Provence Santé: What went wrong?

[Duggo]

I tried PS for the first time today, after reading glowing reviews about it. My experience this morning was less than stellar.

I found it to be on the thin side, not voluminous and was unable to make the amount I'm used to making. There was enough, but...barely.

Questions

I have two brushes. The one I use for soaps is the AOS Pure Badger. The other one is the B&B Brush. (since you asked...)

How do you get enough product off the puck? That seemed to be my biggest problem today.

Is the resulting lather (if you could call it that) that thin? I know, I know, I should have taken a photo.

How much water does PS take/like when you start off?

I've heard too many good things about Provence Santé to believe what happened this morning is indicative of the quality of their product.

Here's the interesting thing: Even with all that, I had a great shave. I think it's technique over product used. <-- It's just my opinion of course, and your experience may be different than mine.

[TromboneGuy]

I use very little water with Provence Sante.

After I soak the brush, I just tap it on top of the soap to get the soap damp, then I shake the rest of the water out of the brush, dump the water off the top of the soap, and go to town. for me, I get a pile of very thick lather in about 20 seconds that way. Then I move to my face and thin the lather out with a few drops of water in the brush.

[Jim]

Ygpm

[boboakalfb]

I don't get the thick and cushiony type lather with PS...its very slick though.

[guenron]

I seem to recall getting thick, cushiony, and slick lather with Provence Sante shaving soap. While I have several brushes, I personally find the mythos surrounding having to have a stiff, short lofted brush to work soaps amusing lore that definitely falls into the YMMV category of tale. As I have not used my Provence Sante in some time, I went to that great resource, the Gallery, to look up a prior use. I stumbled across this one that I believe more than adequately supports what I have stated.

First, please note that this is a photo taken after four shaving passes with a Vulfix #41. I don't think that there is anyone who will argue that this is anything other than a soft, floppy brush. No water taken out, I soak the brush in hot water, then all but dripping all over the counter, work up a protolather on the soap. I then pour whatever slurry remains atop the soap into my mug and build the lather there. Different technique, yes. Works with almost any brush, yes. Most important, it seems to build an exceptional lather with almost every shaving soap, but for Woods of Windsor and Caswell and Massey. Of course, YMMV..

[TromboneGuy]

Ah, you have the nifty little ceramic dish, too. I might just get that from Smallflower once I use up this puck. Which may take a while.

[guenron]

Ah, you have the nifty little ceramic dish, too. I might just get that from Smallflower once I use up this puck. Which may take a while.

I picked up the "SET" from Baudelaire Soaps. By the bye, they have a 20% off sale for Fathers Day on men's shaving kit!

[TromboneGuy]

Darn you for giving me another website to bookmark!

I'm gonna have to re-organize my bookmarks one of these days.

[Jim]

This is one of my favorite soaps and I always get a terrific shave with it.

I have no problem getting a thick rich lather.

[daddy55]

Ah, you have the nifty little ceramic dish, too. I might just get that from Smallflower once I use up this puck. Which may take a while.

I don't know whether Duggo also has the refill puck only, but that's what I picked up just to try the soap, which I like. I find it easier to control the moisture in the mug if the soap puck pretty well fits the bottom without a large gap around the puck. I want the moisture on top of the soap, in the lather and brush - and not laying down alongside the puck. I seem to get a faster and more consistent lather result this way.

You can't readily melt this soap to fit the mug, so I just shredded it with a cheese grater into the bottom of a large mug, and lightly pounded/compressed pressed it flat with the flat end of a tool handle. (Next time I'll probably pick up the nice matching ceramic dish). This also provides a somewhat broader surface area from which to draw soap into the lather. And it probably softened the soap somewhat. As always, YMMV.

[Duggo]

Thanks everyone for your responses. With help from Jim (Goosemeplese) it took me 4 times, but I finally got a lather I liked. I bought the puck of PS. It fits perfectly in a regular size mug.