I'm sure that this may only be news to a few and I must have missed the info regarding AOS soap reformulation. I was under the impression, based on many prior posts and Jim's excellent compendium, that AOS soaps are both triple milled and TALLOW based. I was also under the impresion that they were made for AOS by Valobra from Italy. So I was in the AOS store at the King of Prussia mall today and I inquired about their line of soaps as I have never even smelled them let alone used them before. I was directed to the line of soaps and they were out in there respective bowls. I must say that the scents were extremely muted, but they were of course dry pucks. The salesperson then told me that they were all Glycerin based and did not contain tallow. It was as if he was letting me know that there were no BAD animal fats in it. I did not ask, he simply offered that info. I told him that I was under the impression that AOS soaps did contain tallow and both he and the other salesperson in the store confirmed that they do NOT contain tallow. I was not about to call him on anything given my lack of experience with soaps and the fact that there was no ingredients label on the packages. At any rate I then asked if they were made for AOS by an Italian company to which he replied "no, we make all our own soaps in house down in Miami". I mentioned that I had heard tha a company called Valobra made the soap for AOS and he said that they have always been made by AOS in the states. Anyway, can you guys shed some light on this cause now I'm confused. Thanks.
AOS=Tallow=Valobra?
- Thread starter tweedcab
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Thank you for the kind words. I have never seen packaging that indicated anything other than Tallow as a first ingredient and that they are made in Italy. Did you examine the boxes for an ingredient list?
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I like the way AOS does it. They use tallow in a sneaky way and they don't lie on their site, they just conceal the truth about tallow. The soap does have glycerin and blah blah blah like they say on their site, but it's really tallow based. Nice 
I concur with Jim. Also, here is a thread that compares in the ingredients of the Valobra hard shaving stick with AOS soap.
My guess is the staff at the store are just clueless.
My guess is the staff at the store are just clueless.
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I have always heard that Valobra makes the AOS soaps, and from what I can tell, the ingredient lists are the same. (Valobra's label uses the Latin terms for coconut oil and corn oil, and some sort of numerical identifier for titanium dioxide.)
I don't know anything about them, but a quick google later and from their website:
Glycerin and coconut oil, no mention of tallow. Granted, both glycerin and coconut oil are listed as ingredients in the boxes Jim has posted. Maybe they've been reformulated? Maybe they ARE tallow based, but don't mention it on the website because they think tallow is taboo (as OP mentioned from the tone in the sales rep's voice)?
Glycerin and coconut oil, no mention of tallow. Granted, both glycerin and coconut oil are listed as ingredients in the boxes Jim has posted. Maybe they've been reformulated? Maybe they ARE tallow based, but don't mention it on the website because they think tallow is taboo (as OP mentioned from the tone in the sales rep's voice)?
Jim, you bet me to it. Since i went to the trouble of taking the picture, i am posting mine too, an AOS Sandalwood refill. 
You can see clearly that it says made in Italy.
You can see clearly that it says made in Italy.
it's my understanding that AoS market's thier soaps as containing Glycerin, which is true, however according to Jim's post above they're a tallow based soap. i can fully understand where a sales person wouldn't understand the difference.
Jeremy (jkh) can jump in here, but im not sure if Valobra makes the AoS soaps, but thier ingrediant lists sure are similar.
Jeremy (jkh) can jump in here, but im not sure if Valobra makes the AoS soaps, but thier ingrediant lists sure are similar.
There is a a cigar store that sells the complete line of AOS products near my house. They recently got in a new shipment of soaps and they are the same as the old soap.
I think that that the AOS people probably don't know that sodium tallowate is tallow.
I think that that the AOS people probably don't know that sodium tallowate is tallow.
The website has been wrong as long as it has been open. If this is deliberate or a case of cluelessness I cannot say.
Just piling on here: All of my AOS refills, including those that were purchased recently at the AOS store in the Roosevelt Field Mall in NY, say "Made in Italy" and list Sodium Tallowate as the first ingredient.
- Thread starter
- #12
That was some quick clarification guys. Thanks. Jim, I examined every facet of the boxes and absolutely NO mention of ingredients on any of them, however, IIRC, I did only examine the boxes for the bowls/soap and not the refill pucks as some have posted pix of. Hmmm, now I want to go back and look at the refill boxes. I was surprised that they are led to believe that all AOS soap is made in Miami with Made in Italy so clearly marked on the box above. Oh well, tis the season and I'll be back.
I don't think they list tallow as an ingredient because "processed beef fat" doesn't sound as sexy as coconut oil and glycerin.
People should know by now to just walk in to an AOS store, quietly purchase their soap, cream, or aftershave, then quickly exit the store. Any further interaction with the staff is superfluous and likely will only lead to frustration.
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- #20
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