Review: Lather for Shaver Heaven Soaps

[filobiblic]

Review: Lather reviews for soaps from Shaver Heaven

I recently took advantage of the offer by @Anthony for P&C members to take 10% off their order from his website during November.

I bought his croap ("Forbidden Forrest") and aftershave balm ("Summer Fling"). He generously threw in a soap ("Electro").

So I purchased these myself (apart from the gift) and wanted to review them for the benefit of this community.

This is an initial review of the lather of both soaps. Each I hand lathered using my little piggie (Omega 10006). Note: I have NOT shaves with these, I'm only giving my initial thoughts to the packaging, scent and lather.

"Forbidden Forest" croap
This comes in a small tin (8cm/3 inches diameter of 100g) that was damaged during transit. The tin looks attractive if not damaged. But since they easily get damaged during shipping, a lot of soaps come in plastic tubs instead.



It's a soft soap. If you press it will indent easily enough. Similar to Cella.



The scent is light. Perhaps it will strength when it's lathered next to my nose, but it smells of a light, soapy fern. Not strong, even when lathered.

I lathered my hand twice with this soap. The first time the lather wasn't as voluminous as if expect. So after I lathered the other soap I returned for a second go. This time I loaded the brush far more generously and added more water over time. The result was far more pleasing; a thicker, dense lather. It took more water and more work but was quite slick to the feel. Not as cushioning but not bad. It washed quickly off and a faint scent remained.

"Electro" soap
This is a plastic tub with a smaller opening (6cm/2.5 inch diameter) but still the same volume/weight (100g). I found the opening too small so the bristles twisted when I loaded the brush.



This scent was stronger than the other soap. It was sweet and bright, with lots of fruity notes. A definite winner for summer.



I loaded it well with a squeezed dry brush. This was much easier to generate lather than the croap. It quickly took volume and density. Not as much water was needed and the resulting lather was thick. The scent came through strong. Once again it felt smooth but not ultra slick. We'll see how it goes with the shave.

"Summer Fling" aftershave balm
This came in a plastic tub (110g) that feels generously sized (especially for $8.50). When I opened it for the first time I almost poured the contents on to my lap. It was fairly runny (heat related?) so almost a lotion. But later when I dabbed my fingers it felt much more like a balm.



The scent is very fresh. A strong, sweet melon scent with slight cucumber. This one was the strongest scent of the three. It smells perfect for summer.



Since I hadn't shaved I merely rubbed a little on my neck. It absorbed well and felt much the same as Nivea for Men. (Cheaper though! [emoji6]) The scent remains on the skin so it would clash with a secondary AS/EDT.

I plan to shave with these soaps this coming week.

Edit: forgot the photos!

 

[Nick the Knife]

Nice work Filo, thanks for sharing with everyone.

 

[Nonick]

Good one filo! Tempted to get one to test myself - being cheap it's actually possible

 

[Mong.]

Great review mate.

 

[filobiblic]

Thanks guys. I'll shave and report back...

 

[stillshunter]

Top review mate. Subscribed for the inaugural shave, are you youtubing it?

 

[Anthony]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I've taken all the feedback on board and will work even harder to make sure I work on the above.

The small tub opening I agree with 100% and since then I have started to utilise the same tins as the soft soaps to allow for better loading.
Scent wise, this is the same feedback I've recieved from others (lack of strong scent). I've rectified this by adding more fragrance oil in my soaps (too much can affect lather production and stability so it's a balancing act).

In regards to the balm, it's very much a balancing act. As I had feedback stating that some liked it thick and some preferred it lighter, so I may offer different types in the near future to cover all bases.

Thanks for the feedback on the soft soap as well. I've noticed that like you've said, if the soap is wet (just a few drops) it loads better which should also provide you with a better lather.

Rest assured I've heard you loud and clear and Appriciate your honest feedback!

 

[borked]

Summer fling gets a from me for its scent.

 

[Anthony]

@borked Thank you. Appriciate the feedback. I've had mixed feedback on the balms. As I said some like a think milk like consistency while others like something thick. It's been suggested that I offer a line for those with only skin (thinner liquid) and those who have dry skin (thick). Either way I will go back to the drawing board and come up with something better than can be quickly absorbed into the skin. The balms all have aloe Vera and cucumber extract.

 

[filobiblic]

@borked Thank you. Appriciate the feedback. I've had mixed feedback on the balms. As I said some like a think milk like consistency while others like something thick. It's been suggested that I offer a line for those with only skin (thinner liquid) and those who have dry skin (thick). Either way I will go back to the drawing board and come up with something better than can be quickly absorbed into the skin. The balms all have aloe Vera and cucumber extract.

When it comes to balms there is soooo much confusion and opinion. Really, it's good to offer different lines but you shouldn't need to please everyone. Go with what you like, and works. Then try to vary it a little. I like both thick balms and milks (liquid balms) as each is useful for a different season (thick for winter and thin for summer).

And when it comes to terminology... Oh boy!
Here's what I define each as:
Balm (thick cream)
Milk (liquid balm)
splash (alcohol based liquid)
lotion (no alcohol liquid)

Razorock even calls their thickest balm a "wax". That really confuses people!!!

I think your Summer Fling is definitely a balm. It's slightly runny but it's summer so it may have melted a bit in the postage.

Since its summer, a lot of shavers would prefer a light splash or lotion over a 'heavier' balm. That said, yours absorbs well and feels light. It works well IMHO.

