Neutrogena Men Razor Defense

The following review was submitted anonymously.

These reviews are actually one big review for the entire line of Neutrogena Men Razor Defense shaving products. This includes a daily face scrub, a shave gel, as well as a face lotion for aftershave purposes. All of these products were available from my local CVS, while only the scrub and gel were available from my local Wal-Mart. Drugstore.com also carries these products.

Prices, to the best of my recollection, were 4.99 for the scrub, 5.99 for the lotion, and 6.99 for the gel. The scrub comes in a 4.2 ounce tube, the lotion in a 2.5 ounce tube, and the gel comes in a 7 ounce can. Do the math if you think those prices are worth those amounts, especially the lotion. I did, and after using them, I think they’re worth it. If you need to justify the price, consider these products for use before special occasions only–like job interviews–and on normal days, use your regular shaving gel, foam, etc.

Granted these products were formulated for use on the face, but in my (limited) head-shaving experience they worked wonderfully on the scalp as well. All of these products are, per the back of their respective containers, oil-free, dye-free, and they won’t clog pores. In the case of the scrub and gel, they also claim that they are clean-rinsing. Again, I agree. All three products share the same masculine scent–like a decent cologne from a department store instead of something cheap you’d find waiting at the checkout. Also, like the name of the line suggests, the products claim to reduce razor irritation. That they do, but first the details.

First the scrub. I don’t know if you’re familiar with scrubs, but this one has a finer grit to it than others I’ve tried. This would seem to me to make it more suitable for people with sensitive faces or scalps (like me). The instructions say to rub a dime-size amount into wet skin, then massage gently, followed by a thorough rinse. This product seems to have, when I’ve used it, worked as advertised.

You’re probably thinking, “I’ve never considered a use of a scrub on my scalp, it sounds too weird.” Let me tell you, at least to me, the difference between using a scrub before shaving is quite noticeable. The hair stood up and was noticeably softened on both the scalp and face. It also makes the skin smoother after shaving, though I still use the face lotion up top as well as a separate moisturizer.

This is followed by use of the shave gel. This is not a typical shave gel! It is rather thick with a generous foaming action. The gel is a light beige-gray in color–odd compared my the dayglo green of my usual Edge gel. My first impression when I first used it was that it was more like an mechanical lubricant than a shaving gel.

The foam is created instantly and it’s very long lasting. Using this gel, I still had a nice thick lather on my dome even after shaving my face. What’s more, this is the first gel I’ve used that I can actually feel the blade cut the hair. With my Edge gel, sometimes it feels like I’ve missed a spot, even when I can see in the mirror that I’ve gone over the spot once or twice. Also, I use a Mach 3, so this “clean cut” sensation may be different to those who use a double-blade razor like the Headblade.

There’s a slight tingle to the foam as it sits, though with my skin being super-sensitive sometimes even my Edge makes my skin tingle. The gel also claims to reduce razor bumps. I’ve had a couple, but not as many as before. This may be because of the the scrub, who knows? Like the scrub, the foam washes away cleanly.

This is all followed by the face lotion. Again, it seems weird to put a product meant for use on the face on your head, but I tried this mostly for its claim that it “instantly soothes razor irritation”. And what do you know, it works. The light weight of the lotion doesn’t do its abilities justice. It rubs in completely, with little to none of a greasy feeling some moisturizers have. The burn is gone, along with most of the redness. Because my hair is so stubborn and thick, somedays I want to take a machete to it. Not anymore.

Personally, I recommend all of the Neutrogena Men Razor Defense products. Why? Because after using these three items my face and scalp no longer feels like someone has rubbed it with sandpaper. It actually does soften the hair for easier cutting. And I figure anything that helps reduce bumps is OK in my book.