If you have been wet shaving for any amount of time most likely you have heard of Proraso. In this Proraso Shaving Cream Review, you can learn more about each kind to try to find the best one for you!
This Italian based company is the maker of fine shaving products like creams, soaps and after shave balms.
They offer four different varietals in their lineup each with its own soap, cream and after shave.
Proraso was founded in 1908 and is rich with company history. The company has been operated by the original family for three generations.
By 1948 they were experimenting with different formulas in their labs to try and create better products that were soon adopted by traditional barbers.
Over the years, the way their products looked and packaged have changed but it’s what’s inside that really counts.
Their product formulas are steadily improved over time with natural and trusted ingredients.
Piero & Ludovico Martelli’ goal for the company is:
to create professional, quality products that deliver a pleasurable and impeccable shave, in the barbershop and at home.”
Any of the Proraso shaving soaps or creams are best used with a shaving brush, a bowl can also be used but is not necessary.
The cream can also be applied with your hands but you will not be able to create a rich lather.
The soaps come in their own bowl that is deep enough to allow you to create the lather straight in the packaging or you can simply load your brush with soap and whip your lather in a separate bowl or mug.
Before you start, remember to soak your brush in warm water in preparation for your shave.
With the cream simply add an almond-sized amount on your brush and begin to lather straight on your face or in your bowl for about a minute or so.
You should be able to create a thick, rich lather that would be more than enough for 2-3 passes if you like to get a BBS.
As we mentioned earlier there are several different varieties each with four different products.
The base products will all be similar however, they each have unique scents and a few different ingredients to have separate effects on your skin.
This actually goes under your shaving cream or soap to provide even more lubrication for your shave.
Many guys really feel this pre-shave helps reduce irritation and razor bumps since it helps prevent the razor from pulling or tugging on your beard hairs.
You can just massage this into your face and allow it to absorb for a minute or two and then continue as you would with a regular shave and apply your favorite cream or soap.
Just don’t rinse it off! It is meant to go under your shaving cream.
A little bit of this goes a long way, as you should only need a few drops to cover your face. One guy even stated that is stays on after three passes so one jar should last you many shaves.
Some customers may have received a damaged product or preferred the other scents but that is typical with anything you buy online.
The red Proraso shaving cream comes in a 5.2 oz. tube and is highly rated on Amazon with over 800 reviews.
The red version is geared towards moisturizing and softening your skin and beard hair.
This version is packed with emollients which help make your skin softer and more pliable.
Why is this a good thing? When you skin is more pliable the razor can cut closer helping to reduce the number of passes required to get a smooth shave.
Taking a hot shower right before you shave can also help your skin become more pliable as it will absorb moisture from the shower.
The red Proraso also has shea butter and sandalwood oil to moisturize and calm/sooth the skin.
This variety may be good for you if you have thick or coarse facial hair.
This cream will create a nice thick, creamy lather that adds a nice layer of protection between your blade and your skin.
If you have tried other popular creams but not yet treated yourself to a Proraso variety it would be worth a shot.
Most of the complaints are simply guys who didn’t like the scent or just happen to prefer other creams over this one.
Just like the red cream the red shaving soap from Proraso is meant for those of you with thicker and coarser beards.
Proraso soaps are considered soft soaps so you can probably get away with using badger brush instead of a stiffer boar bristle brush.
As you use the soap you may be able to lather straight in the bowl it comes in but when it is full you will need to load your brush and then whip your lather in a separate mug.
After you load your brush just a few additional drops of water and you will be on your way to a rich, creamy lather just like the shaving cream.
This lather is known to be slick which will help your safety razor or straight razor glide effortlessly when shaving.
The red soap comes highly rated on Amazon with over 700 reviews and many guys who have tried many other expensive soaps and then came back to this one.
Again, most of the negative reviews are about the scent or from guys who this soap just didn’t work for.
Everyone’s beard and skin are different so you can’t please everyone.
If you are looking for a nice ending to your shaving routine the Moisturizing & Nourishing Proraso aftershave lotion could be a nice touch.
Like most aftershave lotions, this is meant to calm and sooth your skin but it is still fortified with sandalwood oil and shea butter to keep your skin feeling soft.
