Waterless Shave Gel: Bold For Men

When TheShavingEdge.com store launched, Bold For Men Dry Shave™ Gel was the first product that we started carrying and it was the first item that we sold.  So, the Bold For Men product is a little special to me. 

Instagram Photo we took and posted a few years ago

I used to experience terrible irritation and razor rash when shave my head.  So, I started looking for products to try.  Here in North Eastern PA, there weren’t a lot of shops that carried an assortment of shaving products so I began to scour the internet.  (Side note: this has changed a little bit since then.  Some of the mass merchant retailers have expanded their breadth of wet shaving products.  Some barber shops and small vendors have also sprouted up that offer a selection of premium shaving and grooming supplies).  I eventually found my way to Bold For Men waterless shave gel.  Having used and become unhappy with the sloppy, canned goop from the dollar store I was really intrigued by a product that stated “No water. No Foam. No Mess.”  

Bold For Men Dry Shave "No Water. No Foam. No Mess"

Bold For Men Dry Shave™ Gel was released in December 2006 and was designed to act as a pre-shave, shave gel, and aftershave all in one product that does not require water for use.  I found it to be relatively light and it washes off the razor fairly easily. I can’t really pinpoint what it smells like (perhaps herbal cinnamon might best describe it), but it’s a scent that I personally like.  It's not a heavy scent and I found that it doesn't linger even after using it as a aftershave.

A pre-shave conditioner I thought it was adequate.  I would consider the stubble on my head to be pretty coarse.  So, using the product as a pre-shave treatment on dry skin wasn’t too effective for softening my stubble.  A hot shower is still the method works best to soften my stubble before a shave.  I’ve found that applying as a preshave after my shower was a bit more effective.

Product was a transparent blue green gel. 

Unfortunately for the shave brush fan, this is not a product that would lather with a brush.  It’s a gel. So this is a product that I applied with my fingers.  Using it the gel without water, I found the glide to be fair.  I’m not sure if it’s my skin chemistry or what, but as the gel would air dry on my head and I found it to become slightly tacky.  Adding a little water or some more gel seemed to reactivate it.  With a little water, the slickness was decent and reminded me of other shave gels in a tube that I’ve tried.  

Personally, when using the product purely waterless, my head (and/or face) didn’t feel fresh and clean.  After a few uses, I felt compelled to wash any residual or excess of before applying any kind of post shave.  Aftershave-wise I fancy myself more of a splash rather than a balm person.  As a post shave treatment, the Bold For Men waterless shave gel did not give me this bracing sting that I enjoy with my splashes.  As a post shave, I found it to be similar to that of aloe vera gel rather than a mentholated balm or bracing splash. 

What are your thoughts on Bold For Men?

As with anything wet shaving (er … I guess waterless shaving in this case) Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV).  What works well for some, may not be ideal for others.    I like Bold For Men Dry Shave™ Gel for shaving my head and as I mentioned previously, it is a product that is kind of special to me.  However, I personally can’t go completely waterless when shaving.  

Have you tried Bold For Men Dry Shave™ Gel?  Leave a comment below and let us know what you think.