Stephan® Stay Smooth Conditioning Shave Cream [16 oz.]

I'd been using Cremo shave cream for a number of years and thought it was pretty good. I guess I just got bored with it and started looking around for something new and, happily, I found something old instead. Stephan Stay Smooth is, in my opinion, far superior. The mild fragrance ( to me a pleasant mix of coconut and pineapple) is highly reminiscent of the barbershops I remember from the 50's and 60's. The product is inexpensive given the amount you get and a little really goes a very long way. The directions say to rub it into the skin and not rinse it off when done shaving. This works well for me and leaves my skin feeling great; soft with no irritation whatsoever. I use a slant bar double edge razor and the result is the closest, smoothest home shave I've ever had. I've found that a very light finishing pass, just barely skimming the skin works really well. A straight (cut throat) razor might get a bit closer (maybe) but I haven't ever had enough courage to try. The only slight negative I've found is that if you use too much cream or make too many passes without rinsing, your razor can get a little clogged. This is a minor issue for me...I just rinse a bit more frequently. All in all, I highly recommend this product.

This product was recommended by barbers who train other students. I found it to be an excellent product. I like to wet shave with a double edge razor, which gives me a really close shave. It is much like a straight razor shave for closeness that you would get from a barber shop shave. I like to use Stephens as a pre-shave. I wash my face first with soap made of goats milk, then while the face is wet, apply Stephens. Then I apply a shaving cream with a mug and brush and build up a good lather. I go with the growth of my beard and take my time. It is an enjoyable experience. I have sensitive skin and can get burn real easy so finding something that makes my skin comfortable is important. Stephens is also great as an after shave application. It is really good for the skin as it has oils and ingredients that make the skin smooth and soft. Made in the U.S.A. as well.

A brushless shave that actually is fine with a brush, you just don't lather up like traditional soaps. I use a plissoft synthetic to apply a thinner coat to my wet face and shave two passes with one application. I've used single edge and a cartridge- either works fine. Just don't press too hard and then rinse off. It makes for a smooth shave without the long prep of lathering soaps and leaves your skin feeling pretty good. Good traditional aroma too.

Some creams do not lather. This is one of them. It smells like coconut. It lingers and will not go away until you wash it off with soap and water. The shave is OK but nothing to write home about. I would not choose to use or buy it again.

Perfect shave for a bald man. Totally clean unlike some of the Chinese junk that I’ve purchased here. I did a comp with my Jagger razor and it’s not even close. Made in USA won. I highly recommend!

I list the pros and cons below. But first an intro of sorts. Some review complain that the cream doesn't foam. I don't know if they are used to the cheap canned foams or if they wet shave (brush & soap or lathering cream). Brushless creams do not foam. They aren't designed to that. This is true for this product, Pinaud's brushless, or any of the other "brushless" creams. (As an aside, the cans (Gillette, etc) are under pressure, which causes the foaming effect. Basically, you're shaving with mostly air.) Brushless creams like Stephan, Pinaud Clubman, Jack Black, etc are more like a lotion. When applying, there should be a thin layer of cream; almost like a film. I used to use a brush and quality cream (Truefitt Hill, Taylor of Old Bond) but if I was in a hurry, I'd use Pinaud Clubman brushless. However, I wear a beard now and only shave my throat. It's not worth it to me to take the time. I was using Pinaud's but decided to try this. I use an old school safety razor (more on this below. The only other brushless I've used is Pinauds, which is my base for comparison. With those caveats here are my thoughts (YMMV): P:ros: (1) Closeness: The tub claims "the world's closest shave." The shave is close, but not what you get from a brush. It does give me a slightly closer shave than Pinauds. (2) Comfort: I find the comfort to be excellent. Also, this cream acts as an excellent aftershave lotion. It's worth buying for this reason alone. So far, I have had only 1 nick which was user error. Stephan is much more comfortable than Pinauds and on par with the lather creams I've used. (3) Ease of use: Just apply a small amount and rub into the skin. Saves the time and effort of lathering with a brush. (4) Value: At 89c/oz it's an excellent value. Cons: (1) Dryness: The product feels very dry when it goes on, which may put off old-school wet shavers. It took me a few days get used to the dryness; however, it does not affect the comfort of the shave. Personally, I don't consider this a "con" per se, but I'd prefer it to feel a bit wetter. (2) THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. The instructions state to use a "liberal amount;" however, as others have noted, the cream clogs the razor AND does not easily rinse off. – Initially I used an Edwin Jagger fixed blade which provides a mild shave. Every stroke seemed to clog the razor. I spent more time trying to rinse out my razor than I did shaving. For some, this may not be a big deal, but for me it's a deal breaker. I almost gave this product 1 star base on this issue alone. Since I liked the comfort and closeness, I experimented and managed to solve the problem. (a) First, I used less product. Brushless creams should not need "liberal amounts" because the razor glides across the skin. I found that rubbing a tiny dab into my skin mitigated the amount of clog. However, the lotion still clogged the razor enough to affect my shave and was still hard to rinse out. (b) Next, I switched to my Mercur Progress adjustable razor on setting 2, which provides a more aggressive shave. Much less clogging. (c) Finally, rinsing the razor in the sink instead of holding it under running water helped rinse out the razor. I no longer have the clogging problem when using the Mercur. However, I can't comment on modern razors. My Edwin Jagger still has the clogging problem. A final note on clogging. The cream and hairs build up in the space between the blade and razor. They then work their way into the razor which you'll notice when you change the blade. FINAL THOUGHTS: Initially, I would have rated it 1 star solely on the clogging issue (although I would have suggested purchasing solely as an aftershave). I am glad that I waited. Having solved the clogging issue, I can rate it 4.8. I still can't rate 5 stars because I don't know how the product would perform if I shaved my entire face. Nevertheless when it comes to closeness and comfort, my throat was always the hardest to shave, an Stephan performs as near to a brush that for me, the difference is so small as to be meaningless.

Great product, I have used this for several years now...

My hypothesis is that the packaging for this product could be better mailed in a box. The paper packaging doesn't protect the contents from shipping because of the weight and the lid of the product, therefore it could spill inside. Maybe it's shipping price issues, or the art of saving money? It's business. It's not a bad product, it's actually really good. It's very feasible for people who have sensitive skin because most blades are not equal in quality, and each handle is different. Thus, this product can help levigate that issue. It smells good, and your skin will suck it up after shaving, your skin will feel fine, no worries