Hey fellas! Well I've been wet shaving for a while and have tried several soaps over the years and I think Arko is a great soap all around. It lathers easily and has pretty good slickness/protection. It's also so darn affordable. I'll list below some ratings for what to look for in a soap and a possible hack for some of its shortcomings.
Lather/Volume- 10/10
This soap lathers quick and easily. Nothing I've tried even compares.
Slickness- 7-8/10
This soap is very sick especially if you get the water to soap ratio just right.
Scent- 6/10
This is probably the most divisive part of this soap. Many don't like the smell and won't use it just for that reason. I can't judge but the lemony scent of it is strong but after a while the scent will diminish quite quickly. I like that I didn't really tire of the scent because if it's generic lemon scent. Unlike cella which is my second favorite soap I liked it at first including the scent but I do tire of the smell. As a cologne guy I tire of alot of scents quickly and Arko is neutral enough for me not to be bothered by it.
Price- 10/10
Great price and pretty much one of the most affordable soaps out there. I got a 12 pack for 18 bucks from Amazon so $1.50 per 90g stick. This will last me probably several years at such a low price . You can probably find even better deals out there.
Post Shave feel- 6/10
It's not the most hydrating soap. It does wash off easily as compared to other soaps but it can be a bit drying but is easily remidied by applying some lotion/post shave balm. Also wanted to note that Arko does not have lanolin which can be a source of possible allergic reactions. I think I do get a reaction to this because after switching to brands without this ingredient I see my skin being less irritated. Brands like Cella and Tabac don't have this if you are interested(great soaps btw).
HACK TIME!
Well overall I love this soap. But two things that I feel can be improved is it's post shave dryness. I decided to mix Arko with some coconut oil. I grated a 1 90g stick with 1/2 table spoon of melted coconut oil. And dang it made it soooo much slicker and very hydrating on my skin after the shave. This brings this 9/10 soap to a 10/10.
What you need!
Honestly just the coconut oil. I used a regular coconut oil I had laying around the house. This one has a bit of the coconut scent but you could get "fractionated" coconut oil that is more processed that almost has no scent at all.
Step 1
Grate your soap or finely slice with a knife the Arko stick into a bowl.
Step 2
Add 3-4 tablespoons of water into the bowl. Put it in the microwave for a minute. After taking it out add the 1/2 of liquid coconut oil and mix it all together. Don't add any more in my other attempts I put more oil and it affected its lather ability quite significantly. Also don't make this in huge batches. I would stick to 1 Arko stick because you are using coconut oil which is a food product it can eventually spoil. Best to make it in small batches.
Step 3
Take the product and spread it thinly across either a flat plate(disposable if handy). I personally used a clean cutting board I had around. Make some cross hatches so allow the product to dry. I would leave it to dry for a day or two. If you really dont like the scent of Arko this is the best opportunity to get rid of the smell. Leave it out for several days until you don't detect a smell.
Step 4
Whelp this is the last step. Find a container and pack it in and you are all done! You could at this point add a scent you enjoy such as a cologne. I would be careful because it could give you a bad reaction on your face. Safest bet would be to add 2-4 splashes of an after shave splash that you know agrees with your skin. All done and I hope you guys have great shaves and please let me know if this hack worked out for you. God bless!
Lather/Volume- 10/10
This soap lathers quick and easily. Nothing I've tried even compares.
Slickness- 7-8/10
This soap is very sick especially if you get the water to soap ratio just right.
Scent- 6/10
This is probably the most divisive part of this soap. Many don't like the smell and won't use it just for that reason. I can't judge but the lemony scent of it is strong but after a while the scent will diminish quite quickly. I like that I didn't really tire of the scent because if it's generic lemon scent. Unlike cella which is my second favorite soap I liked it at first including the scent but I do tire of the smell. As a cologne guy I tire of alot of scents quickly and Arko is neutral enough for me not to be bothered by it.
Price- 10/10
Great price and pretty much one of the most affordable soaps out there. I got a 12 pack for 18 bucks from Amazon so $1.50 per 90g stick. This will last me probably several years at such a low price . You can probably find even better deals out there.
Post Shave feel- 6/10
It's not the most hydrating soap. It does wash off easily as compared to other soaps but it can be a bit drying but is easily remidied by applying some lotion/post shave balm. Also wanted to note that Arko does not have lanolin which can be a source of possible allergic reactions. I think I do get a reaction to this because after switching to brands without this ingredient I see my skin being less irritated. Brands like Cella and Tabac don't have this if you are interested(great soaps btw).
HACK TIME!
Well overall I love this soap. But two things that I feel can be improved is it's post shave dryness. I decided to mix Arko with some coconut oil. I grated a 1 90g stick with 1/2 table spoon of melted coconut oil. And dang it made it soooo much slicker and very hydrating on my skin after the shave. This brings this 9/10 soap to a 10/10.
What you need!
Honestly just the coconut oil. I used a regular coconut oil I had laying around the house. This one has a bit of the coconut scent but you could get "fractionated" coconut oil that is more processed that almost has no scent at all.
Step 1
Grate your soap or finely slice with a knife the Arko stick into a bowl.
Step 2
Add 3-4 tablespoons of water into the bowl. Put it in the microwave for a minute. After taking it out add the 1/2 of liquid coconut oil and mix it all together. Don't add any more in my other attempts I put more oil and it affected its lather ability quite significantly. Also don't make this in huge batches. I would stick to 1 Arko stick because you are using coconut oil which is a food product it can eventually spoil. Best to make it in small batches.
Step 3
Take the product and spread it thinly across either a flat plate(disposable if handy). I personally used a clean cutting board I had around. Make some cross hatches so allow the product to dry. I would leave it to dry for a day or two. If you really dont like the scent of Arko this is the best opportunity to get rid of the smell. Leave it out for several days until you don't detect a smell.
Step 4
Whelp this is the last step. Find a container and pack it in and you are all done! You could at this point add a scent you enjoy such as a cologne. I would be careful because it could give you a bad reaction on your face. Safest bet would be to add 2-4 splashes of an after shave splash that you know agrees with your skin. All done and I hope you guys have great shaves and please let me know if this hack worked out for you. God bless!
