Grooming Department has some big improvements in the works. I have been one of the testers for a new base called Kairos. It is a tallow based soap (Aion in the Nai base was vegan). I really liked Aion, but I had one reservation: it took at least an hour before I could start to feel the conditioning ingredients start to work. Once they started working, my face felt great for the next 16 hours or so.
With the new Kairos base the post-shave conditioning starts soon after the shave and continues for the next 24 hours. As someone with sensitive skin, I really appreciate that.
Kairos has got to be one of the slickest soaps I have ever used with superb cushion/blade protection as well. I tried something with Kairos I have never been willing to risk before. My normal shaving routine is to do a three-pass shave, lathering well before each pass: WTG, XTG, ATG. Then I do a fourth clean-up pass using lather, but also buffing difficult areas until I am very close to BBS.
Using Kairos, I shaved 1st pass WTG as usual. I relathered and then went directly to my ATG pass, skipping the XTG pass entirely. Then without relathering, I did a full-face clean-up pass, including buffing strokes, simply using the residual slickness of the lather from the 2nd pass. Due to the sensitivity of my skin, there are few, if any, of the 175 soaps in my den other than Kairos that I would consider attempting this. However, when I applied witch hazel after the shave, there was zero irritation.
Thus, as one who loves superb soaps, I have to say that Kairos is one of the very best soaps in my well-stocked den. Every time I say that a soap is so good that I could not imagine it being improved, the top artisans come along and prove me wrong. I thought Aion was superb, but Kairos is even better.
Right now, all I have is a sample of Kairos, but I am looking forward to purchasing a full tub of Kairos when it is released. The new scent will be called "etereo" which is derived from the Ancient Greek language meaning "as clean and pure as heaven". Thus, for those who do not like strong scents, this one should be "heavenly".