Best: Col. Conk, Omega cream in tube
Worst: Muhle, palmshave cream.
Worst: Muhle, palmshave cream.
What's the best and worst soaps you have used?
- Thread starter alden
- Start date
Cella
Worst smelling soap I've ever tried: HTGAM Gondolier
Like, it smells like the Gondolier?
Best.... Man there are 10 around the top but a member here makes Silver Fox and yeah. It's that good.
Worst... MWF, Williams, Col Conk, etc.
Award of merit for cheap but in the "i love you pile" goes to.. Arko and Monsavon.
Worst... MWF, Williams, Col Conk, etc.
Award of merit for cheap but in the "i love you pile" goes to.. Arko and Monsavon.
The worst thing happened. I just got 2 tubs of panna crema vetiver and san fran and a tub of razorock p160 and Silver Fox stomped all over them for performance. It beat out mdc, stroppe shoppe, qcs, tabac, etc, etc etc....
I'm surprised this post didn't get more attention. Based on my limited knowledge, Valobra made the old AOS soaps. I understand that doesn't mean they are the exact same formula, but I've read others say if you liked the old AOS, you should try Valobra. Maybe your issue was the almond oil or something? How was the lather/slickness before the reaction kicked in? Valobra also makes an unscented formula -- have you tried that? Your input would be quite valuable to me because I really liked the AOS tallow soaps.
My reaction was almost certainly the Almond Oil. It was an immediate redness. I am allergic to most soaps with any fragrance, but not like that. Usually it takes a couple of days for redness to appear on my face. So my experience to the Valobra Almond Soft soap was unusual. Like I said though, it seemed like some pretty nice soap for the minute I was manipulating it. I have some Cella. It smells exactly the same. I will try it some day, but I expect the same reaction.
But you raise a good point about Valobra making the old AOS soaps. That is the reason why I went to Valobra after AOS reformulated. I tried the Valobra stick, the unscented puck and, as noted above, the soft soap. I found the stick and the unscented okay, but not as good as the old AOS. They just don't lather as well. They won't take as much water. And they don't seem to shave as well. I don't know why. The ingredients list on the AOS puck is identical to the old AOS formula. Must not be in the same proportions or something. It is pretty clear to someone who used the old AOS soap daily for years that the Valobra soap is not the same.
Interestingly, I also react adversely to the Valobra after a few days. Even the unscented. I had no reaction at all the the AOS.
The soap MOST LIKE the old AOS formula is Tabac. It is actually even better. It lathers faster and easier than the old AOS. It takes just as much water as the old AOS, and it shaves even better than the old AOS. Sadly, I am reacting to that too. I'm a couple days into Speick. For me, not as good as Tabac. But, pretty darn good and I am not reacting to it. It may become my permanent go to. I still need to try unscented MdC
Thank you for the reply -- valuable information there.
I bought some Tabac a while back but sold it without even trying it -- I could not get past the grandma scent. Maybe I need to give it a fair shot, but I prefer the "urinal cake" scent of Williams, Arko, et al. over the fragrance of Tabac. If Tabac could just come out with something Sandalwood scented or even unscented that might be a game changer.
I bought some Tabac a while back but sold it without even trying it -- I could not get past the grandma scent. Maybe I need to give it a fair shot, but I prefer the "urinal cake" scent of Williams, Arko, et al. over the fragrance of Tabac. If Tabac could just come out with something Sandalwood scented or even unscented that might be a game changer.
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Best:
- Mike's (esp. the lavender)
- Acca Kappa 1869 soap (discontinued)
- Catie's Bubbles (LPV)
- Razorock Mudder Foker
- Panna Crema
- Al's (goodfellas and boheme)
- Petal Pushers Fancies
- Institute Karite
- TFS bergamot neroli
Worst:
All melt and pour soaps (esp. Colonel Conk and Mamabear. They're slick but that's about it. Zero protection/cushion and the fragrance oils burn me like the dickens).
Arko. Great performance but horrid smell and burns the hell out of my face.
- Mike's (esp. the lavender)
- Acca Kappa 1869 soap (discontinued)
- Catie's Bubbles (LPV)
- Razorock Mudder Foker
- Panna Crema
- Al's (goodfellas and boheme)
- Petal Pushers Fancies
- Institute Karite
- TFS bergamot neroli
Worst:
All melt and pour soaps (esp. Colonel Conk and Mamabear. They're slick but that's about it. Zero protection/cushion and the fragrance oils burn me like the dickens).
Arko. Great performance but horrid smell and burns the hell out of my face.
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Best (no particular order):
MWF
Mike's
RazoRock Mudder Focker
RazoRock Captain's Choice Bay Rum
RazoRock Fine AB
Cella
Worst:
Williams (I can make a decent lather of it, but it takes a lot more time and effort than I'm willing to put it)
Mystic Waters (I've gotten good lather, and I've gotten bad lather, and it almost seems to be a dice roll as to which I'll get)
Arko (smells fine, lathers well, causing a burning sensation on my face)
Honorable mention best: Tabac. Not the slickest, not the creamiest, and not the easiest to lather, but it's close to the top in all categories. I'd have listed in my favorites if it smelled better.
