Results tagged “personal care” from Rated Best

I changed my mind. I used to think that the Total Shaving Solution was the best shaving oil out there. But I admit it was the first one I tried. Any shaving oil is a massive improvement over shaving cream or gel, so you really can't go wrong. But I find Kinexium to be a better product than TSS for several reasons:

1. It's easier to dispense. A single squirt from the pump nozzle is all you need.
2. It doesn't have the overpowering menthol smell and feel like TSS.
3. It's slicker, making it easier to spread and easier to shave.

The price per fl oz is about the same as TSS. I found it at my local CVS drugstore. It's available online too from Amazon or eBay.

Get Kinexium from Amazon

Get Tweezerman from Amazon

I've always disliked bottles in the shower. They are slippery, non-ergonomic, and nearly impossible to get the last 5% of the product out without resorting to aggressive human-on-bottle violence.

Life has been a lot better since I installed a shampoo/soap dispenser. I get just the right amount of product using only one hand. I don't have to pick up and put down (and drop, and pick up) a bottle. And I can drain the bottles dry by leaving them upside-down at the top of the dispenser.

I like the Aviva since it has transparent chambers, making it easy to tell when things are running low. It's also compact and a nice neutral color compared with other brands. I have the 3-chamber version, since I use soap, shampoo and conditioner. Although perhaps I should upgrade to the 4 chamber dispenser so I can have my rated best shaving oil in there too.

Get an Aviva Trio dispenser from Amazon

I don't ask for much in a toothpaste. I just want something simple and natural that works. I love Tom's of Maine because they give details on every ingredient in their toothpaste including where it comes from and why it's included in the product. Plus they don't test their products on animals.

Tom's seems to be going with the industry trend of including more ingredients in their products, which supports a laundry list of marketing terms on the packaging: anti-plaque, baking soda, tartar control, whitening, etc. I  just want the simplest one out there, which is why I prefer their Wintermint flavor. Unfortunately Wintermint is not as well stocked as some of the other flavors. So if you can't find it, I recommend Spearmint as an alternative. Their Peppermint flavor is OK too, if you want a toothpaste with baking soda in it.

Get Tom's of Maine Wintermint from Amazon

I've tried the newer razors with three, four, and yes even five blades. They are more expensive and I've found that they don't offer any better of a shave than the 2-bladed variety, and the extra bulk in fact makes them more difficult to maneuver around the sharp contours of my face near the nose, mouth, and chin.

The Sensor Excel might be easier to find, but it is more expensive and the only difference is a strip of rubber fins which doesn't do anything to improve the shaving experience.

Get Gillette Sensor from Amazon

I'm not the world's most careful shaver. I do it in the morning when I'm still half asleep, and my mind tends to wander while I'm shaving. I used to experience a lot of nicks and cuts. And then I discovered Total Shaving Solution via the Cool Tools blog.

I never really bought into the whole marketing claims how shaving cream "lifts and softens" the whiskers; maybe if you're shaving off several days worth of growth. But for every day shaves, the cream is really just a lubricant.

So it seems particularly brilliant to simply use oil for shaving -- an excellent lubricant that doesn't rinse off with water. I've had no nicks or cuts since I started using the Total Shaving Solution. And as a bonus, I can actually see what I'm doing. You only need a few drops, so a bottle will last you a long time -- the better part of a year in my experience. If you want to go the really cheap route, I suppose any cooking oil would work fine as well, though I haven't tried that yet.

If you're not ready to commit to buying a bottle (or several to save on cost and amortize shipping), request on of their sample sizes. Anyone local in the Silicon Valley area who pings me first can get the sample they sent me with my order.

Get the Total Shaving Solution