Aion Skincare

GroomingDept So afraid to blind buy. Always seem to err.

Is Kai a Mallard?

It's a Maxima release.

Don't be afraid to blind buy any of these. Kai is incredible- if you're into the coastal vibe you don't want to miss Kai. There's a coconut with fresh laundry accord up front and the middle notes are marine/salty/sandy. In the rear there's an ozonic aspect to it but it's not heavy at all. Such a great scent. I'm sure all of these are amazing. I've skipped some of Mo's scents in the past thinking it wasn't for me and got my hands on them later only to love them.

GroomingDept So afraid to blind buy. Always seem to err.

Is Kai a Mallard?

Mallard and Maxima are both wonderfully luxurious soap formulations. However, there are differences in ingredients.

Maxima and the Kairos formulations that preceded it are based on stearic acid and lamb tallow. These formulations do contain lanolin.

Mallard is based on stearic acid and duck fat. It does not contain lanolin, so it is the formula of choice for anyone sensitive to lanolin.


If you are unsure about ordering a specific scent, either ask questions about it here on the forum or send Mohammad an email. I own a lot of his soaps. I like the scents better than most other artisans, including those who collaborate with perfumers. There are only two scents I do not particularly enjoy.

One is Rose Chai, which was from the first Mallard release a few years ago. I suspect the current release of Rose Chai will be improved as Mo's perfumery skill has improved along with the soap performance. The older Rose Chai contains clove, which is a scent to which my skin is sensitive. 

The other is Tao from a Primus release a few years ago. That one contains grapefruit, which I now recognize as a scent note to which my skin is sensitive. I would never order that soap today as I have become wiser over the years. The scent also contains gardenia, which might be the reason I do not like it.

Just because I do not like specific scents, does not mean that you might not love them. I do not like the aromas of coconut and cotton candy, but many people love them.

I ordered a couple of Maxima soaps: UNUM and Tobacco Oud. However, my wife confiscates all deliveries for shave goods that occur after Thanksgiving. Thus, I won't be able to test them until Christmas. I also have the DFS/Black Mountain Shaving/Murphy & McNeil Horizons collaboration that will be released from
custody that day. I have to decide which one to pick for my Christmas Day shave. 

After HighSpeed reviewed UNUM, I cannot wait to try it. 

I was surprised that HighSpeed noted some microdots of blood when using the Timeless 0.68 razor equipped with a Wizamet SI blade. In my DE blade evaluation thread, the Wizamet blades received a sharpness rating of 4.5 and a smoothness rating of 5. I used a Karve C-plate razor for the evaluation. Even though I have sensitive skin, I got zero irritation. However, Wizamet blades are sharp enough to cause minor blood loss if you are not quite careful enough with blade angle and pressure. That would be even more important if you are trying to shave without relathering. 

In my evaluation of Kairos SE 2023, it was the only soap I have found capable of doing buffing strokes without relathering. Since Mo has promised Maxima to be even better than Kairos SE 2023, I should be capable of that as well. However, shaving without relathering is a gimmick best left to shave soap evaluations rather than normal shaving.

First of  all, Merry Christmas to you RayClem.  Having to choose among Frontier, Tobacco Oud, and Unum may be the quintessential first world problem.  Whichever you choose, I hope you have a splendid Christmas Day shave and find all of them worthy additions to your den.

Now, about the disappearing dots. ... Yes, the Timeless 0.68 is mild, and FWIW Wizamet blades are my go to, but the dots also came and went during the preceding shave, with a different razor and blade (Ti Vector, Proline P-30).  So why?  What is impairing my technique?  My guess is because I've been sick with a monsterous upper respiratory infection, taking meds, and losing sleep.  My blood pressure is up a bit, my concentration is by no means tip-top, and my skin may be less able to tolerate errors in angle and pressure.  Some combination of these things is generating thankfully tiny, transient dots.  In any case, I chalk it up to user error and hope that it will pass as I get well.

