Tallow versus vegetable Cella! A comparison ...

[Steve56]

I’m not so sure that tallow alone is the culprit in short shelf life. Cella is the only non-artisan tallow soap that has a reputation for instability over time. My brick lasted about 2 years before it turned brown, separated, and changed scent, and it was wrapped up in the back of the fridge. The only other mainstream soap that the scent ‘failed’ on was Valobra almond soft soap, but the texture and color remained good. I don’t remember if this was a tallow soap, but I think that it was.

In contrast, I have a 7+ year old refill ‘butter stick’ bar of Boellis Panama 1924, also a tallow Italian almond-scented soap, that’s fine. It has lost some scent but that’s typical of almost all almond soaps.

 

[Rhody]

I’ve ordered a tub of TFS. can I have the experts indulge me on aftershave.

Is Cella aftershave it or are there other recommendations? I love the Cella soap smell but to my nose the aftershave is not an exact match.

 

[Steve56]

I’ve ordered a tub of TFS. can I have the experts indulge me on aftershave.

Is Cella aftershave it or are there other recommendations? I love the Cella soap smell but to my nose the aftershave is not an exact match.

It’s an almond soap whose scent does not persist, so you can really use anything. Myrsol AS are my daily drivers when I don’t want a stronger, ‘fancy’ scent (which is a lot of the time), so I’d suggest Agua Balsamica or Limon. Musgo makes a nice barbershop scent. Floris Elite is a favorite, it’s a bit pricey but strong enough that I usually dilute it in hand with a few drops of water.

 

[NorthernSoul]

I’ve ordered a tub of TFS. can I have the experts indulge me on aftershave.

Is Cella aftershave it or are there other recommendations? I love the Cella soap smell but to my nose the aftershave is not an exact match.

Cella aftershave doesn't really match the shaving soap, it has more of a barbershop citrus+lavender sort of scent, IIRC. You can use just about any aftershave you like, though citrus and herbal type scents usually pair well. Something like an Acqua di Parma would be a natural fit.

 

[Virgil Sollozzo]

Well, of course there is no vegetable Cella Crema da Barba, so what the heck am I talking about??

Well, TFS in the red bowl is a classic Italian soft soap (croap) with the classic Italian Almond Cookie smell (Amaretti), but without tallow. It is about as close a clone to Cella original as one can get without tallow. So, after comparing original tallow Tabac to the new vegetable formulation a while back, after using the TFS soap a few times, I decided these two were a natural for a side-by-side comparison, same way I did the Tabac comparison. Many thanks to @Marco for the all the historical information he has provided on both these soaps, and for recommending TFS soaps to me, like all his recommendations I've loved the two I have now tried. Before moving away from tallow, Cella was a Marco favorite, so having a tub of both, I naturally wanted to try this comparison.

Below is my shave rating.

Saturday, February 8​

• Pre shave - shower
• Yaqi Ghost 90SB head on DS Cosmetics Spiral Ti handle (China)
• Dorco Prime blade #1 (Viet Nam)
• Yaqi Mysterious Space and PAA Amber Aerolite synthetic brushes
• Cella original and TFS Purissima Per Barba (Both Italy)
• Thayer's WH (USA)
• Cella red A/S (Italy)

10/10 BBS.
No bowl, TFS Purissima face-lathered on the right side with the Yaqi Mysterious Space Brush.
Cella Crema da Barba face-lathered on the left side with the PAA Amber Aerolite brush.
I used a new Dorco Prime blade, my new favorite blade (hat tip to @Dtownvino for that recommendation).
I made as close to identical lather consistencies on both sides, which, of course, is easy for me, as I am a Lather Maestro™.

Outstanding shave! I have a leather neck, apparently, as I can aim for and get a daily BBS shave with no irritation and no need for taking a few days off, now and then. But this shave was fantastic, and, as in the Tabac comparison ... I cannot tell these soaps apart.


View attachment 1991849

Now, I know many of you will be disappointed, because, darn it, we are supposed to have a winner in a comparison! But, honestly, I did not detect a noticeable difference in lather density or slickness, in blade feel during the shave, and both the slight problem areas on right and left jaws are BBS smooth. Alcohol burn feel after the shave was the same on both sides. Honestly, no matter how hard I tried, I could not detect a difference. After my same conclusion with the Tabac comparison, I am more convinced than ever that tallow as a shaving soap ingredient is simply not a factor in how good it can be -- neither better nor worse for having it or not having it on the ingredient list.

One thing folks will ask about is the scent. I cannot tell a difference in the scent profile. Some have posted they believe the TFS may have a stronger scent. That may be true, and it seemed that way to me, but my TFS is a new tub and the Cella is about a year old. And the difference was very slight. So I won't give the nod to TFS in this regard because they may be the same on two brand new tubs, but today it was slightly stronger in the TFS. Same scent though.

Another thing people are interested in is the post-shave feel, but I have vowed to never opine on that because I've never had any sensitive reaction to anything and I must have lizard skin, which is the reason I can get a daily BBS shave for months without a break. And since some (very few, but some) have indicated they've reacted to Cella, probably to the scent ingredients, and because for some with skin issues the post-shave feel is important, I simply will not give an opinion. But I certainly could not tell a difference after the shave and I still cannot fee any difference about 3 hours later.

Conclusion: Cella is an iconic, old-school, Italian barber classic shaving soap. It would be hard to find another as iconic, except, perhaps, Proraso green. I just love it! I think I will reload with the TFS when the time comes, however. I am agnostic between tallow and non-tallow soaps, but if you keep a tallow soap long enough, it can go a little off. I don't think the vegetable formulations tend to do that. But if you are not a died-in-the-wool tallow acolyte and you like Cella, I would say buy the TFS with confidence.

I did not have another person around to load the brushes for me, but I would bet real money that in a blind test most people would be unable to differentiate these two soaps. Well, maybe Marco could, but he's unusual, perhaps unique. The rest of us mere mortals would have a difficult time detecting any difference between these two soaps.

I highly recommend either of them if you live under a rock and not have tried Cella yet.

Bring a Bluetooth speaker and your phone to the bathroom for your shave and play this:

And pick up some Italian almond cookies and have a couple with an espresso after your shave.

Excellent review and very useful, too. Best regards

 

[JCinPA]

That lizard meme @NorthernSoul put in post 5 has me chuckling so much, I’m tempted to make it my avatar. But after almost 15 years here I’m afraid it cause confusion. Better not. But that was

 

[slyfox279]

I do agree, if you like having at least half dozen soaps in rotation at the same time the tub is preferable to the kilo brick. Furthermore, both are dirt cheap.

Tallow-free soaps do not develop weird colours or stinky smells over time. Sadly, tallow soaps do. That is the main reason why I am no longer using tallow.

only noticed this in cella. my milled soaps and Stirling soaps seem fine after 7 years or more. cell last few months to year. though I order from amazon or maggards. I've never had super new production, so maybe I get it near end of its life span. I get same shave from the vegetable based cellas, as the tallow. I do miss the scent but last one I bought lost its scent in few weeks span. It hasn't turned rancid yet but just has plain soap smell. I'll probably just throw it away. I got TFS recently and its good but not same sweeter scent of cella tallow, wish they'd make bio version with that scent. I started shaving with cella, the first one kept its scent for 2 years or so, makes me wonder if they've cheapen out or just everyone has old stock.

 

[slyfox279]

Oh, Lord forgive me. I really have caused confusion here.

THERE IS NO NEW CELLA OFFERING!

I was trying to be tongue in cheek, and riffing off my tallow/non-tallow Tabac comparison thread.

All Cella Crema da Barba shaving soap (red tub), whether tub or brick contain tallow. I have no knowledge of them ever changing this.

I was referring to the TFS Purissima da Barba as "Vegetable Cella" in jest!"

I am now sorry I titled this that way, I'm afraid, I am causing a lot of confusion.

Anyway, if anyone liked Cella red, but had issues with it, TFS is probably inexpensive enough that you should try it if you like the scent. Both are great soaps. For those who would prefer non-talllow or are agnostic, as I am, I would recommend the TFS product over the Cella. Not because it shaves better or smells better, but because you can likely use it indefinitely without any chance of its going "off" on you.

I thought your review was very clear maybe he's referring to the new premium offerings they have. I got the sandal wood one and love it.

 

[Marco]

Well, I should have explained my position better and told exactly why I no longer utilize tallow soaps. I'll do it now. Over the years my nose has become much more sensitive (refined?) to scents, both good ones and bad ones. I can detect hints of any of my colognes on my clothes even after days. And in the same way I can detect that bad smell that slowly and inevitably shows up in tallow soaps after some time. It's not just when the tallow soaps go rancid and become visibly unusable, but also when they are still perfectly fine shave-wise. After a short while I can detect that "sweaty shirt" stink that I simply cannot tolerate anymore. This happens to me only with tallow soaps. Hence, my final decision to remove them completely and forever from my shaving den.

 

[Albert V]

The main thing that causes soap to go bad is oxidation. To keep soap from going bad, best to keep it sealed up in a place that is cool, dry and away from light. Letting the soap dry after each use is a good idea.

Exactly

A useful side note that is rarely mentioned is that most soaps do put an expiration date on the container. That expiration date begins when the product is opened and appears on the container as a symbol - the symbol is a picture of an open container with a number and usually the letter M (so universal to all languages) This symbol means the manufacturer believes the product is good for X number of months Once opened. So M12 means 12 months or 1 year after opening.

See example below from a old tub of Cella

 

[Luc]

Good write-up! I never tried TFS but you are convincing me to buy some. Argh! the RAD!!!

 

[Marco]

Good write-up! I never tried TFS but you are convincing me to buy some. Argh! the RAD!!!

I wonder who insisted on this TFS soap...

 

[Orlandez]

That is true, sir, my bad! I meant to say a tallow Cella original. Actually my son is half Asian, so not much beard and shaves maybe 2-3X per week. But he loved the Cella original when I taught him to shave, he calls it the “Santa Claus” soap because the shaver in the logo reminds him of Santa.

But while visiting one weekend, he absconded with my Cell Extra Extra Bio. He’s not a shaving enthusiast, these are the only two soaps he’s ever used, but that is now his favorite—and only —shave soap.

I had forgotten about that one, I may have to reload, I remember being blown away by it. Thank you for the correction!

Like mine (Chinese wife )

 

[Alex Jr]

If TFS is the same as Figaro (I’ve read they are the same soap) then cella is a lot better for me.

Figaro is not bad by any means, but cella’s performance is on another level. Of course as always YMMV.

Again, I may be wrong about TFS/figaro being the same.

 

[GR5233]

he calls it the “Santa Claus” soap because the shaver in the logo reminds him of Santa.

I’ve made that observation before.

Between the Cella red and TFS my preference is for Cella

 

[BurnFree]

I’ve made that observation before.

Between the Cella red and TFS my preference is for Cella

I agree, despite really wanting to like TFS based on high accolades.

I spent time tweaking the lather and even read back through the Lather Maestro's method to try to close a performance gap to no avail. It would look & feel fine, but simply not shave as well...not bad...but not Cella.

I do prefer the TFS Red Bowl scent & post-shave over Cella Red & Green though.

 

[lirijavdekje]

I'm thinking that its the almond oil content that goes rancid in the cella soap.

 

[BurnFree]

I agree, despite really wanting to like TFS based on high accolades.

