Thread: Joshua Tree Soapworks Shaving Soap

I received 3 pucks from this company last week: Key Lime, Bay Rum & Lime and Coconut Vanilla.

The ingredients label for all 3 are : Saponified Olive Oil, Coconut, Palm Oils, Green Tea Butter,
Honey, Goats Milk and "Fragrance Oil".

I took a bit of a punt with these as the reviewers I've read were not keen on the Olive Oil component.
I've just tried the Key Lime for the first time and here are my impressions.

Part of my ritual for a new puck of shaving soap is to "soak" it in about 5 ml of moderately hot water
for about 15 minutes in my shaving bowl and then flip it over for another 15 minutes.
Whether this does anything to prepare a new puck or not, I don't know. Just my ritual !
I used a no-name boar bristle brush from China to really work a lather.

The scent is to die for, I love Lime !! Lathering the brush was no problem, thick and foamy.
Where this soap falls down is when applying to your face. The lather starts to "dissolve" after
about 20 seconds (maybe 30) and if you like a nice relaxing, unhurried shave, this is a problem.

I found that my straight could still glide over my face with no problem. I had to re-lather for a
second pass and wasn't really fussed about this. Finally a third lather for my chin only.

I have super sensitive skin, prone to razor rash. It usually comes up straight after shaving.
As I sit here typing this I'm happy to report no such occurence. Not only that, but I feel
like I'm enveloped in a cloud of lime essence.

This soap will go into my rotation, no worries, and in 2 days I will try the Bay Rum and Lime
and report back to you here. At $4.00 a puck I don't regret the outlay and might put in an
order for some other scents such as the Tahitian Gardenia. All available on ebay.

Bongo

I have been trying soaps with the same type of ingredients. They stink REAL good but like you say the stuff disappears faster than I can get to it which adds to the shave time. It works great it just takes longer.

Well, I've just used the Bay Rum and Lime. Separately I like Bay Rum, and I love Lime,
so getting a puck with both fragrances in it was an experiment.

Surprisingly, I didn't find one fragrance overpowering the other, but rather creating
a "hybrid" essence that was quite distinctive and new to me. Pleasant too.

Unless I'd seen the label I would not have been able to tell what fragrances were
in this puck. Like the Key Lime, this is a soap that I will enjoy using, particularly
in Summer.

It has great moisturising qualities and my skin feels very soft and supple.
No razor burn or redness.

Once again transferring the lather to my face is no problem, but the lather
does start to dissolve straight away once it is on my face.

I lathered 3 times to complete my shave which was not a problem.
This will go into my soap rotation easy.

In a few days I'll try the Coconut Vanilla and let you know the results.

Bongo.

Hi people,

Well, I've just used the third and final puck I bought from Joshua Tree Soapworks.
This is the Coconut Vanilla fragrance and it's yummy !!

I swear I was smelling chocolate (have to go out and buy some after posting this).
Once again lathering in my bowl was no problem. Lathering my face however was the same as
the 2 previous pucks, the lather starts to dissolve straight away.

Now that I have a bit of experience using this soap, this shave was "soapier" than the previous efforts.
There will always be a "film" of soap that ensures a very smooth shave with your blade of choice.

The post-shave state of my skin is very nice and supple. Well moisturised and baby-skin smooth .
All 3 of these pucks are a welcome addition to my rotation and I will seriously consider putting in an
order for more JTS scents.

If I had to give an overall rating for these soaps it would be 8.5 out of 10.
The moisturising properties are easily a 9 and the scents are 9 as well.
I have to point out that I've never given any of my soaps a "10", even
Mitchell's Wool Fat, which has the same "old world charm" as these soaps.

Although I've just bought them, I can see myself already buying
replacement pucks to store away for the future. I enjoy them that much !!

I hope this helps.

Bongo.

Update: I'm still loving these soaps and decided to give them a proper home.
Ordered some lidded-bowls from China to do them justice: