Solid Shaving Gel?

Dec 22, 2013 13 Replies

I have a can of Homme 'gel de rasage' bought in France. When I shake it, it rattles and feels as if there is something heavy and solid inside.



A Gillette can feels as if it is fully of a liquid and a new Tesco can shows no obvious internal movement. All cans are 200ml



Why does the French can rattle? is the gel in some sort of solid form?



Some of the aerosol gel cans have an internal "bag" full of the gel, with the propellant gas filling the space between the can and the bag, so the gel doesn't come out foamy ...

How long have you had it ? It might have undergone a chemical change.

rusty

Why do they feel the need to call it Homme? I didn't think French women shaved.

Some spray paint cans include a ball bearing to stir up the contents when the can was shaken. Maybe this is similar.

Take care until you're sure it's not a miss-labeled tin of paint.

Some seem to have a rubber bladder inside, with the compressed gas outside the bladder. Presumably to stop them mixing and keeping the gel liquid.

Makes me think of agitator balls like in spray paint cans. I don't know if that would be useful for shaving gel.

Gas leak detector spray cans work like that. I had one where I found the propellant had all leaked out just when I needed it, so I opened it and found the bladder still full of usable liquid.

I think this is the best explanation. The stuff comes out as a gel which then expands, unlike the Tesco product which pretty much comes out as a foam.

Maybe its like car spray paint, It needs a stir with that little thingy, which may have a name that they put in cans to do this when its shaken?

Brian

There is usually a rubber bung in the base where the gas it injected. I once took one apart - after de-pressurising it. It is as described by Andy. The gel is in a plastic bag attached to the valve in the top. The gas presses on the outside to expel the Gel - but the Gel and the gas do not mix as they can in a normal aerosol. The bag will bang against the sides of the can when it is shaken.

I am not French, but I don't suppose that I am the first man whose razor has been borrowed.

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