This has become one of my favourite soaps. Why? Well for one, soft soaps are a complete doddle to use. I know I keep harking back to the facepalmers over on big US forums, where they elevate methods of applying Aftershave into the realms of rocket surgery, but if you can't lather Cella, you're sort of person who will be challenged by revolving doors.
Secondly, they're cheap – a 150g tub of Cella is only about $10, but not available in Aus, so postage almost doubles that, but that's still cheap I think.
Thirdly, the Italians make quite a few of these, Proraso being the most notable, so they have a good idea of what they're doing. These are your everyday, drugstore/barbershop, working man's products. No royal warrants or fancy designer shave store, pricey packaging and marketing hoopla – just honest, good value for money products. Some just happen to be exceptionally good, and I think Cella is one of those.
I don't think it's a coincidence that Cella contains tallow, as do my other fave's – Tabac and Speick. I've pretty much ditched the hard, triple milled stuff; most are veggie based anyway, and don't work as well for me. As for scent, Tabac has a scent all its own, Speick has a really nice herbal/spice thing happening, and Cella is a natural almond scent. I didn't used to like almond in general, but if the stuff's really good, I don't care. I've come to equate scent with performance.
After trying Cella and finding it's better than Proraso IMO, I gave the other Italian softies a go as well, but I don't think they're as good. P160 is the exception, but given this is all but unavailable now, it's best not to bother getting too attached to it. I pity the poor unfortunates who are hoarding this stuff – when they see that large hole forming at the bottom of the bowl, they'll be suffering the cold sweats and manic hyperactivity of a crack junky in rehab. The trauma could be lasting and profound.
I tried the tallowless Valobra with menthol too, and whilst it looks identical to Cella, it didn't perform as well for me – was always a bit thinner, not as slick and protective, and the menthol was barely there, not crap by any means, but not as good either. If I want to replicate it, only better, then I can just use Cella on top of Proraso pre post cream.
Likewise, the Valobra stick. This does contain tallow, is a harder, but still relatively soft soap, but just doesn't seem to get up there for me. I'm not picky with scents, but this has a sharp, bland hotel soap smell, which, if the stuff was tops, I could ignore completely. But it's just ok and I find it a bit drying. That's not something I find with Cella, it may not massively moisturise, but it doesn't dry my face at all.
The curious thing with Cella is the differences in colour I've experienced. I was surprised to see my first tub was light golden brown, like a soft, doughy Tabac. I thought this odd, but other users mentioned theirs was the same. Recently I've been told Cella is definitely supposed to be white and that mine was old, off and probably rancid (our US friends say so, so it must be true). Well mine doesn't smell off or rancid, and it works fine and dandy.
A google image search reveals just as many golden brown tubs as white ones, so I'm thinking it's possibly just a batch variation? It could be a difference between the kg and tub, as the tub is "Crema De Barbe Mandorla Classica" and the kg is "Extra Extra Purissima". I don't know. That wouldn't explain why some tubs are white. To confuse things further, shaving.ie says that it's white. Either way, it works, and a brown tinged Cella is certainly not indicative of rancid soap.
There are people that only buy the 1kg block, believing it is somewhat better (although the ingredients are exactly the same) however the 1kg was primarily sold for barbers, so there's possibly a bit of 'professional' placebo going on. Despite Cella containing very few preservatives, and the brown 'rancid' argument, home users keep this stuff for years without it changing in any way, or going off.
Even so, I've just ordered a 1kg block, because I'll use it more regularly, and it's better value by the kg, and I split with JugV2, so we both got 500g for a coupla bucks more than a tub. Uber-bonus. I almost sprang for some expensively shipped P160 before it all went instead, but I thought if I do that, I may just as well take up crack and feel like the others do when it's all gone - seems little point in getting attached to it when it won't be there next time around. Shaving.ie ensures me their Cella is recent stock, fresh and white. So if it's a freshness thing and the white is even better, then that's a bonus. You'll be sure to hear from me if it is.
As mentioned at the beginning, soft soaps are a doddle to use, any brush will work with them. Some people have tried to use them like creams, because they're so doughy, but they're fairly resistant to breaking down a blob in a bowl, and I find it's best just to load them as you would any other soap – from the puck.
I find the red tub is hopeless though. Brushes need a bit of room to move around to pick up, especially the muscular Chubby, and the red tub is just a bit small for this. So I just put mine in a wider bowl.
This is how I lather mine. Semogue 1305 is the example here. I soak under the tap and squeeze it. This is brush specific though; I find the 1305 (and 830) works best this way, and particularly well with soft soaps.
Even squeezed, this brush is big and dense enough to be just right to load up. I spend maybe 20 secs on the soap to get this:
I hand lathered this example and I reckon it might be a little wet. I'd work it better on the face, but even so, this lather is thick enough to hold its own on the brush, there's plenty of soap in there.
With badgers I usually just shake them, and how wet they are after that will depend on the brush. The objective is the same though, to lift of that creamy stuff to work up to dense slick lather. Sometimes I need to sprinkle water on the soap, little adjustments like that. It's not rocket surgery and a few goes at it is all that's needed.
OK, how excitement time. FREE CELLA!
To celebrate me getting new Cella, and the fact I'm out of bowls to put it in, I'll PIF what I've got left so I can get into the new stuff. If anyone would like a few shaves worth, I can stick a flattened bird's turd of Cella in an envelope. I don't know how far it will go, so first cabs and all that.
PJ you're covered, as I'm getting an SE from you. No, don't thank me, you don't have any choice - you're getting it.
Last edited:
