Dr. Jon’s Shaving Soap Review and Journal

[h2oyeah]

This will be a multi part review/journal on my experience with Dr. Jon's shaving soap. Do to the length of my review I am going to brake it apart into multiple posts. Here we go!

I was the lucky winner of a sample pack of 6 shave soaps from Dr. Jon’s Handcrafted Shave Soaps Co. http://www.drjonshandcraftedsoapco.com/. As this is my first experience with this soap and many on B&B have not tried or heard of Dr. Jon’s, I thought I would lend my opinion of his shave soap for the community. Also since I received 6 varieties of soap I cannot shave with then all right away so this will also be an open ended review/journal of my experience with Dr. Jon’s products.

Disclaimer: I did receive these soaps as part of a contest so I did not pay for them. However, this in no way effects my opinion of them as I would not have ever tried some of the scents if it was not for this contest. I have also only be wet shaving for a little over a month so my lather technique and exposure to shave soaps and creams is low compared to most. I have used shave soaps from a variety of sources including TOBS and Cold River Soap Works (CRSW), so I feel I have a good basis to provide my review. All statements written are my own opinion.

Each category of my review will be based on a 10 point scale. With 1 being very poor/not desirable, 5 being average/not bad but not necessary great, and 10 being excellent/very desirable.

I will review the soaps on the following categories: packaging, tin scent, soap load-ability, lather, lather scent, face feel, shave, after shave face feel, after shave scent, and price. Price comparison will be based on current listed price on Dr. Jon’s website.

 

[h2oyeah]

Packaging: 10
Dr. Jon’s did an excellent job in packaging this soap. The soaps come in a tin with a slip on lid. The logos for each soap are really fun and fit nicely with what you would expect for the scent. The ingredient list is printed on the back side of the can in a permanent fashion meaning that you can always see what soap it is and what it is made from without having to worry about a sticker getting wet and falling off after repeated shaves.

 

[h2oyeah]

Tin Scent:
For each soap I will discuss their scents individually. My process was simple, I removed the lid and took a good whiff. I had my wife do the same to gauge her opinion. Tin scent does not necessary represent the smell of the soap when lathered which is why that is a separate category. As scent preferences vary from person to person, this category, like all scent categories in my review, are my opinion (or my wife’s) only and not necessary indicative that the soap is bad in any way.

Big Green Monster: Me: 7 Wife: 4
It had in my opinion a present smell of basil and lime. I could not pick up any peppermint at this time. My wife was not thrilled with it.

Hydra: Me: 9 Wife: 9
Very present smell of citrus. Kind of like I was in an orange and lemon farmers market. My wife particularly enjoyed this scent and called it her favorite.

Anne Bonny: Me: 8 Wife: 5
This is my first bay rum scent but I really liked it. It has a scent that inspires that island feel. My wife was indifferent.

Classic: Me: 6 Wife: 3
I found this scent intriguing but the tin scent was overpowering. My wife said it smelled like vapor rub.

Hex: Me 3 Wife: 1
Had a heavy wood smell. I could not pick up much else. It was overpowering in my opinion. My wife did not like this smell at all.

Savanna Sunrise: Me: 8 Wife: 9
This was my second favorite smelling soap and my wife’s favorite. It has a very pleasant but light scent of peaches.

At this point I was ready to shave. The first soap I picked was Hydra. As all the soaps have the same basic ingredients I will do a full review on this soap and update this review if anything changes from soap to soap. Later updates will be on lather scent and other observations only.

My set up:

 

[h2oyeah]

Soap Load-ability: 9
First of all this is a soft soap. In fact at first glance I thought it looked more like a very thick cream. It however, loaded just as well as my harder soaps. I only took 10 to 15s with my boar brush to get the load in the picture. I did a couple more laps for good measure but this was more than enough. Very easy to load. As a comparison I would give my CRSW a 7 as it is a harder soap and would require a few more laps.

 

[h2oyeah]

Lather: 7
The lather generated from this soap is quite nice. In the follow series of photos you can see the progression. This series covers maybe 60s or so of time. The lather looked slick and ready for use. The soap though was very thirsty and even then it still took some work to get the typical lather I look for.