I spent time tweaking the lather and even read back through the Lather Maestro's method to try to close a performance gap to no avail. It would look & feel fine, but simply not shave as well...not bad...but not Cella.

I do prefer the TFS Red Bowl scent & post-shave over Cella Red & Green though.

I need to walk back this disparaging remark about TFS.

There are problems with Group Think at times, but I decided to give it another try due to an overwhelmingly-positive majority. Determined, I showered & prepped (normally a morning, splash water on face kind of guy), then loaded very heavily with a damp brush and sloowwwllly worked water into a face lather.

It looked and slipped great (mostly as before, but better)...but the shave was still incredibly uncomfortable! Then the tingle and redness started, and I realized in hindsight that every single boar bristle had been felt while lathering. Folks, this has been fragrance burn the entire time!

I've had this problem with almond soaps (and some bases) in the past...thought I was past it, but maybe the recent exposures are triggering things again. The proper pre-shave wash and extended lather probably amplified what this dummy has been missing. It can be subtle and sneak up, but I really should have picked up on it long before now. Apologies to TFS. I will be sure to try other TFS scents after burning up (ha ha!) other soaps for a while.

I also want to mention that all redness disappears as soon as the soap is washed off, and the TFS Red Bowl post-shave is actually quite nice - not buttery like some artisans, but it seems gentle from a pH perspective and contains extra oil. A touch better than Cella Red in fact, and noticably better than current formula Vitos Red, which is not what I'd call a drying soap, but the talc does not do it any favors in that regard. Hand lathering, Cella still slightly has TFS in stability & slickness IMO, and I use less of it per shave, though that borders on a silly comparison considering the price of either.

So...TFS gets my vote as a firm Buy & Try.

 

[Shaun asleep]

Great comparison in two excellent soaps.
I actually bought the 1 kg brick recently, after burning through my bowl of TFS.

I had Cella before, but found the scent to be ever so slightly more bitter. TFS is just a hint more sweet to my nose. I also get a very special, pillow soft face feel when applying TFS that I miss when I use Cella.

I have other soaps, but my plan is not to replace them once they're all used up.

 

[JCinPA]

@BurnFree Your experience is exactly why I do not ever give an opinion on post-shave face feel. @NorthernSoul lizard meme (still makes me chuckle) is so right for me, that I don't want to say anything about that aspect of a soap. You're reaction and suspicion it is the almond oil that causes you discomfort is a case in point. Not many have that reaction but it is definitely not uncommon. I believe lavender oil can cause the same issue in a small percentage, but again, not uncommon number of folks. I'd feel bad if I convinced someone with skin sensitivities to use something that makes them uncomfortable, so I just don't opine on that.

I'm noticing that some folks do detect a slight difference between the scents, the slickness, or other aspects of soaps like these two, I suspect I'm just not that discerning. I know how to lather anything (or more properly, how to discover how to lather anything), but I am certainly no soap expert. I know little about ingredients because I don't care about them, I just use what I like. But the fact that I cannot detect a difference between these two soaps (or between tallow and non-tallow Tabac) does not mean there are no differences. There likely are some very nuanced differences I'm not discerning enough to pick up.

My hope with these comparisons, though, is not to see if two soaps are the same, but rather to say if someone has an issue with a particular soap, or one is reformulated, I'd like to let them know they can confidently try the other product and are likely (not guaranteed) to be just as happy with it.

I definitely think that is the case with these two products, despite the small handful who may strongly prefer one or the other. I'm glad Marco expanded on his issue with tallow soaps, but no doubt Cella is a classic shave soap of the highest order. It was his favorite for many years. I suspect he'd still love a shave with a newly opened tub of it. It's some time later that his scent issue arises. But these are both very similar, phenomenal shaving soaps, I just think the TFS is likely to last forever in your den. My son, who only uses Cella, a one-soap "rotation", has never had an issue with it because it doesn't hang around his den for 3 year like it does in mine.