Greetings gentlemen,
I have recently found a new appreciation for Italian soft soaps, specifically Cella. I started reading up on all of the threads that I could regarding performance and the likes of other similar soaps. RR's P.160 quickly peaked my interest and I was able to obtain a tub of it from a generous member that lives in town. He also threw in a small chunk of ABCBA, that has now found a home in the bottom of my Marvy Opal barber mug. Although some of this is old news to you, I always find it useful to revive such topics for new and existing members alike, if not simply for nostalgic purposes.
There's no doubt that there is a love for these Almond/ Cherry scented soaps, and although similar in appearance, they vary quite a bit as well.
For the cost effective consumer:
Cella-
Depending on where you buy your soap, you can find that little red tub of Cella for about $8-$9. What you get is a 150ml or 5.4 oz of Sweet almond and cherry goodness. **
RR's P.160-
Although gone are the days of the original formula, many members will attest to the recreation of this soap from Joe at IB. For $7.99, you're getting a neatly packaged, white tub in the amount of 125 ml or 4.2 oz. That may or may not seem like a lot of difference for the amount, but what you're losing in volume, you'll recover in more natural ingredients.
ABCBA-
Unless you have a magic time machine, good luck finding this stuff anywhere anymore. Like the P.160, I recall Joe having bricks of this made, seasonally and of limited quantities. I can't comment on the cost, since it doesn't seem to be available for purchase anywhere at this time.
** Cella can also be bought in a 1kg brick. Some have stated that it performs much better than what you get in the little red tub, while others have argued they cannot tell the difference. This will run you about $25-35 dollars, depending where you order, shipping, and availability in your town or country. The nice thing about this, is that you will actually pay less per oz when buying in bulk. You can also cut the block into chunks, and press it into your favourite container or mug, or simply share your pieces with friends.
Scent-
As mentioned earlier, Cella definitely has a sweet cherry/ almond scent. Some may find it very pleasant while others have commented that the cherry portion is too sweet.
P.160 does have a hint of the cherry scent, but to my nose, it has stronger tones of bitter almond.
ABCBA to me has very little smell at all, which to those with sensitive sniffers, this may be just the ticket. Granted you can smell the cherry/almond/ marzipan in it, the staying power is very limited.
Performance-
I'll keep it brief... I'm having a hard time telling which one works better than the others. In terms of slickness, they all rate about the same. Cella does seem to be a bit more sticky as far as the lather consistency is concerned. P.160 is slick without question. ABCBA has a peculiar smoothness about it, almost like silk. Let your face be the deciding factor in this one *.
* This is something some of you with sensitive skin may want to be wary of. Many members who love the scent and ease of these soaps, have complained about breaking out into hives or mild rash after use. Cella seems to be the biggest offender between the 3, and that's likely due to the ingredient Tallow, or possibly Coconut Oil (aka Cocos Nucifera). Which is found in P.160 as ABCBA as well.
If I had to pick a favourite right now, I think Cella would still be the winner for me.
I'll let you be the judge of which ones your favourite it. Some of you may also be looking for other Italian based soft soaps, outside of these 3. Honorable mentions (None that I have had the pleasure of trying) include, but are not limited to:
-Valobra
- Razorock Classic Artisan soap
- Vitos
For anyone having issues lathering these soaps, don't forget to check out Marco's method right here .
Hope this helps out in some way or another.
Brad
I have recently found a new appreciation for Italian soft soaps, specifically Cella. I started reading up on all of the threads that I could regarding performance and the likes of other similar soaps. RR's P.160 quickly peaked my interest and I was able to obtain a tub of it from a generous member that lives in town. He also threw in a small chunk of ABCBA, that has now found a home in the bottom of my Marvy Opal barber mug. Although some of this is old news to you, I always find it useful to revive such topics for new and existing members alike, if not simply for nostalgic purposes.
There's no doubt that there is a love for these Almond/ Cherry scented soaps, and although similar in appearance, they vary quite a bit as well.
For the cost effective consumer:
Cella-
Depending on where you buy your soap, you can find that little red tub of Cella for about $8-$9. What you get is a 150ml or 5.4 oz of Sweet almond and cherry goodness. **
RR's P.160-
Although gone are the days of the original formula, many members will attest to the recreation of this soap from Joe at IB. For $7.99, you're getting a neatly packaged, white tub in the amount of 125 ml or 4.2 oz. That may or may not seem like a lot of difference for the amount, but what you're losing in volume, you'll recover in more natural ingredients.
ABCBA-
Unless you have a magic time machine, good luck finding this stuff anywhere anymore. Like the P.160, I recall Joe having bricks of this made, seasonally and of limited quantities. I can't comment on the cost, since it doesn't seem to be available for purchase anywhere at this time.
** Cella can also be bought in a 1kg brick. Some have stated that it performs much better than what you get in the little red tub, while others have argued they cannot tell the difference. This will run you about $25-35 dollars, depending where you order, shipping, and availability in your town or country. The nice thing about this, is that you will actually pay less per oz when buying in bulk. You can also cut the block into chunks, and press it into your favourite container or mug, or simply share your pieces with friends.
Scent-
As mentioned earlier, Cella definitely has a sweet cherry/ almond scent. Some may find it very pleasant while others have commented that the cherry portion is too sweet.
P.160 does have a hint of the cherry scent, but to my nose, it has stronger tones of bitter almond.
ABCBA to me has very little smell at all, which to those with sensitive sniffers, this may be just the ticket. Granted you can smell the cherry/almond/ marzipan in it, the staying power is very limited.
Performance-
I'll keep it brief... I'm having a hard time telling which one works better than the others. In terms of slickness, they all rate about the same. Cella does seem to be a bit more sticky as far as the lather consistency is concerned. P.160 is slick without question. ABCBA has a peculiar smoothness about it, almost like silk. Let your face be the deciding factor in this one *.
* This is something some of you with sensitive skin may want to be wary of. Many members who love the scent and ease of these soaps, have complained about breaking out into hives or mild rash after use. Cella seems to be the biggest offender between the 3, and that's likely due to the ingredient Tallow, or possibly Coconut Oil (aka Cocos Nucifera). Which is found in P.160 as ABCBA as well.
If I had to pick a favourite right now, I think Cella would still be the winner for me.
I'll let you be the judge of which ones your favourite it. Some of you may also be looking for other Italian based soft soaps, outside of these 3. Honorable mentions (None that I have had the pleasure of trying) include, but are not limited to:
-Valobra
- Razorock Classic Artisan soap
- Vitos
For anyone having issues lathering these soaps, don't forget to check out Marco's method right here .
Hope this helps out in some way or another.
Brad