 

[h2oyeah]

Lather Scent: 10
The lather scent for Hydra was just lovely. It filled the bathroom with the crisp scent of citrus fruit. I really enjoyed it. Very energizing. It felt like I was getting a jolt of vitamin C. If you like citrus scented soaps this is a highly recommended choice. I am not the only one that liked it either!

Face Feel: 8
Overall it had a nice crisp feel on the face and I highly enjoyed it. When the lather was still warm it was nice but I felt it improved as the lather cooled. The cooler lather complemented the crisp smell.

 

[h2oyeah]

Shave: 10
I did not know what to think once the lather was on my face as it was not as thick as I usually get with CRSW but boy was I wrong. This soap provided excellent cushion and slickness. The blade just glided across my cheek. I could not believe it. My face was also quite smooth even after the first pass. I was very impressed. The second XTG/ATG pass was also quite smooth and comfortable allowing what felt like a very close shave.

After Shave Face Feel: 8
After I was done shaving I would have to say my face felt good. Not as moisturized feeling as I get with CRSW but not bad either. I had minimal to no irritation and was left with smooth skin that felt refreshed after a citrus bath.

After Shave Scent: 4
I am a person that like the scent of my soap to hang on a bit so I can get whiffs of it here and there throughout the next couple of hours unless I use an aftershave balm. This soap does not do this. Once I have finished cleaning up the scent had dissipated. As I enjoyed this smell so much I would have liked it to stay but I guess that means I will just have to wait to shave with it again!

Price: 9
For the quality of the soap you are getting I would say the price it right! I have paid more for soap and I have paid less. I really enjoy the artisan soaps so I am willing to pay more for a good product and I would and will be buying soap from Dr. Jon’s in the future.

Conclusion:
I would highly recommend this soap to anyone out there looking to try something new. I find that it provides a close comfortable shave with a great scent. You cannot go wrong with Dr. Jon’s!

 

[b_market]

Thank you for taking the time to make such an excellent review!

 

[clk]

Thanks for the the review. I just ordered some today, and can't wait to try it.

 

[PhatPhern]

Thank you for taking the time to make such an excellent review!

+1

 

[shevek]

If I wasn't living in a small cave carved into a mountain of shave soap, I would order some. Very nice review.

 

[petr]

Very nice review.

I should have ordered them all the first go around.

 

[h2oyeah]

It is time for Soap #2: Big Green Monster

Overall this soap lathered and performed just as the previous soap used (Hydra). I will say that there is one difference here that must be noted, and that is the peppermint. As peppermint has natural menthol, this soap added a light cooling effect during the shave. If mentholated soaps are your thing you might want to consider BGM. The cooling feeling was quit nice and subtle, which for me was ideal.

BGM lather Scent: 9
The BGM tin scent was nice but once lathered the scent truly shines. The overpowering scents mellow out and you can really appreciate the whole scent profile. The peppermint and basil complement each other and there is a slight hint of citrus (lime) to balance it out. It made for a very pleasant shave. The tin scent here does not do this soap justice. I would maybe not make this a regular go to soap for scent but I would want it as part of my rotation and serves me as a good cooling soap that would be a nice change of pace.

Next up will be Anne Bonny so stay tuned.

 

[h2oyeah]

The next entry is for soap #3: Anne Bonny

Again lather and face feel would be the same as before with only a new scent. See main review for those scores.

Anne Bonny Lather Scent: 10
First of all this is my first bay rum scented soap but Anne Bonny has set the bar very high. I thought it would be hard to top the scent of Hydra but this did it handily. Hydra was nice for it's citrus scent but this bay rum feels more classically manly and would be something I would like to use more regularly. The smell made it feel like I am going out to sea on a long voyage. The black tea and rum are the stars here that really envelop you in a grand scent. There is still a hint of lime but it is very low key. I can see this pairing nicely with a bay rum or lime aftershave to carry the scent all day. One plus also with Anne Bonny is that the scent profile did last a little longer after the shave. You will not get whiffs of it for hours but I did still pick up a slight smell here and there. All I can say is that this scent has jump to the top of my rotation.

 

[h2oyeah]

It has been a bit but I have had a couple more shaves with the next two scents. So with out further ado I will get to the review.

