Last week I placed my first ever order for the Blue Line Menthol Aftershave Balm and the Avocado Oil Aftershave Balm which both turned out to be excellent products. Included in my order was a nice size sample of the Saint Charles Shaving Soap. The scent was very nice, but somewhat complex. It reminded me of a mild cologne. The soap is not a hard soap but exactly like the consistency of Mike's or Mystic Water. It was very easy to lather and it produced a very thick luxurious lather that was very protective and slick for a wonderful shave. I was very very pleased with this soap and I loved its fragrance as I kept unwrapping the sample to get one last whiff! I know Saint Charles does have a fan base here, but their products do not get discussed as much as other on this forum because just like me most have not tried it. Well, once you try it I think you will be quite pleased and like me you will want to start a thread about this wonderful shave soap.
Saint Charles Shaving Soap!
- Thread starter mctmatt
- Start date
Welcome to the club.
I think we both received our orders about the same time! I have used the soap twice myself and agree that the sample I received has a complex, somewhat strong cologne scent. The soap seems to be pretty good, but the name of the scent was not on the package.
- Thread starter
- #4
I did not see a name on the Shave soap either, so I was not sure if that is the only one the make. Either way it is great soap, with complex fragrance which reminded me alot like Aramis Cologne.
SCS makes some quality products for nice prices, I have SCS shave cream (discontinued I think), shave soap, aftershave splash, and cologne. I enjoy using all of them.
please fans of SC don't take this the wrong way because i have never tried any of the following product and i know somewhat less then Zerro.
in an other forum some folks clamed that SC are not as good Mikes and QSS because they are "pure" soaps and SC are not. i dont know what this means does anyone ?
in an other forum some folks clamed that SC are not as good Mikes and QSS because they are "pure" soaps and SC are not. i dont know what this means does anyone ?
- Thread starter
- #9
I think they talking about there being no Tallow in the Saint Charles Shaving Soap. I personally could not tell any difference between the quality of lather that I made with Saint Charles Shaving Soap and the ones with Tallow such as Mike's, QCS, Mystic Water, Cella, and my Valobra Shaving Stick. I have all of these soaps and many more from well known Tallow makers. Saint Charles worked as well as any of them per my opinion for others it might and probably is different. You will just need to try Saint Charles then you can judge for yourself if it is a shaving soap you feel is worthy for your Shaving Den.
I got an e-mail Christmas greeting from SCS today, and in it she mentions that she is seriously contemplating making tallow soap. I didn't really understand the meaning of it when I read it, but now I believe that her current soap does not contain tallow.
Currently, there is no tallow in SCS soaps. Even so, they are great soaps IMO. Well worth a cost of a puck or sample.
I made the statement in question. Specifically, I was referencing the inclusion of detergents (such as SLES; sodium lauryl sulfate) which are simply not found in tallow based soaps such as Mike's or Queen Charlotte Soaps. Detergents like this would also not be found in traditional soap making recipes. It appears they are added to perhaps increase the foaming properties of the soap.
I haven't done a ton of research, and these additives could be harmless, but it doesn't change the fact that they are unnecessary to create a stellar shaving soap.
Correct. The only reference I can find to ingredients on the SCS website is this photo. No tallow:
For purposes of discussion, here is the list of ingredients for Mamma Bear's soap, the list is quite a bit shorter; I subscribe to the idea that in terms of things I am putting on my face simpler is probably better:
Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Castor Oil, Safflower , Glycerine (kosher, of vegetable origin), Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide (saponifying agent), Sorbitol (moisturizer), Sorbitan oleate (emulsifier), Soybean protein (conditioner), Wheat protein, and fragrance either natural or synthetic.
Mike's Natural Soap:
Distilled water; saponified tallow and stearic acid; vegetable glycerin; saponified kokum butter, avocado oil, and shea butter; lanolin, fragrance and/or essential oil(s); saponified coconut oil; kaolin clay, vitamin E.
QCS Shaving Cream (really a soft soap):
Water, saponified stearic acid, glycerin, saponified tallow, palm oil, olive oil, and coconut oil, aloe vera extract, essential oil(s), kaolin clay, phenoxyethanol (and) caprylyl glycol, vitamin E.
QCS Shaving Soap:
Saponified tallow, water, saponified castor oil and shea butter, glycerin, saponified stearic acid, cocoa butter, and coconut oil, essential oil(s), saponified avocado oil, palm oil, and olive oil, aloe vera extract, kaolin clay, lanolin, vitamin E.
Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Castor Oil, Safflower , Glycerine (kosher, of vegetable origin), Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide (saponifying agent), Sorbitol (moisturizer), Sorbitan oleate (emulsifier), Soybean protein (conditioner), Wheat protein, and fragrance either natural or synthetic.
Mike's Natural Soap:
Distilled water; saponified tallow and stearic acid; vegetable glycerin; saponified kokum butter, avocado oil, and shea butter; lanolin, fragrance and/or essential oil(s); saponified coconut oil; kaolin clay, vitamin E.
QCS Shaving Cream (really a soft soap):
Water, saponified stearic acid, glycerin, saponified tallow, palm oil, olive oil, and coconut oil, aloe vera extract, essential oil(s), kaolin clay, phenoxyethanol (and) caprylyl glycol, vitamin E.
QCS Shaving Soap:
Saponified tallow, water, saponified castor oil and shea butter, glycerin, saponified stearic acid, cocoa butter, and coconut oil, essential oil(s), saponified avocado oil, palm oil, and olive oil, aloe vera extract, kaolin clay, lanolin, vitamin E.
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GOOD because I already purchased and two of these are in the mail.
WOW had not seen that list?
Things that make you say wow!
is that maybe just the one product with all of Dow Cem in it?
All the soaps are made this way, with SLES as a foaming agent. Actually, I don't think they are, technically speaking, soaps at all. There is no saponifying agent. That said, I've finished a couple pucks and I have a couple pucks and they work great. If you are sensitive to SLES/SLS, stay away.
I believe that the reason the creams went away is because Wendy was unsure about working with lye, which is not necessarily something you want to have in your garage. But I have heard that the shaving cream may be making a comeback.
Honestly, the aftershave splashes are my favorite SCS products. They're amazing. I'm dangerously low though, once I finish this sabbatical I need an SCS order in the worst way.
I believe that the reason the creams went away is because Wendy was unsure about working with lye, which is not necessarily something you want to have in your garage. But I have heard that the shaving cream may be making a comeback.
Honestly, the aftershave splashes are my favorite SCS products. They're amazing. I'm dangerously low though, once I finish this sabbatical I need an SCS order in the worst way.
- Thread starter
- #20
All I can say is that I was very impressed with the shaving soap sample I received from its wonderful fragrance to the great performance of the soap itself. In terms of SLES and other ingredients I am not knowledgeable in this area so I cannot really comment.
