Later On

Kyle Schroeder of Cremo Shave Cream sent me two complimentary tubes of his shaving cream, and I used one this morning, a very nice fruit fragrance. Although it’s a brushless cream, it did produce a very nice lather with the brush, and the brush held plenty of lather for the three passes. The Gillette Executive holding a Swedish Gillette blade seemed to like the shaving cream: it gave me an extremely smooth shave with no trouble at all. This is a perfectly fine shaving cream for a traditional shaver.

A splash of New York, and I went to see my personal trainer.

From the FAQ at the link, here are the ingredients:

What are the ingredients in Cremo Cream?

Please note that all Cremo Cream made after March 2009 is now paraben free.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Polyether-1, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Xylitol, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit and Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Linalool, Limonene, Perfluoromethylcyclopentane, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Titanium Dioxide, Citric Acid, Fragrance (Parfum)

1. Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is derived from Coconut Oil, its highly lubricating so that the blade glides over your skin, thus less nicks cuts and irritation
2. Stearic Acid is a naturally occurring fatty acid that acts as a surfactant, which increases surface tension.  Similar to Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate it allows the blade to glide over the skin–not bite into it.
3. Glycol Distearate is a derivative of Stearic Acid that acts as a skin conditioner and emollient.
4. Cetearyl Alcohol is a straight chain alcohol that acts as an emulsifier.  In other words, this ingredient stops the formula from separating into its oil and liquid components (like what happens to oil and vinegar in salad dressings).
5. Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil is more commonly known as Macadamia Nut Oil.  A naturally occurring cold pressed oil that is known for its moisturizing, skin conditioning and anti-aging properties.
6. Polyether-1 is an alcohol that acts as a humectant (increases the water content of the top layers of the skin by drawing moisture from the surrounding air) and also increases viscosity.
7. Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride (say that three times fast!) is derived from the pulverized seeds of a Guar tree which is indigenous to India.  It has excellent skin smoothing and softening properties as well as acts as an emulsifier.
8. Allantoin is derived from the comfrey plant and is a widely accepted emollient and skin conditioner.
9. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is derived from the plant commonly know as Aloe Vera which has been used for hundreds of years for its medicinal properties, namely wound-healing and skin inflammation.
10. Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract is also know as the common Marigold flower and has been know for centuries for its anti-inflammatory properties.
11. Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar substitute found in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables.  Xylitol (Finnish ksylitoli) was first derived from Birch trees in Finland in the 20th century and was first popularized in Europe as a safe sweetener for people with diabetes that would not impact insulin levels.  In Cremo Cream xylitol is used as a an emulsifier as well as a skin moisturizer (instead of the commonly used glycerin which can be sticky).
12. Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract is a fancy scientific name for cold pressed lemon oil.  Known for generations in the homeopathic world for its many benefits, namely as a skin conditioner.
13. Carica Papaya Fruit Extract is derived from the fruit of the papaya tree.  Just like what you find in the grocery store or on your trip to Hawaii!  Papaya extract contains the enzyme papain which acts as a strong skin conditioner with great antibacterial and wound healing abilities.
14. Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract is a fancy scientific name for cold pressed olive oil.  Used for thousands of years and even called “liquid gold” by Homer, olive oil is used a skin conditioner, having moisturizing and healing effects.
15. Linalool & Limonene are citrus peel extracts that are used in aromatherapy and help give Cremo Cream its scent.
16. Perfluoromethylcyclopentane is an high-tech skin conditioner that increases moisture levels by promoting skin respiration and hydration.  It is an organic chemical compound made of carbon, fluorine and oxygen.
17. Phenoxyethanol is an organic chemical compound that prevents or retards microbial growth, and thus protects Cremo Cream from spoilage.
18. Ethylhexylglycerin is an organic chemical compound which prevents or retards microbial growth it also acts as a humectant and skin conditioner.
19. Titanium Dioxide is derived from minerals and acts as a colorant.  It is commonly used in sunscreens as it reflects and scatters UV radiation.
20. Citric Acid is an organic acid found in lemon juice.  We use it as a natural preservative as well as for its lemon like fragrance.

Fragrance (Parfum), ours is bergamot or bitter orange.