Classic: 5
The Classic scent is suppose to be a take on the traditional barbershop scent. I think it does a good job with this. The scent, while heavy on the vapor rub scent in the tin, is much lighter when lathered. It was not as strong as some of the other scents I have reviewed here and it did not last after the shave either but, while lathering it was not unpleasant. I am not a big fan of this type of scent but wanted to give it a fair go to see if it would grow on me. I am afraid it didn't. If you are the type of person that likes this more classic barbershop scent, this I feel, is a good take on it and would be worth your time. It must be noted that this soap was considerably softer then the others up to this point compared to the other soaps from Dr. Jon's. While it was not a problem, loading did require a lighter touch. This could have been an mix up on my part during prep though.

Savanna Sunrise: 8
This soap was a pleasant surprise when I got it. There are not may (or any to my knowledge) peach scented soaps. I must warn you that the honeysuckle scent is quite prevalent and lends this soap a more flowery scent but the peach does come through quite a bit more when lathered. It reminded me of a spring meadow next to a peach tree. The flowery scents come from the aforementioned honeysuckle, gardenia, and orange blossom. They are quite pleasant and will find a nice place in my rotation especially come spring. The scent is very light in the lather and does not last so if you are concerned about smelling like flowers you don't have to be. Load and lather with this soap was what I have come to expect from Dr. Jon's soaps, which is a good thing.

One more soap left in my review/journal. Next up: Hex!

 

[jondeplin]

These right ups are fantastic! I am thrilled that you took the time to write these!

 

[h2oyeah]

My soap flight has finally come to an end. I shaved with Hex last night and am ready for the final review.

Hex: 7
I have to say this soap surprised me. I was not thrilled about the tin scent and did not have high hopes for this soap scent wise. I was wrong however. Once lathered the heavy wood scent mellows out and the cinnamon and pepper come out. It is still a woody scent but was quite pleasant. It smells like I shaved inside of a cedar chest. Overall the scent is light and was gone as fast as it came. It will be part of my rotation for sure, especially for during fall and winter. Load and lather were as expected with Dr. Jon's soaps.

Conclusion:
After using all the soaps I can tell you I have my favorites. Lather wise you cannot go wrong with any of Dr. Jon's soaps. They all load well and lather to a nice slick lather that offers good protection. I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to try all of these soaps and highly recommend them. Plus the variety of scents allows a wide variety of experiences so you can find the ones you like. These soaps also offered my somewhat sensitive skin the protection it needed and produced outstanding shaves. I will most likely have at least one tin of Dr. Jon's on had to rotate in and out with the rest of my soaps.

 

[h2oyeah]

So it has been a while and I have been enjoying all the soaps. I rotate them from shave to shave changing scents. It has been very nice to have them all as I am always looking forward to the next shave.

Well I have a new addition. Dr. Jon's released Aphrodite on Feb 14 and I pick up a tin as it sounded good. So with out further adieu on with the review.

 

[h2oyeah]

For starters Aphrodite functions the same as the rest of Dr. Jon's line up. It loads well and offers slick, cushiony lather that make shaving great. Dr. Jon's is some of the best soap I have used and the tradition continues here. The scent is what makes Aphrodite unique for me. The scent profile is composed of rose, black current, pomegranate, and apple. My wife said it was ok but a bit old woman smelling. I on the other hand really enjoyed it. The tin scent is heavy on the rose and this is what my wife smelled. If the tin scent was the actual scent when lathered it would be a little to floral (read rose) for me. However, once the lather starts to build the rose steps down some and the sweetness from the fruits comes through. It balances out quite nicely and made for a thoroughly enjoyable shave. If floral soaps are not your thing you will not like Aphrodite but if you like rose soaps or even Dr Jon's Savanna Sunrise you might like this too. It has made my main rotation of soaps for sure. While Anne Bonny still takes the number one spot on my list Aphrodite is in a close second with Hydra.

My score: 9

One thing I feel I need to mention again is just how great all the scents are. One thing I find with many soaps is that the scents might be good but they are just not strong enough for my tastes. Dr. Jon nails this in my opinion. You get nice bold scents that you can really enjoy shave after shave. Keep up the good work Dr. Jon!

 

[jondeplin]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for another excellent review!