So I tried a couple-few unscented soaps...

[Phoenixkh]

A note on Canada Shaving Soap... I don't know if this helped or not, but I emailed them and asked them to please restock Amazon due to the shipping costs to the States..... a few days later, it showed up "in stock" again. It could have been a simple coincidence..... Who knows?

 

[Tillerman]

I wish I could use scented soaps. My skin reacts to it... sometimes, violently. One great soap maker's soup caused such a reaction, I couldn't shave for three weeks. That sent me to the dermatologist who told me: some people's skin reacts to the ingredients used to make various scents.

I loved the smell of all the soaps and creams I bought... but I ended up giving them to a person here whose skin is less sensitive. I do think using a scented soap would add something to my shave.. My skin prohibits it.

I believe there are many who have skin reactions to scented products. Once in awhile I feel a couple of my scented soaps are a little irritating. It does not last long so is not a big problem for me. The three unscented soaps I have were gifted to me because they contained lanolin and caused previous owner problems . Sometimes you really have to look for soaps that are compatible with your skin.

 

[Doc Dan]

I wish I could use scented soaps. My skin reacts to it... sometimes, violently. One great soap maker's soup caused such a reaction, I couldn't shave for three weeks. That sent me to the dermatologist who told me: some people's skin reacts to the ingredients used to make various scents.

I loved the smell of all the soaps and creams I bought... but I ended up giving them to a person here whose skin is less sensitive. I do think using a scented soap would add something to my shave.. My skin prohibits it.

Have you tried buying Stirling Unscented Beeswax and then ordering some mild (not hot) genuine essential oils (perhaps from someplace like Rocky Mountain) and adding just a few drops, smear it around, poke holes, and let it sit for a week or so so that it permeates the soap?

 

[Phoenixkh]

Have you tried buying Stirling Unscented Beeswax and then ordering some mild (not hot) genuine essential oils (perhaps from someplace like Rocky Mountain) and adding just a few drops, smear it around, poke holes, and let it sit for a week or so so that it permeates the soap?

I haven't. My wife has lots of essential oils around but with the way my skin reacts, it isn't an experiment I'm willing to try. I get plenty enjoyment from the other aspects of wet shaving. I feel fortunate to have stated this journey at my age (now 70), and although I wish I would have started earlier, I'm still having a blast after a year and a half.

 

[JimmyJoeMeeker]

I like Shannon's tha best

After receiving a free (scented) sample of her soap recently, I've rapidly become a Shannon's booster. I promptly ordered some and have been using it with great joy.

 

[Doc Dan]

After receiving a free (scented) sample of her soap recently, I've rapidly become a Shannon's booster. I promptly ordered some and have been using it with great joy.

That Chupacabra base is really good. I've not tried the other base. I am going to be using Rebrab for my Sunday morning shave.

 

[JimmyJoeMeeker]

That Chupacabra base is really good. I've not tried the other base. I am going to be using Rebrab for my Sunday morning shave.

The Chupacabra base is top-tier and, to me, noticeably better than the standard base. That said, it's not way better, because her standard is also outstanding.

For a price-sensitive consumer, I'd recommend the standard base. If the extra dough isn't enough to matter to a person, I do think the Chupacabra makes for a little better shave... but we're talking a little more icing on an already delicious cake here.

 

[MaineYooper]

Hello @hariph creek! I have been "scentsless" (nod to PAA!) since January 2016. But I somehow missed your superb review of unscented soaps until today. I enjoyed your reviews and all the comments here. It amazes me how many unscented soap choices we have. If I were a user of scented soaps, I would most likely be locked in a room in my special dinner jacket made for me by those crazy guys over at BOSC!

In 2020 I put all my notes on the soaps I've tried in one place, and it stands at 26!! What?! But currently there are only 17 in the soap drawer. There are probably a half dozen more that were tried in the early days but their sojourn was brief.

I say all that only because roughly half of the soaps you have tried, I haven't! See what I mean by choices? It is a wonderful time to be a scent-free soap user, for sure.

Also, I can be a warning for you and others! Currently, I am using only 8 soaps, but they were all purchased throughout 2021. While I have never had a soap grow anything, I don't want to tempt them to start now, either. Soaps purchased after 2021 will have to wait a bit while I take the rest of this year to use up my bounty.

And while I have sworn off new purchases, dang, you and others have listed some unscented soaps I didn't know existed. The "Iwantsees" are gathering now for a full-on attack of my wallet and sensibilities!

In closing, good to meet you and I look foward to seeing you around the neighborhood!

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

Martin de Candre Nature is lovely fragrance-free soap. It has an exquisite soapy scent that lasts throughout the day.

 

[hariph creek]

Martin de Candre Nature is lovely fragrance-free soap. It has an exquisite soapy scent that lasts throughout the day.

Having been compared to Canada Shave Soap I suspect I would like it.
I must say though, (CANADA) is lovely fragrance-free soap. It has an exquisite (NO) scent that lasts throughout the day.

