L'Occitane Cade Shave Soap

[Renato1]

I tried a Cade soap puck today. Unlike the other soaps I've tried that deliver a rich creamy lather, the lather I got from Cade was light and airy, somewhat similar to canned stuff. It performed okay with the cartridge razor I was using, but I was expecting better from it given its cost. It certainly wasn't the same experience as using Tabac or Truefitt&Hill.

Have I missed some redeeming attribute in Cade?

Regards,
Renato


P.S. - In my UPDATE on Page 2, I describe how I did get decent lather out of the Cade puck.

 

[joser]

Start with a relatively dry brush, dry puck and add water slowly. Face lathering Cade also helps when learning its quarky properties. Your patience will be rewarded with a rich lather.

While loading, I've also found it helpful to wet the tips of your brush so that it picks up some more soap.

 

[Marco]

Renato, if your lather was light and airy, you should try to use more water and more soap, swirling a lot more with your brush on the surface of the pack - actually until you get a nice, thick, creamy lather. Please give it a try and let us know. By the way, the Cade is a lovely soap IMHO.

 

[insomniac]

Renato, if your lather was light and airy, you should try to use more water and more soap, swirling a lot more with your brush on the surface of the pack - actually until you get a nice, thick, creamy lather. Please give it a try and let us know. By the way, the Cade is a lovely soap IMHO.

+1. Please follow Marco's advice.

 

[ODJ]

I loved the scent of Cade, and could mix up a nice rich lather with it, and it got even better with 2 or 3 drops of glycerin, but I got mixed results with it. I kept it for a while, occasionally going back to it to give it another shot, and just couldn't get it to perform like other soaps/creams I have, so I passed it on. It's too bad because I really enjoyed the scent.

 

[Renato1]

Start with a relatively dry brush, dry puck and add water slowly. Face lathering Cade also helps when learning its quarky properties. Your patience will be rewarded with a rich lather.

While loading, I've also found it helpful to wet the tips of your brush so that it picks up some more soap.

Thanks. I started with a wet-all-through brush like I did my other soaps. I shall have to change the technique.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

Renato, if your lather was light and airy, you should try to use more water and more soap, swirling a lot more with your brush on the surface of the pack - actually until you get a nice, thick, creamy lather. Please give it a try and let us know. By the way, the Cade is a lovely soap IMHO.

Grazie Marco. Yes - now that I know others can achieve a creamy lather with it, I'll be working on it too.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

I loved the scent of Cade, and could mix up a nice rich lather with it, and it got even better with 2 or 3 drops of glycerin, but I got mixed results with it. I kept it for a while, occasionally going back to it to give it another shot, and just couldn't get it to perform like other soaps/creams I have, so I passed it on. It's too bad because I really enjoyed the scent.

Cade is the most annoying fragrance out there. EVERYBODY loves the Cade products - especially the aftershave - but there is no Eau de Toilette of it. It makes zero sense.

Interesting that even after you got a good lather with the soap, you weren't that pleased with it.
Regards,
Renato

 

[mdunn]

Stick to it, it's a great soap

 

[ODJ]

Cade is the most annoying fragrance out there. EVERYBODY loves the Cade products - especially the aftershave - but there is no Eau de Toilette of it. It makes zero sense.

Interesting that even after you got a good lather with the soap, you weren't that pleased with it.
Regards,
Renato

Yes, I really was pulling for the Cade and wanted to hold onto it (I actually gave this soap more chances to work for me than any other because I enjoyed the scent so much) but just never performed. I would ALWAYS get little nicks and weepers with this soap, and I NEVER get nicks or weepers! (Heck, I hardly even ever get so much as a sting from my alum block!) I do a lot of touch-up and blade buffing because I like a really smooth, close shave, and as a result need something that offers a lot of protection, and the Cade just didn't have it, even though the lather it whipped up seemed great. I've learned over the short 6 or 7 months I've been using a DE that the way the lather whips up is not a guarantee of good performance unfortunately. I'm not saying its a horrible soap, I've just found others that blow Cade out of the water as far as performance!

 

[LeftyT]

If you want to get rid of it, let's make a deal

It's my go-to, as we stand. I haven't found another soap that I just "get" like I do Cade. My face feels so smooth after a Cade shave, I have to look down at my chest to make sure I haven't gone back in time, before I hit puberty.

Another wonderful way to use Cade is to give it a 30 second soak in warm water, in a oversized container (maybe twice the size of the bowl they sell. Then, drain the water and build lather on top of the puck for about a minute. Then, take it to your damp face and face lather, adding a touch of water if needed.

I honesty think once you get Cade, it might be almost impossible to beat. The scent alone is second to none, and for me, the glide and medium cushion, combined with the after shave feel of my skin are unbeatable!

 

[Saltchuck]

Thanks. I started with a wet-all-through brush like I did my other soaps. I shall have to change the technique.
Regards,
Renato

Starting with a wet brush will work too if you keep at it long enough.

 

[Rybot]

Listen to these guys, they know what they're saying! I had the same problem you did when I first used my puck, but it's a very thirsty soap and requires some elbow grease. When you get it right, it's a VERY slick soap with a scent second to none, good luck and enjoy!

 

[thatsilverguy]

I've tried Cade too and am not in love with it like I am with Institut Karite (IK) or even MWF. I'm sure it's a YMMV thing, and I haven't given Cade as full a trial as I have other soaps or creams. Cade's scent has a "different" powdery scent that I'm not crazy about and the lather seemed to dry faster than other stuff I've used. Maybe there's something funky with my water?

The next time I try it I'll use the above advice but I just don't have to do anything special to get IK to perform.

 

[petr]

Cade owes me money. Pitiful lather. YMMV.

 

[djh]

I could get a good lather from Cade, but in the end found that there are plenty of other soaps which outperform it.

 

[Blondie]

From now on when somebody says a certain soap doesn't work, I'm just going to post a link to this thread. If after applying that method, the soap still does not work for you, Pif it or BST it, and move on.

 

[Optometrist]

Were it not for the magnificent scent, I would have ditched Cade after just a couple of uses-the lather was that bad!. But oh am I so glad I didn't! What started out as a disaster has now been transformed in to one of my favourite soaps, period. I was using a dry brush as seems to be the recommendation with this soap, but a wet brush, as I now use on all soaps, just turned this soap in to something else.

 

[edgerunner]

I'm offering a trade for a Cade puck! See my offer:
---No links to BST---

 

[shaverjoe]

I was recently gifted a full puck of Cade by JRock, a fellow B&B member. He cautioned me the soap would be temperamental and thirsty and he was right. He also encouraged me to be patient because Cade is a wonderful soap once you get the soap/water ratio right. Jeff was right again. The scent is wonderful and the soap is capable of producing a wonderful, protective lather. Now, there is no denying I have other soaps in my rotation that are less temperamental and produce an equally nice shave, but Cade is a very nice soap, well worth the learning curve. Keep at it and you will enjoy this soap just like the majority of us who have posted on this thread.