Controversial view of artisan soaps

[seattleshaver]

I pretty much only use Stirling these days. I know that all of their soap performs well so that just leaves the scent. A large part of my enjoyment of shaving every day is smelling something different.

I have 9 different Stirling scents and I'll get it down to 4-6 scents for the permanent rotation. It's it the same price range at Cella and Proraso (and TOBS) and it prefer it so there is little reason to look elsewhere.

 

[psfred]

Making good shaving soap is hardly a secret, the basic recipe was worked out early in the last century and the ratios of fatty acids by the 1930s I think. Unless someone has failed to do the basic research on shaving soap, acceptable to excellent shaving soap is easy.

All that really varies is the exact ingredients used to get the fatty acids right, the non-saponifiables in the fats used, and what is used for superfat to provide good face feel after the shave. I don't consider scent to be a performance issue, mostly because I don't want to smell anything after I rinse the lather off and am perfectly fine with no added scent at all so long as the base oils are not rancid.

And watch out for the presence of detergents -- I've seen several "artisan" soaps containing synthetic detergents in fairly high concentration. They lather up fabulously, but they are not really soap.....

 

[SoullessSingularity]

I feel that soap performance is actually pretty varied at the top personally. Because I aim for more protective lathers, soaps like eleven, Declaration, storybook are better for me than grooming dept or wholly Kaw (even the new formula). So I think it depends specifically on the persons use case. I would assume a head shavers favorites may very well be different from someone that only shaved beard. I have sensitive legs so cushioning is paramount while moisturizing properties are a massive back seat. Several soaps I’ve tried are very well regarded but are definitely average or below average to me. It seems clear to me that there are vastly different formulae in current artisians...

 

[AZBronco]

Making good shaving soap is hardly a secret, the basic recipe was worked out early in the last century and the ratios of fatty acids by the 1930s I think. Unless someone has failed to do the basic research on shaving soap, acceptable to excellent shaving soap is easy.

All that really varies is the exact ingredients used to get the fatty acids right, the non-saponifiables in the fats used, and what is used for superfat to provide good face feel after the shave. I don't consider scent to be a performance issue, mostly because I don't want to smell anything after I rinse the lather off and am perfectly fine with no added scent at all so long as the base oils are not rancid.

And watch out for the presence of detergents -- I've seen several "artisan" soaps containing synthetic detergents in fairly high concentration. They lather up fabulously, but they are not really soap.....

You obviously know more than I do. What are the detergent ingredients I should look for?

 

[fast shaver]

The Artisan soaps I have tried were just average shave soaps to me. Why should I pay 15-20 Bucks for an average soap that does not do any better than Col. Conk for me? Also, I have tried 3 of the Big Gun brands & found them just average soaps IMO.

 

[psfred]

cocamide DEA is one, cocamide MEA is another -- they are ethanolamine derivatives of coconut oil. They work just fine in shaving "soap", but technically are not soap and can be very drying, just like detergents in general. Present in a lot of commercial "soap products" for bathing as well.

Not a performance issue, just not soap.

 

[steffenapelz]

I do think there are differences between soaps. Yes, they are small in terms of the ingredient list but big in the final outcome. I find there to be a big difference in the final shave between different kinds of soaps. I won't mention the soaps so as to not ignite a debate on that.

I do worry about the longevity of some of the artisans though. That is why I have started buying well ahead from those artisans that give me by far the best shaves. I now have 12+ pucks that will last me a couple of years or more and it is principally 2 artisans with another 2 peppered in there in smaller quantity.

I do hope they all make it, but we all know that is unlikely.

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

 

[muzichead]

And watch out for the presence of detergents -- I've seen several "artisan" soaps containing synthetic detergents in fairly high concentration. They lather up fabulously, but they are not really soap.....

I obviously don't have enough time on my hands but which Artisan's use these synthetic detergents in their soaps?

 

[muzichead]

I have been a Stirling user full time since Dec 2016 and don't think I will ever switch or add any other Artisan's to my den because I am not sold from any review I've ever read or watched that any others are any better than Stirling. I get everything I need from them in a shave soap, aftershave, bath soap, EDT's, balm's, lotion's, etc... It is basically a one stop shop and very convenient imo so I'm thinking from the OP that just leaves scent.

I have tried close to 20+ samples and though I haven't been sold on all, there are quite a few that I have been and though I like to buy tubs and after shaves of all I've liked, its just not in the cards to do so. I do have 7 tubs / matching after shaves and I am sure those will last for a couple more years to come and maybe longer as I am an every other day shaver so I get even more mileage out of them... Very pleased with Stirling and try to recommend them whenever I can.

 

[tyoung]

Scents are what draw me to artisans nowadays. As some have noted, the performance gap for the most part is practically a non issue. They are all really good, it is just a matter of liking the scents. I do have my favorite artisans, and try to stick with them because I know I won't be disappointed. Hard as it is to do, I really try to avoid searching through the vendors these days, as I know I will always find something new that I want to try.

 

[RayClem]

Soaps fall into two big categories: vegan and tallow. The vegan soaps are generally either based on glycerin, glycol, or vegetable-sourced fatty acids. Tallow based soaps may contain either beef tallow, mutton tallow, bison tallow, lard, duck fat, or other animal fat along with vegetable-sourced fats. Either type of soap may have additiv es like shea butter, cocoa butter, mango butter, jajoba oil, argon oil, glycerin, etc. The tallow soaps may have things like sheep milk, goat milk, donkey milk, lanolin, etc. added. Some soaps even contain fillers like bentonite clay to stabalize the lather. There are dozens of possible ingredients and a thousands of ways those ingredients can be combined and processed to produce soaps. And that does not even take into account the various scents. It is no wonder we have so many different soaps bases and scents. The top artisans keep experimenting with new ingredients, new processing techniques, and new scents as they strive to become the best.