With respect, I don't quite see shaving without relathering as entirely a gimmick, although I agree with you in the main. I think relathering for each pass will be the norm, because relathering will optimize protection, glide, and exposure to the soap's skin beneficial ingredients.  However, I expect there will be folks who will save money and/or have fun by using smaller brushes and/or shaving faster.  To each his own.  As for me, I decided on a whim to see what Maxima lather could do, and frankly, it was a bit of a rush.  I do not plan to make it a way of life.

I ordered a couple of Maxima soaps: UNUM and Tobacco Oud. However, my wife confiscates all deliveries for shave goods that occur after Thanksgiving. Thus, I won't be able to test them until Christmas. I also have the DFS/Black Mountain Shaving/Murphy & McNeil Horizons collaboration that will be released from
custody that day. I have to decide which one to pick for my Christmas Day shave. 

After HighSpeed reviewed UNUM, I cannot wait to try it. 

I was surprised that HighSpeed noted some microdots of blood when using the Timeless 0.68 razor equipped with a Wizamet SI blade. In my DE blade evaluation thread, the Wizamet blades received a sharpness rating of 4.5 and a smoothness rating of 5. I used a Karve C-plate razor for the evaluation. Even though I have sensitive skin, I got zero irritation. However, Wizamet blades are sharp enough to cause minor blood loss if you are not quite careful enough with blade angle and pressure. That would be even more important if you are trying to shave without relathering. 

In my evaluation of Kairos SE 2023, it was the only soap I have found capable of doing buffing strokes without relathering. Since Mo has promised Maxima to be even better than Kairos SE 2023, I should be capable of that as well. However, shaving without relathering is a gimmick best left to shave soap evaluations rather than normal shaving.

First of  all, Merry Christmas to you RayClem.  Having to choose among Frontier, Tobacco Oud, and Unum may be the quintessential first world problem.  Whichever you choose, I hope you have a splendid Christmas Day shave and find all of them worthy additions to your den.

Now, about the disappearing dots. ... Yes, the Timeless 0.68 is mild, and FWIW Wizamet blades are my go to, but the dots also came and went during the preceding shave, with a different razor and blade (Ti Vector, Proline P-30).  So why?  What is impairing my technique?  My guess is because I've been sick with a monsterous upper respiratory infection, taking meds, and losing sleep.  My blood pressure is up a bit, my concentration is by no means tip-top, and my skin may be less able to tolerate errors in angle and pressure.  Some combination of these things is generating thankfully tiny, transient dots.  In any case, I chalk it up to user error and hope that it will pass as I get well.

With respect, I don't quite see shaving without relathering as entirely a gimmick, although I agree with you in the main. I think relathering for each pass will be the norm, because relathering will optimize protection, glide, and exposure to the soap's skin beneficial ingredients.  However, I expect there will be folks who will save money and/or have fun by using smaller brushes and/or shaving faster.  To each his own.  As for me, I decided on a whim to see what Maxima lather could do, and frankly, it was a bit of a rush.  I do not plan to make it a way of life.

I also wish you a great Christmas. If you were not quite feeling in top condition during your shave, it is quite possible that your technique was not quite as good as I am sure it normally is. I was not trying to be critical at all. I was just surprised by your description of what happened. With a soap as good as Maxima, a razor as good as Timeless 0.68 and a blade as good as Wizamet, I would not have expected any issues.  Perhaps, if you had been your usual self, everything would have proceeded without incident, not even a minor one. Perhaps, relathering for every pass would have eliminated the issue. What I am saying is that any time things do not turn out as expected, it is good to analyze the situation to determine what happened. Hopefully, your respiratory issues will clear up soon and things will be back to normal.  

I have a ATT SE1 razor that uses Artist Club blades. I generally use the Feather Professional. The technique between a SE and DE razor is substantial. While I can use a DE razor on autopilot, I have to really stop and think when using the SE as do not have sufficient experience with it.

Αιών in moden Greek language ( my mother language ) .
Αἰών in Ancient Greek .
Son of Kronos ( the king of Titans ) .

