Old vs. New
The evolution of Proraso
These graphics were used by Proraso for many years. The second version of the cream (as far as I can remember) is the same as the old jar that I own, shown here on the right, next to a current production jar:
The outer boxes are shown in this picture:
Let's have a look at the ingredients and see if the formula has been changed.
The old Proraso lists the following ingredients:
Water, Stearic Acid, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Cetylstearilic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Camphor, Menthol, Parfum, Butyl-Propyl-Methyl P-Hydroxilbenzoate, Eucalyptol, Isotiazolin.
The new Proraso lists the following ingredients:
Water, Stearic Acid, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Camphor, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Menthol, Parfum, Amyl Cinnamal, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Eucalyptol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylilsothiazolinone.
So, there are quite a few differences: in some cases I think the differences have to do with the preservatives: I am assuming that the Parabens used today are safer than some of the chemicals used in the past. In other cases, I think the changes reflect improvements in skin care and the addition of more scents.
Nose test! Let me sniff both Prorasos and see what differences I can detect:
Old: strong Eucalyptus base scent, with a cool menthol secondary note. The color of the cream is snow white and, after all these years, the texture is still perfect! Those old preservatives sure were effective!
New: the Eucalyptus is not as strong as in the older cream. There is also another note that reminds me of the scent of a modern skin cream, which was absent in the old product. It's almost the same scent that you'll find in some hand lotions. The menthol is also not as strong as it was in the old product.
There you have it! Yes, the cream has been changed. It smells more like a skin lotion and is milder than the original. Personally, while I still like and use the current Proraso, I prefer the old one, mainly for its stronger menthol "kick" and its less complex and, to me, more masculine scent.
The evolution of Proraso
Proraso
pre shave cream is a success story that dates back to 1926!
Produced in Florence by the Ludovico Martelli company, it is used
before shaving to prepare the face and condition the beard and is also
widely used as a cooling and soothing aftershave.
I have seen posts on various shaving message boards, asking whether the current Proraso is the same as the original cream. No changes have been made in the last year or so, but has the formula changed from the original one of 1926?
Well, I happen to have a jar of Proraso that dates back over twenty years, so I decided to do a quick comparison.
The look of the box and the graphics has been modernized several times over the years.
This vintage poster shows the jar as I remember it from my visits to the local barbershop in Italy, in the 1950s (no, I did not go to get a shave, I went for a haircut, usually sitting in a kid chair that was shaped as a horse!!!)
I have seen posts on various shaving message boards, asking whether the current Proraso is the same as the original cream. No changes have been made in the last year or so, but has the formula changed from the original one of 1926?
Well, I happen to have a jar of Proraso that dates back over twenty years, so I decided to do a quick comparison.
The look of the box and the graphics has been modernized several times over the years.
This vintage poster shows the jar as I remember it from my visits to the local barbershop in Italy, in the 1950s (no, I did not go to get a shave, I went for a haircut, usually sitting in a kid chair that was shaped as a horse!!!)
These graphics were used by Proraso for many years. The second version of the cream (as far as I can remember) is the same as the old jar that I own, shown here on the right, next to a current production jar:
The outer boxes are shown in this picture:
Let's have a look at the ingredients and see if the formula has been changed.
The old Proraso lists the following ingredients:
Water, Stearic Acid, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Cetylstearilic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Camphor, Menthol, Parfum, Butyl-Propyl-Methyl P-Hydroxilbenzoate, Eucalyptol, Isotiazolin.
The new Proraso lists the following ingredients:
Water, Stearic Acid, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Camphor, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Menthol, Parfum, Amyl Cinnamal, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Eucalyptol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylilsothiazolinone.
So, there are quite a few differences: in some cases I think the differences have to do with the preservatives: I am assuming that the Parabens used today are safer than some of the chemicals used in the past. In other cases, I think the changes reflect improvements in skin care and the addition of more scents.
Nose test! Let me sniff both Prorasos and see what differences I can detect:
Old: strong Eucalyptus base scent, with a cool menthol secondary note. The color of the cream is snow white and, after all these years, the texture is still perfect! Those old preservatives sure were effective!
New: the Eucalyptus is not as strong as in the older cream. There is also another note that reminds me of the scent of a modern skin cream, which was absent in the old product. It's almost the same scent that you'll find in some hand lotions. The menthol is also not as strong as it was in the old product.
There you have it! Yes, the cream has been changed. It smells more like a skin lotion and is milder than the original. Personally, while I still like and use the current Proraso, I prefer the old one, mainly for its stronger menthol "kick" and its less complex and, to me, more masculine scent.
© 2008 by Giovanni Abrate - All Rights Reserved