VAn Der Hagen Delux Shave Soap

I first tried this from the VDH starter set. It was awesome from day one the brush was so so but we are only talking about the soap here. That said I see a lot of people putting it up against Williams which is fine but this is not in the same class as Williams by any means !!! This soap should hold it's own against pucks 300x plus it's cost think mama bears or Ogallala or even DR Harris or TOBS and Prosaro. the lather is easy to form it is slick , moisturizing stable and everything you would want from a puck of soap period for a fraction of the cost. Do not I repeat do not let the cost or the fact you can get it at rite aid or wally world detract you from the quality of this soap. the only draw back is two fold it is only a 2.5 oz. puck and it goes a bit fast secondly you really should melt it in the microwave for10 seconds then put it in a tin or bowl as trying to load your brush in a 2.5 oz. plastic container is a pain so buy 2 pucks melt them in the wave pour into a 5 oz. tin and you have one of the best soaps on the market period bar none. I can't recommend this soap enough. Oh and yes it does smell a small bit like grey flannel cologne but I like grey flannel so for me that is a plus if you don't like that smell maybe reconsider the purchase but for a buck fitty you can't go wrong.

having only been DE shaving for a couple weeks coupled with being on a budget, my experience is obviously limited. I initially bought Williams because thats all they had at the CVS when i was looking. I've been getting inconsistent lather with it to say the least. after seeing VDH deluxe being highly rated in comparison to Williams', i decided to try it out. i actually think it was cheaper at walmart compared to the williams' at CVS($2?). after my first go round with it, i now know what lather is actually supposed to look like. its nice and thick compared to Williams, and i love the scent. it smells like classic shaving cream that i grew up smelling when i watched my dad shave in the morning. if you're looking for a good soap and you're not wanting to spend a kajillion bucks on it, this is a no-brainer. definitely worth a shot!

I pick this up at Wal-Mart for $1.98. The soap on its own is decent. I however re-melt this with 1 tablespoon of glycerin which is why I rate it high. The glycerin changes this soap in a way that I enjoy using it daily.

This soap came in my VDH set and I can't say enough good things about it. At first it was a little difficult to lather with the VDH cheapie brush but after getting my water ratio down it became really good. I'm a big fan of the scent. Just a nice clean soap fragrance that isn't too strong. This soap always provides a nice slick surface even if the lather isn't whip cream like.

I know a lot of people can get this for cheap in the CONUS and I would definitely keep this a part of my regular rotation if I could come by it more in Japan.

Definitely a product worth buying. It's a great baseline soap, good for measuring other soaps against. I use it as my standard soap, and compare my creams and soaps alongside it...

Price: 10 for the simple fact that it's CHEAP. DIRT CHEAP... but you're getting much more than what you're paying for.

Quality: 7. It's not the best product out there... sure, but it definitely gets the job done. it's great for travel, and for the price (as mentioned above) you're getting more than you paid for, by far.

Scent: 8. Not a personal like or dislike (but it's no Old Spice, nor is it anything fancy.), but my Wife does like it.

Lather: 8. I almost gave this one a 10, simply because of how EASY it is to lather. This is one reason I recommend it as a beginner soap, and as a standard for judging other soaps.

Efficacy: 8. It definitely gets you the desired effect, and it does it easily, but it's nothing to be wowed over.

Moisturizing: 7. The product tends to dry your face out a little bit... yet, it tends to feel a little bit moistened. It's and odd situation.


Overall, it's an 8. It's a great standby, and I think everyone who is a wet-shaver should keep a puck, even if it's just for travel. Keep one if you need to give it as a PIF to a beginning wet-shaver. Keep one to test out that new razor without wasting your expensive puck of MWF!

Price: Rating 10
VDH Deluxe (my 'go-to' soap), is a great price at $1.50 per puck at my local Wal-Mart.

Quality: Rating 9
These very light pinkish pucks are 2 ¾ inches in diameter across and weigh approximately 2 ½ ounces each. Although not being ‘tallow or milled’, it is a softer soap than a few of the glycerin soaps (VDH Glycerin, I’ve briefly used before). Feeling this Shaving Soap after unwrapping, it does feel very slick indeed…a very good sign for shaving. According to VDH, this hypo-allergenic puck contains 40% moisturizers, including Aloe Vera & Shea Butter With the addition of Shea Butter, it produces an incredible lather and each puck is made with high quality ingredients, no animal products and no harsh chemicals to irritate my sensitive skin.

Scent: Rating: 9
Very nice, light and ‘clean / fresh’ scent.

Lather: Rating 10
OMG… this Soap really generates a lot of incredible nice and thick lather. Water retention of this Soap is wonderful and with just a about six (6), ‘whips’ ((with either my FS Silvertip, CM Pure Badger or Parker Black Badger Brushes), around my Shaving Cup, this Soap produces a rich, lightly scented and dense 'stiff peak' lather. Here is my drying test (got this idea from Scotto's past post), I lather my face and leave it on for at least 10 minutes and "look", no problem with the lather drying out on my face.

Efficacy: Rating 9.5
Throughout the shave, the lather provided a lot of cushion and glide using my Merkur's 23C or 38C and I found that I get a closer shave (vs. Chelsea's or Williams), with almost hardly any weepers. I just have to say that this is the best shaving soap that I've ever tried…much better than the Williams Shaving Soap I’ve been using for at least 30yrs or the Chelsea’s Unscented I’ve been using for the past year. This Soap lathers up quickly and seems like it never dries out on my face either.

