Need Recommendations: Highest Performance Soaps with SIMPLE, CLEAN scents?

[lasta]

Palmolive

 

[Phoenixkh]

My face can't handle the ingredients used to add fragrance to shaving soaps. As I result, I have a small collection of unscented soaps. They all have that light soap scent as very few soaps have zero smell, if any. These all work well for me.

1. Canada Shaving Soap: The standard against which I compare the other soaps.
2. Baume.be Cream... not unscented but with a very light scent. It's excellent. They also make a great pre-shave.
3. PAA Scentsless CK-6. I use the PAA Cube 2.0 and Tube 2.0 pre-shaves most of the time.
4. Captain's Choice Unscented (no longer available at this time but you never know, Scott might add it back into the lineup.)
5. Mystic Water Sensitive Skin
6. Souther Witchcrafts Incorporeal
7. Grooming Department Pura. They also make a very find pre-shave
8. Stirling Unscented with Beeswax. Stirling also makes a very fine pre-shave
9. Mike's Unscented

I've tried all of the above. I do have some Stirling Sheep Unscented but that one I haven't used yet.

If you wanted to add some scent to any of the above, a few drops of the essential oil of your choice might give them a scent you love.

 

[Wogus]

Based on personal experience I can suggest the following:

• Canada Shave Soap (Personal Favorite)
• Stirling - Naked and Smooth
• Stirling - Unscented with Beeswax (Personal Favorite)
• Southern Witchcrafts - Incorporeal

 

[Barbarian80]

I really love Palmolive soap for its simplicity and refreshing scent although it's not the greatest shave soap particularly if you have sensitive skin.

 

[Benoni]

Lothur Calm

 

[flask28]

Martin de Candre is exactly what you're looking for. You can use it with Grooming Dept preshave and you'll have lather that stand with the best of them.

This.

MdC Agrumes plus GD preshave is an epic tier lather and shaving experience.

 

[Zora]

Another vote for Canada Shave soap.

 

[something better]

Lea soap has a clean and pleasant aroma. I put this soap in a jar and type it with a brush.

I wish I could find that for the equivalent price it’s available at in Europe

 

[NiOOH]

Palmolive or Speick sticks. Just a clean, unobtrusive, light scent that wouldn't interfere with any after shave.

 

[rsp1202]

Sometimes I get the urge to explore beyond unscented MdC and Canada, and more than likely would opt for a limes soap or cream since, as I recall from years past, they have the least offensive scents.

 

[Brian H Shaves]

Like someone mentioned above:

• Stirling - Naked and Smooth
• Stirling - Unscented with Beeswax

Stirling has a top tier soap base IMO. They sell huge 5.8oz tubs for under $15. Stirling has a better soap base than soaps twice their price. And I am a huge PAA fan.

 

[BurnFree]

I really love Palmolive soap for its simplicity and refreshing scent although it's not the greatest shave soap particularly if you have sensitive skin.

Completely agree. I get a hint of burn if being slow to shave, but use it on occasion. The scent is "industrial"(does not offer visions of an artisan toiling away in their forest cabin) but it is clean, classic, and simple. It requires a good dollop for a good shave and is thus fairly expensive per use at current north american prices unless buying in bulk, so I guess that makes it high-end too! While I like the performance of a few soaps better, it is surprisingly good and worth trying a tube yourself.

And don't laugh at the Arko! recommendation. It is a polarizing scent that is certainly not trying to be Complex or Pleasing to All - it's either a lemony Ivory soap bar, or a urinal puck...nothing in between. It is also a slick soap IMO if you trend toward oily skin or can tolerate post-shave dryness. And you need to try it at least once anyway, because, well, it's Arko!

Finally, I'll pif a tube of mostly-full Proraso Red (sandalwood) if desired. Not for me, although I've heard it is a decent imitation of the real thing. PM.

Lots of good suggestions on this thread; finding simple scents without being UNscented is a challenge. Enjoy the hunt.

 

[Jens]

You already found it .... Cella ..!
If you like Cella, another Italian croap worth trying is Vitos. Like Cella, it comes in 1 kilo "bricks", at a very reasonable price.
And, I second some of the suggestions already made:
Mitchell's Wool Fat -- above all ... fantastic soap, simple scent
Lea -- very nice, simple scent, good shaving soap, good price. Comes in pucks too, no need for grinding sticks.
La Toja -- another excellent Spanish soap meeting your criteria, simple ingredients and scent, excellent price too ..

If you are looking for simplicity and quality, you don't need a lot of choice. The above will do. All I use these days, is Cella, Vitos, and Mitchell's Wool Fat.

 

[bmiller3230]

You really will not do better than Stirling Unscented With Beeswax. It's really unscented, and provides a really rich, luxurious lather. Its not expensive either

 

[musicman1951]

MdC Nature
and Canada SS are exactly what you're looking for.

 

[LeroyR]

WSP Barbershop, it’s just fantastic. I prefer the tallow version.

 

[VerbaVolant]

Need Recommendations: Highest Performance Soaps with SIMPLE, CLEAN scents?​

 

[Eben Stone]

The Body Shop Maca Root
Palmolive
Wars (if you like Barbershop scent)

 

[Avenir1122]

Dr. Selby perhaps, I've heard it likened to a hand soap version of lavender. Simple compared to what others are, and it preforms like MDC more or less.

 

[Chandu]

You ruined the magic of the stick for me!

That is the same way I use sticks. I can't stand rubbing a hard stick of soap on my face. It irritates my skin before I shave. I could see it maybe insisted on using a hard soap vs cream while traveling. And even then I'd use Arko or the no longer available Turkish stick (can't remember the name) that was relatively soft. Something like GZD Berber I think. It had Tony Dow on the packaging (looked like Wally Cleaver)

Last time I traveled, I used brushless and it was actually a great week of shaves.