Unpopular opinion: Artisan soaps are overrated

[Ivo4u2]

Imho you could call any newcomer artisan and every decade proven soap master a proven brand.
some like to experiment with lots of scents because they have customers who expect it and some will do the opposite out of the same reason.

tabac for instance made a new scent (not as a soap yet) but so far people seem to find it mweeeeh.
If Arko attempts the same you probably get the same reaction.
And if stirling is not making a season special some of us will be scared and ask the owner if everything is ok.

and for me I mix all.
Like strong bold scents but the soap has to perform first else you can only use it as an airfreshner.

 

[dan86]

Different strokes methinks.

I think we’re lucky to have so much choice.
I’ve been lucky with the artisan soaps I’ve tried and some have in my opinion performed better than traditional products I’ve used. Scent does play a big part in the overall experience of shaving for me though. After too many years of ignorantly only using the few shaving foams in a can sold in supermarkets, which largely smell the same and were boring, I want to try different scented creams and soaps.

 

[Earcutter]

“Fragrance Bombs”

I love fragrance bombs! Nom, nom!

 

[wimbouman]

Unfortunately, lots of examples.

View attachment 1110957

I knew about QueenCharlotte, but I totally missed Calani to go out of business
Just read about it here: Die Calani Seifenmanufaktur schließt ihre Türen... - https://forum-der-rasur.de/forum/threads/die-calani-seifenmanufaktur-schließt-ihre-türen.2357/

That is a pity.

 

[JoeLr]

Even though I don't buy "new artisan" soaps anymore (meaning, I used to try them out & pass along to shaving buddies; other than B&M Le Grand Chypre, which I have re-bought for the scent), I LOVE that they exist. I enjoy reading others' impressions, AND it means less demand for the soaps I re-buy ("traditional artisan" like MdC, SV, etc.).

 

[Atlantic59]

I think as long as you are able to find a small selection of soaps that work well for you, you should feel content with that.

I'm a believer in the law of diminishing returns. As long as a soap works well for me, I don't have to chase "the best", or worry about where the soap fits in on some soap snob's rating chart.

I do enjoy trying new things, but I'm trying to avoid having a huge "rotation".

 

[IMightBeWrong]

I love Artisan soaps. I’ve always considered MdC an artisan soap, too.

 

[RayClem]

This forum has its share of folks who love Arko, Williams, Tabac, MWF, etc. I am OK with Tabac and MWF, but avoid Arko and Williams like a global pandemic.

To me, one of the strongest "fragrance bombs" is TOBS sandalwood.

As the exotic ingredients in luxury artisan soaps have become more expensive, many artisans have reduced the scent strength of their fragrances to keep costs under control. Some high quality fragrance ingredients can be expensive. Some of the stronger scented products are produced with less expensive synthetic fragrances. From a performance standpoint, however, I love recently released artisan formulations.

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

I'm in the same boat as yourself. The "artisans" use way too much fragrance / super-fat their soaps too much for my sensitive and oil-prone face. For those that seek these qualities however, they present amazing values for this specific group.

Arko is kinda bordeline-funky-scented to me, but the performance is exemplary, and one of the best I've ever used.

 

[Rustyshackelford]

I have a few of the classic staples and wouldn’t toss them out of my bathroom for anything. That being said, I like my artisan soaps. I am not a cologne guy, so if I’m going to take the time to give myself a luxurious shave, I want to use a luxurious product. I want to be reminded of this product throughout my day, and I would actually be quite happy if the scent is strong enough that someone might take notice.

Aside from the fragrance component, in my experience the benefits to my skin are much better with the artisan products. for me it is a form of a passive skincare regimen. I’m not good about putting on a moisturizer and scrubbing my face with a brush and exfoliating routinely if I’m not shaving. I’m sure I spend more time with the shaving process than I would if I did skincare outside of my shaving.

My skin is the best it ever been since I started wet shaving with soaps and a brush. And I find a direct correlation to my skin’s condition and the quality of shave soap I use.

 

[Scaramouche]

And once an "artisan" has been around long enough, it presumably becomes a "classic," so arguably, the only thing that separates them is time. I'm sure GFW Trumper in 1875 was considered by London Lords and Ladies an "artisan" in his day among the shops along Curzon Street, among the plain, harsh lye soaps of his era.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Performance is more important, to me, than scent.

For "post shave feel", I use Hyaluronic Acid after every shave.

I like to experiment with different soaps both Artisan and Traditional. Just tried Zingari Man 'The Wanderer' - performance and post shave feel are both really good. Also just tried Cello Extra Extra Bio and it also has excellent performance and post shave feel.

While I have lots of Artisan soaps and am trying to not order any more, I confess that, after reading the stellar review by @Hannah's Dad (thank you Dan ), I just ordered the A&E Kaizen Soap and Aftershave.

My traditional "standards" are Haslinger, Tabac, Mitchell's Wool Fat, Vitos Extra Super Rosso+ and Cella Extra Extra Bio.