There was a time when it was though that humans would never be able to run a mile in under four minutes, but once Roger Bannister broke that record, other realized it was possible. Now 1400 runners have accomplished what was once considered unattainable and the current record is well below 4 minutes. One day someone will set a record that will never be broken.

I believe it is the same way with shaving soaps. Performance that was once thought unobtainable has now been achieved by many artisans, but one day, as soaps continue to improve incrementally, shaving soaps may well become as good as they will ever get, but I do not believe we are quite there yet, even though there are some wonderfull soaps and wonderful scents available now. In the meantime, I am enjoying the process of discovering new and better soaps.

 

[Glaze3]

The Artisan soaps I have tried were just average shave soaps to me. Why should I pay 15-20 Bucks for an average soap that does not do any better than Col. Conk for me? Also, I have tried 3 of the Big Gun brands & found them just average soaps IMO.

I can name dozens of soaps that are far superior to Col. Conk, but if that's what you like who am I to tell you differently.

 

[Colonel Conk]

I can name dozens of soaps that are far superior to Col. Conk, but if that's what you like who am I to tell you differently.

I am certainly glad opinions are subjective!

 

[Raissermesser]

Interesting. Have thought about trying my hand at soap making, but set-up is bit daunting to me. Oddly, scents are the issue. I saw one I'd have to re-research that I was suspicious was the Williams scent. Combined with one of the old formulas, that might be awesome.

That said, a rhetorical question is how much would we be willing to pay for such? No, I am not noodling for price points, and please, nobody post an answer to that. But what I am getting at is I think we turn to these soaps for the novelty. If we find a scent we like, well and good, but if most from an artisan are the same formula but with different scents, then I'd have to say we're looking for the novelty factor.

BTW, going over books now in public domain on soap making is interesting, particularly those that discuss particular fatty acids and their properties. It seems that from roughly the 1870s on, this was already a science.

Important note: I wouldn't try these formulas without running them through a modern soap calculator, and I certainly wouldn't try the scent recipes without closely examining the ingredients. Remember, some of these recipes are from the age when one reputedly popular home made shave wash would have contained cyanide.

 

[Fabyan84]

The scent just isn’t going to last past the aftershave application so for my part I think finding the soap with ingredients that work for your skin or life choice should drive your choice, that’s what’s going to give you the cushion and slickness your whiskers need. But the scent is giving your brain (and maybe your significant other) what you want.

It takes a while to go through soaps, especially for shavers who have a lot in rotation - so if seasonal soaps keep our favorite artisans afloat then I’m glad for it, I’ll pass on the caramel apple soap; but if it’s a specially crisp October morning and a pumpkin spiced lather on your face is going to make your shave all the more enjoyable - then money well spent.

 

[slackskin]

Because my wife of 50+ years has breathing issues exacerbated by scents, I use only unscented. So for me, it's all about performance. Although artisan soaps are all the rage, my preference is for D R Harris almond or lavender -- not unscented but so subtle that I can't smell anything, and neither can my wife. Although the price is expensive, this triple milled soap lasts "forever," making it economical in the long run on a per-use basis. DRH is an old-school tallow soap. I have tried other commercial and artisan soaps, and in my opinion this is THE best. When you've been in business since 1790, you must be doing something right.

 

[AZBronco]

Because my wife of 50+ years has breathing issues exacerbated by scents, I use only unscented. So for me, it's all about performance. Although artisan soaps are all the rage, my preference is for D R Harris almond or lavender -- not unscented but so subtle that I can't smell anything, and neither can my wife. Although the price is expensive, this triple milled soap lasts "forever," making it economical in the long run on a per-use basis. DRH is an old-school tallow soap. I have tried other commercial and artisan soaps, and in my opinion this is THE best. When you've been in business since 1790, you must be doing something right.

DR Harris has been on my to-try list for a while--just never quite made it to the top. I have really been enjoying L'Occitaine Cade and PdP No. 63 lately and find the triple milled soaps are pretty nice (and will probably last a long time).

As far as I know, the only artisan triple milled soap is the Razorock What the Puck! soaps. Are there any others?

 

[shaveSymptomatic]

DR Harris has been on my to-try list for a while--just never quite made it to the top. I have really been enjoying L'Occitaine Cade and PdP No. 63 lately and find the triple milled soaps are pretty nice (and will probably last a long time).

As far as I know, the only artisan triple milled soap is the Razorock What the Puck! soaps. Are there any others?

Fine is another one. Wouldn't be a bad idea to create a new thread with this same question if there isn't one already.

 

[Kristian F.]

The Artisan soaps I have tried were just average shave soaps to me. Why should I pay 15-20 Bucks for an average soap that does not do any better than Col. Conk for me? Also, I have tried 3 of the Big Gun brands & found them just average soaps IMO.

THIS..

I'll stick with lowly Arko and Palmolive sticks..

 

[lancre]

The Artisan soaps I have tried were just average shave soaps to me. Why should I pay 15-20 Bucks for an average soap that does not do any better than Col. Conk for me? Also, I have tried 3 of the Big Gun brands & found them just average soaps IMO.

I can name dozens of soaps that are far superior to Col. Conk, but if that's what you like who am I to tell you differently.

Key words - "for me".

Everyone's tastes, priorities, and budgets differ. Me, I like Williams, Cade, and 42. I'm all over the map.