Moisturizing: Rating 10
Skin felt smooth and hydrated and after my shave, I feel very 'pampered' every time I lather up. I really 'Love' this Soap. What a change from many years of using Williams Shave Soap and many months using Chelsea’s and my face is noticeably smoother and softer.

In closing, this is the best shave soap I've tried so far and I highly recommend this soap to one and all.

Laughter is the [shaving] brush that sweeps away the cobwebs of your heart. Mort Walker

I picked this up at Rite Aid, great price, and melted very nicely in the microwave so I could pour it in my mug(the one I scraped Williams out of). The scent wasn't my favorite, although not horrible, I guess I could get used to it. Lather was very nice( much better than Williams) and was easily lathered on my face. I found easier to apply with a boar brush. I don't have hard water but I have heard that doesn't make a difference. I didn't find it moisturizers very well although I didn't really expect it to. Overall I like it and will have some always at hand. It's a great bargain soap and a wonderful value, especially for those just starting out or on a budget.

I came across this in Target while starting my wet shave journey. It was a less expensive soap, which was good since I was trying things out for the first time. Over the next couple of weeks, this product grew on me. It does it's job well. The scent leaves a lot to be desired for me, and I'm trying other soaps for something more my style.

In the end though, I can see myself coming back to this just because the value is outstanding.

This is virtually the only soap I have used. However, I can get excellent shaves with it, so take my review with a grain of salt. It has a light pleasant fragrance, and washes off clean. In combination with a shaving cream and glycerin, it delivers excellent bbs shaves with zero irritation. It works fairly well on its own. This soap leaves my skin feeling better after I shave than before!!!

Definitely a soap I plan to keep in my rotation for as long as I can because it has a fairly decent scent, very good lather and a nice way of moisturizing the skin.

very reasonable price. it took me a few practice runs and help form members here before i could work up a good lather. let some water rest on the puck for a few minutes to soften it up, load for about 3 minutes and face lather, the bowl didnt work for me. overall good for the price.

Cheap, lathers easily and protective of skin from nicks and irritation. Unfortunately a puck is only good for about 20 shaves or so compared to the 50-60 shaves from a Palmolive stick, 35-40 shaves from Williams and at least 60 shaves from an Arko stick. Also, don't heat the puck up, it literally melts in the cup when heated in a double-boiler method even if the water is only 120 degrees or so. Recommended with the no heating caveat.

Great product for the price!
I found this little puck at my local Walgreens and purchased it. I test hand lathered and was impressed with its lather ability.
It feels quite moisturizing.
It is hard but not a triple-milled soap so it's life will be a lot shorter.
I am not particularly fond of its scent, it smells soapy, so I am judging that it is an unscented product. but is faint so does not bother me really. I would just prefer if it actually had a scent to it.
so over all I am very pleased with the soap. Lathers well, didn't pay much for it at all, so it is better than I was expecting.
with the plastic container it comes in this soap would be a great little travel soap.

Tried a puck of this from Walgreens after I was disappointed with Classic Shaving brand.

VDH Deluxe has a interesting scent, almost like a cross of baby powder and rose.

This stuff lathers up pretty quick, and gives a nice, thick, creamy lather. It does not require too much water to get alot of lather.

The moisturizing of this soap is very good for a cheap soap, bur protection from the razor is average. Tallow-based soaps work best. Because of the Shea Butter & Aloe in the VDH, after shaving my skin feels baby butt smooth.

Found it at Walmart for $1.50 a puck! What a deal.

For the frugal or as a backup, the Van Der Hagen is a great deal.

Van Der Hagen soap is the first shaving soap that I have ever used. It is available at the local Walgreens. It has a nice mild scent, good for people who are sensitive to strong odors. It whips up into a nice lather on my face, and provides a nice cushion for my razor to glide on, and rinses away clean.
Overall I would say that I will always keep a puck of this on hand, and would recommend it to others.

Would be very tough to beat this soap for the price and the fact you can get it at most drug stores. It is definitely in my rotation.

okay but nothing to write home about, probably the best CVS choice you can find. other wise if buying online look for something better.

I have to say, it's easy to find this one on the shelf which is a plus. It doesn't create a great lather without a lot of work, but once it's on it seems to hold moisture well and provide a fairly smooth shave with little drag. The scent is pleasant too and I notice they produce an unscented version.

Gets the job done, but isn't a luxurious lather like premium brands. Just a notch above Ivory soap for lather.

Ah, my first shave soap! It gave me a better shave than any goo in a can ever did. But, after trying several other soaps I see why even though it was my first love, I will never go back. When I could get the water to soap ratio right it lathered just fine, very well in fact. The problem was, (IMHO) it seemed like there was no more than a two water drop difference between dry or thin. Maybe it's because I was still a nube, trying to find my lathering technique or maybe there is a reason why it is oh so inexpensive.

If you are looking to try traditional wet shaving and don't want to invest much money to see if it's for you, then I would recommend this soap. It will give you a better shave than than any pressurized chemical soup. If you are looking for shave Nirvana, then I would look on down the road.