Pre de Provence -- a short review

[cymric]

But, it is not what I would call a user friendly (fool proof) soap. The lather, when formed on the puck, is quite bubbly---it seems that SR shavers enjoy the thinness of this particular soap's lather, and many users also like it for its clean (not super-fatted) post-shave feel.

On the contrary, it is foolproof; and no, the lather formed on the puck is definitely not bubbly (save for the first few seconds), but rather thick and creamy. Just like almost all of the 80+ soaps I've tried over the years. Of course I'm not loading up like crazy, and try to keep aeration down to a minimum by gentle rubbing and scraping and softly pumping the lather up into the brush, then pushing it out onto the puck again to pick up more soap.

Bubbly lather... suggests a multitude of improvements waiting to be made.

I have found the product slightly drying, even though I consider myself to have oily skin. Unfortunately, I always experience a 'tingle' when lathering for the second pass. I have not been able to shave with PDP without feeling this slightly uncomfortable (but not disqualifying) sensation, even though the first pass is usually discomfort free.

This is something I've run into with PdP from time to time. Usually the lather's off: either too thick or too thin. Many years ago I suspect an issue with either a fragrance or a lye caused irritation... when I tried anew a few years later I was most pleased the issue had subsided.

I suspect it is the fragrance that adds to the reaction of my skin, as well as the general thinness of the lather and the subsequent dragging of the blade against the skin---my own fault, and user error, to be sure. Users report better performance by loading PDP nearly twice as long as they'd load another soap. This is difficult to do on the puck,...

No, it's not difficult at all, unless you're trying to load from that silly tin which offers no room for the proto-lather at all. I move all soap pucks into lidded tubs foodstuffs are sold in, like this. Works a charm.

I really ought to try and make a video about this stuff to illustrate the process. Moisture, gentle movements, time... Soap will dissolve. I always get there in the end, which is between 30 and 40 seconds. (I don't care about creating too much lather. I care about a good shave, and if I go through a puck at an accelarated rate... so be it. It won't break the bank to buy a new one.)

It appears I simply have a negative reaction to some ingredient or fragrance in the soap.

That's always a bummer when that happens. Not something the soap maker can easily change, of course.

 

[cymric]

Back to the puck for 20 more swirls, then back the my face. Hmmm...still not there. Back to the puck, 15 additional swirls. This is an absurd amount of loading, compared to ANY of my soaps.

I must have enough, right?

No, not nearly enough. This three second spin-nonsense (or, in your case, two dozen swirls or so) is really causing more problems than it's worth. Humor me and try gently loading (by moving in small circles, moving in straight lines across the puck, and softly allow the brush to suck up the lather, then press it onto the puck again) for 45 seconds or so. Yes, you read that right: 45 seconds. Don't use a wet brush, but rather a moist one, and try and keep aeration to a minimum.

Then bowl lather, adding small gulps of water as you go, and see what you end up with.

You may notice a difference or two.

 

[borwish]

PdP works great for me. I place it right behind the old Tabac in performance. I also find it to be a rather fast loader with it being much faster than the RR WTP but not as quick as the MdC fans claim.

I wet a 26mm synthetic brush and give it two decent shakes to remove most of the water. Swirl the brush on the puck until it looks right. Smear on face and then add water to the brush and build lather. Sometimes a second addition of water is needed. I have found that with most soaps you'll know when you've loaded enough when your brush's tips look right---Cella, Stirling, Proraso, Mike's, PdP, etc... should all look pretty much the same on your brush's tips.

 

[gpjoe]

Ok, one more try.

Soaked my SoC Mistura, shook it out, and loaded, loaded, loaded, loaded, loaded...you get the picture...I loaded it like I stole it. My wrist got sore () and the lather on the brush completely covered the bristles and continued to my fingertips.

In other words, I loaded this soap longer than I've ever loaded any other soap, and at least 1000x longer than MdC.

Painted my face, dipped the tips, and scrubbed, repeated several more times...and I finally got a lather that I can get with just about any other soap.

So, I was wrong...it can be lathered.

Two final thoughts:

The shave was just ok, completely mediocre. In fact, my recently acquired Tcheon Fung Sing shaves much better, at 4 bucks a tub.

I'll probably relegate both tins of PdP to the bottom drawer...way in the back...grateful that I won't develope carpal tunnel syndrome.

