QED Pine & Cedarwood Soap, 5oz.

Yesterday received a package of several soaps from Charles at QED. The goods were packed notably well, each item individually wrapped in plastic and tightly sealed then nested in shredded paper. It was actually the best packing job of anything I have personally received, regardless of product category/vendor. Well done!

The soaps (Pine & Cedarwood, Lavender stick and Bathtub Gin stick) smelled absolutely amazing dry during the unpacking. It is quite hot here in Austin at the moment and the heat really released the aroma during the final stages of delivery. Much like my previous post on Sea Buckthorn, it really whet my appetite for a shave!

This morning broke open the tub of Pine & Cedarwood. It is 5oz of soap, a very generous portion in a quality plastic container with screw top.

Same routine, sprinkle of water on soap while shower then Jim's tutorial on lathering. The soap has a different feel than others I have tried, this being my first glycerin soap, while loading the brush - very smooth and as a consequence I believe I went overboard loading (more on that later).

Nonetheless, I began building lather in a bowl. Built a suitable lather, during which the amazing smell of pine with undernotes of cedar absolutely FILLED the bathroom. I have spent a lot of time outdoors and this transported me to the timberline, spring fed creeks and clear mountain air. Very nice experience.

The soap itself lathers very well albeit with a somewhat precise relation between soap and water required for max effect (any of you more experienced that have used QED would love your thoughts on technique) but felt great on the face and provided for a nice first pass with fantastic lubrication. The EO's in the soap offered a refreshing sensation on the skin.

Second pass, I face lathered after dipping my brush tips in water. Here is the sweetspot - this soap seems to LOVE face lathering. It sprang with great lather and made for a solid second pass.

Long story somewhat short, I ended up doing a 5 pass shave. Very comfortably I may add. I could not stop, it felt great and I had clearly overloaded the brush (keep in mind this only with max one minute of loading!). I finished with a squeeze from the brush on the final pass producing a mound of thick, rich foam that accounted for about 1/2 inch spread on the face even after my previous four passes. Much deeper than normal for me but I also really had nothing left to shave! It was just that great!

Overall, this is IMHO a fantastic soap and at $13.50 for 5oz. a must try for any DE shaver. Very rich in EO, I love both the scent and the effect on my skin for an all round great shaving experience.