ETHOS Grooming Essentials A New Line

Hi there,

I realize that the constant questions about the F Base can probably get frustrating. Especially as you work on new lineups for the most recent iteration of the S Base. I don't think it's so much an issue of people thinking it's better, but of people trying to get more bang for their buck.

At least, I find that this is the case for me. I don't get paid as much as I like, and for a few dollars more, to me, it seems like a no-brainer to go for the F Base stuff. And while I'm not one of the people constantly asking about this, I often find myself checking your site and your vendors' sites, and holding off on buying anything in hopes it comes out in the F Base at some point.

Again, it's a matter of funds for me. If I have the option of a cream or croap, or a harder version of it with identical or similar performance, and I know I can probably get it in a large size, all for a reasonable bump in price, I'll do that, even if I have to wait. I have Success in the F Base, and wish my DFS Colonia and Lavender were in that base too. And in the larger size. But the question is always on my mind: do i purchase now, or wait, and spend a little more for the other ones? I tend to go with the latter, and likely will continue to do so. Even with the harder S Base around.

P.S. As soon as F Base versions are available, the Sandalwood, Smoke/Mandarin, and Blood Orange will be in my cart. Especially if they're available in the larger size. Same for DFS Colonia.

Hello Sir

I totally understand your position and respect it. We all like what we like right. Anyway I guess my frustration was that it seems like all the more public reviews out there are all of the original base which I’ve acknowledged was a softer/croap type base and it seemed like it is assumed that all my soaps are that way which is not the case both with the new F Base and the new S Base. Also not only have I made the S Base quite a bit Firmer than the original I’ve added even more skin beneficial ingredients to it and in that area it’s similar to the F Base. The S Base has been a 4 oz fill since conception and since the F Base came out it’s been a 4.5 oz fill. Not all the F Base Shave soaps come in the 7.5 oz but I’m probably going to start to bring back both sizes as I’ve noticed when they are available they go very quickly. 

So from a price standpoint the original base in a standard scent like Lavender Supreme was $36.00 for a 4 oz jar while the same scent in the F Base is $38 but it’s a 4.5 oz fill so $2 more and a half an oz more but it’s not so much about the fill that made it more expensive but more so the added skin beneficial ingredients I added to the first batches of the F Base. So from this point on when I make the next S Base and have to create a new label I’ll make both S and S base the same 4.5 oz and the price will be the same as the skin beneficial ingredients will be equal in both. What really dictates the price differences more than anything is the Aroma blends. Example: both the upcoming Mandarino Fumo and the Tonka Bean have much more expensive essential oils and absolutes than let’s say a simple Lavender ( not that my Lavender I use is not inexpensive but still not as costly as Aroma ingredients like Tobacco Absolute, East Indian Sandalwood or Tonka Bean absolute etc etc. I’ve said it from day one, I price my products according to what’s in them. Yes are they expensive compared to sone brands and could I make them less expensive? Absolutely. If I  put the same product in a commonly used Parkway Plastic jar that alone would reduce the price of a jar of soap by quite a bit. If I used  all synthetic fragrance oils or even aroma chemicals prices would be lower. Not to mention all the skin beneficial ingredients like the EOS Complex which is very expensive. If I changed all those I’d be right there with many of the other brands but that’s not the path I decided to take. I love the freedom of using the very best ingredients I can get my hands on and using aroma ingredients that are more natural. An yes more expensive and sometimes very expensive.
I guess it all boils down to its up to folks as to wether they feel my products are worth the extra cost. . I will say I feel very fortunate to have a lot of customers that do enjoy them and the packaging they come in. 

Also addressing one other topic you mentioned that there are certain soaps like the Blood Orange that you’d get if it came in the F Base but honestly the F Base would not do that beautiful Blood Orange any justice as the heat would Decimate the scent strength down to a fait whiff whereas the Tallow Shave Creme allows me to add it at room temperature.  So there are Aroma blends that fit certain bases much better than others. I will say that more new shave soaps will be in the F Base as well as some of the standards like Lavender Supreme and Succes as they’ll come in both bases. 

Thank you for posting up your input. I like to hear from my customers and believe me I take all the feedback, input and suggestions into consideration. 

Best regards and great shaves! 

Frank

Thank you for the insight Frank, as I'm sure you realize myself and some others may not be as familiar with the process. And while you're right, you could just cheap out and get cheaper containers and cheaper fragrance sources (synth oils, frag oils, etc), I think you've already set yourself apart from others by putting out the product you currently do in its current form. I have to think about and budget out for it, but eventually, when I'm able, I do get my hands on it. Even if it's much later haha.

I didn't know the F-Base has to be done at a higher temperature, and it makes sense then that orange and citrus oils in general would not agree with that as well. I hear they're pretty notorious for fading out unless you pretty much bathe your product in them sometimes. I don't make soap, so I'm not sure of all the ins and outs, but that's just what I've gathered from the little that has been shared with me over time in this hobby. So then it also makes sense that some products, such as citrus scented ones wouldn't make it into the F-Base without losing almost all their scent.

Thank you for giving a bit of an inside view into what goes into it all. I think you're obviously doing well with it, so I look forward to trying out the new S-Base as well when I purchase your stuff again.

UPDATE: 

On Tuesday May 17th the Mandarino Fumo will be released on my website and at The Shave Supply and The Razor Company.  

There are 3 products that will be in this Aroma Blend.  The F Base Shave Soap, Skin Food Splash and the EDP.  The 7.5 oz is only available on my website for those that prefer the larger size. 

Also a note:  The EDP and Skin Food Splash are both are not clear in color. The EDP is a Amber brown kind of mahogany color but on the website it appears clear. The Skin Food Splash is a lighter color than the EDP because of the perception of the Aroma Blend being much higher in the EDP so neither one is clear. The reason for that is we normally get a photographer to take a photo of a product that has a color to it but the guy we use is out of commission for a while so as you can see in the photo I took of theSkin Food Splash & EDP and what will appear on the website are quite different. I didn’t want to delay this release any longer so just know when your looking at it on the website it’s not clear like it appears as that’s just a photoshop of the label on the bottle. 



Great shaves all and enjoy your Sunday! 

UPDATE: 

On Tuesday May 17th the Mandarino Fumo will be released on my website and at The Shave Supply and The Razor Company.  

There are 3 products that will be in this Aroma Blend.  The F Base Shave Soap, Skin Food Splash and the EDP.  The 7.5 oz is only available on my website for those that prefer the larger size. 

Also a note:  The EDP and Skin Food Splash are both are not clear in color. The EDP is a Amber brown kind of mahogany color but on the website it appears clear. The Skin Food Splash is a lighter color than the EDP because of the perception of the Aroma Blend being much higher in the EDP so neither one is clear. The reason for that is we normally get a photographer to take a photo of a product that has a color to it but the guy we use is out of commission for a while so as you can see in the photo I took of theSkin Food Splash & EDP and what will appear on the website are quite different. I didn’t want to delay this release any longer so just know when your looking at it on the website it’s not clear like it appears as that’s just a photoshop of the label on the bottle. 



Great shaves all and enjoy your Sunday! 

This sounds awesome! Can’t wait!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Question for you Frank Dragonsbeard: Will all three of you release at the same time on the 17th, and have you set the time? — Thx.

HighSpeedQuestion for you Frank Dragonsbeard: Will all three of you release at the same time on the 17th, and have you set the time? — Thx.

Yes, for sure we will be launching on the 17th. It’s only fair thing to do. 

Thank you!

Oh I forgot to put up the Aroma Blend ingredients in the release announcement post and a member pm’d me asking for them so here they are and if anyone had any questions please let me me know.


Ingredients: Organic Italian Red Mandarin Essential Oil, Organic Italian Yellow Mandarin Essential Oil, Italian Green Mandarin Essential Oil, Tobacco Absolute (Burly), Tobacco Absolute (Virginia), Labdanum Absolute, Natural Beaver Castoreum, Amber Essential Oil, Leather Accord, East Indian Sandalwood Essential Oil

HighSpeedQuestion for you Frank Dragonsbeard: Will all three of you release at the same time on the 17th, and have you set the time?  — Thx.

Yes, for sure we will be launching on the 17th. It’s only fair thing to do. 

Thank you!

I think HighSpeedQuestion was also inquiring about what time on the 17th?  I'd like to know too.

HighSpeedQuestion for you Frank Dragonsbeard: Will all three of you release at the same time on the 17th, and have you set the time?  — Thx.

Yes, for sure we will be launching on the 17th. It’s only fair thing to do. 

Thank you!

I think HighSpeedQuestion was also inquiring about what time on the 17th?  I'd like to know too.

I’m going with 10 am EST.  I’m hoping both my vendors can do the same time.

A quick update

The Razor Company and The Shave Supply will be launching the Mandarino Fumo at 10am tomorrow. Pasteur Pharmacy won’t have it up tomorrow as their waiting until next week to get their order which will include the Tonka Bean which is next up.

Great shaves!

Frank, congrats on today's upcoming release. I'm sure it will keep you busy and I am sure it will continue your high Ethos standards.