Proraso Shaving Soaps Critique...Agree/Disagree?

Searching for some reviews for Proraso Sandalwood Aftershave, I stumbled across this review for Proraso Soaps, below. I find it harsh. Almost like he might have an axe to grind? He complains about the lack of scent, yet I've read other articles by this guy where he talks about his very poor sense of smell. And then he complains about the lather being difficult to produce, and drying out, yada yada. If he wasn't one of the internet shaving gurus, I'd suggest he doesn't know how to produce a lather then. I've only used Proraso once, and it was quite easy to produce a good lather, even for this greenhorn. But I'm the rookie here, so maybe I'm off. But, I don't think so.

What do you think of this?

"First, the bad news. I think Proraso soaps, as opposed to their creams, while cheap enough, are no more than adequate as shaving products. The scents of the creams, generally moderate to light in that format, are almost non-existent in the small soap tubs. Besides the olfactory no-shows, the soaps create a pretty marginal lather, and rather reluctantly at that. All the Proraso soaps I’ve used (White, Green, and Red) took a lot of work to create lather, and then the end product was quick to dry and thin in the bowl, on the brush, and on the face...
More alarmingly, the soap would sometimes dry on my face during a pass and create a sort of lather dandruff during the shave. A lot of extra product needed to be added during the typical shave, and at the end of the day, the laboriously created and maintained lather was only moderately slick and lacked cushion. The White soap had a decent post-shave feel, but Red and Green were utterly feature deficient in moisture and soothing ability for me, and so needed a lot of added creams and balms afterwards..."
Proraso Green, Blue, Red, and White Shave Cream Review (sharpologist.com)

 

I wasn't aware of such residue. I'll watch for it.

 

I agree that Proraso's classic soaps and creams have average performance. I estimate Proraso soaps and creams to be among some of the most overrated products in modern wetshaving. That said, I found neither the cream nor soap particularly difficult to lather and the scents were hardly "non-existent".

The aftershave splashes (red and green) are another story and are, in my opinion, the best performing product Proraso offers in their classic line with above average-good performance.

Ymmv, etc

 

I'm a Proraso fan. Performance and scent are good. (No idea if they are drying or not as I use unrefined shea butter in my post-shave routine.) I never really noticed any residue and never had a problem building a nice lather with minimal effort. Most importantly, I was never alarmed while using it, not even once.

I had the good fortune of traveling to Italy last year, and I picked up some creams, soaps, and aftershave balm at drug and grocery stores. Inexpensive as well. If I ever go back to Italy, I'll take a bigger suitcase. Don't tell that Sharpologist guy.

 

I've only used it once, and indeed, I was "alarmed" at how easily I could whip up a lather. The strength of the scent was nothing as he described, either. I guess I'm not sophisticated enough yet.

 

Job of Mr Mark Herro (Sharpologist) is online marketing.
Not truth speaking ...

BTW, chemically speaking, a soap with water on high ranking of INCI is always easy to lather.

 

My opinion is that I totally disagree with the critic.
Proraso Green was the first shave soap I bought. It's priced right and readily available. Being a rookie, it took me awhile to get lathering down to an art and I undoubtedly wasted quite a lot of it but I still have some left. I've tried many shave soaps since then and still find Proraso to be an excellent shave soap. I love the scent, it's plenty slippery for me and it's quite economical. What's not to like?

 

in canada it's on damn near every drug store shelf.proraso white and green soap,cream .take artisan makers out of the equation.there is nothing out there but canned goop.nothing,nada.none.and when there was it was reformed williams..glad we have proraso here..

 

Just to be clear, he didn't write the review in question. It was a guest writer.

I'm in the "solid performer" camp myself. Lathers easy, even in my hard water. (I live in limestone country.)

Consider this thread a lesson on the value of that title.

 

I never has a problem with Proraso Green in the tub. It gave me enough slickness for me to shave with a straight. It's easy to lather and the scent is refreshingly clean. The price point is great.

 

I’ve had the Green and Red creams. I consider it a fine lather. A good value for the price point. Echoing what Gary said- being readily available in Canadian drug stores is a bonus for sure.
Yes, there is some white residue after usage…cleaning gear is pretty easy, though.

 

Proraso Sandalwood, P-Red as I am fond of calling it, is to my nose, a pleasant and traditional scent. I still enjoy the aftershave splash frequently. Truth be told though, I haven’t used the soap or cream in a number of years now, having found other products that work “better” for me. I used to occasionally use the green cream, but that too has fallen by the wayside. The blue cream wasn’t my bag. In my experience residue is to be expected with the Proraso creams and soaps. There’s no way to get around it. As I recall, I did experience as others have indicated, the lather would at times dry and get flakey mid shave. That said, if it was the only soap or cream available to me I would still enjoy a solid shave. Interestingly, the Green splash just did Not agree with my olfaction - it smells nothing like the cream. I’ve learned that I don’t like eucalyptus. Bought the splash twice, PIFfed it twice. And for some guys it’s a staple

 

In the hot season I love my Proraso mixed frankensoap.
Great smell, and works better than original.
https://theshaveden.com/forums/posts/2085325/

 

I wish Bill Neumann could be on every U.S. drugstore shelf, if Proraso is on every one up in Canada;

 

I've used both the Proraso green and red shave tubs with their corresponding aftershave splash. The green has far too much menthol for me so gifted them to a friend of mine. I like the red (sandalwood) soap but prefer a tallow based soap for the after shave face feel. I still use the red aftershave but sparingly due to it containing aloe and too much makes my face feel sticky.

 

Actually, in Proraso Red ASL there's no Aloe.
It feels sticky if used dry ... and too much.
It needs just a little, on wet skin as all the aftershaves.

 

I stand corrected. Rechecked ingredient list and there is no aloe so wondering now what it is that makes it sticky. Thanks @ischiapp .

 

I thought you were supposed to blot your face dry before using AS?

 

A little of Shea Butter ... with too much product.

It's better on wet skin. Water is a lubrificant. Helps to use less product with a better layer.
On alcoholic lotion helps to take down the "burning" effect too.