No scent from a DR Harris Marlborough cream?

**jesperw** · 09-23-2012, 08:19 AM

Hello everyone,

I started off buying a shaving stick from DR Harris and loved the scent (Marlborough). Thought I could use some shaving cream in this magnificent scent, and the cream has very little scent. The pale scent there is can NOT be regocnized as Marlborough, rather more powder. My wife has a pretty good nose, and she cannot smell any resemblance with the stick.

Is this how DR Harris creams are or is my cream defect in any way?

I have a Marlborough soap coming in as well. Is the scent second to none in the soaps as well?

Many thanks in advance!

**brucered** · 09-23-2012, 07:35 PM

I have Arlington soap and a tube of the cream. Both have lots of scent and I don't notice one or the other having more or less.

Maybe you got an old one, hard to says.

**john parker** · 09-23-2012, 08:04 PM

I just gave up on two grated samples of D.R. Harris soap (Windsor and Arlington) because they had no scent. Just over on another forum where there is discussion about D.R. Harris soaps having no scent or the wrong one. Suspect something is happening.

**njpaddy** · 09-23-2012, 08:13 PM

It seems that the only inconsistencies in Harris soaps are the scents. I have all 5 soaps and my almond (a stick I grated into a bowl) has no scent. The scents of the other pucks are on the light side which is ok with me, but I do wish the scent of my Arlington was a little stronger. My lavender soap has the strongest scent. I tried Harris lavender cream about 2 years ago, but didn't like it and sold it. I don't remember the scent.

**CHSeifert** · 09-24-2012, 08:13 AM

I have 4 DR Harris creams, all have unique scents and smells great.
My Marlborough cream is my goto in the very cold winter months - it smells like an incense based cream with cedar and sandalwood, not fresh cologne type wood, but a real dusty cosy woody scent combined with a scent of a (perhaps Marlborough) cigarette lying in an ashtray.

I'm a non smoker, but like the scent - but it's not for ex-smokers, me thinks ;)

**jesperw** · 09-24-2012, 11:56 AM

Thanks gentlemen,

Now I know that I am not alone. Lets just keep fingers crossed that the puck of soap in transit smells more. :-)

**Mad Dog** · 09-24-2012, 04:54 PM

Jesper,

I have a puck of Marlborough with absolutely no scent as well. I contacted the vendor, who is shipping out a replacement. We'll see how the new one fares.....

**tfinch** · 09-24-2012, 08:55 PM

Sounds like an anomaly to me. All the DR Harris creams I have smelled about blew my head off just sniffing the tub. I didn't even attempt to shave with them.

**truegreen** · 09-24-2012, 09:06 PM

I have Arlington and Marlborough soap and both of them have lots of scent. I was thinking of ordering the sandalwood soap...I hope it has enough scent

**jesperw** · 09-25-2012, 01:52 AM

Thanks! I also suspected it is an anomaly.

Will wait for the soap to arrive. If soap has no smell, I will return both.

**mharris127** · 09-26-2012, 02:38 PM

I suspect a lot of soap didn't get scented. I would shave with it anyway, the scenting ingredients in commercial products don't usually affect the lathering ability of the soap in any way. In fact Arko makes varieties of lathering shave cream without added scent, so does Erasmic.

**Mad Dog** · 09-26-2012, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by mharris127

I suspect a lot of soap didn't get scented. I would shave with it anyway, the scenting ingredients in commercial products don't usually affect the lathering ability of the soap in any way. In fact Arko makes varieties of lathering shave cream without added scent, so does Erasmic.

Indeed, my "defective" Marlborough lathers superbly. But an important part of why I got into DE shaving was to enjoy the morning ritual, and scent is a big part of that ritual for me.

**Optometrist** · 09-27-2012, 03:13 AM

Never tried a Harris cream, only their soaps, but never had any issues with scent with any of them.

**jesperw** · 10-01-2012, 12:19 PM

The soap has arrived and has scent. Not overly much, but acceptable. :-)

Will keep the cream for super lather. Cannot be bothered with returning it.

thanks for all the input you have given!

**gaj90027** · 10-01-2012, 03:41 PM

I have literally handled at least two dozen each of the Arlington and Marlborough pucks in the last year and have yet to find any of them particularly "strong" scented. IMO both scents are by default purposefully lightly perfumed as opposed to Tabac or Arko for example which are all up in your nostrils. It's absolutely a case of YMMV but I've seen the same comments regarding people not being able to smell AoS Sandalwood and L'Occitane Cade soaps as well which I have also handled dozens of pucks of and found all of them to be extremely heavy on the scent. I have also been asked if the Martin De Candre that I carry on occasion is unscented (it isn't) and the lavender scent in that soap will knock your socks off.

Not saying I'm right and you're wrong but try smelling your lightly scented products first thing in the morning (as long as you don't have sinus problems) when your sense of smell is rested. If you work in an office with climate controlled air bring your product to work and smell it in the office, there is very rarely any lingering background smells in most offices I have worked in and you might be surprised how that unscented puck is actually quite fragrant in a neutral environment. When I pack up my sample orders and leave them on my counter at home I can't smell anything radiating from the envelopes, nor can I smell them on the bus or the train during my commute, but as soon as I set them down on my desk in my office I realize how strong they smell even through sealed zip-lock bags and a bubble padded envelope.

So far, the only Harris soap I have found exceptionally fragrant is Windsor. It's no Arko or Tabac but the fragrance is no where near as subtle as Arlington and Marlborough.