So I've tried a few samples of these increasingly popular Norwegian artisan creams, and yep...good stuff!
A good friend in Tokyo sent me samples of pretty much the full range of creams from Fitjar Soaps (the Norwegian name is "Fitjar Såpekokeri", which is pretty cool...). These are handmade in what I can only call a little slice of Paradise...
The owner/maker, Jorunn, has a blog with pictures of her home in Torsdagsøy, in the Fitjar islands on the western coast of Norway, somewhere very beautiful, and trhe pictures are like looking at a fairytale. Seriously, check out the blog. I'm a big fan.
Anyway, the creams run across a good range of scents, with names that tickle the imagination, names like Miklagard, Folgefonn, Fjellheim (and of course, more direct names like Citrus Kick and Bee my Honey), and they are all of a similar thick, heavy texture.
I have to be honest--I have samples of almost all of them, but the scents elude me in all but the subtlest notes. Meaning, in plain language, they all smell basically the same: a clean, soapy cream scent. There are very light touches of other scents, especially the rose in East Indies, and the tea-herbal scent of Calmomilla. This might be a result of the Essential Oils used in the creams, as I seem to remember reading that they often lose scent faster than fragrance oils. The samples all came form a user, who had had these for a month or two at least, so you might get a stronger scent in a fresher batch. The scents, though, really are secondary here/
The shave from these creams is unique. They whip quickly into a thick, deep cream that actually was too heavy for me at first. I found that I really had to give these creams several tries tweaking the water ratios to get the optimal texture--not too heavy, not too thin. But once I got it worked out, they really are special. They give phenomenal cushion without dragging too much on the blade and the skin care/moisturizing are top notch. They just feel good to use...but I MUST emphasize, be careful with the water ratio, because it is easy to make them too think and for me, that actually led to some irritation. I added a lot of water before I found the sweet spot, but it really is worth it.
The ingredients: Aqua, stearic acid, cocus nucifera, potassium hydroxide, glycerin, olea europea (olive) oil, sodium hydroxide, essential oils.
I would recommend them, but I would also recommend samples first--I get the feeling that some people might have trouble with the textures, so give yourself some time to get used to them first.
But they are good stuff, without any doubt.
Enjoy!
2 comments:
When I first started out in this whole shaving thing, I was really disappointed by the really weak scent of soaps compared to creams. I was wondering why every thought that soaps like DR Harris were so special.
But now I think I'm starting to prefer the more mild scents, and I find that the really potent creams, like TOBS Avacado, have become a little too strong for me.
It could just be my allergies though! Lol.
Thanks for reading, Justin.
Allergies and skin sensitivities can be a real PITA. I think I have a sensitivity to Shea butter and menthol, but it's hard to tell. Which is why samples are such a good idea...
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