Thread: Review of Sebum Gold type Green Shave Soap.

This is just an addendum to the original review since I've had a chance to use a variety of badger brushes with the soap.

Even though they "Highly recommend" a synthetic brush, badger in fact works just as well or better. It lathers up in seconds. You just need to start with a brush a tad drier than you are used to with most other soaps.

Also with the type green, as to the scent, it almost smells like a herbal tea is my best description. An adult scent for sure, not like artificial attempts but like it comes from the real deal, woodsy grasses and plants.

Weird that they would "highly recommend" a synthetic brush as most brush types will lather just about any soap if you adjust your technique to suit the brush in use. Not surprised to hear a badger brush will also work well and I suspect a boar brush would too.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Weird that they would "highly recommend" a synthetic brush as most brush types will lather just about any soap if you adjust your technique to suit the brush in use. Not surprised to hear a badger brush will also work well and I suspect a boar brush would too.

Bob

The idea is you are supposed to start with a very dry brush just dampened and you add water a few drops at a time. But really any brush that's not soaking wet will do just fine. I guess they think a synthetic doesn't hold water like the others so it might be easier.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The idea is you are supposed to start with a very dry brush just dampened and you add water a few drops at a time. But really any brush that's not soaking wet will do just fine. I guess they think a synthetic doesn't hold water like the others so it might be easier.

Yes, starting with a just a damp brush and adding water a bit at a time is the technique for a synthetic brush. Most people used to soaking badger brushes initially have a hard time learning that you can't do that with synthetic brushes. The writer can't have much experience using brushes that are not synthetic or they would have known that. Not too confidence inspiring when they are trying to flog shaving soaps.

Bob

Markbignosekelly asked me over on the SOTD thread if I’d give my thoughts on the Sebum Gold.

The 5-bar version: The soap is good, not great. The serum is exceptionally good.

The soap lathered fairly easily. I have to agree with Bob and his comments on the maker’s recommendation about a synthetic brush. I’ve lathered this soap with both successfully, although I have to admit it was easier lathering this soap with a synthetic.

The soap made a good lather, took a good amount of water, but it's not really a 'high-volume' soap. To use the term of art, the lather is fairly unstructured, and can break down very easily if over hydrated.
This won’t be an issue for most of us straight-razor shavers who tend to prefer glide over cushion.

Actually, the glide on the soap is one of the factors that leaves the most to be desired. There was no issue in making a pass with the lather on the face, however, without the lather on the face, there wasn’t much ‘residual slickness’ at all. I had to be very cautious. I suppose this is due to the lack of the standard saponifying ingredients.

With that said, the post shave feel was exceptional even before applying the serum. The serum is excellent-when I put it on after the shave, my skin was left supple, glowing, and the face felt great all day.

Scent strength of the soap and serum is middle of the road.
The scent is very much ‘essential oil forward’-very natural smelling, not nuanced, like the aisle of a 70s health food store. It hasn’t seemed to interfere with the colognes I’ve used.

For a similar post shave feel with much better performance on the soap, I’ll reach for a Grooming Dept Lusso or duck tallow base followed by the GD serum. Similar in terms of post shave, better glide, and much less expensive. The Barrister Excelsior base and Declaration Icarus also have similar post shave feels to the Sebum Gold soap.

I've only had a four shaves with the Sebum, so I'll take some time to dial it in and assess.

Well, I must be getting soft in my old age, I agree with almost everything RobinK said, except that MdC is drying, but I think that’s an opinion that varies and other folks have said that it is and others not. I get very soft, smooth skin with MdC.

Here’s an interesting link about cosmetic ingredients. Check out the third category, claims ingredients.

The Three Types of Cosmetic Raw Materials – Chemists Corner

One of the last sentences is telling, ‘Brands that don’t include claims ingredients are much less successful in the marketplace.’

Originally Posted by MichaelPz

Markbignosekelly asked me over on the SOTD thread if I’d give my thoughts on the Sebum Gold.

The 5-bar version: The soap is good, not great. The serum is exceptionally good.

The soap lathered fairly easily. I have to agree with Bob and his comments on the maker’s recommendation about a synthetic brush. I’ve lathered this soap with both successfully, although I have to admit it was easier lathering this soap with a synthetic.

The soap made a good lather, took a good amount of water, but it's not really a 'high-volume' soap. To use the term of art, the lather is fairly unstructured, and can break down very easily if over hydrated.
This won’t be an issue for most of us straight-razor shavers who tend to prefer glide over cushion.

Actually, the glide on the soap is one of the factors that leaves the most to be desired. There was no issue in making a pass with the lather on the face, however, without the lather on the face, there wasn’t much ‘residual slickness’ at all. I had to be very cautious. I suppose this is due to the lack of the standard saponifying ingredients.