Honorable mention worst: VDH deluxe. It's not bad. It's completely mediocre, in every way.
MWF
Mike's
RazoRock Mudder Focker
RazoRock Captain's Choice Bay Rum
RazoRock Fine AB
Cella
Worst:
Williams (I can make a decent lather of it, but it takes a lot more time and effort than I'm willing to put it)
Mystic Waters (I've gotten good lather, and I've gotten bad lather, and it almost seems to be a dice roll as to which I'll get)
Arko (smells fine, lathers well, causing a burning sensation on my face)
Honorable mention best: Tabac. Not the slickest, not the creamiest, and not the easiest to lather, but it's close to the top in all categories. I'd have listed in my favorites if it smelled better.
Honorable mention worst: VDH deluxe. It's not bad. It's completely mediocre, in every way.
My answer is a bit of a cheat since I've only really used two soaps. I don't have AD as much as WD (wish-list disorder) given I also have BD (budget deficit). Also, I received a major sample pack soaps and creams as a PIF, and I have to admit that the scent on most of them put them in the "they can lather like a dream but I ain't using 'em." So take this with a grain of salt:
Best = L'Occitane Cade: I love this stuff. I am able to get a very nice lather very easily, my shaves are extremely comfortable, and I'm a fool for it's scent. The scent is very subtle, so if you want a strong smell that will fill the bathroom, you'd probably find this to be the worst. That being said, I can pair it with the AS balm which is the best I've come across ever.
Worst = VDH Delux: Trying the luxury may have given me better results, but the deluxe that came in my starter kit all those weeks ago dried my face and was a scent I found completely uninspiring.
Best = L'Occitane Cade: I love this stuff. I am able to get a very nice lather very easily, my shaves are extremely comfortable, and I'm a fool for it's scent. The scent is very subtle, so if you want a strong smell that will fill the bathroom, you'd probably find this to be the worst. That being said, I can pair it with the AS balm which is the best I've come across ever.
Worst = VDH Delux: Trying the luxury may have given me better results, but the deluxe that came in my starter kit all those weeks ago dried my face and was a scent I found completely uninspiring.
I've never tried the shaving soap, but I have tried the bathing soap. It performs well-lathers up nice and rinses off without residue. But it smells exactly like a cooked lamb chop. I won't be using it again.
In my limited experience:
Best performance: Arko stick
Best scent: Strop Shoppe Baker St. - I loved the scent but the performance wasn't there (it was the glycerin one rather than tallow)
Worst Scent/Performance: Bald Frog Arabian Hookah
Just couldn't stand this stuff. It felt terrible on my face and smelled of Rootbeer (It was also another glycerin soap). Fair warning: my experience might have been heavily tainted by the scent and I could only bring myself to use it twice.
Best performance: Arko stick
Best scent: Strop Shoppe Baker St. - I loved the scent but the performance wasn't there (it was the glycerin one rather than tallow)
Worst Scent/Performance: Bald Frog Arabian Hookah
Just couldn't stand this stuff. It felt terrible on my face and smelled of Rootbeer (It was also another glycerin soap). Fair warning: my experience might have been heavily tainted by the scent and I could only bring myself to use it twice.
I haven't used the bath soap, but I've heard it smells completely different from the shave soap. I'd be inclined to agree, as the shave soap smells nothing like cooked lamb. More like fresh laundry.
Just for what it's worth ... "glycerin soap" is more marketing than anything. There are some which use glycerine (and alcohol) instead of water to solubilize the lye, these are not those. Generally clear soaps are called "glycerin soaps" but there's no reason they would arbitrarily contain more glycerin than some other non-clear soap. There are soaps which add glycerin (a durned good idea) and call themselves a glycerin soap, and there are some which call themselves glycerin soap because they don't remove it - all soap making from fats/oils has a byproduct of glycerin.
Glycerin is not a fat, oil, or fatty acid, so it does not make soap. It is not reacted by the lye so it's just there as a lubricant and humectant. It does not have anything to do with having tallow or not. Both veg and tallow soaps will naturally have glycerin unless removed.
I think the more people know, the more they can look at soaps with a critical eye and maybe find other soaps which don't have that steep price tag/big name but is well made anyway.
Best:
Saint Charles Shave
Arko
Tabac
Worst:
William's
MWF
Herban Cowboy
Saint Charles Shave
Arko
Tabac
Worst:
William's
MWF
Herban Cowboy
I've heard about this Silver Fox soap a few times recently, but I can't find any info on it. Would anyone mind sharing the info on how to order, or even where I can find some information on it?
