Martin de Candre (MdC) comes in at 7th place out of 12

[ShavingByTheNumbers]

Introduction

Below is the optimum lather table and review of Martin de Candre (MdC) shaving soap from my lather optimization guide in the ShaveWiki. Please see the guide for an overview, disclaimer, and general information about optimizing lather.

Back in June, @Cal generously donated a large sample of MdC Citrus for evaluation. (Thanks, Cal!) During the optimization process, I was impressed by the slickness and cushion that MdC provided with low hydration (water-to-soap) levels, but the irritation that MdC gave me was frustrating. The soap scum was also undesired. Based on my experience with other soaps and with fractionated coconut oil, I suspect that my skin responded poorly to the coconut oil used in making MdC, but this is only a theory. The bottom line is that MdC's inferior post-shave with my skin resulted in a significantly lower ranking. Obviously, different users will have different reactions and opinions. Some users might even appreciate that the cost of MdC per three-pass shave in my optimum lather table is very similar to the cost with other soaps. This is because the lower density of MdC's lather largely offsets MdC's relatively higher cost per ounce.

Feedback is welcome.

Optimum Lather Table

PR	Performance Ranking
PD	Purchase Date (YYYY-MM-DD)
SCM	Soap/Cream Mass (g)
WM	Water Mass (g)
TM	Total Mass (g) = SCM + WM
WSCR	Water-to-Soap/Cream Ratio = WM / SCM
SCIT	Soap/Cream-Incorporation Time (s)
LBT	Lather-Building Time (s)
SCP	Soap/Cream Price (USD)

PR	Soap/Cream	PD	SCM	WM	TM	WSCR	SCIT	LBT	SCP
1	Nanny's Silly Soap (NSS) Original Shaving Soap	2017-04-23	1.20	9.60	10.80	8	30	45	0.15
2	Declaration Grooming (DG) (Formerly L&L Grooming) Shaving Soap	2017-08-11	0.81	8.91	9.72	11	20	60	0.15
3	Barrister and Mann (B&M) Shaving Soap	2017-10-19	0.71	8.52	9.23	12	25	30	0.12
4	Cold River Soap Works (CRSW) SELECT Shaving Soap	2017-12-15	0.86	9.46	10.32	11	6	60	0.15
5	Stirling Soap Co. Shave Soap	2017-08-14	0.53	9.01	9.54	17	20	30	0.04
6	Barrister's Reserve Shaving Soap	2017-06	0.96	11.52	12.48	12	45	60	0.15
7	Martin de Candre (MdC) Shaving Soap	2018-05-31	0.70	7.70	8.40	11	45	60	0.16
8	Mike's Natural Shaving Soap	2017-09	0.75	9.00	9.75	12	60	60	0.07
9	Barrister and Mann (B&M) Latha Shaving Soap (Discontinued)	2018-01-30	0.75	9.75	10.50	13	10	30	0.07
10	The Art of Shaving (AOS) Shaving Cream	2018-01-03	1.00	7.00	8.00	7	3	45	0.19
11	Mystic Water (MW) Shaving Soap	2018-01-27	0.70	9.10	9.80	13	30	30	0.07
12	The Sudsy Soapery Shave Soap	2018-02-05	0.46	8.28	8.74	18	10	60	0.05

Martin de Candre (MdC) Shaving Soap

Angled view, bottom label with ingredient list, and close-up of soap in small jar​

Version Name: Citrus ["Agrumes" in French]

Purchase Date: May 31, 2018. A sample was received on June 16, 2018, from @Cal, who generously donated the soap for evaluation. The sample was then placed in a small jar and photographed. Photographs of the original container were taken by Cal.

Review Period: September 8 to 18, 2018. 10 optimization shaves and 1 ranking test.

Manufacturing Location: Maine-et-Loire, France

Ingredients: Stearic Acid, Aqua, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Potassium Hydroxyde, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Parfum, Limonene, Citral, Linalool, Geraniol

Appearance: Light yellow

Scent: According to their English translation, MdC "work[ed] only with essential oils" to create for this soap a natural scent with "unparalleled freshness of lemon, grapefruit, [and] Bergamot". That description seems accurate to my unsophisticated nose. The scent is bright and pleasant.

