Provence Sante Green Tea clarification - it has talcum

[Mink]

A thread was started by a member from Germany that raised doubts about PSGT containing talcum. I contacted PS and WCS. WCS and Shaving Essentials put together the introduction of PSGT and are the exclusive distributors, under Baudelaire, Inc, the US distributors for PS. The original formulation (and only batch) is still the only PSGT soap offered by WCS and SE. John, at WCS (B&B member: letterk) can give you the complete details of the agreement. I won't go into all the details because the PS representative sent me the following email that explains the confusion over "which" soap and hints of changes to come. I "x'd" out the OP's name. This was a great relief to me because I absolutely love PSGT. Here's the email:

Dear Dave,
We have finally analysed the shaving soap PROVENCE SANTE and we can confirm that there is Talcum in it. The confusion has been created by an error of mine - and I am very sorry for this - because I have sent a wrong INCI-list to Mr. xxxxxxxxx, the german Gentlemen asking us the composition of the shaving soap and informing you about the confusion. The INCI-list I've sent did not concern the shaving soap but a men's body wash soap that has been created in beginning 2000, but stopped in 2004, even before I came to Provence Santé. As the INCI-list in our data base was named just "soap" I was sure to have the one for the shaving soap, because I did even not know we did one for the body before. Please excuse this confusion.

The fact is that there is no INCI-list for the shaving soap because this product initially has been created for Baudelaire, our US importer. And soaps are not considered as cosmetics in the States, as you know. So no obligation to have an INCI-list on the product. But there is talcum in it and the information on our website and on Baudelaire's is correct.


Let me answer to your questions about the new formulation of the shaving soap: PROVENCE SANTE will launch a complete new Men's line in September 2011, with more products, more natural ingredients, more care products. Of course it will include shaving products, too. All formulas are currently in creation and we can't give you more specific information. But the new line will not be similar to the old one, not the same scent, not the same ingredients, not the same design.

Concerning the avilability of the Green Tea shave soap: Yes, it will still be available at Baudelaire's until the launch of the new line. After this, I suppose we will stop the Green Tea-products, but sometimes with Baudelaire we have separate agreements. I can't answer this question yet, but we will be able to answer you precisely some weeks before the launch. If you want so, please contact us again in August 2011.


We are very happy to know how much you appreciate our soap and we wish you still a lot of pleasure when shaving.
With our best wishes for a Happy New Year,
Bettina Gisler, Export Service

PROVENCE SANTE SAS
Hameau de Beth
30580 Lussan (France)
Web: www.provencesante.fr
Tel: +33 (0)4 66 72 89 02

 

[kingfisher]

I'm still trying to figure out why I should care whether it has talcum in it or not.

Is it GOOD to have talcum? Is it BAD to have talcum? I don't know, one way or the other.

 

[guitarslinger]

I'm still trying to figure out why I should care whether it has talcum in it or not.

Is it GOOD to have talcum? Is it BAD to have talcum? I don't know, one way or the other.

this.

 

[Lando]

So Provence Sante shaving soap in verlaine and probably green tea is going away sometime next year? I guess it's possible that they will cease to produce any kind of shaving soap altogether, "men's line" is kind of vague term.

 

[Fbones24]

So Provence Sante shaving soap in verlaine and probably green tea is going away sometime next year? I guess it's possible that they will cease to produce any kind of shaving soap altogether, "men's line" is kind of vague term.

"...of course it will include shaving products too."

I would look forward to a new formulation of Provence Sante, whatever it may be. I love all of the French soaps, but of the bunch, currently PS is my least favorite. Just my opinion of course, but maybe a change in the formula will create something magic.

 

[cymric]

The interesting thing being, of course, that they cannot take out tallow and create a ‘de facto’ inferior product because there was no tallow in Provence Santé to begin with.

That said, it is still possible to fsck up a shaving soap rather easily, so let's hope the company don't get carried away in their quest to reformulate according to natural principles. (Or whatever the reason was the product was pulled from the market.) I find that scientific and artificial principles tend to produce better results...

 

[Mink]

I'm still trying to figure out why I should care whether it has talcum in it or not.

Is it GOOD to have talcum? Is it BAD to have talcum? I don't know, one way or the other.

I don't know either. I just know that this shave soap is always my most enjoyable shave. I was very concerned that PS was not honest in their advertising and ingredients list on their website. So, this was good news for me from the standpoint of credibility. It sounds like they are expanding their men's shaving offerings, and I know I'll try out whatever they come out with. I hope they keep the Green Tea soap. I hope they don't ruin what they have as so many others have with their new reformulations.

 

[Fbones24]

I am not saying that I buy into the health concerns, but more than one organization has labeled cosmetic grade talc as a carcinogen.

This was just to bring it to the attention of those that were wondering whether the inclusion of talc was good or bad.

 

[cymric]

Dear Lord, what a load of bullshitcrap at those organisations. It's the same depressing health freak junk one can find many gigabytes of if one is interested in that sort of thing. Even the horrible EWG-database gives talcum a low 3 out of 10 health risk, probably mostly due to the risk a miner runs when breathing in dust for years on end. (Which is not healthy even with inert materials.)

Basically, for those worried: it's safe. Don't worry about it. Honestly, don't.

 

[Sabre]

I am well stocked up on Provence Santé, after advising previously it would be reformulated or discontinued, however this is an excuse to hoard more

 

[Crixus]

I'm still trying to figure out why I should care whether it has talcum in it or not.

Is it GOOD to have talcum? Is it BAD to have talcum? I don't know, one way or the other.

I think the teaser on PS websites says that Luzenac talcum is there to soothe the skin. It is the only shave soap I know of that claims to use it. My curiousity is whether talcum particles can clog pores.

 

[Crixus]

I was very concerned that PS was not honest in their advertising and ingredients list on their website. So, this was good news for me from the standpoint of credibility.

Dave, I don't think any of these outfits ever tend to "deceive" with their ingredients, it's just more a matter that over time changes don't get the current upgrades in the marketing banter. These are usually run by two different parts of the organization, and continuity of current information seems to sometime fall by the wayside.