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Captain’s Choice Shaving Soap

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I’m a sucker for three scents: tea tree, limes, and Bay Rum. If a shaving product comes out in one of those scents, I’ll probably try it.  So when Captain’s Choice started offering shave soaps, with one scent in their take on the classic Bay Rum scent, I had to buy some.

Like I said, I’m a sucker for Bay Rum shaving products.  That is, with the exception of high alcohol after shave splashes…the kind where you “feel the burn.”  For me those kinds of things dry out my skin after a time, and at my age I need all the help I can get.  Captain’s Choice got their start with “feel the burn” products (in fact, they celebrate it) so I’ve felt left out.  Then they started making an artisan shaving soap with the same scent (plus Amazon link)  Ah haaaa…now I have something I can sink my teeth (err…nose) into.  Their web page describes it as:

“Scented with the same proprietary concentrate used in our Bay Rum aftershave, we now present a matching shaving soap! Luxuriate in the thick creamy lather that makes each shave one to remember.  We designed the scent to be just “there” and never too prominent for an enjoyable shave each time.”

Ingredients:  Aqua, Potassium Sterate, Sodium Sterate, Potassium Cocoate, Sodium Cocoate, Potassium Myristate, Sodium Myristate, Potassium Argonate, Sodium Argonate, Vegetable Glycerin, Fragrance (priority essential oil/natural fragrance blend.)

It has some good reviews on the forums (though the first reviewers complained the scent was too mild so Captain’s boosted it a bit) with several making note of the exceptional stability of the lather, even with a lot of water, and the excellent over-all performance of the soap.

For me the scent in the puck was moderate (to my relatively insensitive nose) with a mostly spice (cinnamon?) note.  Lots of shave soap scents drop off considerably when lathered on the face but this one, as promised, stayed “there” but not “too prominent.” For me the scent notes morph into a pleasant–and somewhat more complex–herb and spice vibe with a rum component.

And the other reviewers weren’t kidding about the lather’s stability!  I discovered that this lather just did not want to break down, even when fully hydrated during a leisurely shave.  If you want to take your sweet time shaving but your lather starts falling apart late in the game…give this one a try.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Performance is on par with other excellent artisan shaving soaps: plenty of lubrication and cushion.

Other Captain’s Choice shave soap scents include Sandalwood (Amazon link), Lime (Amazon link), and North (with “top notes of juniper and hints of clove and vanilla”) (Amazon Link).

Author

Shave tutor and co-founder of sharpologist. I have been advocating old-school shaving for over 20 years and have been featured in major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Lifehacker. Also check out my content on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!View Author posts

6 thoughts on “Captain’s Choice Shaving Soap”

      1. As I mention in the article I think there’s a definite cinnamon element “on the puck” but it changes when it’s lathered–spices without anything dominant to my nose. Almost like a spiced rum. 🙂

  1. I love the lime and citrus smells in general do you have a favorite prominently lime smelling soap you prefer? Soon to get my first DE have a razor chosen looking for good bowl/soap combo.

    1. Robert, my favorite lime/citrus shaving cream is Castle Forbes limes. Very expensive but its like getting smacked in the face with a key lime pie. 🙂

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