" Αι " in Greek is the same as "ε " .
"ω" has the same pronunciation as "ο" .

Τhe correct (Greek )pronunciation of Aion is 
something like "Aeon" .


"Chai" as in "Rose Chai" ,has 
exactly the same pronunciation with the 
Greek word " τσάϊ " ,which means "tea".

I hope that it wont take long until 
the Aion products hit the EU market .

I ordered a couple of Maxima soaps: UNUM and Tobacco Oud. However, my wife confiscates all deliveries for shave goods that occur after Thanksgiving. Thus, I won't be able to test them until Christmas. I also have the DFS/Black Mountain Shaving/Murphy & McNeil Horizons collaboration that will be released from
custody that day. I have to decide which one to pick for my Christmas Day shave. 

After HighSpeed reviewed UNUM, I cannot wait to try it. 

I was surprised that HighSpeed noted some microdots of blood when using the Timeless 0.68 razor equipped with a Wizamet SI blade. In my DE blade evaluation thread, the Wizamet blades received a sharpness rating of 4.5 and a smoothness rating of 5. I used a Karve C-plate razor for the evaluation. Even though I have sensitive skin, I got zero irritation. However, Wizamet blades are sharp enough to cause minor blood loss if you are not quite careful enough with blade angle and pressure. That would be even more important if you are trying to shave without relathering. 

In my evaluation of Kairos SE 2023, it was the only soap I have found capable of doing buffing strokes without relathering. Since Mo has promised Maxima to be even better than Kairos SE 2023, I should be capable of that as well. However, shaving without relathering is a gimmick best left to shave soap evaluations rather than normal shaving.

First of  all, Merry Christmas to you RayClem.  Having to choose among Frontier, Tobacco Oud, and Unum may be the quintessential first world problem.  Whichever you choose, I hope you have a splendid Christmas Day shave and find all of them worthy additions to your den.

Now, about the disappearing dots. ... Yes, the Timeless 0.68 is mild, and FWIW Wizamet blades are my go to, but the dots also came and went during the preceding shave, with a different razor and blade (Ti Vector, Proline P-30).  So why?  What is impairing my technique?  My guess is because I've been sick with a monsterous upper respiratory infection, taking meds, and losing sleep.  My blood pressure is up a bit, my concentration is by no means tip-top, and my skin may be less able to tolerate errors in angle and pressure.  Some combination of these things is generating thankfully tiny, transient dots.  In any case, I chalk it up to user error and hope that it will pass as I get well.

With respect, I don't quite see shaving without relathering as entirely a gimmick, although I agree with you in the main. I think relathering for each pass will be the norm, because relathering will optimize protection, glide, and exposure to the soap's skin beneficial ingredients.  However, I expect there will be folks who will save money and/or have fun by using smaller brushes and/or shaving faster.  To each his own.  As for me, I decided on a whim to see what Maxima lather could do, and frankly, it was a bit of a rush.  I do not plan to make it a way of life.

I also wish you a great Christmas. If you were not quite feeling in top condition during your shave, it is quite possible that your technique was not quite as good as I am sure it normally is. I was not trying to be critical at all. I was just surprised by your description of what happened. With a soap as good as Maxima, a razor as good as Timeless 0.68 and a blade as good as Wizamet, I would not have expected any issues.  Perhaps, if you had been your usual self, everything would have proceeded without incident, not even a minor one. Perhaps, relathering for every pass would have eliminated the issue. What I am saying is that any time things do not turn out as expected, it is good to analyze the situation to determine what happened. Hopefully, your respiratory issues will clear up soon and things will be back to normal.  

I have a ATT SE1 razor that uses Artist Club blades. I generally use the Feather Professional. The technique between a SE and DE razor is substantial. While I can use a DE razor on autopilot, I have to really stop and think when using the SE as do not have sufficient experience with it.

That is a kind reply RayClemfor which I thank you, and FWIW I was not upset with anything you said.

Mallard Raspberry Chocolate Gateau

Mallard Rasberry Chocolate Gateau
 That's another fun, great looking label.