Van Der Hagen shave soap

jvan · Post by **jvan** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 8:33 am

I might as well resurrect this older thread. Taking advantage of the heads up we had regarding the Walgreen sale on William's soap I was able to snag their last couple pucks of that and noticed right next to it was this van der Hagen pink shave soap.

I've been using it for the past few days now and I am very impressed with the quality/quantity of lather that it yields. It has provided me with the best "soap" shaves I have yet received. Highly recommend it. $1.49 for a 2.5 oz. puck!

Lil' Shaver · Post by **Lil' Shaver** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 5:36 pm

I also use the VDH or Surrey soaps.

I especially like the glycerin soap. I get it for a buck and make super lather with it using Palmolive cream.

I also like the soap for sensitive skin. It has shea butter in it. It's very good. Definitely worth picking up a puck or two.

jayb · Post by **jayb** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 10:42 pm

I like the Van der Hagen from Rite Aid (white one.) It was the first soap that I ever used and I really like the scent and the lather. I've yet to try anything else besides Williams or Proraso (soap and cream.) I use the Proraso for about the first 2 or 3 shaves of the week and then switch to the VDH after my face gets a little "raw" and the menthol tears my skin up! Well, at least until I get a better technique going.

DavidB · Post by **DavidB** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 11:24 pm

John, welcome to the Van Der Hagen/Surrey club! Glad it's working out for you. I've brought it back into the rotation lately.

Glenn, if you're looking for the clear glycerin VDH soap, some Walgreens carry both the pink and the glycerin, though my local Walgreens don't carry either. However, my local WalMart just started carrying both the pink and the glycerin.

Dave

2clfrwrds · Post by **2clfrwrds** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 11:29 pm

Justin, I see you're on post # 99. Congratulations, although I'm jumping the gun.

I've put my tube of Proraso cream away under the sink with my old electric razor. I worked hard to like it, but that menthol and eucalyptus is just too much. It's like a sledge when a ball peen is needed. I know it's quality stuff, but on any given morning, I always pick something else to use. Maybe I'll pull it out again in the middle of summer. Maybe not.

OTOH, that VDH Select is a guilty pleasure. I have a traditional English soap that cost 10 times as much, and I like the VDH just as well. How is that right?? This cheap stuff from Texas can't possibly be in the same league as the English soap. But my face says it is.

--Glenn

2clfrwrds · Post by **2clfrwrds** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 11:51 pm

DavidB wrote:...if you're looking for the clear glycerin VDH soap, some Walgreens carry both the pink and the glycerin, though my local Walgreens don't carry either.

Thanks, Dave, there's a Walgreens in San Carlos on my commute; I'll take a look. Mmmmm, Grey Flannel. I haven't smelled it in years, so I hope it won't be like reuniting with the fedora I wore during the Duran Duran Era.

BTW, I hope you don't need the Bay Bridge to get to work. Man, traffic is going to be ugly around here tomorrow. Can you believe a speeding trucker burned down part of The Maze?!

--Glenn

jvan · Post by **jvan** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 5:27 am

The puck that I picked up was the pink one for gentle skin, can anyone tell me what the scent is? I rather enjoy the scent but I surely cannot nail down what it is. I would have to say that this is the biggest bang for the buck that I have found in shaving supplies.

DavidB · Post by **DavidB** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 8:59 am

Glenn,

Thankfully, I don't have to commute over the fallen overpass. Yikes, what a disaster. I have a pretty easy commute down to Palo Alto.

In addition to Walgreens, I've also seen Grey Flannel on the cologne rack at one of the discount clothing stores (TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Ross), though I forget which one.

By the way, the Rite Aid in the Woodside Plaza shopping center carries the white VDH soap (or did). Many Longs carry the pink stuff. And the Mountain View WalMart stocks the pink and glycerin VDH.

Dave

DavidB · Post by **DavidB** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:08 am

Can anybody tell much of a difference between the white and the pink VDH soaps? I see that the featured ingredients are different, but darned if I can tell much of a difference. I'm gonna pick up a puck of each and compare them scent-wise.

I think VDH reformulated the pink stuff. When it was labeled Surrey, the box used to say that it contained lanolin. Now it's not listed.

John, to me the pink VDH soap is vaguely floral (rose?), but darned if I can pinpoint it. I wonder if VDH would tell us the scent. I contacted them a few years ago about the scent of the glycerin soap (I was looking to get cologne of the same fragrance), and they told me it was a very light knock-off of Grey Flannel.