Hardness: Hard for a shaving soap, but not very hard

Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is okay or pretty good. Lather has some "peaking" and a little yogurt-like behavior of "stringiness". Lather has pretty good thickness and is not "airy". Adhesion is pretty good and application is good. Scent is faintly present. Slickness is generally very good with some lesser and greater moments. Cushion/protection is okay or pretty good. Post-shave is pretty good with respect to moisture, but there is some overall irritation. Soap scum might be noticed on the brush handle during cleanup.

Optimization Details: The water-to-soap ratio was nonsequentially varied in daily shaves from 6 to 18, and given the hardness of the soap, the soap-incorporation time varied from at least 120 seconds at the lowest water-to-soap ratio to about 15 seconds at the highest water-to-soap ratio. Slickness was generally very good across the entire hydration range, but it did deteriorate with enough hydration. Cushion/protection was very good or great at a water-to-soap ratio of 6 and decreased to okay, not much, at a water-to-soap ratio of 18. However, with more cushion came more film or soap scum left on the face after razor strokes and more soap scum on the brush handle. At and above the optimum water-to-soap ratio, there was no residue noticed after strokes on the face, but soap scum was still noticed sometimes on the brush handle during cleanup. Soap scum is a small issue, though, compared to the post-shave. The irritation with the post-shave is what drove the optimum water-to-soap ratio higher. At a water-to-soap ratio of 11, there was some overall irritation, but it was not as significant as with lower hydration levels. Nevertheless, over time from daily shaves, the irritation had caused redness to develop on a portion of my neck.

Ranking Details: If it weren't for the post-shave irritation, my feelings about MdC would be much better due to its slickness and thickness. One ranking test was conducted against Stirling, which confirmed that the post-shave with Stirling's optimum was much better than with MdC's optimum, but the slickness and cushion were not as good compared to MdC. On a daily basis, I'd rather shave with Stirling due to the overall better effect. Further ranking tests were deemed unnecessary in order to place MdC above Mike's Natural and below Barrister's Reserve, given my reviews of those other soaps, and frankly, I didn't want to shave anymore with MdC. For those that do not have an adverse reaction to MdC or do not place as much weight on the post-shave, MdC can understandably be highly favored. For me, though, MdC could not be ranked highly because it irritated my skin.

 

[Bbb34]

Interesting observations.

I tried 6/12 of the soaps from your list (MdC being one of them) and many more soaps and creams that are not on the list, and the thing I learned is that it's impossible to give "generic" recommendation as we all value and need different things. I absolutely hated the scent (Fougere) but didn't have any issue with performance, lather, slickness, protection, soap scum or post shave.

Regarding your list, personally I'd move Sudsy up few places, DG down several, Stirling up maybe one place or so... but as I said it's all subjective.

PS. I've only recently discovered D.R. Harris (Almond), and am very impressed indeed. Not sure what your criteria is, but you should give it a try, I would be very interested to see where it lands on that list.

 

[ShavingByTheNumbers]

Interesting observations.

I tried 6/12 of the soaps from your list (MdC being one of them) and many more soaps and creams that are not on the list, and the thing I learned is that it's impossible to give "generic" recommendation as we all value and need different things. I absolutely hated the scent (Fougere) but didn't have any issue with performance, lather, slickness, protection, soap scum or post shave.

Regarding your list, personally I'd move Sudsy up few places, DG down several, Stirling up maybe one place or so... but as I said it's all subjective.

PS. I've only recently discovered D.R. Harris Almond, and am very impressed indeed. Not sure what your criteria is, but you should give it a try, I would be very interested to see where it lands on that list.

Thanks for your thoughtful feedback, @Bbb34. I'm glad that you found my observations interesting. I hope that you didn't get the wrong impression of my table. It comes from principles discussed in my lather optimization guide (linked in the OP). Your optimum lather for MdC or another soap would probably differ from mine. As you said, we value and need different things from our soaps and creams. However, I hope that others here can find something useful in my studies or be inspired to do their own optimizations.

