Prep: Valobra Glycerlanolina soap,Antica Barbieria Colla Almond Oil Pre-Shave Cream
Brush: Omega Pro 48 Boar
Soap: Signature Soaps Valentia
Razor: Mergress XL (2)
Blade: NOS Personna P74 Med Prep (10)
Post: Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel, Antica Barbieria Colla Almond Oil Balm
Scent: Portus Cale Black EdT
First shave with a Signature Soaps shaving soap - a relatively new UK Artisan who is apparently making some serious waves in the UK at the moment. The soap was kindly PIF'd by a fellow member of a UK Shaving Forum. I should state for the record that I have absolutely no affiliation with the soap maker or any Vendor.
These soaps are not the NSS Signature Soaps that have been around for a few years; it seems they have been released in the last few months. The Maker's website states that he is based in Bolton. The soaps are very much vegan, with the exception of a goat milk soap designed for Eczema and Psoriasis sufferers. The website summarises the products as follows:
"
My specialist range of luxurious handmade soaps, shower, bath and body care products are all handmade with the purest ingredients and are free of SLS, Parabens, and other commonly used nasties to provide you with a product that is gentle, mild, moisturising and conditions your skin.
My products are made in small batches, in accordance with my Cosmetic Safety Assessments and fully meet all EU Regulations and Standards for the manufacture of cosmetic products."
The website lists a total of 19 different shaving soaps. The soap bases seem pretty much identical, with the exception of a goat milk soap, a glycerine soap, and of course the various blends of essential oils used for each soap scent. The ingredients of the Valentia soap I shaved with this evening are:
Potassium stearate, Potassium cocoate, Sodium stearate, Sodium cocoate, Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, Potassium castorate, Sodium castorate, Persea gratissima (avocado) oil, Prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil, Butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), Glycerin, Moroccan lava clay, Tocopherol (vitamin E), Sandalwood essential oil, Bergomot essential oil, and Vetiver essential oil.
So, to the shave. The soap is a croap, of similar texture to Declaration Grooming soaps. The Sandalwood and Vetiver notes of the scent are very much to my taste - very natural and dry, and nicely rounded out by the Bergamot. The soap lathers very easily, and can take a lot of water. If in doubt, keep adding, as it has excellent persistence. My Omega 48 was now engulfed in an overflowing bowl of shiny lather, and it was time to shave.
Now, to preface my thoughts, I should state that I have tried similar small batch Artisanal soaps here is Oz such as Washpool Farm and Beauty and the Bees, and was not impressed with their performance, so I began this shave with some trepidation. This is not to say that we don't have brilliant artisan soaps here in Oz - APR and Squadron for example are both superb, but the Signature soap seemed to have the same vibe as the former soaps I mention. I should also mention that >90% of my soaps are tallow-based, but I do have a soft spot for some veggie soaps such as ABC, MDC, and Saponificio Varesino.
Well, boy oh boy - was I in for a surprise with this shave! The lather was very slick, and in no time at all, I have a beautiful paint-like layer of lather covering my face and neck. The cushion and razor glide with this soap was excellent - so comfortable and easy to shave with. And the biggest surprise of all (being a vegan soap) - very good residual slickness. I rarely see this with non-tallow soaps.
Three very comfortable passes, and I was absolutely BBS. My previous two shaves had been with soaps that I rate very highly, and I had only achieved DFS+ with three passes, so I continued to be impressed by this soap. To cap things off, a nice post-shave feel. Maybe not quite as luxurious as Grooming Department or Tabula Rasa, but still very good.
To my Sandgroper Brethren, I can confirm that I will be bringing some soap along for sampling at our meetup on 23 November.
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