What's new

Van der Hagen deluxe.

So, I have had quite the adventure in my wet shaving story. I started out with a Merkur Barber Pole razor, Astra SP blades, a Semogue brush and a cheap puck of VDH soap. I really enjoyed my shaves, and was ready to try new things. I've been using Cremo Original, Pacific Shaving Caffeinated, TOBS Sandalwood, Jermyn Street, Trumpers Coconut, and most recently a tub of Truefitt and Hill Ultra Comfort.
Ever since experimenting with new soaps, I've developed a horrible, burning, itching rash on my face only wear I shaved. I even tried a Parker's Synthetic, thinking maybe I was allergic to boar hair. I'd even tried with Gillette's new razor, the 2 bladed Skin Guard, and nothing seemed to help.
So, this morning I decided to start from the very beginning, and found a puck of VDH, and went to town. This was the only thing I changed in my routine. To my surprise, the rash was completely gone, and I'd had the best shave I'd had in months. It's a bit frustrating to have spent all that money to find out the cheapest product I have, works best for me.
I guess my question is this. Is there something in the higher end creams and soaps that I'm allergic to? Has anyone else had this experience?
 
Experiment: Apply ONE of your nicer soaps. Maybe at 7 pm. Five minutes later wash it off. See if you have any redness. Repeat with another next evening.
 
VDH Deluxe is an excellent soap for me & is in my soap rotation. Grapefruit irritates my skin so I avoid soap containing grapefruit oil.
 
So, it’s odd. I shaved this morning with great results, but after my evening shower, I applied some Thayer’s Lavender Witch Hazel along side my usual Cerave moisturizer, and my skin felt markedly drier and itchy. I’ve used Thayers for a while, but this has also been a persistent problem too. I know WH is used to dry up acne and is an astringent too, plus it being winter too.
 
So, I have had quite the adventure in my wet shaving story. I started out with a Merkur Barber Pole razor, Astra SP blades, a Semogue brush and a cheap puck of VDH soap. I really enjoyed my shaves, and was ready to try new things. I've been using Cremo Original, Pacific Shaving Caffeinated, TOBS Sandalwood, Jermyn Street, Trumpers Coconut, and most recently a tub of Truefitt and Hill Ultra Comfort.
Ever since experimenting with new soaps, I've developed a horrible, burning, itching rash on my face only wear I shaved. I even tried a Parker's Synthetic, thinking maybe I was allergic to boar hair. I'd even tried with Gillette's new razor, the 2 bladed Skin Guard, and nothing seemed to help.
So, this morning I decided to start from the very beginning, and found a puck of VDH, and went to town. This was the only thing I changed in my routine. To my surprise, the rash was completely gone, and I'd had the best shave I'd had in months. It's a bit frustrating to have spent all that money to find out the cheapest product I have, works best for me.
I guess my question is this. Is there something in the higher end creams and soaps that I'm allergic to? Has anyone else had this experience?

Yep count me as someone who has. I’ve noticed that soy based soaps make my skin burn and feel irritated. So i automatically rule out anything billed as “vegan” because they’re usually soy based. Van Der Hagen is a pretty good soap and for the $ and ease of purchase it’s definietly something i’d use again.
 
I have gone through stages like that and for me I have found that everything is OK again if I wait a few months and try one of the offenders again. I have learned which ones do that to me and avoid using them too often. One of the offenders for me is Cella, but all is well if I only use it a couple of times a month.
 
So, I have had quite the adventure in my wet shaving story. I started out with a Merkur Barber Pole razor, Astra SP blades, a Semogue brush and a cheap puck of VDH soap. I really enjoyed my shaves, and was ready to try new things. I've been using Cremo Original, Pacific Shaving Caffeinated, TOBS Sandalwood, Jermyn Street, Trumpers Coconut, and most recently a tub of Truefitt and Hill Ultra Comfort.
Ever since experimenting with new soaps, I've developed a horrible, burning, itching rash on my face only wear I shaved. I even tried a Parker's Synthetic, thinking maybe I was allergic to boar hair. I'd even tried with Gillette's new razor, the 2 bladed Skin Guard, and nothing seemed to help.
So, this morning I decided to start from the very beginning, and found a puck of VDH, and went to town. This was the only thing I changed in my routine. To my surprise, the rash was completely gone, and I'd had the best shave I'd had in months. It's a bit frustrating to have spent all that money to find out the cheapest product I have, works best for me.
I guess my question is this. Is there something in the higher end creams and soaps that I'm allergic to? Has anyone else had this experience?

