I like Van Yulay soaps, which come in a wide variety of fragrances and formulations. Puros La Habana has the fragrance of a fine Cuba cigar, and its ingredients are:
Stearic Acid, Coconut Fatty Acid, Palm Stearic, Castor, Glycerin, Potassium& Sodium Hydroxide, Aloe Vera, Coconut-Tallow-Lanolin-Babassu-Manteca-Argan-Emu Oils, Shea & Kokum-Butters, Sodium Lactate, Calendula, Extracts, Poly Quats, Allantoin, Silica, Bentonite & Kaolin Clay, Tobacco Absolute, and Fragrance.
Note that this soap contains two different clays, and I did notice the effect in loading the brush: a bit more water required. The lather I got with my Yaqi Cashmere brush was excellent, and the Edwin Jagger razor easily removed every trace of stubble.
A small dab of Puros La Habana aftershave balm was a great finish: my skin feels soft, supple, and nourished. All Van Yulay’s pre- and post-shave products are right now out of stock. I have sent an email to find out when they might become again available, and I’ll post that information when I hear back.
The tea today is Mark T. Wendells’ Hung-Kwa, a smoky black tea.