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I recently acquired a puck of this on the BST (thanks, Jon) as I was curious about it and wanted to give it a go.
First thing to be said is that, despite reviews and, indeed, the manufacturer's own terminology, this stuff is NOT a soap. Line three in the ingredients list tells us that it is a non-soap detergent. I do not subscribe to the 'natural is good' theory (arsenic and mercury on your chips, sir?) but I can't see how you would produce much that is harmful from soy and corn! I shall call it soap from now on to simplfiy typing.
Ingredients
Jojoba extract
Deionized water
Proprietary non-ionic surfactants derived from soy and corn
Aloe vera
Glycerine
The stuff visually resembles a glycerin soap. It is translucent and of a bluish colour. The feel of the dry soap on your fingers is a bit strange, both sticky and waxy. I used it with a Muhle synthetic brush and with soft water. The manufacturer claims that a puck will last a long time. I found that proto-lather appears immediately and that 10-15 swirls will load the brush with as much as is needed. I think one might have to be careful to avoid overloading and consequent rapid usage as it is quite soft and soluble.
A moderate addition of water produces a thick, creamy lather and I found that one could add water to make this substantially thinner than one might normally use, with no prejudice to the lather quality.
On use, it becomes noticeable that the lather is slightly thixotropic. It will 'set' on the brush and even on the face but liquifies immediately on a touch from brush or razor. This feels a little strange but is of no real consequence.
So to the shave! 'Braveheart' razor with Gillette Silver Blue blade. I have managed, by dint of practice, to be able to have a shave without an eruption of angry spots on my neck, but I have to be very careful and avoid ATG. Even after a good shave, I always have a bit of red blotchiness for an hour or so after shaving. With this soap, this issue has completely disappeared. Skin emerges from under the lather a natural pink and without blotching or irritation. I was so emboldened by this that I tried an ATG pass. No problem! I noticed that the skin is still reasonably lubricated even after the razor removes the lather and, as this might lead you to expect, one has to rinse a little more carefully.
For me, with my skin and my water, this stuff is little short of a miracle. Even at £18-odd for a fairly small tub, I shall definitely be buying more when this runs out.
If you have a sensitive skin problem, give this a try. I gather that soft water is best but I'm not able to test how much of a difference this might make.
First thing to be said is that, despite reviews and, indeed, the manufacturer's own terminology, this stuff is NOT a soap. Line three in the ingredients list tells us that it is a non-soap detergent. I do not subscribe to the 'natural is good' theory (arsenic and mercury on your chips, sir?) but I can't see how you would produce much that is harmful from soy and corn! I shall call it soap from now on to simplfiy typing.
Ingredients
Jojoba extract
Deionized water
Proprietary non-ionic surfactants derived from soy and corn
Aloe vera
Glycerine
The stuff visually resembles a glycerin soap. It is translucent and of a bluish colour. The feel of the dry soap on your fingers is a bit strange, both sticky and waxy. I used it with a Muhle synthetic brush and with soft water. The manufacturer claims that a puck will last a long time. I found that proto-lather appears immediately and that 10-15 swirls will load the brush with as much as is needed. I think one might have to be careful to avoid overloading and consequent rapid usage as it is quite soft and soluble.
A moderate addition of water produces a thick, creamy lather and I found that one could add water to make this substantially thinner than one might normally use, with no prejudice to the lather quality.
On use, it becomes noticeable that the lather is slightly thixotropic. It will 'set' on the brush and even on the face but liquifies immediately on a touch from brush or razor. This feels a little strange but is of no real consequence.
So to the shave! 'Braveheart' razor with Gillette Silver Blue blade. I have managed, by dint of practice, to be able to have a shave without an eruption of angry spots on my neck, but I have to be very careful and avoid ATG. Even after a good shave, I always have a bit of red blotchiness for an hour or so after shaving. With this soap, this issue has completely disappeared. Skin emerges from under the lather a natural pink and without blotching or irritation. I was so emboldened by this that I tried an ATG pass. No problem! I noticed that the skin is still reasonably lubricated even after the razor removes the lather and, as this might lead you to expect, one has to rinse a little more carefully.
For me, with my skin and my water, this stuff is little short of a miracle. Even at £18-odd for a fairly small tub, I shall definitely be buying more when this runs out.
If you have a sensitive skin problem, give this a try. I gather that soft water is best but I'm not able to test how much of a difference this might make.