 

[rockviper]

@gpjoe , Could it simply be your water isn't good for PdP?

 

[gpjoe]

@gpjoe , Could it simply be your water isn't good for PdP?

Could be.

I have well water with a softener, though that is common to all of my soaps that lather more easily. So, I guess if PdP is that much more sensitive to my water than nearly every other soap that I've used...I'm still out.

I don't mean to sound crotchety, and truly appreciate the input.

 

[rockviper]

Understand entirely. A soap that doesn't work for you for whatever reason, doesn't work for you.

 

[borwish]

@gpjoe You didn't accidently nickel plate your PdP did you?

 

[gpjoe]

@gpjoe You didn't accidently nickel plate your PdP did you?

No, but maybe I inhaled too much of the fumes on my recent plating project...it appears that I'm handicapped...and crabby.

 

[awk_m4]

This is a very informative thread. Thank you @gpjoe for sharing your experience with PDP. I've been wanting to try this soap. I prefer soaps that require less effort. Maybe one day I'll give it a go.

 

[gpjoe]

This is a very informative thread. Thank you @gpjoe for sharing your experience with PDP. I've been wanting to try this soap. I prefer soaps that require less effort. Maybe one day I'll give it a go.

If you want to try it, PM your address and I'll send one of mine. Your choice of either No 63 or Bergamot &Thyme...just promise you won't send it back.

 

[awk_m4]

If you want to try it, PM your address and I'll send one of mine. Your choice of either No 63 or Bergamot &Thyme...just promise you won't send it back.

PM Sent!! I'd love to try Bergamot and Thyme.
I promise I will to send it back!

 

[Lane101]

Ok, one more try.

Soaked my SoC Mistura, shook it out, and loaded, loaded, loaded, loaded, loaded...you get the picture...I loaded it like I stole it. My wrist got sore () and the lather on the brush completely covered the bristles and continued to my fingertips.

In other words, I loaded this soap longer than I've ever loaded any other soap, and at least 1000x longer than MdC.

Painted my face, dipped the tips, and scrubbed, repeated several more times...and I finally got a lather that I can get with just about any other soap.

So, I was wrong...it can be lathered.

Two final thoughts:

The shave was just ok, completely mediocre. In fact, my recently acquired Tcheon Fung Sing shaves much better, at 4 bucks a tub.

I'll probably relegate both tins of PdP to the bottom drawer...way in the back...grateful that I won't develope carpal tunnel syndrome.

Glad you gave it another try. The challenge with really hard soaps like this, MWF or Williams is figuring out a way to load enough product with either more water, a stiffer brush or more effort.

Makes sense to move on to soaps that work better for you. You may come back to it in a year or two and get a better result as I did recently with Williams.

The TFS Red Bowl is great soap at a few dollars per tub.

 

[bmiller3230]

If you want to try it, PM your address and I'll send one of mine. Your choice of either No 63 or Bergamot &Thyme...just promise you won't send it back.

They can have mine too. There are much better soaps. Their offerings smell great, but that's about it...

 

[The Coffee Bandit]

Yeah, when people aren't getting at least serviceable lathers, I'd wager under loading is the culprit the large majority of the time.

 

[NorthernSoul]

Yeah, when people aren't getting at least serviceable lathers, I'd wager under loading is the culprit the large majority of the time.

A lot of people are used to cream soaps. If it takes more than a few swirls the soap must be defective.

I've used PdP for a long time, so know it is a good soap, wears like iron and lasts a long time. Take the soap out of the container, face lathering works best, IMHO. You can also just use the puck like a very large shave stick, that works well as an option and you get plenty of soap that way.

 

[Mr Konrad Dundee]

You can also just use the puck like a very large shave stick

I often do this with small to medium sized hard soaps, an excellent use this way

 

[bmiller3230]

A lot of people are used to cream soaps. If it takes more than a few swirls the soap must be defective.

SV works great for me and it's not a cream soap

 

[NorthernSoul]

SV works great for me and it's not a cream soap

No one is knocking SV, though it is overpriced, IMHO. It also has surfactants. Chalk and cheese, apples and oranges, etc.

 

[BigJ]

….

If you're getting thin and foamy lather with lots of bubbles, try loading more soap.

+1! More soap, then you may need a bit more water. Once you ‘dial it in’ PdP is a great option IMO.