 

[stillshunter]

@Anthony , a question if I may as this is something I've been curious about for some time. I have a very strong preference for products that do not contain Palm Oil (and derivatives) - no walk in the park with shaving software. I note your use of it - why? Is there a specific property unique to palm that cannot be achieved by use of other oils?

 

[filobiblic]

@Anthony , a question if I may as this is something I've been curious about for some time. I have a very strong preference for products that do not contain Palm Oil (and derivatives) - no walk in the park with shaving software. I note your use of it - why? Is there a specific property unique to palm that cannot be achieved by use of other oils?

I've heard @Occams response to this question... [emoji11]

 

[stillshunter]

I've heard @Occams response to this question... [emoji11]

Really? Where? I thought I saw something from him on Olive Oil but not the dreaded Palm Oil.

 

[Nonick]

'Scuze ignorance why the aversion to palm oil?

 

[stillshunter]

'Scuze ignorance why the aversion to palm oil?

It's an ethical choice, that's best not to talk through on a forum…the political argy-bargy can only lead to unhappiness/disharmony. So let's just leave it as a query about the relative qualities of that particular oil.

 

[Nonick]

I see - so it's not something in the oil itself that effects soap quality etc

 

[filobiblic]

I see - so it's not something in the oil itself that effects soap quality etc

It's purely ethical. Palm oil is the better ingredient for shaving soaps.

Ethical and environmental and political...

 

[Anthony]

@stillshunter Thats a great question! And thank you for asking, as I don't mention this on my website at all, so it's the perfect forum for me to clear this up. I know exactly what you mean by "Ethical", and please rest assured, I use "Sustainable" Palm Oil which is obtained from an RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) supplier. I pay extra for it, but thats a personal choice I make. So without touching on the subject politically, I know where you're coming from.

I personally use Sustainable Palm Oil to help provide my soaps with both some "hardness" and also to provide conditioning properties to the lather. But once again thanks for bringing this up, I should have put it up on my site somewhere so customers can make an informed decision.

@filobiblic Thanks for the informative post around different shaving balms. I personally find it all a bit confusing as well! Initially I made a "balm" in a tube, but was tempted to call it a "Milk" as it was a lot thinner, however, as you pointed out, temperature can also affect the consistency of the balm. I'm not too sure if I will continue with the balms, or if I should just focus my efforts on shave soaps and creams.

This is great guys! I really do appreciate the feedback and am always happy to hear your thoughts.

 

[Monsta_AU]

There is nothing wrong with Palm Oil as an ingredient. It is one of the best oils out there for many purposes. Remember when KFC chips changed because they moved to Canola (Rapeseed) oil? Yep, they used to use Palm Kernelate before that.

Palm oil has a large concentration of saturated fat which is the best for making soap, frying, and adding to chocolate. It's not the best to eat as there are healthier options for fats available (polyunsaturated, monounsaturated). But the only better thing for frying is Tallow (rendered animal fat). As such, it is an important edible oil which also has other applications.

The issues come where farmers in Malaysia and Indonesia have cleared large tracts of land to plant Palm Oil plantations. This can be cleared illegally, and some companies expanding their plantations are often owned by or contributing to local politicians. The clearing of land also puts rainforest habitat of Orangutangs and other endangered or threatened species under further pressure. They can also destroy peat swamps during the clearing (by burning) which releases massive amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere.

My opinion: While the expansion of the Palm Oil business is not a good thing, there are far bigger environmental issues that people should be caring about. The biggest single environmental issue people should be caring about is the wholesale clearing of the Amazon which is then burnt and either turned into pasture for cattle or have Orange Groves planted. I don't see a massive movement against Orange Juice Concentrate or Brazilian Beef, but then again they don't have Orangutans to be a cute victim of that industry. Yet the clearing of the Amazon is causing massive global changes in weather patterns on top of anthropomorphic climate change.

The Palm Oil plantations have helped to grow the economy of many areas of both Indonesia and Malaysia. There are moves to make palm oil more sustainable and having less impact on the environment and the species that rely on that environment to live. Reducing the demand for Palm Oil will put downward pressure on expansion of the plantations which is helpful. There are other options too - we could be growing Palm Oil right here in Australia in the northern areas for a start!

The other issue we need to consider living in a first-world nation is that by 'boycotting' these products, we in the end are merely putting the economic hands on the heads of our northern neighbours and trying to keep them from prospering financially. We have the means, the economy, the education, and yet many of them do not. If demand ceases from Western Nations for Palm Oil overnight (or Brazilian Beef & OJ Concentrate), what happens to the farmers, farm workers, and businesses supporting them when they cannot earn a living? How do we help them find other ways of making a living?

Anyway, I applaud Filo for not getting into debating any side of the argument, and I respect his opinion and the choices he makes. There are not just two sides in the argument, and it is really complicated and I have only touched on a few facets of the issues surrounding the whole 'Palm Oil' debate. Hopefully we can find a way to make each party co-exist. I like shaving, and I like Orangutans. They seem alright, never did anything nasty to me so I hope they can continue to do their thing. I hope that members here can consider all impacts on issues like these, make up their own minds and then not criticise others for taking a different view.

 

[Anthony]

@Monsta_AU Well said.. I respect everyones point of view... When purchasing my products I read up on the differences between Sustainable and non-sustainable. I noted that price wise, the sustainable was more, but in my personal opinion, was the better choice for me and went for it. I will continue to use the sustainable palm oil as long as it is made available to me by my supplier.

@stillshunter I have now added a few lines down the bottom of my page pointing out the fact that I use Sustainable Palm Oil.