D R Harris Lavender vs Cyril R Salter Shaving Soaps

[pjgh]

Love Dragons blood....but not much of it around

I've encountered it just the once, when I first came to traditional shaving and Sharon (Nanny's Silly Soaps) was making soaps.

 

[Ebberman]

@Ebberman @Bogeyman
I don’t need to use any preservative in my soaps. It’s dependent on the way it’s made. Generally speaking creams will need preservatives as they have a lower Ph. Most shaving soaps will have a higher Ph that does not allow mold to form. In addition water used in the process isn’t present in the finished product.

Most soaps don't have preservatives. Salter's don't, but their creams do.
I have never in all my years seen a bar of any soap with mould on it. Yet Dettol soap contains MI and MCI. Crazy.

 

[BrianH]

Most soaps don't have preservatives. Salter's don't, but their creams do.
I have never in all my years seen a bar of any soap with mould on it. Yet Dettol soap contains MI and MCI. Crazy.

Creams need preservative due to lower Ph and amount of water present in finished product. If you look at some of the SOTD’s on TSR members use some very old soaps,1950’s and earlier, which are still going strong, with no mold.

 

[Ebberman]

Creams need preservative due to lower Ph and amount of water present in finished product. If you look at some of the SOTD’s on TSR members use some very old soaps,1950’s and earlier, which are still going strong, with no mold.

I agree that creams are more likely to go off due to water content and lower ph, no argument.
How do you account for Arko, Proraso and Simpsons cream plus five TOBS cream not having inhibitors, yet Salter does.

 

[Ebberman]

Sorry, forgot y'all speak the Queen's English.

Most people here don't, it would seem. You are not the only one to spell it Mold.

A mold (US, PH) or mould (UK, CW) is one of the structures certain fungi can form.- .wikipedia

Can damp and mould affect my health? - NHS
Moulds produce allergens (substances that can cause an allergic reaction), irritants and, sometimes, toxic substances. Inhaling or touching mould spores may ...

 

[culcreuch]

I've encountered it just the once, when I first came to traditional shaving and Sharon (Nanny's Silly Soaps) was making soaps.

That's the one I have. I don't reach for it automatically as it is in one of those small jars she used when she started!

 

[BrianH]

I agree that creams are more likely to go off due to water content and lower ph, no argument.
How do you account for Arko, Proraso and Simpsons cream plus five TOBS cream not having inhibitors, yet Salter does.

Without knowing exact formulations I wouldn’t know. It may be due to Lye ratio used and ingredient ratios that affect the Ph and hence the need for preservative or not. Clearly their challenge testing results confirm that they are not required.

 

[Boycie83]

Men! Let us not argue over spelling. We all know it is correctly spelt as "mowld".

With that issue put to bed, back to the main crux of the thread. Me. I'm the centre of attention here. Me.

 

[Boycie83]

Razor: Mühle Rocca V4
Blade: Gillette London Bridge (1)
Brush: Simpson CH2 Best
Soap: Cyril R Salter
Splash: Speick

First use of the CRS in this experiment. It would be remiss of me to start without thanking P - @Blademonkey - who kindly gifted me this soap a while ago. It hasn't gone mowldy. He has played a part in enabling this most thrilling of escapades.

Summary of the first shave: Interesting. I was expecting more of the same. I think I prefer the scent of the CRS - it seems to lack a lemon undertone that the DRH has. The performance seemed below that of the DRH soap. How? It's the same base. It didn't seem to offer quite the same level of protection. This was only the first shave so these opinions are subject to change but intriguing first takeaways, nonetheless.

 

[Boycie83]

Forgot to add that I've not used balm for this shave. This will let me test for dryness.

 

[pjgh]

Interesting. I was expecting more of the same. I think I prefer the scent of the CRS - it seems to lack a lemon undertone that the DRH has.

Interesting ... and odd, since it's the CRS that has D-Limonene listed where DRH does not.

 

[Bogeyman]

...The performance seemed below that of the DRH soap. How? It's the same base. It didn't seem to offer quite the same level of protection...

 

[Boycie83]

 

[BrianH]

@Boycie83 @Bogeyman

 

[havings]

@Boycie83 @Bogeyman

New to me - I enjoyed it!

 

[Boycie83]

Razor: Mühle Rocca V4
Blade: Gillette London Bridge (2)
Brush: Simpson CH2 Best
Soap: Cyril R Salter
Splash: Speick

I'm going to summarise my findings as there's a pass around razor inbound which may arrive before my next shave.

Plenty of lather generated with ease. I still seem to prefer the scent of the CRS. Protection was better than last time - on par with the DRH. I felt the familiar dryness after the last shave so balm was added then and after this shave.

My opinion on these two soaps: With the exception of a slightly discernable difference in fragrance, I'm convinced they're the same. The difference could be entirely in mind. The CRS wins on scent for me. Both soaps perform the same. Brian has confirmed that they're scientifically the same base and my face has told me the same in a less scientific way. They both lack any residual slickness during the shave and both dry my skin out slightly. Both soaps are perfectly fine shaving soaps.

Thinking of choosing one? Get the CRS. It's half the price of the DRH. Already got the DRH? You don't need the CRS.

Would I buy these again when they're used up? No. I know these soaps have their fans and the CRS is particularly good value but I think Proraso (new Super Formula) and 3P wipe the floor with these in terms of performance and price.