I squeezed out an almond-sized amount of Boticario de Havana Shave Créme, spread it over my stubble, wet the Copper Hat silvertip, and brushed in eager anticipation. The formula’s inclusion of orange peel, vitamin E, coffee, and pineapple extract sounded intriguing.
Nothing happened. Nothing except that I brushed off all the créme that I had applied. Very disconcerting. Exhibiting a certain amount of denial, I tried the same thing again, hoping for a different outcome. Nope. Nothing. Hmm.
I switched to Nancy Boy Signature shaving cream, and immediately got a fine lather. Three passes with the iKon open-comb and my face was as smooth as can be. A splash of Alt-Innsbruck to finish, and then to the computer to check out the créme.
Aha: the instructions are:
For best results: Men should apply small amount under favorite shaving foam, shaving first in the direction of the grain of hair then repeating against the grain. [The two-pass shave; I prefer a three-pass shave. – LG]
It’s a pre-shave cream along the lines of other pre-shave creams like Proraso Pre- and Post-Shave Cream, Crema 3P, PREP Classic Cream, and others: rub into stubble, apply lather over it, and shave. Its ingredients:
Purified Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Jojoba Esters (Buxus Esters), Dimethicone, Wheat Milk (Triticum vulgare Germ Oil), Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Potassium Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Stearic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides (Cocos Nucifera Esters), Glycerin, Orange Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-40-Stearate, Pineapple Extract, Coffee Extract, Carbomer 940, Essential Oil Fragrance Blend (Parfum), Trolamine, Vitamin E, Phenoxyethanol.
It may work well as a pre-shave cream, and I’ll give it a try. An interesting bit from the link:
Crème contains orange oil, wheat protein, coffee & pineapple extracts and Vitamin E – ingredients rich in alpha hydroxy acids known to reduce the appearance of razor burn. [Emphasis added. LG]
I like the modesty of the statement: you may still get razor burn, but at least people won’t see it.
Live and learn: my motto.
Filed under: Shaving
