Italian Red Head to Head: Proraso vs Cella

[Doc Dan]

Just for fun, I decided to do a head to head comparison between Proraso Red and Cella Red. I used a Thiers Issard full hollow ground razor for three days and a Parker PTW Shavette with Wizmet blade for three days. I shaved one day with Proraso and one day with Cella with the straight razor, and then repeated with the shavette.

Scent: Oh man, that Cella smells amazing, even in the tub! I love that Marzipan smell. The Proraso is a sandalwood scented soap and in the tub has a strong chemical smell, to me. However, once lathered an on the face, that goes away and it has a nice, soft sandalwood scent that is not too sweet. I like it.

Lather: Both made great lather and were easy to get the consistency and sustainability that I wanted. I had peaks, but I wanted a moister yogurt, so I added a bit of water to my tips. To me, both felt great, but maybe the tallow based Cella felt a bit creamier. Both were nice, though, for the money.

Performance: I have found that for me and my environment, loading Proraso as I normally load other soaps is not optimal and performance suffers. I overloaded my brush enough to easily get six passes and I got far better performance out of the soap. The Cella, I overloaded just to keep things equal and I got good performance out of it, as well. I did three passes, WTG, ATG, XTG. With my straight razor, I had a bit of dragging with both, though I was able to do all of my passes, and even the scything XTG on my Adam's apple and along my jaws which are real problem areas. The shavette had no such issues. That thin, sharp blade cut through the whiskers with only a small amount of dragging. After all, these are not top tier soaps, but they are good enough to give a safe shave. I had enough residual slickness to touch up areas without re-lathering, though I found it more expedient to do so.

Value: Both of these soaps are inexpensive. There are some that perform better for me that cost less or slightly more. Still, for the money they are pretty good. The Cella cost me the equivalent of $9.40 USD and the Proraso cost the equivalent of $8.60 USD. However, I can get the top tier performing Shannon's Soaps Rebrab with the Chupacabra base for $9.99 and it is one of the best soaps I have ever used.

In summary, both of these are nice shaving soaps and not expensive. They smell good. However, for the same money I can get a top tier soap, so that is something to keep in mind.

 

[Lockback]

Just for fun, I decided to do a head to head comparison between Proraso Red and Cella Red. I used a Thiers Issard full hollow ground razor for three days and a Parker PTW Shavette with Wizmet blade for three days. I shaved one day with Proraso and one day with Cella with the straight razor, and then repeated with the shavette.

Scent: Oh man, that Cella smells amazing, even in the tub! I love that Marzipan smell. The Proraso is a sandalwood scented soap and in the tub has a strong chemical smell, to me. However, once lathered an on the face, that goes away and it has a nice, soft sandalwood scent that is not too sweet. I like it.

Lather: Both made great lather and were easy to get the consistency and sustainability that I wanted. I had peaks, but I wanted a moister yogurt, so I added a bit of water to my tips. To me, both felt great, but maybe the tallow based Cella felt a bit creamier. Both were nice, though, for the money.

Performance: I have found that for me and my environment, loading Proraso as I normally load other soaps is not optimal and performance suffers. I overloaded my brush enough to easily get six passes and I got far better performance out of the soap. The Cella, I overloaded just to keep things equal and I got good performance out of it, as well. I did three passes, WTG, ATG, XTG. With my straight razor, I had a bit of dragging with both, though I was able to do all of my passes, and even the scything XTG on my Adam's apple and along my jaws which are real problem areas. The shavette had no such issues. That thin, sharp blade cut through the whiskers with only a small amount of dragging. After all, these are not top tier soaps, but they are good enough to give a safe shave. I had enough residual slickness to touch up areas without re-lathering, though I found it more expedient to do so.

Value: Both of these soaps are inexpensive. There are some that perform better for me that cost less or slightly more. Still, for the money they are pretty good. The Cella cost me the equivalent of $9.40 USD and the Proraso cost the equivalent of $8.60 USD. However, I can get the top tier performing Shannon's Soaps Rebrab with the Chupacabra base for $9.99 and it is one of the best soaps I have ever used.

In summary, both of these are nice shaving soaps and not expensive. They smell good. However, for the same money I can get a top tier soap, so that is something to keep in mind.

Nicely done!
I haven't tried Proraso Red yet but really like the Green. And I just bought some Cella Red about a month ago and really, really like it, although I'm not as fond of the scent as some here are.
Thanks for the comparison. I'm quite sure down the road I'll try some Proraso Red as well ...

 

[SydneyShaver]

In my opinion, its not even close. Cella (both green and red) is leaps and bounds above Proraso. Better scents (imo) Better performance, better formulation, better longevity and thus better value. The artifical scents of proraso also just don't appeal to me anymore. They just don't match up to high quality or all-natural fragrance oils. The proraso splashes on the other hand are definitely better than cella's (The scents don't match the soaps and the formulations are ironically quite good).

 

[Doc Dan]

In my opinion, its not even close. Cella (both green and red) is leaps and bounds above Proraso. Better scents (imo) Better performance, better formulation, better longevity and thus better value. The artifical scents of proraso also just don't appeal to me anymore. They just don't match up to high quality or all-natural fragrance oils. The proraso splashes on the other hand are definitely better than cella's (The scents don't match the soaps and the formulations are ironically quite good).

Thank you for reminding me. I went back and re-read my post because of yours and realized I had forgotten something important. The Cella was a little better performance wise, for my tastes, and smelled a world better. The Proraso was better than I was expecting based on previous experience, and wasn't bad. Cella was just a little better and I like the simpler ingredients better, too.

 

[Asktm]

My vote also goes to the cella. Better than proraso in every aspect. Moreover I thing proraso's creams are better performer than the soaps.

 

[borwish]

I'll buck the thread and state that I prefer red Proraso over both Cella. I like it's performance better and think that the red Proraso smells great---as does red Cella. I find that I don't need to load either more than a typical soap and get plenty of lather. No disrespect intended. I appreciate your opinion and just wanted to share mine. With different water, tools, and technique there can be quite a varying experience.

In summary, both of these are nice shaving soaps and not expensive. They smell good. However, for the same money I can get a top tier soap, so that is something to keep in mind.

I've never tried Shannon's soap, so I can't comment on it's quality. I assume you are referring to the 3 oz pucks, but keep in mind that both Proraso and Cella are 5.2 oz. Proraso red in a tube is what I'd recommend to a beginner because of it's ease of use and quality lather. I do agree though that for a little more money one can pick a better product from several makers.

 

[Doc Dan]

That's why there are so many different soaps that have been around and are around. Everyone is different and all we can do is report on our own experiences. Skin type makes a difference in soap preference. Also, the type razor one uses makes a big difference. Preferring Proraso isn't bucking the thread, it is simply your difference in soap preference based on your unique characteristics.

 

[reformedshavr]

I shave with both Proraso and Cella at least once a week - they both meet or exceed the performance of many of my other high end products. Cella is what I take when I travel as I can always get a good lather regardless of water type/quality.

 

[Lane101]

Hi @Doc Dan , Nice evaluation of Prorasso Red and Cella. Agree with your conclusions on the Prorasso (have not used Cella). I also find the scent from the tub to be a bit of a sharp chemical smell though it does mellow out to become more pleasant in the lather. While I enjoy how easily Prorasso lathers it's not the slickest of the products I use. Have found better options for similar or less money. I'll use it straight every month or two and have mostly used my tub as a superlathering ingredient in my Van Der Williams blends.

 

[Doc Dan]

Hi @Doc Dan , Nice evaluation of Prorasso Red and Cella. Agree with your conclusions on the Prorasso (have not used Cella). I also find the scent from the tub to be a bit of a sharp chemical smell though it does mellow out to become more pleasant in the lather. While I enjoy how easily Prorasso lathers it's not the slickest of the products I use. Have found better options for similar or less money. I'll use it straight every month or two and have mostly used my tub as a superlathering ingredient in my Van Der Williams blends.

Certainly I like Proraso better mixed with Stirling Unscented Beeswax. It gives it the missing slickness to which you referred. So, yes, it is better mixed.

 

[BigJ]

Great comparison of two very fine soaps!!