Popeye Shave Collection - A Closer Look

One day, Scott Saltzman, current proprietor of Razor MD, was helping out in the basement of his grandfather’s pharmacy and stumbled upon a handwritten notebook that dated back to the early 1930’s containing recipes for shaving products.

Intrigued with the backstory of the found recipes of his grandfather and great grandfather, Scott and his father began work on recreating the pre-shave oil, shave cream, and post shave lotion … and the Razor MD Rx Shave collection, an all-natural, American made line of hand-crafted shave products, was reborn.

 The Razor MD Rx Collection

Their Popeye Shave Collection was released March 2013.   Included in this special edition collection is a tin with vintage styled Popeye artwork that contains  a 2oz preshave oil, 8 oz shave cream,  and 4 oz post shave lotion in what they’re calling “sailorwood” (sandalwood) scent.  Overall I find the Razor MD sailorwood/sandalwood scent to be very nice, light and not overpowering.    

Popeye Shave Collection with Vintage Styled Tin

We’ve tried out the Popeye shaving products and wanted to take a closer look at the items that make up the set:

The Pre-Shave Oil

Popeye "Sailorwood" scented Pre-Shave Oil

There seems to be some debate on the benefit of preshave oil. Some argue that it clogs the pores. Others say it a pre-shave oil lubricates and protects the skin before a shave.  

I can see both sides. There have been products that others swear by that just don’t work for my skin.  For me, I haven’t noticed my skin breaking out because of a pre-shave oil so I tend to use one off and on; especially in the winter when the heat turned up and dries out my skin.

The Razor MD Bottle is relatively small.   Personally, I think it’s a good travel size.  A small, pea-sized, amount seemed to work for my face. I used a little more for my head (about double what I use for the face)


The Shave Cream

Popeye Shave Cream

This is a brushless shave cream and is applied with the fingers. Not the product of choice for those who prefer lathering with a shave brush.  We’ve tried on a number of occasions, but it doesn’t work with a brush.

The Popeye Shave Cream is probably better suited for those who want to transition over from an aerosol shave cream or for those who shave in the shower.  

There was a post on the Sharpologist blog where they pointed out that the chemical mixture used to dispense the cream from the can tend to dry out the skin.  So, if preferring to steer clear of some of those chemicals and wanting to move to a brushless shave cream, consider the Razor MD shave cream as an option.
 

Popeye Shave Cream applied to head.

Personally, I thought it had a decent slickness to it. It reminded me of some other brushless creams I’ve tried, like the Every Man Jack Shave Cream, Joe Grooming Shave, Burts Bees Shave Cream, or even Billy Jealousy Whipped Cream.  

I don’t have a thick beard, so application wise I needed about an almond sized dollop to cover the face.  I needed a little more to cover my head.

The Post Shave Lotion

Popeye Post Shave Lotion

Two of the ingredients listed on the Post Shave are Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice and Lavandula Officinalis (Lavender Oil).  I first discovered the benefits of those ingredients watching a behind the scenes clip from the movie The 40-Year Old Virgin where after filming the infamous waxing scene, they used a lavender and aloe mixture to soothe the skin.  They mention it round the 3:00 minute mark in the clip below. Note: Clip below is NSFW - Strong Language Used

Granted, The 40-Year Old Virgin probably isn’t the greatest source of information for treating irritated skin. But it did prompt me to consider the benefits of Aloe and Lavender for razor burn and irritated skin.  According to the the article titled Lavender Oil for Burns from the Livestrong website, Lavender is said to “… have local analgesic and anesthetic effects.” Also from the Livestrong site, the article titled Aloe Vera & Skin Benefits, Aloe vera is said to have “anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties”

Dispensing Post Shave Lotion

I’ve been using the Razor MD Natural Unscented Post Shave Lotion for a while.  While the scent is different, the feel and consistency of the Popeye Post Shave Lotion is similar.  It has what I would probably describe as a “calming feel” and does not have that “sting” of a balm or splash. I typically use this post shave lotion after applying a splash or if my skin has been irritated.  I’ve even used it on my nose when have a cold and my skin has been irritated from the tissues.

During this particular shave session, I decided to use the Fine Accoutrements Platinum after shave splash.  After a about 10 or 15 minutes, I then applied the Popeye Post Shave Lotion. I felt that light sandalwood scent of the Post Shave Lotion complemented the Fine Platinum scent that lingered.

The session's shave tools of choice

If you’re thinking of switching the canned aerosol shave cream for a sandalwood scented shave set, consider the Popeye Shave Collection by Razor MD.  If sandalwood isn’t the preferred scent choice, then check out the Pre-Shave Oils, Shave Creams, and Post Shave Lotions by Razor MD in their Natural Unscented and Herbal Blend aromas.

Have you used any Razor MD products?  Please leave a comment below and let us know what you think.