 

[hariph creek]

Hello @hariph creek! I have been "scentsless" (nod to PAA!) since January 2016. But I somehow missed your superb review of unscented soaps until today. I enjoyed your reviews and all the comments here. It amazes me how many unscented soap choices we have. If I were a user of scented soaps, I would most likely be locked in a room in my special dinner jacket made for me by those crazy guys over at BOSC!
View attachment 1693984

In 2020 I put all my notes on the soaps I've tried in one place, and it stands at 26!! What?! But currently there are only 17 in the soap drawer. There are probably a half dozen more that were tried in the early days but their sojourn was brief.

I say all that only because roughly half of the soaps you have tried, I haven't! See what I mean by choices? It is a wonderful time to be a scent-free soap user, for sure.

Also, I can be a warning for you and others! Currently, I am using only 8 soaps, but they were all purchased throughout 2021. While I have never had a soap grow anything, I don't want to tempt them to start now, either. Soaps purchased after 2021 will have to wait a bit while I take the rest of this year to use up my bounty.

And while I have sworn off new purchases, dang, you and others have listed some unscented soaps I didn't know existed. The "Iwantsees" are gathering now for a full-on attack of my wallet and sensibilities!

In closing, good to meet you and I look foward to seeing you around the neighborhood!

I too, will be a while using up most of my current stock.

Not sure which on my list you have not tried but, I heartily recommend...

For a decadent shave:
PAA CK6 Scentsless
and
A&E Kaizen 2e The Recipe

For a well balanced shave:
Canada Shaving Soap
and
Zingari Man Sego Unscented

These are my 4 favorites.
The decadent stuff is nice now and then but, I find too much for daily use.
Hands down, Canada is my favorite. If I could not find it I would look to Zingari. If I could find neither...?
I think Stirling Beeswax would be my daily.

 

[MaineYooper]

I too, will be a while using up most of my current stock.

Not sure which on my list you have not tried but, I heartily recommend...

For a decadent shave:
PAA CK6 Scentsless
and
A&E Kaizen 2e The Recipe

For a well balanced shave:
Canada Shaving Soap
and
Zingari Man Sego Unscented

These are my 4 favorites.
The decadent stuff is nice now and then but, I find too much for daily use.
Hands down, Canada is my favorite. If I could not find it I would look to Zingari. If I could find neither...?
I think Stirling Beeswax would be my daily.

Of the four you listed, The Recipe is one that I have not tried. For Sterling, I really enjoy Sheep. Zingari Man, PAA, Mike Natural, and Mystic Water Soaps Sensitive Skin are a few that I always want on hand!

 

[MaineYooper]

Being easily influenced, I ran a search for The Recipe and found a tub, which is now on its way to my soap drawer! Thanks for the nudge, @hariph creek!

 

[SRLNY]

Finally getting around to doing what I said I would do back in posting #44. I did get Canada (from Amazon) and the Stirling Beeswax I've moved towards scentless soaps because, for the last year I dove down the deeper than wet shaving rabbit hole of scents/ fragrances. I nowadays care a good deal about which EDT or EDP I put on, and I find that a lot of the scents in shaving soaps to seem synthetic and cheap smelling in comparison to (much more expensive) parfums. I still use scented soaps probably just over half the time. And I no longer use a splash after each shave, as I used to. My technique has gotten to the point where I'm often good just going straight to the skin-care products and EDT/EDP to finish things off (and also, again, because the scents in aftershaves are often synthetic and cheaper and likely to clash with my fragrance of the day). Some days if I just want a splash, though, I'll go with the unscented Ethos Clean.

In short as to the Canada and Stirling Beeswax, my reaction is the same as @hariph creek 's original posting: Canada Shaving Soap is simply top of the line first rate stuff. It gives a great shave and pushes all the buttons -- slickness, cushion, comfort, face feel. I don't care that much about after-shave feel because I generally wash off the soap and use skin car products. As for the Beeswax, it's definitely good soap but it doesn't have the fullness or even richness of the Canada. So, a solid performer, not just top of the line.

So, for me, Canada is now up there with A&E's Recipe as my top two unscented soaps. I also like, and put as close but not quite there, Mitchell's Wool Fat (the tallow) which might be said to have a scent but it such a very soft soap scent that, once I wash my face, I consider it in the unscented category. As for others that have been discussed, I've previously tried the PAA and MDC and they didn't thrill me. But that was some time ago for each. I've also recently gotten a tub of the A&E new Ultima base in its unscented form, which is called Unmasked (and the matching unscented splash), and while some folks have loved the Ultima base and rave about it, I, personally, still like Kaizen a bit better. Ultima is thicker, more paste-like, richer. But lots of folks really like it and think the post-shave is better than Kaizen (btw, I'd be willing to sell the Ultima soap and splash at a good price to someone-- so, if you're interested- just message me).

The problem now is that there are some soaps listed in here and given great reviews that I've not yet tried -- Shannon and the Zingari, particularly. This never ends!