YMMV

 

[kingfisher]

Now, before y'all scream at me, please hear me out, and listen carefully. I respect everyone out there that works hard to make a living in this industry, I'm not trying to knock anyone, or their products. I have nothing but respect for any artisan out there who puts their heart and soul into the products that they make. I can completely understand why people would support local artisans, instead of buying products from big corporations.
So that's not what this is about.
Personally, I use a handful of soaps only. Arko being my primary tallow-based soap. and my primary non tallow-based soap being MDC. So yea, the cheapest and most expensive soaps out there.
What do I like about these soaps? Well for one, they have classic scents, I know some people dislike the scent of arko, but to me it smells like a simple and classic soap. This is how I think soaps should smell. Most of these artisan soaps are fragrance bombs, and that is primarily what puts me off. Some even have their scents lingering after the shave is over, this is a big turn-off for me.
I think most soaps (artisan or not) perfom well, but I just don't see why I would pick X artisan soap over Arko or MDC. I must admit I can be a simple guy at times, but if I want a nice scent I will use some cologne after my shave. Most aftershaves and soaps are not meant to be used as a fragrance, but that's almost how I feel a lot of artisan soaps are.
It seems like the scent has to be the biggest sellling point.
So what is the fuss about artisan soaps? Is scent really that important in a soap? I don't think it is, but that's obviously just my opinion. All I care about is a classic mild scent, and a soap that perfroms well in all types of water. I have used plenty of artisan soaps in the past, but for the reasons I described in this thread I have abandoned all of them.
Again, I'm not trying to say artian soaps are bad, but they are certainly not for everyone.
So if you use artisan soaps, what is it that keeps you coming back for more? And if you don't use them, what made you stick to the classics?

I haven't read other replies to the thread, but I'm dropping this here, anyway.

1) MdC may have a "classic scent," but to me it STINKS. There is a resinous, benzoin-like underscent to it that immediately reminded me of the cadavers in freshman year of medical school. Not a pleasant association. So it's a no-go from the start.

In addition, MdC tends to dry my skin out, which is something I don't want in a shaving soap.

2) I've never tried Arko. I have been on these forums since 2009, though, and I have heard that a lot of people feel that Arko is somewhat drying, as well. Also, the scent is definitely polarizing, with a lot of people disliking it.


3) You can't just lump all artisan soaps into a single bucket and make a pronouncement, such as "they all are overly scented" or "they are all about the scent," or whatever. There are tens if not hundreds of artisan soapmakers, and their soaps don't really have that much in common, to be honest. Yes, some are overly scented, and some have scents that linger, but a lot of them don't.

I have been shaving with artisan soaps for at least 8 years now, and they work for me. I have found some soapmakers whose product I really enjoy. All of the soaps I currently use work much better for me than MdC did, and they all provide me with an experience that I like.

 

[Billy T.]

Same. I don't enjoy the notion of artisans or anyone really releasing new formulas every 4 months increasing the price drastically and calling it THE BEST SOAPBASE EVEEEEEEEEEER. Too many overhyped artisans, I will leave those to people that got cash to burn on random sh1t. I am cautious with my money and I will not be buying into the hype. I doubt those soapmakers will be around in 5-10 years.

 

[Rustyshackelford]

I haven't read other replies to the thread, but I'm dropping this here, anyway.

3) You can't just lump all artisan soaps into a single bucket and make a pronouncement, such as "they all are overly scented" or "they are all about the scent," or whatever. There are tens if not hundreds of artisan soapmakers, and their soaps don't really have that much in common, to be honest. Yes, some are overly scented, and some have scents that linger, but a lot of them don't.

I have been shaving with artisan soaps for at least 8 years now, and they work for me. I have found some soapmakers whose product I really enjoy. All of the soaps I currently use work much better for me than MdC did, and they all provide me with an experience that I like.

I think the true test for the argument of a better soap base when it comes to artisan soaps is “would you still use this product if it were I scented?”

My favorite brand doesn’t offer in scented but if they did, I would be all over it and have an assortment of the aftershaves to meet the need/desire for fragrance.

 

[ouchyfoot]

I couldn’t imagine 10,000 men getting on the subway for work that all smell like Arko.

 

[Steve56]

 

[MrSpeedy]

There are plenty of artisan soap makers who make unscented soap. Stirling and Mike's come to mind. I'd put their performance and post-shave feel up against anyone.

 

[Zwiehander]

I mean, youre not wrong. I enjoy artisan soaps but in the end its all just soap and theres no artisan soap that performs better than TOBS Sandalwood or Proraso Red.
It seems like a lot of artisans like to always say how their soaps are, "impossibly slick" and give a great post shave feel but it all seems pretty much the same to me. Slickness is really more about soap to water ratio than it is whatever soap base you use and if you care about post-shave feel, youre probably better off with a good aftershave balm than with a high-end artisan shave soap anyways.
For me, the big difference from artisans to the more traditional mainstream brands is in scent. With the TOBS or the Prorasos of the world, you have less choice on scent but with artisans, you have a wide range of scents and the scents are more unique and complex.

I was stunned with how good TOBS Sandlewood was when I first used it a couple of days ago. I havent tried the super fatted artisanal soaps yet as I am waiting for thoss that I ordered to arrive. Is the rest of the TOBS range as good in performance?

 

[Zwiehander]

Same. I don't enjoy the notion of artisans or anyone really releasing new formulas every 4 months increasing the price drastically and calling it THE BEST SOAPBASE EVEEEEEEEEEER. Too many overhyped artisans, I will leave those to people that got cash to burn on random sh1t. I am cautious with my money and I will not be buying into the hype. I doubt those soapmakers will be around in 5-10 years.

I have noticed this trend as well. I have ordered a selection of the highest rated soap based to give them a try to see if they are any better than the regular shaving soaps.