Bladerunner7
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PARKER - SANDALWOOD & SHEA BUTTER SHAVING SOAP
First Look - Parker Safety Razor branding, key ingredients of the soap and the weight of the product, that pretty much describes the cover of teh soap container. I opted for the 1.76 ounce travel version which came in a small tub so that it would resemble a regular shaving soap container. In my opinion, Parker may have shed the flashy presentation to keep the price point of the soap fairly low but I think some eye catching artwork on the label would do wonders to make it more attractive
Side note – The Parker Shaving Company of India was the brainchild of Jagdish Grover and the aim was to provide wet shavers with gear that was affordable without comprising on performance or quality. For 32 years Parker gained a lot of popularity for their high quality hand assembled brass framed razors. In 2005 Jagdish Grover’s son Deepak took the brand to foreign shores with budget friendly safety razors and shavettes, the latter of which are a staple in barbershops across the globe now. Today the company is a one stop brand for shaving razors, brushes, accessories and even a signature shaving soap. Fifty years onward and Parker Shaving remains one of the most popular brands among newbies and seasoned wet shavers worldwide with a product from the Grover family finding a place in most dens.
First Whiff – Parker’s signature soap has a light woody fragrance that is dominated by sandalwood. At first whiff I get that sandalwood opening which is intense yet powdery. A second whiff and I pick up another woody note that is very subtle but seems to give the main fragrance more character. I would later discover that the other woody note was actually Cedar. The sandalwood essential oil used in the soap comes from the Mysore in the South Of India and is highly regarded in the fragrance, cosmetic and herbal remedy circles. The fragrance strength of the soap is medium and most sandalwood lovers would be pleased with it.
First Lather – Being a glycerine based non tallow soap, I decided to brush load this one. I soaked my Royal Forest travel synthetic brush for a few minutes before squeezing out the water from the fibers while holding the brush upside down. Without shaking the remaining water out, I proceeded to load the soap straight out of the small tub for thirty seconds before painting the strokes of soap on my cheeks. I added a few drops of water to the synthetic knot and kept working at the soap on my face, soon I had an average foamy yet disappointing lather. I wasn’t ready to give up on the soap and I added a few more drops of water to the knot before splaying it on my neck and cheeks, that’s when it dawned on me that this is a thirsty soap and needs a good bit of hydration. The lather was starting to get a bit more dense so I proceeded to add a few more drops of water and kept working at the lather on my face with circular movements of the brush, two or three minutes later I was rewarded with a rich and creamy lather. This is one thirsty soap and a little bit of patience and elbow grease is needed to reap its maximum benefits.
First Performance – Having succeeded in creating a dense and creamy lather, it was time to test the performance of the soap. Using My Greencult 2.0 with a level 3 plate I finished with a two pass BBS. While the cushion and protection of the soap were just above average, it was the residual slickness that stood out for me. I had to rinse the soap off my fingers a few times during the shave to avoid any shaving related accidents due to the razor slipping out of my hand. I did noticed that the fragrance strength had dropped a bit while lathering up as compared to what I smelled off the puck. The slickness of the soap did surprise me and when I looked at the ingredients, it all made perfect sense. The Parker sandalwood Soap is based on an old school non tallow recipe that contains Coconut Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Glycerine, Soy Oil, Olive Oil, cacao seed Butter, Ethiopian Shea Butter, Kokum Butter, Aloe Vera Extract., Kaolin Clay, Sesame Seed Oil, Wheatgerm Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Bees wax, Grapeseed Oil, Comfrey Extract, Licorice Extract, Ashwagandha Extract, Xylitol, Vitmin E, Cedarwood oil, Sandalwood Oil and Turmeric oil. The healthy dose of oils coupled with the Ethiopian Shea butter can be credited for this product’s excellent residual slickness and also post shave feel. Ethiopian Shea butter has higher oleic acid content, approximately 25 percent or more as compared to its rivals, it is almost lotion like and silky in texture offering excllent skinprotection, hydration and healing.. Straight razor enthusiasts would love this soap.
First Opinion – The humble Parker Sandalwood shaving soap may fall short in its fragrance strength and presentation but like its hardware siblings, punches way above its price point. This is a no nonsense shaving soap that does the job it is meant to and does it well. Recommended for every shaving den and specially for Straight razor enthusiasts.
Cover Art Work – 5 / 10
Lather Quality – 7 / 10
Fragrance – 6 / 10
Cushion & Protection – 7 / 10
Slickness – 10 / 10
Post Shave Feel – 7 / 10
Value – 10 / 10
Total Point Score – 52 / 70
Verdict – “Never judge a shaving soap by its cover.”
Availability – www.therazorcompany.com, https://www.safetyrazors.com.au and most online shaving gear retailers.
