This third head-to-head (or beard-to-beard) evaluation in Sharpologist’s scent-free soap competition features “MDC” versus TOBS Natural. In this series I’m focusing on overall shaving performance so neither a soap’s scent nor its cost is not a factor in the review.
The Contestants
From the website: As its name suggests, here is the Shaving Soap “Nature”, which is unscented and whose quality of the foam is identical to other scented shaving soaps. Very smooth, it has a slight smell of “soap”; its foam rises quickly, is abundant, stays wet for a long time and wraps the face like a light cream, to allow a perfect shave with the maximum of comfort.
Ingredients: Stearic Acid, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Aqua, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride
Taylor of Old Bond Street Traditional
From the website: Our traditional luxury shaving soap is formulated to create a rich, velvety lather to condition the skin and assist in a closer shave.
Ingredients: Sodium Palmate, Potassium Palmate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Aqua, Glycerin, Potassium Palm Kernelate, Stearic Acid, Parfum, Paraffinum Liquidum,Isopropyl, Myristate,Tetrasodium Edta, Sodium Chloride, Bht, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Pentasodium Penetat, C1 77891.
Overall Impressions
This week’s contestants both come from overseas: Martin De Candre (MDC) is made in France and Taylor of Old Bond Street (TOBS) comes from England. Both brands have long histories and are well-known to traditional shaving enthusiasts.
As you’ll read below, the shaves’ results surprised me. Here’s a hint: Don’t judge a soap solely by its lather. Despite what I considered a slightly weak lather, the TOBS provided very good protection.
Points awarded for each factor:
- 1: Poor
- 2: Fair
- 3: Good
- 4: Very good
- 5: Excellent
Feature: Lack of Scent
| Soap | Points |
| Martin De Candre Nature | 4.5 |
| Taylor of Old Bond Street Traditional | 4.5 |
Very slight soapy smell from each but nothing heavy.
Feature: Easy lathering
| Soap | Points |
| Martin De Candre Nature | 4.5 |
| Taylor of Old Bond Street Traditional | 2.75 |
I always check a product’s website for lathering guidance and the MDC site has a video. Fortunately for those of us who don’t speak French, it’s a silent video. The video used face lathering, which I used, and it was easy to build a very nice lather. I don’t know if you would describe a shave lather as “luxurious,” but this one came close.
The TOBS took more work and I ran out of patience before it got to my preferred density. Also, the lather was very light, more like whipped cream from a can if you can imagine that. The lightness and lack of density on my face reminded me of the really cheap soaps I’ve tried, all of which resulted in rough shaves.
Feature: Moisture retention
| Soap | Points |
| Martin De Candre Nature | 4.5 |
| Taylor of Old Bond Street Traditional | 5 |
Both held their moisture very well but the TOBS was surprisingly good on this score despite being a thinner layer than I prefer.
Feature: Lubrication
| Soap | Points |
| Martin De Candre Nature | 4 |
| Taylor of Old Bond Street Traditional | 4 |
Good lubrication from both
Feature: Protection
| Soap | Points |
| Martin De Candre Nature | 2.5 |
| Taylor of Old Bond Street Traditional | 4.0 |
As I’ve written in previous reviews, soaps that leave a light layer of protection do the best job of protecting my skin. The MDC was only OK on that score, which surprised me given the excellent lather.
The TOBS provided a pleasant surprise by leaving my skin very lightly lubricated and supple after each pass. My pasty skin showed no pinkness and there were no hot spots in the usual problem areas. I was genuinely impressed.
Feature: Post-shave Skin Feeling
| Soap | Points |
| Martin De Candre Nature | 2.5 |
| Taylor of Old Bond Street Traditional | 4.0 |
No question here: The TOBS left my skin feeling very good, much better than with the MDC. I was a little concerned at the start of the first TOBS shave because of the relatively light lather, but that was my mistake. I suppose the moral is don’t judge a soap by it’s lather until you’ve shaved with it!
Final Scores
Winner: Taylor of Old Bond Street Traditional over Martin De Candre Nature versus Taylor of Old Bond Street Traditional by a score of 23.75 to 22.5.
Competition Recap
Previous weeks’ winners are highlighted in bold:
Round 1:
Wholly Kaw(R) Bare Naked (Tallow) by a score of 21.0 to 20.5 over Wet Shaving Products (WSP) Rustic Shaving Soap Au Naturel. [Link To Article]
Zingari Man Unscented Sego by a score of 26.5 to 23.25 over Chiseled Face Groomatorium Natural Fragrance Free. [Link To Article]
Up Next
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Scentless Handcrafted Scent Free Shaving Soap versus Talbot Shaving Soap, Trust
Another YMMV moment.
My experience with TOBS soap has been that it didn’t face lather readily, and that it lacked slickness. MdC has been far superior for me in both respects. Post-shave feel has been about the same for both.
I can’t distinguish slickness from protection or hydration. For me, either the blade moves smoothly and cuts close without irritation, or it doesn’t.
Excellent point, Saul.
Another great review.
While you specifically excluded price in your article I won’t. The MDC usually goes for about $70. for 200 gm. while the TOBS are usually under $20 for 150 gm.
Those who say “you get what you pay for” are just lazy thinkers and deserve to be fleeced. Even if you reversed the results the MDC is waaaaaay overpriced and it’s not even as good.
Don’t ever stop doing what you’re doing!
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