Since I now know that Botecario de Havana is a pre-shave balm, I thought I should give it a go. To make a long story short: it may work with canned foam, but it is inimical to true lather. Not only does it degrade the lather, it also seems to gum up the brush, presumably due to its oil content (boldfaced 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.
I won’t be using it again. Live and learn. Readers who for some reason use canned foam might give it a try.
My Rod Need brush worked up a great lather from Meißner Tremonia’s Woody Almond, which has a strong bitter almond fragrance. The first pass lather was excellent, but the second pass lather was mediocre, and the third pass lather was almost nonexistent. This is unlike all my previous experience Meißner Tremonia shaving paste, and I blame Botecario de Havana.
That said, I did get a good shave with the Baili BR 171, a very fine razor. And Mickey Lee’s Italian Stallion aftershave milk is absolutely first rate. It’s unfortunately been discontinued, but I treasure my bottle. The fragrance is blissful and the effect on the skin is wonderful.
An educational shave.
Filed under: Shaving
