Revisited Van Der Hagen Deluxe - Garbage!

[ShaverNoob]

You don’t need to go any higher. Van der Hagen, Arko, Cella, Tabac, it doesn’t get any better. Some snob appeal sure, but for whisker removal, this is as good as it gets.

Yeah, I know some of the cheaper stuff is good. I'm looking forward to the Derby I just bought as much as the TOBS Lavender.

 

[kingfisher]

Hello everyone, Toothpick's recent review results may be due to Van Der Hagen dramatically changing the Deluxe Shave Soap ingredients when it relaunched this product, as part of its Basics line, over the past few years. I'll detail the ingredient change and then highlight my personal experience using this product. Also a quick look at the Luxury shave soap from Van Der Hagen. The question for everyone is if your experience with the product is with the new or old formulation?

First, the original Deluxe Shave Soap from Van Der Hagen in the green box includes the following ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Water, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Myristate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Fragrance, Titanium Dioxide, Triethanolamine, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Red #40.

The current "Basics" Deluxe Shave Soap in the orange box has very different ingredients: Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolsalate, Propylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Mysteric Acid, Alcohol, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Water (Aqua), Sodium Hydroxide, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera), Fragrance (Parfum), Aminomethyl Proponal, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Methyl Ionones, Titanium Dioxide, Curry Red, Acid Yellow 23. I entered this directly from the Van Der Hagen Basics Deluxe Soap box - most web sites still list the original ingredients. You can see the new ingredients on-line if you go to Amazon and enlarge the photo of the backside of the "Basics" product.

Wondering if Van Der Hagen downgraded the product to more easily guide customers to its $4+/- 3.5oz luxury soap versus the $2.29 (at Walgreen's on - line) Deluxe product. Now only see the Luxury soap on store shelves in my area versus the Deluxe version. Walgreen's, while it has sold the new "Basics" version for over a year, still shows the old green box and original ingredients on its web site. Purchased my Deluxe soap from Walgreens in late 2019 and was originally surprised to see a different box from what is still on the web site.

Interestingly the Luxury Soap appears to have ingredients that are very similar (look at top 4) to the original Deluxe formula. Specifically the Van Der Hagen Luxury Shave Soap includes the following ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Water, Sorbitol, Sodium Stearate, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Myristate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Triethanolamine, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Mangifera Indica (Mango Butter), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Titanium Dioxide, Fragrance. Main upgrades from original Deluxe appear to be Glycerin (#5 on list) and the Mango Butter. I have a puck of this and it is a great product for $4.

I first used the Van Der Hagen Deluxe soap (new Basics version) about a year ago and found that while it produced great lather there was limited slickness. Also experimented with Williams (my grandfather used this and Colgate years ago) and experienced great shaves though, because the lather was of moderate thickness, I sometimes relathered in the middle of a shaving pass. I've found that a 60/40% blend of Williams and the Deluxe Van Der Hagen works very well with rich lather that does not dissipate and excellent slickness. To make my "Van Der Williams" (borrowed idea and phrase from other posts here - thank you!) I grate a full puck of Williams (1.75oz) and mix in a half puck of the Deluxe (1.25oz) that has been liquefied in the microwave.

Getting back to the main topic here for those who have had great results from the Van Der Hagen Deluxe soap is your review based on the new "Basics" product formulation or the original formulation that is really very similar to what is now sold as the Luxury soap? Toothpick, which version was your evaluation based on? Comparison reviews from anyone who has used both formulations would also be helpful. Any chemists who can comment on the effect of the major reformulation should also chime in.

Given the dramatic change in the formula future Deluxe product reviews need to be based on the newer "Basics" soap formulation to be relevant.

This is an interesting post. Thanks.

I burned through a puck of VDH Deluxe a long time ago, back when it had the original ingredients. I tried the Luxury soap for a couple of shaves, but didn't really enjoy the scent so I binned it. Interesting to see that the so-called Luxury product really differs very little from the original green box "Deluxe."

None of these is really soap in the chemical sense. They are pucks of mostly detergents/foaming agents. I really don't like the inclusion of sodium laureth sulfate when there are so many other foaming agents that could be used that are less irritating. I guess we should be thankful it isn't sodium lauryl sufate, which is much worse.

Call me a purist, but when I use a shaving soap, I like it to actually be a SOAP. That's what turned me off of VDH Deluxe in the first place (well, that and the fact that is was just a middle-of-the-road product in terms of shave quality). I am one of the few that actually LIKED the original scent of VDH Deluxe, it being somewhat similar to Grey Flannel. (I know the scent wasn't very popular, and that most people greatly prefer the scent of the Luxury product [which to me smells like a cheap Axe scent that a 14-year-old boy has overapplied], so I doubt very much that any reputable soapmaker would ever make a puck of good soap that smells like the original VDH Deluxe. I might be the only customer.)

Anyway, thanks again. Going to continue to avoid all the VDH products for now.