Do unopened shaving creams expire?

O

Omer

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12
Apologies, I haven't been on here much since signing up a couple of years ago but there is a reason for that. A few years ago I was diagnosed with a health condition (Parkinsons) that prevents me from DE shaving as much as I would like to due to the persistent tremor in my dominant right hand. I've been shaving with my other hand for years now and I think I've mastered it but around the time I signed up on here things started getting difficult.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I started DE shaving about ten years ago and like many of you I now have a small a collection brushes, DE razors, creams, and blades. I was wet shaving every other day but since 2020 I can only manage one or two DE shaves a month. I've got several tubes of Proraso, Arko, TOBS, and Palmolive that I haven't opened yet. I think they'll be fine for a few years but I'm not sure. The problem is that it will take me ages to use them up. I'm currently rotating half a dozen others as it is. I'm loving the Speick cream (the blue tube) and the Proraso white (tub) but I often have to play it safe and use a cartridge/disposable razor.

I've just finished a TOBS Sandalwood tube that I opened years ago and towards the end it definitely didn't lather as well as when I first opened it. So I know once opened they're only at their best for a limited time.

I've got a small cupboard full of DE stuff, most of which I'm happy to give away to be honest. I'm thinking of selling the DE razors but that's for another day.

Any thoughts or advice will be most welcome. It's taken me ages to write all this!
 
Sorry about your troubles and well done for getting the practice in with the left hand.

I am more of a shaving soap person than cream but I have a handful of creams that are more than ten years old and they all seem fine. I imagine some of the more modern ingredients might not last as well.
If it's kept dry, sealed and not subject to extreme cold or heat it should be good enough for decades even if not quite at new performance.
I have some Imperial Leather cream from probably the 50s and some Ever Ready cream which might be older which looks, smells and feels fine but I haven't shaved with it as I wanted to collect it
 
Hi Omer, have you thought about using speech to text? You may find it less laborious to participate in the forum. It's just a thought. (y)

You have made only a couple of posts. I believe, and will most likely be corrected, but after a number of posts you should have access to the BST, (buy, sell and trade) section where you can do what you need there.

I agree with @NotTheStig about soap longevity.

Hope there is something of help here to you.
 
Omer said:
Apologies, I haven't been on here much since signing up a couple of years ago but there is a reason for that. A few years ago I was diagnosed with a health condition (Parkinsons) that prevents me from DE shaving as much as I would like to due to the persistent tremor in my dominant right hand. I've been shaving with my other hand for years now and I think I've mastered it but around the time I signed up on here things started getting difficult.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I started DE shaving about ten years ago and like many of you I now have a small a collection brushes, DE razors, creams, and blades. I was wet shaving every other day but since 2020 I can only manage one or two DE shaves a month. I've got several tubes of Proraso, Arko, TOBS, and Palmolive that I haven't opened yet. I think they'll be fine for a few years but I'm not sure. The problem is that it will take me ages to use them up. I'm currently rotating half a dozen others as it is. I'm loving the Speick cream (the blue tube) and the Proraso white (tub) but I often have to play it safe and use a cartridge/disposable razor.

I've just finished a TOBS Sandalwood tube that I opened years ago and towards the end it definitely didn't lather as well as when I first opened it. So I know once opened they're only at their best for a limited time.

I've got a small cupboard full of DE stuff, most of which I'm happy to give away to be honest. I'm thinking of selling the DE razors but that's for another day.

Any thoughts or advice will be most welcome. It's taken me ages to write all this!
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Sorry to hear of your difficulties. I’ve not got anything to add from the soap point of view.

From the PD point of view there are a few good tips here:

www.michaeljfox.org

5 Tips for Making Personal Hygiene Easier with Parkinson's Disease

If symptoms like tremor and dyskinesia are getting in the way of a bright smile or trim beard, these suggestions from our community can help.
www.michaeljfox.org www.michaeljfox.org

I would also hope you have an occupational therapist with an interest in PD, they are often a fantastic resource for ways to support your wet shaving. They might of course suggest using an electric shaver in the first instance but if they understand that it’s something important to you they will often have a re-think.
 
Omer said:
Apologies, I haven't been on here much since signing up a couple of years ago but there is a reason for that. A few years ago I was diagnosed with a health condition (Parkinsons) that prevents me from DE shaving as much as I would like to due to the persistent tremor in my dominant right hand. I've been shaving with my other hand for years now and I think I've mastered it but around the time I signed up on here things started getting difficult.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I started DE shaving about ten years ago and like many of you I now have a small a collection brushes, DE razors, creams, and blades. I was wet shaving every other day but since 2020 I can only manage one or two DE shaves a month. I've got several tubes of Proraso, Arko, TOBS, and Palmolive that I haven't opened yet. I think they'll be fine for a few years but I'm not sure. The problem is that it will take me ages to use them up. I'm currently rotating half a dozen others as it is. I'm loving the Speick cream (the blue tube) and the Proraso white (tub) but I often have to play it safe and use a cartridge/disposable razor.

I've just finished a TOBS Sandalwood tube that I opened years ago and towards the end it definitely didn't lather as well as when I first opened it. So I know once opened they're only at their best for a limited time.

I've got a small cupboard full of DE stuff, most of which I'm happy to give away to be honest. I'm thinking of selling the DE razors but that's for another day.

Any thoughts or advice will be most welcome. It's taken me ages to write all this!
Click to expand...
Hello and welcome back.
I'm sorry to hear about your health condition, it must be quite debilitating but I am impressed with the fact that you can now shave with your non domainant hand, which is not an easy thing to do.
As far as your shave creams go, some if not most will be quite alright if kept in a cool dry place, manufacturers have to put a to use by date on just about anything these days but if they still lather as they should then I cannot see there being any problems.
As @Fox has mentioned most devices these days have speech to text capability which will make things easier for you.
I hope to see you back hear soon.

@Omer

Paul
 
I heard it said that if there was no use by date on products then it was ok to use if unopened. Use common sense I guess.
Should be a date somewhere on product. My hand cream here has 2018.

Once opened 12 months is normal.
You will see on many products from sun cream to shaving soap a picture symbol of a tub with lid off a bit and 12m ( 12 months) written on symbol. Go look about.
Means use in 12 months when opened.
It's on my hand cream and Italian shaving puck and everything else.
All stuff manufactured in EU as law.
I don't use products made outside EU.
Used soap last year that was made in China and had MI in It flaring my skin up.
Dam. missed that!
No date's on it either. Not what you will have I bet. Only quality products
 
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Thanks for all the useful and thoughtful responses. It's all very helpful information.

I think when I come to selling my DE razors (wherever, whenever) I'll throw in some free blades and shaving creams. The money will go to charity anyway and I've got £100 in mind as a target.
 
Omer said:
I think when I come to selling my DE razors (wherever, whenever) I'll throw in some free blades and shaving creams. I've got £100 in mind as a target.
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Hi there,

I already think that price is way too low! Whatever you have is worth more by doing one tiny thing. Mention the razors were owned by famous people! Sounds crazy to me but lotsa foreigners love that provenance. Hell, I usta do it a lot here in the past. Pretty funny.

Hope that helps,

Martin
 
£100 might be a stretch to be honest so I may have make up a backstory for some of them!

Posting on here has helped me decide what to do with the unopened creams first. I'm going take the hit and start using them and discard any that are no good after a year or so. Life's too short.

Thanks again to you all.
 
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