Martin de Candre savon à raser

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du212
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Martin de Candre savon à raser

Post by du212 »

When I heard that there was a French forum about straights, http://www.coupechouclub.com , I signed up, something would come out from there at least my learning, at that time I had no straight razor, just my merkur 33C, .... but finally I'll get one ,.... These French, always so attached to their products because they were good apostles of soap of Martin de Candre, but one of them was not agree to the fragance, so ... he sold his travel soap, which is the one I have now .... And now I understand that's not french chauvinism, it's taste for quality because this soap worth it.


1.Ingredients: Simple as could be, only has half a dozen ingredients, all quite familiar as you can see in the picture

Image
The coconut oil is the key, I think, because this soap offers exceptional performance, but not so much for leading this oil but more by how they treat ,.... No soap is like this by this feature. Be careful this is not a coconut soap, only a soap that uses coconut oil.

2.Package: 5.
My travel pot is in glass, it seems bad for me because in a trip you can have a slight problem, drop a bag, etc ... and broke the glass jar, I would have preferred a metallic tin.

Image

3.Lifespan: 10.
Well, I do not know how much it can last, I've used mine from 6 months and I just lowered 1 mm deep, and the scent and the lather has been improved more than even.

Image

4.Load of soap: 10.
Martin de Candre is an example of economy, in 5-7 seconds of loading the brush you have enough soap. I don't know a soap as this, it gives an outstanding performance , that is what makes it economic ,.... these French know what they do when they say that is inexpensive, is really inexpensive in its use ,.... you only need a little amount of soap. Look at the pic bellow and the following, you will see that the jar has not changed, still with the same patches of lather, instead the brush WOW! look at this lather is fantastic, and the quantity is enoug for a comfortable shave

Image

5.Lather ability: 10.
Amazing, like Tabac or La Toja, No initial spongy or watery lather, the soap passes from a fine creamy froth to a dense lather and cushioned in few brush swirls, leaving the pleasant feeling that how easy is to lather

Image

6. water/soap ratio: 10.
Optimal, on a brush drained, only 10 or 12 drops of water are needed to obtain a comfortable lather, a bit greasy, lubricant and soft, cushioned, but dense.
Image
Image


7.Quality of the lather: 10.
The best vegetable soap lather that I know by far, it's mysteriously dense, in spite of using a little amount of soap, as you can see in the pics, the lather sticks very well to the skin and the straight glides easily, it's even needed to dry the skin with a towel in order to strenght the skin for the shaving because the lubrication... . the lather is kept moist, dense and lubricant such as Mitchell's Wool fat and not dries as Tabac, it remains lubricant and moisturizing during the shave ,.... who has not tried it do not know what is losing

Image

8.Protection and glide of the blade: 10.
One of the best features of this soap is the glide, as well as Mitchell's or Valobra or Arko or even more, without excessive consumption of soap of those two. In this way, it's a good lather for the shave with straight razor because it sticks to the face very well and provides good lubrication.

Image

9.Feeling in the face: 10.
It is dense, slightly shiny and oily, it sticks to the skin, if massaged, the lather gives us a nice thin layer.

10.Moisturizing and after-shaving feeling: 9.
Surprised by how good is the skin with a soap so simple, I do not understand, what is the secret? It's a nice soap from this point of view, although it seems that there are people that the fragance reacts on their skin, so "Savonnerie Martin de Candre" is preparing an unscented version for sensitive skin which prototypes have been distributed France with good results.

11.Scent: 9.
It is a powerful scent, soothing, smells like ....lavender and mint ? I think not .... it smells like lavender but with a spicy component, very soothing, from benzoin, a resin used to make incense that is in this fragance. The scent of the soap reminds me the balsamic notes of some red wines,.... I'm hooked by this scent, but I recognize that some people don't like the scent,.... especially if you are in sweet scents. The fragrance evolves, it is more soothing as time pass by, is better to let the soap drying for 24 hours after use, and leave it without cover, if not, the smell becomes more "organic" and less pleasant.

12.Price:
34 € for 170gr. The 19 € for postage to Spain make it too expensive, I expect to see if they improve that aspect

13.Conclusion: This soap rocks, very natural, easy to get, expensive, yes, but economic performance. One of the best shaving products in Europe without doubt, but it's a shame that a company like this do not see the true potential and has a better commercial attitude, because is only sold on its website http://savonnerie-martin-de-candre.ic-sites.com
Last edited by du212 on Fri Jul 09, 2010 12:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
· · · · · Jose · · · · · ·
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druphus
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Post by druphus »

Thanks for the review Jose! It was most informative.
Regards,
Andy
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Post by bernards66 »

Jose, Excellent photos. If you check our Search function there are a number of threads on this product. For myself, I found it to be good, but not better than a number of other creams that are not nearly as expensive ( Martin de Candre is extremely pricey in the US ).
Regards,
Gordon
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Post by brothers »

Jose, by far the most informative and thorough review of this product I've seen.
Gary

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Post by Teiste »

Great review my friend!
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Post by fallingwickets »

is this a cream or a soap?......looks like a cream to me but Jose reviews it as a soap. thanks

clive

p.s. glass or not the packaging makes for good eye candy
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du212
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Post by du212 »

bernards66 wrote:Jose, Excellent photos. If you check our Search function there are a number of threads on this product. For myself, I found it to be good, but not better than a number of other creams that are not nearly as expensive ( Martin de Candre is extremely pricey in the US ).
Regards,
Gordon
Thanks Bernard66, I know that there are other threads that mean about soaps and Martin de Candre, but the most important thread is this:
http://www.shavemyface.com/forum/viewto ... in++candre .
But is an introductory post of the soap, no pics, no details. I have write a complete review with pictures, it's a different kind of post,...In this way I have posted in a new thread.

And the post about this soap are very old, actually this soaps are being sold in new containers, cheaper than the standard 170 g. jar....maybe is worth it for someone.

http://www.savonaraser.com/presentation ... raser.html
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brothers
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Post by brothers »

I am happy to see that the makers of this soap are into offering smaller sizes in a variety of some really beautiful containers. They're getting the prices down and using new packaging that is sure to increase their sales.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
cymric
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Re: Martin de Candre savon à raser

Post by cymric »

du212 wrote:The coconut oil is the key, I think, because this soap offers exceptional performance, but not so much for leading this oil but more by how they treat ,.... No soap is like this by this feature. Be careful this is not a coconut soap, only a soap that uses coconut oil.
No, there are two keys: (lots of) stearic acid, and potassium hydroxide. The stearic acid gives it a very rich and 'fat' feel; the potassium hydroxide keeps solubility high. The coconut acid helps to tweak the soap so that it actually forms a lather. Think of creating a lather from butter here. Cella uses a similar approach, and relies on tallow to provide the stearic acid. I'd hazard that Cella is a little 'lighter' than MdC given that there are other fatty acids in tallow. I'm thinking La Toja here, that should be a close approximation.
Well, I do not know how much it can last, I've used mine from 6 months and I just lowered 1 mm deep, and the scent and the lather has been improved more than even.
I usually arrive at a product use of about 1 to 1.5 grams per shave.
Martin de Candre is an example of economy, in 5-7 seconds of loading the brush you have enough soap.
In 5 to 7 seconds I certainly don't have enough soap in the brush. I need about four brushfuls of the amount of lather you made. That said, because MdC is almost pure soap, everything your brush picks up is soap, so in that it is more economical. On the other hand, it does not contain preservatives, so you'd best not let it sit for extended periods of time. Use it, and don't be parsimonious!
Amazing, like Tabac or La Toja, No initial spongy or watery lather, the soap passes from a fine creamy froth to a dense lather and cushioned in few brush swirls, leaving the pleasant feeling that how easy is to lather
Like I guessed: La Toja 8).
Optimal, on a brush drained, only 10 or 12 drops of water are needed to obtain a comfortable lather, a bit greasy, lubricant and soft, cushioned, but dense.
A bit of a nonsensical statistic, if I'm brutally honest. It depends on the amount of soap you pick up, and even more so on personal preference.
The best vegetable soap lather that I know by far, it's mysteriously dense, in spite of using a little amount of soap, ... .
Behold the power of the stearic acid... (And potassium ions. If it were sodium hydroxide you'd probably chuck the stuff.)
... the lather is kept moist, dense and lubricant such as Mitchell's Wool fat and not dries as Tabac, it remains lubricant and moisturizing during the shave ,.... who has not tried it do not know what is losing
Here I must object. Tabac lather does not dry. If it dries on your face, you've made it according to a wrong water-soap ratio. Given that your load times are short, I advise a more generous hand. The amount of water in your brush determines how much soap you can pick up; don't be afraid to spend more time on the puck.
Surprised by how good is the skin with a soap so simple, I do not understand, what is the secret?
You're smearing fat on your skin. Are you surprised at the result?
34 € for 170gr. The 19 € for postage to Spain make it too expensive, I expect to see if they improve that aspect
Here is where MdC breaks down terribly. There is almost nothing in that soap, yet they charge €20 per 100 g. Stearic acid is not that expensive, nor is the coconut acid. Nor do you get a stylish packaging or an expensive perfumer's fragrance (like Acqua di Parma for example). And you have to hope that the soap keeps over the period you use it.
This soap rocks, very natural, easy to get, expensive, yes, but economic performance. One of the best shaving products in Europe without doubt, but it's a shame that a company like this do not see the true potential and has a better commercial attitude, because is only sold on its website http://savonnerie-martin-de-candre.ic-sites.com
I very much fear that the high price is exactly why the company keeps its products available through their website only. You pay lots for exclusivity and probably quite small-time production.
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du212
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Re: Martin de Candre savon à raser

