Best cream for travel?

[maskaggs]

I'm on the hunt for the best brushless cream for traveling and thought the SMF hive mind would have some advice. Here's what I'd be looking for...

1) Sturdy container - one that will survive a flight, rough handling by baggage crew, and my clumsiness

2) Good performance even in hard water - I've got no idea how hard the water will be where I'm staying

3) Decent, though not necessarily stellar scent. Just nothing that stinks.

4) Something good for sensitive skin.

Anything immediately come to mind?

[Squire]

Real Shaving Co. shave cream. I know, it's not brushless but it will work, comes in a sturdy container, and is cheap enough not to miss if lost or mishandled.

[JRTASTER]

Clinique for Men Shave Cream is one I've used. While brushless creams aren't my favorites,
Clinique is about as good as any I've tried.

[gsgo]

Used a lot of creams on the road, brushless and usually from a tube, in no particular order:

1. T&H - just pick your flavor and go. I think Ultimate Comfort was made for the road.
2. Musgo Real - same as above, for me, I find it works better as a brushless.
3. Speick - works fine, one of the best creams available.
4. Clinique - as previously mentioned.
5. Anthony Logistics - one of my new age favorites.
6. Barbasol - in the small travel cans, used this one for years.
7. Body Shop Macca Root - widely available.
8. Lucky Tiger Molle - find a nice capped small container.
9. Rasoline - one of the finer brushless creams I have ever used.
10. TOBS - never used this on the road but since they come in tubes what the heck.

Hard to narrow it down, but as we have all learned - most creams can work brushless, pick one you can live with for the length of the trip - just pack it and go!

[Thalay Sagar]

Nancy Boy in a travel size.

[brothers]

Just about any shaving cream will work brushless. Just make sure to take one you're familiar with and like a lot. Strangely, one of my favorite travel creams for brushless shaving is the Noxzema Original Cleansing Cream. Menthol/Eucalyptus and you get a big 12 ounce tub for $5. When I get back home, I'm ready to get back to the regular ones.

[Squire]

In a pinch you can shave in the shower with a Bic and bath soap but that's not recommended.

[brothers]

That would have to be a pretty serious pinch.

[maskaggs]

In a pinch you can shave in the shower with a Bic and bath soap but that's not recommended.

I suppose I'd let my companions draw straws to see who gets (has?) to hold the mirror

[gr_elias]

In a pinch you can shave in the shower with a Bic and bath soap but that's not recommended.

My father shaves like this everyday. Just soap, a Gillette disposable that changes every 2-4 weeks and then Old Spice splash or lemon cologne.

Old school, and I can assure you that his skin looks amazingly healthy. No rash, no irritation, no ingrowns, no dry skin, no nothing...

[Squire]

Bath soap and a Bic work pretty well and is about as no fuss as you can get.

[Tinman]

I travel a lot (between 40 and 70% of the year) so I'll make a couple of observations.

1. Unless you're checking bags, your cream needs to be 100g or less to pass through security. Many of the suggestions above come in sizes over 100g, so if you use them, suggest a transferring some cream to a small container you can take that is clearly < 100g. Probably easier to just use something in a 100g or less tube; there are plenty of options.

2. If you're like me and apt to leave things in your hotel room when packing/leaving, suggest something low cost that won't hurt to forget. Again, plenty of choices. (I apply this rule to brushes, razors and AS as well)

3. I use both cream and soap; but for travel, I like the small soap sticks that are easy and quick to use. At the moment I'm using Arko; but Palmolive, Speick, LaToya, all fit the bill.

[JRTASTER]

Tinman, good points all.
As to your second point, experience taught me several sad
lessons on that score!

[Squire]

Me too, doesn't seem like we would make such a basic mistake but being out of our element and meeting deadlines of others can throw my attention off.

[jww]

Like Tinman, I find myself traveling a good amount now. I actually stopped taking creams when I fly altogether --- mostly because I don't use creams much any more. But, I digress ...... soap sticks are the most convenient and simplest for traveling. I like the DR Harris sticks myself --the package fits perfect in my kit bag. While away last week in Halifax, it was my Harris go-to pair of Lavender and Arlington. They just work, ya know?

[Squire]

Sticks are a practical solution if it was an open ended question. I presume Mike had his reasons for posing the inquiry as one about creams.

What about it Mike, have you considered sticks?

[Ouchmychin]

I have used several brushless creams, but only one meets your requirements and it is also my favorite. It is alba Botanica Very emollient cream shave. It comes in several flavors but my favorite is the aloe mint. No need for an aftershave balm. It is soap-free and contains "rich botanical emollients" The label says "enriched with aloe vera, calendula, green tea, and vitamin E" I follow the instructions by just smearing some on a wet face and shaving. I don't know about hard water, but for me I get some of the best shaves in my life with no irritation at all from the cream, just the health nut puffery.

[brothers]

Can't argue against the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle.

[maskaggs]

Sticks are a practical solution if it was an open ended question. I presume Mike had his reasons for posing the inquiry as one about creams.

What about it Mike, have you considered sticks?

Indeed I have. I've only ever tried one stick - DR Harris Arlington - without a brush, and it didn't work very well for me. 5 of us will be sharing the same bathroom so I don't anticipate having a lot of time to soak a brush properly and lather up. If there's a suggested stick that would work well without a brush, I'd definitely be open to it.

[Squire]

Absence of a brush would rule out sticks for me.