Thanks for the tip about D.R. Harris Almond. I definitely want to try D.R. Harris someday.

 

[BigJ]

Great review!!

 

[ShavingByTheNumbers]

Great review!!

Thanks, BigJ!

 

[OtterLunacy]

It's really interesting that Stirling is your bargain-priced soap, and several other Artisans I wasn't expecting aren't far behind either. Stirling and SS really took on (proportionately) a lot more water than the others.

 

[ShavingByTheNumbers]

It's really interesting that Stirling is your bargain-priced soap, and several other Artisans I wasn't expecting aren't far behind either. Stirling and SS really took on (proportionately) a lot more water than the others.

Stirling is a good value, the best value that I've found so far, but not my favorite soap, of course. The optimums that I found for Stirling and SS involved more hydration to effectively optimize their slicknesses. At those higher water-to-soap values, other soaps have usually peaked in slickness or have dropped too much in cushion or post-shave, meaning that their optimums are associated with lower water-to-soap ratios.

 

[musicman1951]

I use unscented MdC, so I don't know if that would make a difference for your skin. I have absolutely no irritation from MdC.

YMMV, but MdC is my number one choice, with Wholly Kaw as number two. I get half the weepers with MdC than any other soap. MdC lasts me a little over a year, making it a $45-50 a year cost. With WK I need3 tubs to go a year, so that makes it around $75 a year cost.

Stirling, like some of the other soaps on your list, is a good value for the money, but not one I will replace.

 

[ShavingByTheNumbers]

I use unscented MdC, so I don't know if that would make a difference for your skin. I have absolutely no irritation from MdC.

It's a possibility. The soap is scented with citrus essential oils, which I don't think caused the irritation, but I can't say for certain without trying unscented MdC, as you use. Nevertheless, the post-shave was not even good with respect to moisture for my face. It was only pretty good.

 

[musicman1951]

It's a possibility. The soap is scented with citrus essential oils, which I don't think caused the irritation, but I can't say for certain without trying unscented MdC, as you use. Nevertheless, the post-shave was not even good with respect to moisture for my face. It was only pretty good.

I have dry skin, so I always end each shave with Thayer's unscented w/aloe followed by a moisturizer. So my post shave evaluations are, of course, always after those products. For me it works great, but I can understand why you might have a different result.

 

[ShavingByTheNumbers]

I have dry skin, so I always end each shave with Thayer's unscented w/aloe followed by a moisturizer. So my post shave evaluations are, of course, always after those products. For me it works great, but I can understand why you might have a different result.

I have drier skin, too, and I use my homemade non-astringent toner right after the shave, do some cleanup, and then apply Nivea post-shave balm for sensitive skin. Then, I finish with cleanup and moisturize my hands. After everything has settled, I evaluate the post-shave. Evaluations are all relative. If I didn't use any products to normalize my skin, my post-shave evaluations would be more negative overall. I'm sure that you can say the same.

 

[anoop]

Did you try leaving the jar open for a while? Some folks have experienced less irritation just by doing that.

I tried the fougere a while ago and irritated my skin badly so I got rid of it. I recently got unscented and it too irritated my skin but not as bad. I have left the jar open for a few days now and find irritation is getting less, but it’s not yet at zero.

I am curious what you think of St James of London creams. I love the performance but those irritate my skin, although the lavender one is probably the least irritating. You can get a sample pack containing 5 scents for $6.99 shipped from their website.

 

[ShavingByTheNumbers]

Did you try leaving the jar open for a while? Some folks have experienced less irritation just by doing that.

I tried the fougere a while ago and irritated my skin badly so I got rid of it. I recently got unscented and it too irritated my skin but not as bad. I have left the jar open for a few days now and find irritation is getting less, but it’s not yet at zero.

No, I didn't try leaving the sample out for a while. That's a good tip for those that have MdC and want to make it less irritating. When I evaluate soaps and creams, I want them untainted, so I gladly accepted @Cal's perfect sample from the jar that he recently purchased.

I am curious what you think of St James of London creams. I love the performance but those irritate my skin, although the lavender one is probably the least irritating. You can get a sample pack containing 5 scents for $6.99 shipped from their website.

Thanks for the tip on St. James of London. I'll have to try it someday.

 

[anoop]

No, I didn't try leaving the sample out for a while. That's a good tip for those that have MdC and want to make it less irritating. When I evaluate soaps and creams, I want them untainted, so I gladly accepted @Cal's perfect sample from the jar that he recently purchased.

I loved the scent of the fougere but the burn was too much for me. The unscented's burn I can live with, and as I mentioned it appears to be reducing. The slickness and cushion beats my muhle organic cream by a large margin. The burn doesn't last long. I shaved last night and this morning and my skin is totally fine within an hour or so of shaving. I use a weleda moisturizer as my aftershave skin treatment.

Also note that mdc unscented is not without a scent. It's still scented, just very faint.

Thanks for the tip on St. James of London. I'll have to try it someday

Those creams taught me what cushioning and slickness are (they did not have the lavender back then). The texture is super soft, almost approaching cold cream. And the scents are downright addicting. All of them, but esp the mandarin patchouli. Ever since I have been looking for a cream or soap with cushioning & slickness that doesn't irritate. I recently bought the samples again just to try the lavender. The lavender one causes a level of irritation similar to mdc unscented.

 

[ShavingByTheNumbers]

I loved the scent of the fougere but the burn was too much for me. The unscented's burn I can live with, and as I mentioned it appears to be reducing. The slickness and cushion beats my muhle organic cream by a large margin. The burn doesn't last long. I shaved last night and this morning and my skin is totally fine within an hour or so of shaving. I use a weleda moisturizer as my aftershave skin treatment.

Also note that mdc unscented is not without a scent. It's still scented, just very faint.


Those creams taught me what cushioning and slickness are (they did not have the lavender back then). The texture is super soft, almost approaching cold cream. And the scents are downright addicting. All of them, but esp the mandarin patchouli. Ever since I have been looking for a cream or soap with cushioning & slickness that doesn't irritate. I recently bought the samples again just to try the lavender. The lavender one causes a level of irritation similar to mdc unscented.

I'm finishing my evaluation of Proraso Single Blade shaving cream, and while it's not perfect, I like it much better than MdC. My review will be coming soon in the creams forum. There is an irritation issue, which you might experience with the cream, too, but it's not bad.

 

[RayClem]

Different folks tend to react differently to various scent ingredients. Many people are sensitive to oakmoss, which is one of the basic scents in fougeres and chypres. I do not have an issue with fougeres, but react strongly to soaps with lime, lemon, grapefruit, clove, cinammon, and peppermint. If a soap irritates your skin, make a note of the ingredients in the soap base and the various scents in the accord. Pretty soon, you will figure out which ingredients cause issues for you.

For me, simple scents with just a few scent notes tend to be more problematic than cologne type scents that may include a dozen or more scent notes, each in small concentration. If a scent contains a note to which my skin is sensitive and I can smell that specific scent in the blend, then my face is likely to react as well.

 

[anoop]

Different folks tend to react differently to various scent ingredients. Many people are sensitive to oakmoss, which is one of the basic scents in fougeres and chypres. I do not have an issue with fougeres, but react strongly to soaps with lime, lemon, grapefruit, clove, cinammon, and peppermint. If a soap irritates your skin, make a note of the ingredients in the soap base and the various scents in the accord. Pretty soon, you will figure out which ingredients cause issues for you.

For me, simple scents with just a few scent notes tend to be more problematic than cologne type scents that may include a dozen or more scent notes, each in small concentration. If a scent contains a note to which my skin is sensitive and I can smell that specific scent in the blend, then my face is likely to react as well.

The problem with list of ingredients are -- when it comes to fragrances they are not listed; quantities are not listed; and the method of processing them is not known. All 3 can result in very different product with the exact same ingredient list. Even the quality and freshness of the ingredients matters, although quality control should theoretically make it a non-issue.