Post-Shave Product Reviews

I’ve been using the same to post-shave products for as long as I can remember. When I heard that Craig the Barber hooked up with Lab Series at Macy’s in San Francisco, I decided to stop in. As a reader of his blog I was was excited to see the man himself and ask a professional some shaving questions. While I was there, I decided to pick up a new post-shave product and give it a try.

Below are my reviews of the three products I’ve been using. As for meeting Craig, he’s a professional guy who knows his stuff. It was a busy day for him at Macy’s, but he graciously shared his time answering my questions and gave some great shaving tips (which I’ll share later).

What do you look for in a post-shave healer? Have a favorite product? Leave a comment and let us know!

Clinique’s Post Shave Healer

I’ve used Clinique’s Post Shave Healer for years. According to Clinique, their post shave healer contains aloe to help calm razor burn and relieve dryness; encourages healing of minor nicks and cuts and is for all skin types.

I like the way it feels on my face – it’s refreshing and soothing. My skin absorbs the product easily, and I rarely suffered from razor bur. I did have a small problem with the texture – it’s too runny, almost like water. If I wasn’t careful I ended up with a handful of lotion. Scent – very subtle, and disappears quickly after the product is applied. Cost is $18.00 for 2.5 ounces.

Kiehl’s “The Ultimate Men’s After-Shave Balm and Moisturizer”

A friend of mine bought some Kiehl’s After Shave Balm” a few months ago. Seeing as I hadn’t used anything but Clinique for years, I decided to give it a try. Kiehl’s states their product contains Allantoin, Avocado Oil, Cocoa Butter and Vitamin E to soothe and moisturize after shaving.

Kiehl’s has done a decent job of comforting my skin. I haven’t suffered from redness or razor burn, and the product itself did not irritate my skin. Consistency – whereas Clinique’s product is extremely runny, Keihl’s is very thick. Kiehl’s describes their balm as a “rich cream”. For me, the stuff goes on too thick and because of bottle design, it’s a little difficult to get the right amount of product onto my hands. I always end up with extra that goes to waste. Also, due to the thickness of the lotion, I feel that the product is not easliy absorbed. I need to look in the mirror to make sure I don’t have white lotion on my face. Scent – nothing much to say here. It smells mildly like “lotion”, but it’s not offensive.

Another positive note, Kiehl’s is the least expensive of the three products reviewed at $18.00 for 4.2 ounces.

Lab Series 3-in-1 Post-Shave

Lab Series is $18.45 for 1.7 ounces. Lab Series describes their product as a triple action gel formula that treats in-grown hairs, soothes and prevents razor bumps and refines beard over time for less frequent shaves and helps delay five o’clock shadow. Lab Series also says to use their product twice a day for maximum effect – once after shaving and in the evening – which means going through the product twice as quickly. Still, I was eager to see if the product was worth it. I don’t like to shave every day, so anything that boasts less frequent shaving gets my attention.

The consistency hits the right note. It’s a light, almost clear, gel; a little dab goes a long way and you don’t end up with half the bottle oozing out at once. The Lab Series gel was quickly absorbed and, as with Clinique, I didn’t need to worry that I had lotion on my face. Most importantly, my skin felt smooth. Even my wife commented on how smooth my skin was this morning. Scent – subtle but pleasing, and in my opinion, masculine.

Is Lab Series worth the premium and will it perform in the long run? I’m willing to find out, and I’ll keep you posted.

A quick word about the product reviews: I personally purchased and used all of the above products however, links in these reviews are affiliate links.