I do believe that aerosol shave creme is not allowed do to being 'flown' in un-pressurized airplanes to A-Stan & Iraq.  That is why ALL aerosol types of products are not allowed, they could possibly rupture during flight since the contents are under pressure.  And btw most shaving creme uses 'butane' as propellant, same as in cig lighters & etc. And that posses another possible hazard in its self.

Hope this helps & if any1 has addt'l info plz chime in.

Tony   aka UnderDawg, nickname given to me by my soldier

Um..really? Oops! I have been sending the gel stuff for two years and no one said anything to me! I put it on the customs form and everything. *sigh* Nothing has been sent back and the guys got it. I will ask the next time, specifically about it.

Heidi

Here is a link to the USPS web site covering restricted & haz materials:

http://www.usps.com/aviationsecurity/

That makes sense to me.  I figured the packages would be flying over there one way or the other! LOL 

There is always the shaving gels in tubes that aren't pressurized but they are so much more expensive than regular shaving cream.  I am able to find the shaving cream in cans on sale really cheap and sometimes even FREE with a coupon. 

You actually get a lot more shaves from the shaving gel in a tube (a lot of space is taken up by propellant, and you use less). You also get a closer shave because during the time spent working up a lather the hair is absorbing moisture.  However, I have to admit that I've had trouble finding the shaving gel I like and "my guys" have been shaving with bodywash.  So, shaving gel has been falling in the "treat" category lately.

Oh, and if I have to choose between shaving gel and good blades, I always go for the good blades.

jo

PS-Thanks for the link Melanie

Well, I wrote a post here between 7-8 am today, and hit post, and the forum vanished.  It wasn't me, I promise. 

Anyway, what I tried to post is that I only buy the tubes of shaving gel when someone has a clearance sale or when Big Lots has a good buy, etc. because of the price.  What we do is to send bar soap and shower gel and hope that they will use those when their shampoo and shaving creme runs out.  After all, their storage space is usually limited like they say, similar to camping, so I figure they need to make do with fewer items when they can.  That is from a small town old gal who never saw a bottle of shampoo until after I was in school, and my parents were married in the l930s

Gran

Every one sends me gillette all the time, it is hard to find gel shaving cream period over here except once in a blue moon and nobody has ever said anything I know of in the past. Between here and afganistan I have a total of three tours getting gel shipped so I would say don't worry about it.

HI,

I've been buying shaving gel in a tube (non areosol) at the Dollar Tree for several months. If you have a Dollar Tree close by, check them out, if they don't have any, you might ask about it, it comes in a blue tube. As a matter of fact, I'm waiting for them to get a a case of the gel in their shipment tomorrow, which they are kindly going to hold for me, as I've distributed all I had.

Dawn

I could be wrong, but I'm beginning to feel like alot of these "rules" are established and/or enforced in somewhat of a haphazard fashion.  I'm from MI, and I'm finding that my particular post offices in this area are VERY fussy about everything I send.  I know that for this area, anything that is in an aerosol can isn't going anywhere but back to my house.  I don't mind them being picky, but I do mind that figuring out what is acceptable can seem pretty vague at times.  I recently spent $17.95 to send two boxes of laundry powder and a few other items, and since I didn't specifically state that it was the "non-bleach" formula, my package was returned.  The letter that accompanied my package led me to think that I couldn't send laundry detergent at ALL.  Here's what I paid $17.95 to find out: "Aerosal products are not permitted.  Flammable, corrosives and toxins are not permitted.  These include, but are not limited to: Alcohol-based products like perfumes, colognes, aftershave, hairspray, mouthwash, lighters, matches, butane, cleaning agents and detergents (highlighted for me with a double star :), fingernail polish and nail polish remover, flea collars, DEET, and most bug sprays.  Hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial gel are flammable  and are not acceptable.  Shaving cream or shaving gel may NOT be aerosal and must be listed as "non-aerosal."  This is not a complete list of non-mailable items to APO/FPO addresses.  Please ask a sales associate for further assistance when mailing."  When I questioned a clerk at the post office, she just said that detergent is O.K. to send, but that I should have specified that it was "non-bleach."  I should have wrote down the guys name, but I am almost sure I saw a photo on the anysoldier website just yesterday of a guy that was holding a box that had two big blow-up the plane aerosal cans of Lysol, and I did wonder how on God's green earth did someone send THOSE!  I just don't get it :)

I saw the same photo and thought...heavens don't POSE with the stuff for photos!!! 

My PO guy wasn't very clear with his answer, but I suppose I wasn't very clear with my question when I tried to find out what the deal was with restricted items...can't send them at all, or can't send priority, or can only send ground not air.  He sounded like it was a USPS thing and not a military thing and that once it left USPS hands it didn't matter. That didn't sound OK to me.  I just don't send it at all.

Kristie,

I definitely hear your frustration with so much trouble and expense wasted sending a package and having it returned.  I think that is why our postal clerks are so picky on our end - they don't want to risk them being returned, so they are very cautious for us.  I believe that it is the ones who don't read the restrictions who make it hard on all others, and the contacts it seems don't know what the restrictions of the USPS are, and when they ask, people send whatever they want if they can get by with it.  We have to remember that everyone's safety along the whole route from us to the contacts is what counts, and try to do our part to remain vigilant.  One of our postal clerks mentioned once when we sent a hygiene package that he wondered how long it would be before liquids would be restricted.  I suppose he was thinking at that time of the liquid ban on airline passengers.

Gran

Kristie:

I could be wrong, but I'm beginning to feel like alot of these "rules" are established and/or enforced in somewhat of a haphazard fashion. 

I think you're right.  I sent shaving cream once since I didn't realize it was forbidden (almost every contact I looked-up asked for it), but will not do it again. However, it was listed on the Customs Form (the first item no less) and the Postal Clerk I had was very thorough and helpful about everything else and nver batted an eye.  But when I sent another package this morning a different postal worker read off a list off ''forbidden items'' and asked if I had any in the box.  They probably get so many people sending packages that don't know up from down they just do the best they can to keep things moving.

I personally have never had any problems with the gel shaving cream, or any other type, being sent priority or any of type of mail, whether it be from my wife or a friend.  I find that the gel shaving cream is what soldiers like the best though, it's the type I use too!

Yikes! So many of the female soldiers ask for hairspray, fingernail polish and remover, perfume, body sprays for the odor after a long day, etc. I wish that AnySoldier would either distribute that list of yours or edit these items out of the soldier requests.

BB