Review: Long Rifle Soap Co. Hivernant Shave Puck
(2020) Everything about the wet shave process involves heat. Most people who sit down for a wet shave are aware of the hot towel treatment. There is more to the process and most of it deals with heat. Most of it until recently.
Getting a wet shave by a professional is one of life’s vanities. Lay down in the barber’s chair, have the face wrapped in several steps by steamed towels and begin to relax. As the pores open the skin is prepped for a rather barbaric exercise. Next warm lather is spread over the whiskers, prompting them to stand as straight as possible. It is followed by a warmed straight razor. The process is repeated until the skin is smooth. Only then is a cooler temperature added to close the pores. Sometimes clients fall asleep through the process.
Long Rifle Soap Company has gone in a relatively new direction. Their new shave soap Hivernant was the name given to French voyageurs who worked in the winter months around the Great Lakes. The soap is loaded with a combination of menthol, peppermint, rosemary, and tea tree oils. Opening the tin one is immediately hit with the refreshing scent of menthol. It was time to warm the shave brush and soap puck with an anticipation to feel cooling instead of warming.
The process was perfect for a cold winter day. After a warm shower heated up the cold day, the shave soap was worked into a lather where the menthol scent was released into the humid air. Its scent made breathing easier. Those cold dry airways were relaxed, making it the perfect remedy to a winter day. As with Long Rifle shave soap the brush loaded heavily with bouncy lather. Taking the warm soap to the face, what a rush it was to have the instant tingly cooling effect by Hivernant. The skin rejoiced in refreshment. The warm blade scraped along the skin to leave a trail of cool smooth skin. This was incredibly relaxing. The brush was loaded once more for a second pass and second chance at enjoyment. It delivered.
One of the final steps of a wet shave is using a cold towel to close the pores. This is especially important in the winter when the conditions can be rough on exposed skin. But to take a cold towel and press it against skin already bathing in menthol and peppermint seemed to activate the cooling more. This was the shave soap that kept on working. Once cleaned up I skipped the aftershave out of fear the cooling effects would be nullified. No matter, because when I moved out of the humid climate and into the dry air, it felt as if the Hivernant shave soap was deflecting the dry breezes and continuously moisturizing the skin.
This was the new shave experience sought for so long. The tingly aspect paired with the refreshing feeling of rejuvenation made the shave memorable and relaxing. The scent filling the humid air during the shave was a boon for breathing. This soap is perfect for cold winter days when a slight head cold might be lingering about; the menthol could boot out congestion even for a few moments of bliss. There is excitement to use this in the summer when the sun kissed cheeks could use some cooling. This is why we keep coming back to Long Rifle Soap Company. With a new direction in shave soap, not all wet shaves involve heat. Hivernant Shaving Soap proves cooling and tingly can be expected, too.