Simply massage this into your skin after you have rinsed off from a shave to complete your morning shave ritual.
Just like their other products the ingredients are very natural in origin.
This won’t smell like a cheap perfume from your local supermarket but the scent also won’t be overpowering.
If you decide to use the after-shave lotion the scent may stick with you longer than just using the soap or cream.
Some guys even wear it as a cologne even if they haven’t shaved that day.
However, it will immediately cool off any hot spots that you may have nicked yourself or irritated during shaving.
As you can probably guess, the men who didn’t prefer this aftershave lotion mainly didn’t like it due to the scent.
Good thing they offer other scents!
The green line of Proraso is probably the most popular variety of their shaving accessories, Refreshing & Toning includes Eucalyptus and menthol to tone and invigorate your skin.
With over 1,000 reviews on Amazon and a 4.6 star rating this pre-shave cream definitely has some fans out there.
This Proraso’s classic formula that has been around since 1948, it has been tested and widely accepted over the years.
Guys love this product for the extra comfort they get during shaving. It doesn’t feel like other pre-shave oils but you will notice the extra slickness under your shaving cream.
It really helps eliminate any tugging, scraping, pulling and nicks you might get from your razor.
Many guys mention you notice the most effect when it is gone. As in if you stop using it you will have a noticeably worse shave.
It may seem expensive at first since it is a fairly small jar but you really don’t need much and it should last longer than you think.
Some guys have made this spread for almost a year when only shaving a couple times a week.
Just like the pre-shave cream the actual shaving cream for Proraso green is loaded with eucalyptus for toning and purifying and menthol which cools and wakes you up in the morning.
They always recommend using a shaving brush to get the best lather but you can also use your hands to apply this shaving cream if you are in a hurry.
Using your hands may also be a good idea if you like shaving in the shower.
Some guys even find it is more cost effective to use your hands since you don’t use as much product. If you just rub a pea sized amount in your hands with water for 15-20 seconds before applying it to your face it will turn into a nice slick paste.
It won’t be a thick lather like you would get with a brush but it will provide protection for your shave.
One guy uses this technique to get six months out of one tube shaving every day.
Some of the reviews seem like they may be from guys who were expecting a foamy cream to squire out of this tube and not have to work up a lather.
Others of course, didn’t like the smell which seems to be the most common complaint with all of these products. However, this is one of the most popular creams in this Proraso shaving cream review.
With over 2,300 reviews on Amazon and a 4.6-star rating, the green shaving soap from Proraso seems to be the most popular of all of their shaving products.
The soap offers a more denser lather than the shaving cream with the same great scent.
They use a hot soap process where they create this product in small batches that are cured for 10 days. This let’s more moisture evaporate leaving a richer soap behind.
This is a great soap for beginners, it is easy to use, smells great (if you like mint), comes off the razor easily and should last a good amount of time until you need to buy more or want to try a different soap.
Some guys get well over six months of use out of this jar.
However, a few mentioned that the lid doesn’t seal well so make sure you put it on tight to prevent the soap from drying out.
Of course, you will need a brush if you decide to go this route but you can easily lather this straight on your face so you don’t need to buy an additional mug if you don’t want to.
Some of the complaints talked about the lather, keep in mind this soap is thirsty and may require more water than other shaving soaps to get the desired consistency in your lather.
The Refreshing & Toning after shave is another great product to compliment your shaving procedure.
You will be happy to know it has no parabens, silicones, mineral oil, SLS, artificial colors or animal products.
That covers a lot of concerns out there.
This is alcohol based so it may sting a little at first if you had any nicks or weepers, however the cooling affect after will be well worth it.
If you have sensitive skin and issues with alcohol before you may want to stay away from this particular after shave.
As for the scent, of course the guys who gave high ratings liked it and the bad reviews were from men who didn’t care for the smell.
However, there are several mentions that the smell doesn’t stick with you all day so that is something to consider.
Another thing to be clear on, all of Proraso’s after shave products say lotion but it is an alcohol based liquid. Maybe the word lotion sells better from a marketing perspective.
So, depending on your nose, you may or may not prefer this aftershave.
