Scents of Soap vs Cream

[Macers]

Hey All,
I want to like soaps, and have been trying various kinds. I bought a Tabac and Sandlewood sample, but didn't care for the scent. However, I bought a full DR Harris Almond wood bowl/puck, and a TOBS Lavender bowl/puck.

I love my cream scents of lavender and almond, but the soaps almost have a chemical smell masking the intended scent. For lack of a better description, they sort of smell like a detergent to me. I know it is soap, but that portion of the scent seems to overpower the almond/lavender. It is to the point that when I smell either puck, I notice the "detergent" scent before the "fragrance."

I don't think I was dropped on my head as a kid, or huffed any glue...but am I just off base here? These seem to be fairly popular brands.

I do not notice the detergent scent in the Tabac or Sandlewood, I just don't care for them.

Should I just keep buying different pucks (sounds good to me )

Or is that just the nature of most soaps, and I should stick to creams?

 

[soapbuddy]

I think it depends how the soap was made. Some are synder bars (detergent based) that could have that chemical scent, others used oils/butters/lye and those have a chance of smelling better. Since everyone's nose is different, you are just as likely to get a different answer.

 

[HoratioCaine]

Since everyone's nose is different, you are just as likely to get a different answer.

Agreed. Still, I'll offer my nose's two cents. I don't have any experience with TOBS soaps, but I have D.R. Harris lavender. For sure it is soap - tallow based, at that - not syndet. The lavender scent in their soap isn't anywhere near as pronounced as in their shaving cream, but I don't pick up any real chemical smell there - just sort of a round, "soapy" smell that goes alongside the faint lavender aroma, generally quite pleasant, albeit not outstanding. I don't get any kind of chemical smell in any of my Trumper soaps, either (which include all but the Almond). The only soap I've found with a strong underlying soap scent that I am none too thrilled with is AOS; it's a great soap in terms of function, but the scents are a little too funky for my taste. I have yet to encounter any syndets marketed as shaving soaps, the one exception possibly being Proraso soap in a jar, which does contain sodium lauryl sulfate. Most shaving soaps are just that...soaps.

 

[JDE]

Maybe try some glycerine-based soaps? They tend to lean a little heavier on the fragrance and they're obviously not as "soapy" smelling in general when compared to their tallow counterparts.

Try Mama Bear soaps - some very nice scents to be found in her collection.

 

[mretzloff]

You really need to try some QED soaps. Visit QEDUSA.com. Don't be put off by the awkward website

 

[Macers]

Maybe try some glycerine-based soaps? They tend to lean a little heavier on the fragrance and they're obviously not as "soapy" smelling in general when compared to their tallow counterparts.

Try Mama Bear soaps - some very nice scents to be found in her collection.

Fair enough. I did actually purchase (yet fail to mention) a col conks bay rum soap--my first purchase. I shelved it right away after i found this site.

But through research, I was (I'm an easy sale) led to believe that if I wasn't using trip milled, I was doing it wrong.