A favorite shave cream of mine, discontinued for several years, is now available again! Wm. Neumann Old Fashioned Soda returns!
History
Back in 2013 Wm. Neumann introduced their Old Fashioned Soda shave cream. And it immediately became one of my favorite shave creams. Performance was excellent and I really enjoyed the scent. But, alas, things come and go, and Wm. Neumann discontinued this shave cream in 2019. I mourned its passing.
Then, late in 2023, I was doing some research for another article and happened across a random mention of Wm. Neumann. I hadn’t thought of them for a while so I checked out their website and–gasp!–there was Old Fashioned Soda again! My wallet instantly opened and my credit card flew out, seemingly all on its own. Would it be the same as I remembered?
It is!
My Experience With Wm. Neumann Shave Cream
[Note: I purchased a bottle of Wm. Neumann Old Fashioned Soda shave cream. My opinions expressed here are my own and have not been reviewed or approved by Wm. Neumann. Wm. Neumann links are not affiliate.]
The presentation of Wm. Neumann Old Fashioned Soda shave cream is the same as the original: a generous 8 ounces in an amber-colored pump bottle. The consistency is more lotion-like than traditional shave cream, hence the pump…just like before.
The output of a single press of the pump is more than enough to build lather with any brush I’ve thrown at it. The lather is somewhat thicker than some other traditional shave creams: generous and luxurious.
The moderately scent reminds me of a combination of cola and root beer, with maybe some cream soda thrown in. My wife gets more of a citrus cream soda scent. In any case it’s highly evocative to me and I can almost feel the carbonation tickling my nose. And the scent sticks with me throughout the shave. Wm. Neumann says the scent is “…a secret combination of Orange, Lemon, Nutmeg, Coriander, Neroli, Cinnamon, Wintergreen, Clove, Birch, Star Anise, and Vanilla.“
Just like the original.
What about performance? Outstanding lubrication/glide, cushion/protection, and post-shave moisturization for me.
Wm Neumann Background
During the early years of the 20th century our great-grandfather, William Neumann, opened his first drugstore in Detroit, Michigan. As a pharmacist during the turn-of-the-century, he took detailed notes and filled several journals with his formulas and aspirations for his business. He had a truly remarkable vision, but unfortunately he was never able to fully complete it, as he passed away unexpectedly when his son, Wilford, was just a young boy. Wilford understood the importance of keeping his father’s legacy alive, and maintained his father’s notes and records to be passed on to future generations.
William Neumann’s famous Old-Fashioned Soda formula is taken straight from his formulary notes dated 1908. It’s a secret combination of Orange, Lemon, Nutmeg, Coriander, Neroli, Cinnamon, Wintergreen, Clove, Birch, Star Anise, and Vanilla.
Key Ingredients
- Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Shea Butter, and Premium Oils–Create a creamy, dense, slippery cushion of lather
- Oat Straw, Marshmallow Root, and Chickweed–Soothes and calms irritated skin
- Kosher Vegetable Glycerin–Naturally hydrates and softens the skin
- Allantoin–Natural Conditioner
- Slippery Elm Bark–Creates a Natural Slip
- Green Tea and Blue-Green Algae, Vitamin A, Vitamin C–Powerful natural antioxidants, encourage the healing process
- Nettle, and Milk Thistle–Well known for their healing qualities
Summing Up
What can I say? One of my absolute favorite shave creams has returned, and it’s as good as I remember. Wm. Neumann Old Fashioned Soda shave cream, along with their other creams and personal care products, is available on their website.
(Yes, expect this to show up in Sharpologist’s Best Shave Cream list soon!)
Mark, thanks for the article, the product review, and for turning me on to the Wm. Neumann products. I purchased the old fashioned soda shave cream and a sampler pack of aftershave (splash). While exploring their website, I discovered several other scents (shave cream, aftershave balms, and aftershave splashes) and I added a sampler pack of aftershave (small bottles of splash) to my order. I really like their signature 1907 scent… and see a bottle of aftershave balm in my future. Thanks again.
Thanks for letting us know Mark! I always liked it and good to see it’s back. Ordered the cream and aftershave. Unfortunately the soap and balm were out of stock, but hopefully that won’t be for long.
Is it carbonated?
Just received this yesterday, and tried it out last night. Great scent of root beer and cream soda, with clove also standing out. Really like it, but did it perform well? Absolutely.
Just a single pump onto the wet brush generated enough lather for 3 passes and I had some left over at the end. The 8 oz. jar will last a long time. Very nice, easily worked creamy lather, with a good amount of slickness to it. No irritation after shaving.
I’m a regular user of TOBS and I put the Wm. Neumann right there with it. Recently I purchased several creams I had yet to try including Castle Forbes and Trumper, as well as EShave. The lather wasn’t quite up to CF & Trumper, but equaled the EShave IMHO. I like the scent much better than the CF scents which seem overdone to me (but it really does have the best lather). Wm. Neumann will now definitely hold a place in my regular rotation.
Definitely worth a try. They sent me some nice aftershave and soap samples with my order as well, so looking forward to trying those. I will be purchasing the Old Fashioned Soda aftershave balm now that I know I love the scent.
Thanks Mark for turning me on to this product!
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Ordered this stuff on Sunday, came in on Tuesday. Used it with an EJ89 and an Astra SP blade. Smelled great and provided an excellent shave. Definitely worth a look if you’re even the slightest bit interested.