I use VDH 99 percent of the time. Recently I changed to VDH Luxury because of the glycerin content. Let me add that using a straight razor requires me to have a well hydrated lather. VDH does that best for me.
 
I use VDH 99 percent of the time. Recently I changed to VDH Luxury because of the glycerin content. Let me add that using a straight razor requires me to have a well hydrated lather. VDH does that best for me.
Is this the Amber or to opaque soap?

I"grew up" on the Amber VDH and went back to Fred Meyer to grab some a couple days ago to find it not offered anymore.... Sadness.
 
So, it’s odd. I shaved this morning with great results, but after my evening shower, I applied some Thayer’s Lavender Witch Hazel along side my usual Cerave moisturizer, and my skin felt markedly drier and itchy. I’ve used Thayers for a while, but this has also been a persistent problem too. I know WH is used to dry up acne and is an astringent too, plus it being winter too.

WH is an astringent all on it's lonesome, but Thayer's Lavender also has aloe, citrus, and, of course lavender. You could be sensitive to any of that.
 
It might just be you have the "Knack" with harder soaps, and haven't got the right ratio with croaps and creams yet. The wide variety that don't work would exclude it being a single agent causing problems.

Is this the Amber or to opaque soap?

I"grew up" on the Amber VDH and went back to Fred Meyer to grab some a couple days ago to find it not offered anymore.... Sadness.
The Amber is the Deluxe VDH, which is hard to find in stores now. Luxury VDH is the opaque soap.
 
It might just be you have the "Knack" with harder soaps, and haven't got the right ratio with croaps and creams yet. The wide variety that don't work would exclude it being a single agent causing problems.


The Amber is the Deluxe VDH, which is hard to find in stores now. Luxury VDH is the opaque soap.
VDH Deluxe and Luxury are both stocked here. The Deluxe is about half the Luxury.
 

The Count of Merkur Cristo

B&B's Emperor of Emojis
Logan:
My first soap was Williams and I was a VDH Deluxe man for a long, long while until I tried the Luxury Scented and
proxy.php
...what a difference!! :ihih:

The Luxury Scented out-shinned the Deluxe (which was then my 'go-to' soap), in terms of ingredients, lather, lubrication, cushion, glide and scent.

I also add 8 drops of glycerin per puck (and about 8 drops of Clubman Reserve Brandy Spice & Whiskey Woods), before I melt it (nuke), for 'Überlather', extra lubrication, cushion, glide and scent . :w00t:

Read More: VDH Luxury Scented Soap Reviews, Post your VDH experiments Here and The Van Der Hagen Society

"It's time to start shaving like a Van der Hagen man". VDH Slogan
 
Does anyone know where VDH soaps are available now? They quickly disappeared from the shelves in my area, Kroger, Meijer, CVS, Walgreen.
 
My local Walmart only carries the VDH Luxury soap now. It is slicker than the Deluxe but, uses up way faster when lathering. I prefer the Deluxe myself as it does have enough slickness to give me a DFS.
 
Does anyone know where VDH soaps are available now? They quickly disappeared from the shelves in my area, Kroger, Meijer, CVS, Walgreen.

It's hard to guess sometimes where it shows up. I see it come and go at several different chain stores. The only place I can be guaranteed to find it now is at Woodman's, which is a regional chain grocery store that carries almost all of their product line including the deluxe and luxury soaps. But I have four pucks of luxury at hand now (including two the company sent me gratis when I wrote them complaining I was having trouble finding it anymore, before I discovered them at Woodmans) so I'm good for at least a year.

If you like the Deluxe and have Walgreens nearby, you can order it from them for a fairly reasonable price and have it shipped to your local store at no charge.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom