Problems with Pre de Provence soap

[DaveNY]

I've been having trouble building a good thick lather (I prefer my lather to be thick and creamy) with Pre de Provence soap and was hoping to solicit some advice from members that use this soap. I really like the smell, but I shelved it after multiple failed attempts to build a good lather.

I've tried the technique from the shavewiki where you pour a teaspoon on hot water on the puck for a while. But all that happens is that the puck absorbs the water and it's still incredibly difficult to whip up with my boar brush.

Typically I cycle three TOBS creams and Proraso Green tube (I also have Proraso White soft soap but I don't like the smell much). TOBS is always so easy to whip up a thick cream that it's easily my favorite. But I have this tin of Pre de Provence that other members here seem to rave about so I want to put it in my rotation, if I can manage to get a good lather from it.

Please help!

 

[njpaddy]

I have well water and this soap just didn't work for me. While I was able to get a better lather with a drier brush, the protection still wasn't to my liking, and it left me with redness & irritation. I PIF'd mine to another member after only 2 shaves.

 

[DaveNY]

I have well water and this soap just didn't work for me. While I was able to get a better lather with a drier brush, the protection still wasn't to my liking, and it left me with redness & irritation. I PIF'd mine to another member after only 2 shaves.

Yes my issues were the same! I should mention that I have soft water.

 

[rand77]

I actually had the opposite experience, I found it quite easy to lather. What kind of brush are you using, and how long are you loading the brush?

Try taking the puck out of the tin which is too small to seriously load a brush. I hold the puck while loading the soap, then I rinse it off before placing it back in the tin. Try loading your brush for at least 20 seconds in your hand. If all else fails then soak the puck for 30 seconds before loading.

 

[Jarick]

Stick with it every day. Are you using a bowl or face lathering?

 

[DaveNY]

I use boar brushes (Semogue 620 and 1305) and I prefer bowl lathering. I've actually tried loading for several minutes without much luck.

I'll try taking the puck out of the tin, I hadn't realized I was supposed to do that. Thanks!

 

[infotech]

Try this: Take it out of the canister it came in and wash your hands with it like you would a bar of soap under running water.
for about 3-4 minutes and try again.

I haven't tried it with Pre De Province even though I have a puck that hasn't been touched in years due to the same issues, but it worked with Mitchel's Woolfat which always gave me trouble.

It builds up a good lather on the soap using your hands and seems to soften the soap up. I have pretty hard water.

 

[graysonhenryrussell]

I just started back with soaps & its one I picked up. I have had no issues & I can't get castle Forbes lime to lather worth a damn. I do put some hot water on top of all my soaps while I am in the shower. Its good soap, don't give up.

 

[john parker]

I have my own water softener. I put a few drops of hot water on the Pre de Provence and soak my best badger brush in hot water while showering or washing my face. Wring out the brush and dump the (little) water off the soap. Whip the brush over the soap for a minute, face lather and get quick, thick, cushioning lather with very little effort. Face feels moist and very comfortable following shave and rinsing. Have had no bad experiences whatsoever with this soap; in fact, all results have been consistently great.

 

[Mandina]

I recently took PdP on a trip to a location whose water is rated as soft, and the PdP easily whipped up into a thick, creamy, moist, stable, wonderful lather--as nice as can be. Back home, where my water is fairly hard, I've learned to do the following, which gives me a very good lather, but not nearly as good as I got on that trip. Most basically, at home I find that PdP (and MWF as well) is easy to over dilute, so I add water sparingly and (as with MWF) load for a full two minutes. And surprisingly, my Muhle HJM black fibre brush does much better with PdP (and MWF) than does my Omega boar: (1) pre-wet the soap and then dump the water; (2) shake out the excess water from the brush, and perhaps give it a squeeze; (3) load for two minutes, occasionally and sparingly wetting the brush tips, holding the brush at the knot and increasingly pressing hard into the soap; (4) face lathering for another two minutes or so, occasionally and sparingly wetting the brush tips. In sum, I think PdP is pretty sensitive to water softness/hardness.

 

[KodiakAttack]

What a shame. Please mail the puck to me for proper disposal.

 

[rand77]

Just gave PdP a try for tonights shave using the B&B boar brush. It performed wonderfully in my relatively soft water. The puck was hand loaded for exactly 20 seconds before taking it to the bowl. The lather was nice and slick, and post shave feel was fairly good as well.

 

[DaveNY]

Thanks for all the advice and also for the pic! I couldn't for the life of me get the puck out of the tin. But I tried soaking the entire puck in warm water inside the tin, and it worked pretty decently. I'll keep working at it and see if it gets better.

 

[infotech]

Thanks for all the advice and also for the pic! I couldn't for the life of me get the puck out of the tin. But I tried soaking the entire puck in warm water inside the tin, and it worked pretty decently. I'll keep working at it and see if it gets better.

I did the same thing this morning. Even tried prying it out with a spoon, but it wouldn't budge. I dunked the entire thing in the water and then lathered it up with my fingers followed by about a minute loading my brush. It produced plenty of lather for my normal 3 pass shave with touch up. Actually best lather I've gotten from the soap. Not nearly the amount rand77 got, but enough. However, I face lather...

 

[mftoms59]

... Not nearly the amount rand77 got, but enough. However, I face lather...

Though I've never had a problem face lathering Pre De Provence, try building the lather on the puck, once you get a Root-Beer type head of lather, transfer to your face.

 

[john parker]

Why are you trying to get the puck out of the tin? It works perfectly well lathering in the tin.

 

[Aschecte]

PDP is one of the bet performers I have I think it may be #1 on my list. When you soak the puck do so for only like 15-20 seconds with hot water very hot it will cool down quickly. It is only to loosen it up. Sounds like your are soaking to long and it is absorbing. with a semi dry brush, 30 seconds in each direction CW and CCW every 15 second pump the brush up and down. you should have a lather starting to build in the TIN DO NOT take the puck out. it will take a few minutes with a soap to get a thick lather ....add 5 drops of water at a time until you get the thickness you want. Soaps are not anything like creams they take more work but ultimately are better for your shave as they soften the hair way more than a cream which mostly offers glide.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

I had some finicky lathers as well until I tried a version of Marco's method. Soaking brush on wet puck...120 twirls....rinse soap...50 or so more twirls...w/in about a minute I got a thoroughly soaped brush. Then I moved to the face and face lathered. Got a nice, decent smooth shave. Nothing like a TOBS cream mind you...but easily shave able.