’m really quite pleased by Cremo. It gives you a good lather for a nice, close shave, and it’s a wonderfully cost-effective measure for those people who don’t want to break the bank buying all the bits and bobs needed for the full shaving experience. It also comes in a nice, travel sized container that makes it great for shaving on the road (not literally while driving, though, DON’T DO THAT), and the packaging is attractive enough for something that isn’t trying to emulate old-school hockey-puck shaving accessory aesthetics.
If you’re already a shaving cream guy, Cremo might not change your mind but for the innovative air-free composition; however, if you’re usually into shaving soaps like me, this one might turn your head in surprise. Despite the rather uncreative name (“cream-o”? Like the Magneto of shaving creams?), this one’s well worth a look.