The Proraso white line of products is geared towards those of you with sensitive skin with ingredients like oatmeal and green tea extracts.
These are said to have soothing, moisturizing and antioxidant properties.
It is lightly scented with lime and apple but still seems to work well for guys who have sensitive skin.
Of course, everyone’s skin is different so be sure to check out the ingredients to see if there are any that you don’t agree with.
In fact, most of the complaints are from people who experienced some burning from this product, it does contain alcohol which could be the culprit.
The Proraso pre-shave cream may work better than other pre-shave oils because it is a cream instead of an oil.
Oils can clog up your razor as you shave causing you to have to rinse it more frequently.
The other cool thing is that you can use the pre-shave cream as an after-shave balm if you still suffer from irritation.
It will absorb into your skin like a lotion and not leave you feeling greasy all day.
The Sensitive Skin Proraso shaving cream is the least popular of the three but still comes highly rated at 4.6-stars but only about 100 reviews.
If you don’t have great technique it might be worth trying this sensitive version to help offset your bad form.
Sometimes you may press down to hard or perform one too many passes which causes redness or irritation.
The ingredients in this version of Proraso should help reduce some of that redness.
Some mention how hydrating this products leaves their skin feeling that they almost don’t need to use any of the after-shave lotions.
You may or may not notice much of a difference between the soaps and creams besides just how you load your brush in terms of the performance of these Proraso products.
However, the soap may inherently last longer since your brush will only pick up so much soap while you are loading it and you have the ability to over-squeeze your tube of cream.
This cream really didn’t have many complaints. Some say it dries fast and some other complaints about the lather but seems they might not have used the additional water.
Just like the rest of the white labeled Proraso products, the soap ingredients include oatmeal and green tea extracts.
The oatmeal has a softening and soothing effect for your skin.
The green tea is rich with antioxidants and minerals to help keep your skin feeling healthy.
This shaving soap could be a great addition to your morning shave or a great gift for someone that is not a fan of shaving, this may change their experience for the positive.
Many guys who don’t suffer from sensitive skin related issues still enjoy this shaving soap, but it should also help reduce razor bumps from your shave.
There are even a few ladies with sensitive skin using this soap on their legs!
Most of the complaints are from guys who prefer other varieties of Proraso or this product irritated their skin.
I guess if you label a product for sensitive skin be ready for complaints from everyone who it irritates.
Of course, everyone is different so this should be OK for the masses.
Last but not least we have the Sensitive Skin version of the Proraso after shave.
This gives you the soothing effects of a restoring balm but the moisturizing properties of a cream.
Some after shave lotions can clog pores and cause acne however, this is very light and should not give you those issues.
The anti-inflammatory properties in the green tea will help to reduce your razor burn shortly after using this product.
You can find cheaper after shaves out there but this is a quality product and you generally get what you pay for.
This is said to be very soothing and moistening by several reviewers on Amazon.
With not many complaints, they mainly dislike the smell as usual.
This variety is different from the other after shaves as it is a liquid cream vs. the alcohol based astringent so make sure you have the right expectations before buying.
Amazon usually has the cheapest prices and is one of the safest place to shop online. You can easily and quickly compare any and all of these products.
They also just recently dropped their free shipping threshold to $25 which you could with two of these products.
Be sure to check the current price as sometimes they go on sale or offer discounts.
When considering a quality shaving cream, soap or after shave from Proraso it seems like the biggest factor that will come into play in regards to your preference is the scent.
They should also produce thick, creamy lathers and help give you a better shave by reducing irritation.
Just try to think about what scents you prefer before choosing one after reading this Proraso shaving cream review.
The scent also won’t stick with you all day so unless you are really sensitive to certain smells this won’t be a huge issue.
During the summer, shaving becomes an important part of everyone's shower routine. However, if not…
You may think you smell good, but are you sure you smell desirable? The problem…
It can be very frustrating when you are on a trip and you fruitlessly search…
Whether you are treating yourself or a loved one, you will be sure to love…
With Father’s Day fast approaching we wanted to take a few minutes to help our…
No luck growing out that luxurious beard? Did you know that you can actually use…
This website uses cookies.