Dave

DavidB · Post by **DavidB** » Tue May 01, 2007 8:02 am

I just learned from VDH that the scent of ALL of their shave soaps is Grey Flannel, but it is at such low levels that it is hard to pintpoint. Funny, but even with the glycerin and pink soaps side by side, they seemed slightly different to me. Must have been my imagination, or maybe differing level of fragrance.

They also confirmed that with the pink soap, they started switching out the lanolin with shea butter a few months ago. It didn't change the characteristics of the soap, but it's a more up-to-date ingredient and not an animal product. Those who need to avoid lanolin can now use the stuff.

I just shaved with the Select (white) soap this morning. Fine stuff. I've got all three. Just for kicks, I'll rotate them see if I can tell much of a difference.

Dave

p.s. I remember a few years ago, when I learned that the glycerin soap was Grey Flannel, I went out and bought some. Wow... VDH must scent their soap really lightly, because the cologne was potent indeed. My wife likes the smell of the VDH soap, but the Grey Flannel cologne was too much.

jvan · Post by **jvan** » Tue May 01, 2007 10:01 am

Dave, thanks for the research. I only have the "pink" and like I said I couldn't pin down what the scent was. I knew it was light and that I liked it but that was about it. Like the Vulfix Sandalwood cream, to me it's not Sandalwood and I don't know what it is I just know that I like it.

I'll have to try and find the other two VDH soaps, my Walgreen's only carries the pink.

drumana · Post by **drumana** » Tue May 01, 2007 10:31 am

I just picked up some VDH. Not sure I like the smell (reminds me of my Gramp's bathroom) but the price is right. Looking forward to seeing how it performs...

crackstar · Post by **crackstar** » Tue May 01, 2007 4:32 pm

Holy Toledo! Scented with Grey Flannel?

jslfl · Post by **jslfl** » Tue May 01, 2007 4:47 pm

drumana wrote:I just picked up some VDH. Not sure I like the smell (reminds me of my Gramp's bathroom) but the price is right. Looking forward to seeing how it performs...

Could you be a little more specific about "Gramps bathroom" smell?

DavidB · Post by **DavidB** » Tue May 01, 2007 4:47 pm

Yep, Grey Flannel. If I hadn't heard it straight from the company, I wouldn't have believed it was a cologne scent. It's really, really faint, so that could account for why it's so hard-to-place. Plus, it's a knock-off, not the real GF scent, so maybe that makes a difference.

I always liked the scent a whole lot. Didn't care that much for Grey Flannel cologne, though.

Dave

drumana · Post by **drumana** » Wed May 02, 2007 7:25 am

Could you be a little more specific about "Gramps bathroom" smell?

Yeah. I guess that is pretty vague. I didn't mean anything nasty. I think it's a combination that the VDH soap is pink, and my grandparents' bathroom was covered in pink tile complete with one of those pink rugs ON the toilet seat. Also, it is possible that my Gramps used this soap. I know he used a DE razor. I immediatly thought of him when I took a wiff of the VDH.

Nothing against Gramps, either. I love him. I just don't want to smell like him!

DavidB · Post by **DavidB** » Fri May 04, 2007 9:43 am

Has anybody tried all three VDH soaps? Any thoughts on how they differ? I was mainly a VDH glycerin user; the pink stuff had lanolin, and I couldn't get the white soap. But now that Rite Aid carries the white, and the pink soap no longer has lanolin, I've got all three and am cycling through them. I'll post my impressions when I'm done.

Dave

jayb · Post by **jayb** » Fri May 04, 2007 12:01 pm

2clfrwrds wrote:Justin, I see you're on post # 99. Congratulations, although I'm jumping the gun.

Thanks! I sure do enjoy this forum!

shavedhead · Post by **shavedhead** » Tue May 15, 2007 5:27 am

I have tried it and once I figured out how to get to lather good, it worked ok but I wish it would make my face more smooth like foam does but I will give it a chance

ebastow · Post by **ebastow** » Thu May 24, 2007 2:28 pm

I am bound and determined to find a shaving soap that I can use with my mug and badger hair brush. But as much as it goes against "my religion" I have a hard time finding something that can beat the "el cheapo" Barbasol gel that you can get at Walmart for <$2 a can. It's killing me. But I get really good protection and a close shave.

I have been using the Van Der Heusen with extra glycerin, the "pink" soap. It's OK but not as good as the Barbasol. I will have to try the lanolin, "white" cake and see if it is any better.

I think that the gels contain chemicals that soften the beard making it easier to cut, chemicals which are not in shaving soaps. Thus the better performance.

If I find the wonder soap, I will be sure at let you all know.

I am also open to any recommendations.