Is AOS over MWF or DR Harris worth it?
- Thread starter cdrross
- Start date
I'd really like to know what products are being used that render the AOS "lacking". I've tried almost every highly touted product out there, and I love them. Not arguing, I just want to know what I need to go get
Also, I'd wager that the idea that Arlington is better (in any way other than scent) than AoS would be a decidedly minority opinion. I could be wrong as I'm not very smart
I found that I could get either a very nice dense lather with Valobra stick/AOS (lot more experience with the Valobra stick, as the AOS I sampled was only enough for about 5 shaves - and it was several years ago.), or good slickness, getting both in the same lather treads an extremely fine line in the amount of water used to hydrate the product. I also find both to be slightly drying to my skin. Not irritation, and nothing "terrible" that would keep me from using either of them, but slightly drying non-the-less.
I find Provence Sante and Pre de Provence (in the less expensive realm) to both provide thick protective lather and good slickness with a fairly wide range of hydration levels. The moisture levels left in the skin after either of those products is far beyond what Valobra leaves the skin.
Since we are talking about expensive soaps (AOS, especially) making a comparison directly to Martin de Candre is not at all out of line, and when comparing the lather of Valobra directly to MdC, they are not even in the same league for me. MdC tolerates almost any water to soap ratio, almost any loading amount from extremely small, to heavy - assuming you use enough water to not have something that feels like marshmallow cream if you overload your brush, and yet remains slick as long as you haven't gotten the lather so thick that you can't pull the razor through the stuff - which is almost literally possible to do with MdC.
MdC is an incredibly well balanced and gentle soap, and leaves your skin feeling like a baby's behind, even though there are no particularly "moisturizing" ingredients in the soap at all. (Only a little added glycerin if I remember right - which is going to affect the hydration of the lather much more than the hydration of the soap.) If your pre-shave prep didn't dry your face out, MdC is going to leave it feeling great with no dryness or tightness in the skin. Most of the time I don't bother with an ASB at all when I use MdC, Pre de Provence or Provence Sante. That is not something I can say for Valobra. I wouldn't say moisturization is IMPERATIVE with Valobra, but it makes the skin feel better for the first hour after the shave. It isn't like Arko where you kind of feel it's necessary to loosen things up.
Keep in mind that I have a water softener and completely soft water, so differences in the actual soap itself tends to show itself more. With hard water, some things like added detergents (I know, not present in Valobra/AOS), sequestering agents and such can play much larger role in a person's preferences. Things like sequestering agents that bind with the calcium and magnesium ions in some soaps, or detergents in Proraso, VDH & many other melt & pour soaps which are not affected nearly as much by hardness may make a "cheap" soap a better performer for some, since those soaps aren't degraded, or degraded to a much lesser extent than some higher end soaps that don't have these additives, or as many of them. All this, of course, adding to the YMMV statement so often seen.
If you have a Nordstroms you can give the AoS soaps the sniff test to see which one you like best.
They are excellent but the gap between AoS and D.R. Harris or MWF is smaller IMHO than the gap the latter 2 have over Parabeno errr... Proraso.
They are excellent but the gap between AoS and D.R. Harris or MWF is smaller IMHO than the gap the latter 2 have over Parabeno errr... Proraso.
I have good luck with the AOS lavender. I had the MWF a while ago and sold it. I would give it another try of one comes my way.
I like AoS fine, but it can't hold a candle to MWF, imo.
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