Post by du212 »

cymric wrote:
du212 wrote:The coconut oil is the key, I think, because this soap offers exceptional performance, but not so much for leading this oil but more by how they treat ,.... No soap is like this by this feature. Be careful this is not a coconut soap, only a soap that uses coconut oil.
No, there are two keys: (lots of) stearic acid, and potassium hydroxide. The stearic acid gives it a very rich and 'fat' feel; the potassium hydroxide keeps solubility high. The coconut acid helps to tweak the soap so that it actually forms a lather. Think of creating a lather from butter here. Cella uses a similar approach, and relies on tallow to provide the stearic acid. I'd hazard that Cella is a little 'lighter' than MdC given that there are other fatty acids in tallow. I'm thinking La Toja here, that should be a close approximation.
Well, I do not know how much it can last, I've used mine from 6 months and I just lowered 1 mm deep, and the scent and the lather has been improved more than even.
I usually arrive at a product use of about 1 to 1.5 grams per shave.
Martin de Candre is an example of economy, in 5-7 seconds of loading the brush you have enough soap.
In 5 to 7 seconds I certainly don't have enough soap in the brush. I need about four brushfuls of the amount of lather you made. That said, because MdC is almost pure soap, everything your brush picks up is soap, so in that it is more economical. On the other hand, it does not contain preservatives, so you'd best not let it sit for extended periods of time. Use it, and don't be parsimonious!
Amazing, like Tabac or La Toja, No initial spongy or watery lather, the soap passes from a fine creamy froth to a dense lather and cushioned in few brush swirls, leaving the pleasant feeling that how easy is to lather
Like I guessed: La Toja 8).
Optimal, on a brush drained, only 10 or 12 drops of water are needed to obtain a comfortable lather, a bit greasy, lubricant and soft, cushioned, but dense.
A bit of a nonsensical statistic, if I'm brutally honest. It depends on the amount of soap you pick up, and even more so on personal preference.
The best vegetable soap lather that I know by far, it's mysteriously dense, in spite of using a little amount of soap, ... .
Behold the power of the stearic acid... (And potassium ions. If it were sodium hydroxide you'd probably chuck the stuff.)
... the lather is kept moist, dense and lubricant such as Mitchell's Wool fat and not dries as Tabac, it remains lubricant and moisturizing during the shave ,.... who has not tried it do not know what is losing
Here I must object. Tabac lather does not dry. If it dries on your face, you've made it according to a wrong water-soap ratio. Given that your load times are short, I advise a more generous hand. The amount of water in your brush determines how much soap you can pick up; don't be afraid to spend more time on the puck.
Surprised by how good is the skin with a soap so simple, I do not understand, what is the secret?
You're smearing fat on your skin. Are you surprised at the result?
34 € for 170gr. The 19 € for postage to Spain make it too expensive, I expect to see if they improve that aspect
Here is where MdC breaks down terribly. There is almost nothing in that soap, yet they charge €20 per 100 g. Stearic acid is not that expensive, nor is the coconut acid. Nor do you get a stylish packaging or an expensive perfumer's fragrance (like Acqua di Parma for example). And you have to hope that the soap keeps over the period you use it.
This soap rocks, very natural, easy to get, expensive, yes, but economic performance. One of the best shaving products in Europe without doubt, but it's a shame that a company like this do not see the true potential and has a better commercial attitude, because is only sold on its website http://savonnerie-martin-de-candre.ic-sites.com
I very much fear that the high price is exactly why the company keeps its products available through their website only. You pay lots for exclusivity and probably quite small-time production.
I am expecting your soap made with butter, stearic acid and potassium Hydroxide :lol:....well, as far I know some oils as olive oil cannot give good and lasting lather,......in this soap the simple formulation is surprising,...instead of Tabac that's very complex in its formula

You can see the pics to see the amounts of soap used in the review , better than statistics.....that are not useful in a feature as personal as you have noticed.

My problem with Tabac is not the lather I get, or if this lather dries, every lather dries, the problem is that the lather of tabac dries faster than other soaps, in a straigh shave is more evident than with the DE razor....but the amount of water is not the problem but the solution, I can add some drops of water to get better lather when dries....and that's all.