With that said, the post shave feel was exceptional even before applying the serum. The serum is excellent-when I put it on after the shave, my skin was left supple, glowing, and the face felt great all day.

Scent strength of the soap and serum is middle of the road.
The scent is very much ‘essential oil forward’-very natural smelling, not nuanced, like the aisle of a 70s health food store. It hasn’t seemed to interfere with the colognes I’ve used.

For a similar post shave feel with much better performance on the soap, I’ll reach for a Grooming Dept Lusso or duck tallow base followed by the GD serum. Similar in terms of post shave, better glide, and much less expensive. The Barrister Excelsior base and Declaration Icarus also have similar post shave feels to the Sebum Gold soap.

I've only had a four shaves with the Sebum, so I'll take some time to dial it in and assess.

We must have been using different soaps. Unless the Green has different characteristics.

I found using a classic two band badger to lather faster than with a synthetic. I also found it took way less water than most soaps. As to the glide I never shave with any soap gone hoping for residual glide when it's just as easy to apply more soap.

I'm often amazed that makers of soaps and scents actually read forums like ours. Mostly we never know it however in this case I got an E-Mail from the manufacturer of Sebum Gold. So, I'm going to put the salient paragraph he sent me. Consider it the official response of the manufacturer and of course his opinion.

Just to be sure I have no skin in the game. I have received no premiums or samples or products or any discounts of any kind from this outfit. I'm just a user who thinks they make a unique and quality product.

...." Yes we only use Essential Oils or Select Co2 Extracts. I would also note I stay away from essential oils banned by the EU as note in Green's description referencing our forgoing the use of oakmoss. We use organic where possible, but unfortunately the world supply is not there for every ingredient.

Palm is widely available and very cheap contrary to someone saying my butters were cheap. Martin de Candre is mostly inexpensive coconut oil. Yes, Castle Forbes uses natural essential oils mixed with un-natural perservatives such as Phenoxyethanol and Methylisothiazolinone (very bad). I had to look and see what Meibner's packaging was, because I've never seen it. Obviously not copied.....

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I'm often amazed that makers of soaps and scents actually read forums like ours. Mostly we never know it however in this case I got an E-Mail from the manufacturer of Sebum Gold. So, I'm going to put the salient paragraph he sent me. Consider it the official response of the manufacturer and of course his opinion.

Just to be sure I have no skin in the game. I have received no premiums or samples or products or any discounts of any kind from this outfit. I'm just a user who thinks they make a unique and quality product.

...." Yes we only use Essential Oils or Select Co2 Extracts. I would also note I stay away from essential oils banned by the EU as note in Green's description referencing our forgoing the use of oakmoss. We use organic where possible, but unfortunately the world supply is not there for every ingredient.

Palm is widely available and very cheap contrary to someone saying my butters were cheap. Martin de Candre is mostly inexpensive coconut oil. Yes, Castle Forbes uses natural essential oils mixed with un-natural perservatives such as Phenoxyethanol and Methylisothiazolinone (very bad). I had to look and see what Meibner's packaging was, because I've never seen it. Obviously not copied.....

Thanks for sharing that! It's heartening that the maker of the soap is reading this Forum and responded to you!

We must have been using different soaps. Unless the Green has different characteristics.

I found using a classic two band badger to lather faster than with a synthetic. I also found it took way less water than most soaps. As to the glide I never shave with any soap gone hoping for residual glide when it's just as easy to apply more soap.

I'm not sure I see much difference between the Gold and the Green as far as ingredients. I've got over 100 badger brushes, original Sabinis, Manchurian Simpsons, etc., and I love them all. I've been using badger brushes for the better part of the almost 50 years I've been shaving.

What I've found is that the more the soap is oleaginous, the more the badger bristles want to 'hold on' to the soap. Of course, it's possible to make a very good lather with the Sebum soap with a badger, and I've done so. It's just a bit easier with a synthetic in my experience. As an example, Will from Barrister and Mann has said that he personally prefers synthetics with his soaps, which are high-fat soaps.

Yes, the Sebum soap lathers fine with a badger and, truth be told I prefer a badger for the feel. The advice the maker of Sebum gives, however, to use a synthetic brush is I think a good one for those shavers perhaps not as experienced as you and me.

Having a few more shaves under my belt with the Sebum Gold, I still think the soap is very good and leaves an exceptional post shave. As far as performance, the Grooming Dept Lusso, Barrister and Mann Excelsior, and Declaration Grooming Icarus provide better performance for me.

The serum is exceptional, though, and I'm glad I got the large bottle. Between this and Mohammad from Grooming Dept's serum my face, I think, will feel good through the long desert summer.