Tabac Original Shaving Soap Review – The Classic Standard
Tabac Original Shaving Soap
A thick and rich shaving soap that comes in a nice ceramic bowl. The smell definitely leaves something to be desired, and it no longer contains Tallow.
Pros
Great Lather that builds quickly
The texture is good and rich
Works well from the Puck or from a Shaving Bowl
Feels great and smooth against the skin
Actively protects the skin while you shave
Cons
The Smell is dated and old
Texture could be off-putting for some
So we’re down two great soaps from Italy (Cella Almond & Cella Aloe) and another great shaving soap from England (Stirling). What’s next?
Germany, of course! From the perfume makers of Maurer & Wirtz comes an old classic: Tabac Original Shaving Soap.
How does it stack up against the other soaps we’ve reviewed? Let’s find out.
About the Brand: Tabac is a name that has been in the shaving community for many decades. Largely considered something of a “Dad soap,” Tabac original has been produced since the 1960s. Owned by a German Perfume and Beauty company known as Maurer & Wirtz, Tabac is a classic line of fragrances designed specifically for men.
Update: Maurer & Wirtz introduced a new formula of Tabac Original first reported in 2021, which was not mentioned by the company Maurer & Wirtz. The difference with the new formula is a biggie for many because they have removed the tallow. The tallow version is still available in the ceramic jar, the sticks, and maybe still in pucks at some online stores, but that will come to an end. Check with the store ingredients or contact them to find out which soap you are buying.
Tabac Original Shaving Soap Product Description
At first, I was not that impressed with this soap. Like some of the “classic” soaps we have reviewed on this site before, the Tabac soap came with a ceramic bowl that seemed to be pretty sturdy.
Funnily enough, Germany is more commonly known for making shaving razors and brushes, not necessarily soaps. Though the same kind of superior engineering you would get from most German products is definitely on display here.
The packaging was actually rather supportive and kept the soap safe during transit. Every time a ceramic bowl is shipped, there is always a strong chance it is going to show up in pieces. The Tabac soap actually had plastic inserts in the box to keep it from rattling around, which made a real difference.
Like other soaps with ceramic bowl containers, this soap has the capability to just order the puck itself for a refill. So if you already have a nice soap dish and want to try this out, I would just order the refill and keep using the dish you’ve got.
Scent
The scent is really where this soap stumbles.
According to the Maurer and Wirtz website, the Tabac Original Scent is “Peppery-spicy accents, aldehydic notes, exotic woods and a floral complex…”
Honestly, I do not smell it. To me, it is very overly floral and sweet. It smells like old people. It is the same fragrance I get when visiting my grandparents’ house where I can’t touch anything and have to be on my best behavior.
It is really off-putting and very much something I had to power through while I was shaving.
The good side is that the scent can be covered up very easily, so if you have a good aftershave that you like, this is probably going to be something you can overcome.
Ingredients
From the Website and packaging:
“Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Tallowate, Aqua, Potassium Cocoate, Sodium Tallowate, Fragrance (Parfum), Sodium Cocoate, Glycerin, Limonene, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Potassium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, CI 77891, Isoeugenol, Citronellol, Coumarin, Benzyl Alcohol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Benzyl Salicylate, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Citral, Eugenol”
That is a HUGE word-salad there. Most of it doesn’t look out of place for professionally made soap, but I would prefer a few less “sciency” words in the list. Overall though, there is nothing that really jumps out at me except for the Benzyl Alcohol and the Citronellol.
Both of these things have the potential to dehydrate the skin when you use them. If you have sensitive skin, I would avoid this soap.
The Lather and Shaving Experience
For this review, I took the time to carefully shave with my normal three passes: with the grain, across the grain, and against the grain.
Because of the dense nature of the soap, I erred on the side of using more water than normal and giving it extra time to charge up.
I also lathered both in my shaving bowl and with the puck itself in the shaving dish provided.
How does it Lather?
This lather is nice. It builds somewhat more quickly than most of the denser soaps I’ve used.
My shaving brush is a synthetic brush. Therefore if you are using something like a full silver-tip badger or super badger brush, you will probably have no trouble building a nice and rich lather to go with this.
Just make sure when charging the soap up, you give it more water than you think and a small bit of extra time to charge.
Lather from the Puck?
Lathering from the puck on this soap is definitely something possible, and can give you almost as good a lather as if you lathered it in a shaving bowl.
It is much thinner, of course. However, it will still be more than enough for you to shave with a safety razor and be protected.
How is the Texture?
The texture of this soap is very interesting, to say the least. It isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination at all.
The Tabac Soap is almost sticky and oily as opposed to light and fluffy. However, it doesn’t seem to be any more difficult to rinse than something that has a lighter texture.
It is very protective when you shave, acting like a pre-shave oil while also being a good shaving soap on its own.
All this being said, knowing some individuals who are very specific on what kind of textures they like on their skin, this one might feel too sticky and oily.
Texture from the Puck
Normally I don’t really bring this up, but I wanted to note this here in the review.
When lathering from the puck and straight to the face, the texture changes a great deal. Normally, you get just a slightly thinner lather, but in this case, the soap was much more oily and sticky than when I built it up in the shaving bowl.
It still did the job, but feels more like a pre-shave cream rather than shaving soap. I shaved slower and more deliberately when shaving from the puck for this reason.
How is the Overall Shave?
Overall the shave was very enjoyable or would have been if the scent was better.
The rich lather and texture are very nice and soft, perfect for a safety razor and several days worth of growth.
The only downside is if you had some sensitive skin, I would still steer away.
Common Consumer Complaints, Issues, and Positive Reviews
Many people really do love and swear by this soap. The overwhelming reviews love the lather and texture. Were that the only aspect of this soap, people would probably hail it as a perfect shaving soap.
However, much like my own notes above, several users have noted the smell as being anything from “nothing to write home about” to “nearly repellent.”
Users have used several rather descriptive terms in their personal reviews, from saying that it smells like their grandparents to one person saying it was like baby diapers to another saying it smelled like a urinal cake.
Then again, the scent really is easy to cover up if you have something like a good aftershave.
The only other major complaint I have seen about this soap is actually the ceramic dish it comes in. Most people prefer something like wood or plastic. While the ceramic looks nice, there is a major chance something like it is going to slip out of your hands and shatter on the floor.
Final Thoughts – Who is Tabac Original Shaving Soap For?
Overall, if you are already a fan of this soap, then the smell is not going to turn you off at all. If you aren’t already a Tabac user, there is very little reason to jump over to a new soap. The refills are inexpensive, but not something that you really should try if you aren’t already looking for something new.
If you ARE looking for something new, then this soap might be something to pick up and try if you want to experience a classic. Just be aware that it might be something that you are going to either love or you are probably going to just ignore for something that is more your style.