If you can try the soap, the feeling using it wil be better than a chemichal analysis . :) . I reccomend it

Thanks for the scientific point of view.
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Post by bernards66 »

Well, it's nice to see that they've certainly expanded the available sizes/containers a bit. Still, it remains an extremely expensive shaving preparation, especially when one figures in the added shipping fees. The sample I had was like a VERY dense cream and, as I say, was a fine product but I'd every bit as soon use T&H etc. for considerably less money. Also, personally, I'm not a big fan of mint in men's toiletries so adding it to the basic lavender scent was not a plus in my book.
Regards,
Gordon
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Post by du212 »

bernards66 wrote:Well, it's nice to see that they've certainly expanded the available sizes/containers a bit. Still, it remains an extremely expensive shaving preparation, especially when one figures in the added shipping fees. The sample I had was like a VERY dense cream and, as I say, was a fine product but I'd every bit as soon use T&H etc. for considerably less money. Also, personally, I'm not a big fan of mint in men's toiletries so adding it to the basic lavender scent was not a plus in my book.
Regards,
Gordon
The mint is not the scent of the soap, I don't know why the people say that the scent is lavender and mint, the mint is not very present, you can smell better the benzoin, but is a very different scent...but no an "after-eight" scent :evil:

I think that a lot of people has been talking about the soap without trying it,... :roll:
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Post by brothers »

Talk is cheap! Every time I read about the MdC, I take a spin over to the website, run through a hypothetical purchase, and then I hit delete without looking back. The shipping costs are a major issue.
Gary

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Re: Martin de Candre savon à raser

Post by cymric »

du212 wrote:I am expecting your soap made with butter, stearic acid and potassium Hydroxide :lol:....well, as far I know some oils as olive oil cannot give good and lasting lather,......in this soap the simple formulation is surprising,...instead of Tabac that's very complex in its formula.
Tabac's formula isn't really that complex. It is a mixture of stearic acid, tallow and coconut oil saponified with a mixture of potassium and sodium hydroxide. The desire was obviously to create a solid soap (hence the sodium hydroxide which you cannot do without), but also a good and eay latherer, so there is probably just enough sodium lye in there to make it sufficiently processable. The rest of the soap is window dressing. You can do better—as your experience with Martin de Candre has shown—but then you have to give up some other property elsewhere. In MdC's case it is the solidity and storage life of the product.
If you can try the soap, the feeling using it wil be better than a chemichal analysis . :) . I reccomend it
I'm not belittling your experiences, far from it; I'm merely 'translating' them into a chemical perspective to increase the understanding of why it appears be a good product.

Yes, I'd like to try the soap one time, but for now the very high price is holding me back.
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Re: Martin de Candre savon à raser

Post by du212 »

cymric wrote:
du212 wrote:I am expecting your soap made with butter, stearic acid and potassium Hydroxide :lol:....well, as far I know some oils as olive oil cannot give good and lasting lather,......in this soap the simple formulation is surprising,...instead of Tabac that's very complex in its formula.
Tabac's formula isn't really that complex. It is a mixture of stearic acid, tallow and coconut oil saponified with a mixture of potassium and sodium hydroxide. The desire was obviously to create a solid soap (hence the sodium hydroxide which you cannot do without), but also a good and eay latherer, so there is probably just enough sodium lye in there to make it sufficiently processable. The rest of the soap is window dressing. You can do better—as your experience with Martin de Candre has shown—but then you have to give up some other property elsewhere. In MdC's case it is the solidity and storage life of the product.
If you can try the soap, the feeling using it wil be better than a chemichal analysis . :) . I reccomend it
I'm not belittling your experiences, far from it; I'm merely 'translating' them into a chemical perspective to increase the understanding of why it appears be a good product.

Yes, I'd like to try the soap one time, but for now the very high price is holding me back.
Thanks for the explanation. I love Tabac soap, it's an excellent soap, I like the easy lathering, the scent and the thick and cushioned lather. A perfect example of a good tallow soap.

I have well learned the chemical details of your post, very useful, thanks a lot :wink:
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du212
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Post by du212 »

brothers wrote:Talk is cheap! Every time I read about the MdC, I take a spin over to the website, run through a hypothetical purchase, and then I hit delete without looking back. The shipping costs are a major issue.
+1

It seems that they don't want to sell products in foreign countries....I don't understand that they don't look for an american partner
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Post by notthesharpest »

du212 wrote:I think that a lot of people has been talking about the soap without trying it,... :roll:
At this price, it will stay that way.
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Post by Janus »

I would try it, but €22,50 plus shipping for 50g of soap... forget it.
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Post by bernards66 »

Jose, I've tried it. My remarks are based on my own experiance. I agree that the mint is a decidely secondary scent note but it does seem to be there....and I'd prefer that it wasn't. That wouldn't stop me from using it however, it is the cost that is prohibative, especially given some other less expensive products that are available. Years ago we had a French member on the forum. He was having trouble finding the top shelf English creams and Simpson brushes in Paris. I suggested the Plisson brushes to him and he found the Martin de Candre cream on his own. For him, these were the solution to his dilemma. But in America, both products are often considered as excessively expensive....and frankly, they're pretty damn pricey even in France.
Regards,
Gordon
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Post by jvan »

Jose, thanks so much for the time and effort you put into this review, it was very well done and informative too.
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