Shaving 101 is very good indeed, especially having prepped with an excellent (and interesting soap). The Dead Sea is a somewhat unusual shaving soap in that it prefers a brush that’s barely damp. If the brush has any excess water, the lather tends to be loose and bubbly, but by using a brush just moistened, the lather is comfortable, fragrant, and effective. This soap seems very kind to my skin but doesn’t take the usual route of moisturizing oils but rather depends also on minerals (cf. La Toja shaving soap). Its ingredients:
Aqua (Water/Eau), Stearic Acid, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Fragrance (Parfum), Lanolin, Maris Sal (Dead Sea Salt), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Extract
Rod Neep’s brush, a one-off, worked up a fine lather (because I have learned to shake the wet brush well before loading), and then my iKon #101 was brought into play. The #101 is a remarkably good razor, though it doesn’t seem to get much press. I positioned it to provide an end view. One side uses a comb guard, the other a (scalloped) bar guard, though both sides feel the same on the face. It’s an attractive — and very comfortable and effective — razor.
A splash of La Toja Hombre, to mark the connection between the two soaps and also because I like the fragrance quite a bit.