The (Overdue) Death Of PSF

Remember a few years back when 'post shave feel' was the wet shaving catchphrase and how it drove soap makers to reformulate whenever Youtube/Internet influencers gave even the slightest of thumbs down reviews? Well, now it appears that has died a long overdue 'death'. Influencers and some soap makers were writing as if they were Board certified dermatologists.    Gee, and to think that for a few bucks you could buy a bottle of hyaluronic acid to use but a mere few drops post shave that not only worked better, but is approved by dermatologists. Well, I for one am glad all that has pretty much ceased. Shaving and skin care are different issues with exceptions made for those with severe skin conditions. I never bought into the 'snake oil'. 

Good day. 

Hallelujah!
I never heard that term from our "regular" customers. It was really limited to the hobby crowd.

Sent from my SM-A256U1 using Tapatalk

I don't think that's accurate at all. Most reformulated because of the crazy amount of soapers and the competition.

Bison
Duck
Donkey's Milk

You name it and it was being considered. Truth being many of these did shave much better than a stick of whatever or a bar of bath soap.

It's died down now because the hobby is practically nonexistent compared to several years back when it was in high gear.

I think that's what you noticed. A hobby that has relaxed tremendously.


Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk

I don't think that's accurate at all. Most reformulated because of the crazy amount of soapers and the competition...

That was my point:  they were driven to compete fearing any influencer on forums and on Youtube saying that their PSF could have been better. I think also that is why we have more 'soft' soaps today as a result. I had no problem with say the old B&M soaps that were harder than their current formulation. That's not to say that their latest formula is not superb, just that I think most of the 'tweaks' weren't necessary. YMMV.

I do not consider myself to be an influencer, certainly not in the sense of YouTubers. However, I have sensitive skin and I put a lot of value on post shave feel. If I were a younger shaver with oily skin rather than a 70+ year old with dry skin, I might not have that same consideration. In the past few years, I only purchased more expensive soaps that provide me with many hours of exceptional post shave feel.

If you have young skin or oily skin, you can probably use less expensive soaps without issue. As for me, I cannot.

Well, I really don't agree with this at all. Post shave feel is an important part of both the soaps that I like and the aftershaves I use (yes, even alcohol based aftershaves).

I don't like having anything sticky on my face, and most balms or glycerine containing aftershaves leave my face sticky. I hate that feeling. A good tallow based soap leaves my face feeling soft so that I don't need a sticky balm, and an alcohol based aftershave leaves me feeling refreshed.

So yes, post shave feel is important to me. As an alternative theory let me propose this: the death of so many mass market tallow based soaps has left us with a bunch of vegetable based soaps which just don't have the same face feel as the tallow soaps. With time, we have just come to accept it and soap makers, try as they might, just can't produce a vegetable soap with the same post shave feel as a good tallow soap.

I will now see myself to the door.

I think post shave feel is still important for a lot of us.
But I think we’re hearing less “chatter” about it because numerous soapmakers have stuck with the same formula for a while now. B&M, Declaration, Wholly Kaw to name a few… I don’t think they’re placing any less emphasis on post shave feel, it’s just less changes than we saw before.
In terms of “influencers”, I don’t really care. I don’t have much interest in people doing constant videos, and that’s nothing against them, it’s just not interesting to me personally. I still appreciate a soap with a great post shave feel tho.

I never cared. Sure, I noticed some soaps are a bit drying and others were a bit oily but I finish with a dab of Shea butter anyway so no big woop one way or the other. (That and the fact my skin is like saddle leather). Lucky like that I suppose.

I guess we’re the hobby crowd. 

I guess we’re the hobby crowd. 

Yep.

Sent from my SM-A256U1 using Tapatalk