• SumoMe

Crown Shaving Co. Pre-ShaveThis is a tough one. The Crown Shaving Co. Supreme Glide pre-shave formula is one of the few pre-shave treatments I’ve used. That’s true partially because I am rarely sent these, and partially because I’ve never fully understood the point of pre-shave formulas in general. You may remember the name Crown Shaving Co. from their really great shave cream, which is still one of the best I’ve come across. The fact that their shave cream is so great makes this review of their pre-shave formula even tougher.

This pre-shave formula comes out of a pump, and is a clear non-greasy product made with natural ingredients like aloe juice, orange extract, and cranberry extract. You’re not going to ruin a potentially good shave with some strange chemical products. It’s clear, and is somewhere between an oil and a gel. You spread this bad boy on the areas where you’re about to shave, and I usually let it sit a few minutes to work. Then, you apply the cream/oil or whatever you’re going to shave with over the top of the pre-shave formula. Lastly, proceed to shave normally.

Here’s where this gets tough. I used the Crown Shaving Co. Supreme Glide with other shaving creams, and the result wasn’t that great. It left my skin feeling really weird and resulted in some slight redness. I don’t know if this was because of a bad chemical mixture or what. On my future uses, I used the formula with their shave cream, and it worked like a dream. No irritation, no redness, nothing. It was a really smooth shave. Therefore, if you’re going to use this pre-shave formula, I strongly suggest you pair it with the Crown Shaving Co. shave cream, or tread carefully on pairing it with other products.

However, that said, their shave cream alone will give you a superior shave. In fact, it was really hard to tell a difference between the times I shaved with their shave cream alone, and the times I paired their shave cream with their pre-shave formula. Their shave cream alone is so powerful that I can’t really justify the need to drop the extra dough on the pre-shave formula. If you are part of a luxury shaving company or barbershop (like the one that Crown Shaving Co. runs), then I can totally see the benefit–the pre-shave formula is definitely more relaxing and will give you more of that barbershop experience. However, if you’re just another guy out there looking for a great shave, you can probably stick with the Crown Shaving Co. shave cream alone and have a grand old time.

I’m not saying the Crown Shaving Co. Supreme Glide doesn’t have a purpose–it will definitely make your skin feel great–but I think Crown Shaving Co. shot themselves in the foot by making a shave cream that’s too good by itself, because all you really need to pair it with is water. Pick up some Supreme Glide if you’re a luxury-type, or stick with their shave cream alone if you’re on a budget.

What do you think of the Crown Shaving Co. Supreme Glide? Discuss it in the comments below.