Problem with the Nuavias

Two very different lathers with the Nuavia Blu.

This is the lather I used to get. Thick, dense, creamy and protective. Photo from my archive.



This is the lather I get now.



It's airy and full of small bubbles. Not protective at all, I can't shave my face with this.


I make this post to prove that I know how to lather these soaps. I got my first one 4,5 years ago and I was one of the first who reviewed these.

Hi @"nikos.a" I'm going to actually shave with the Blu this morning and I'll put a complete effort into the lathering and see how it goes.  Despite the appearance of some bubbles in the pictures from yesterday the lather wasn't how I would describe as airy.  I have another Rossa that is in my rotation and I use it every second week so I'll try to do a side by side lather comparison to see if I can see even minor differences in lather quality.  As an aside, have you changed your water supply recently?  Moved? Had an earthquake in the aquifer supplying your water?  Theres always a reason why something like lather quality of an excellent soap would change.  Maybe its soap deterioration or maybe its water.  Have you done anything different with your brushes recently?  What is your climate like?  Its generally cold and dry where I live so I don't get much deterioration in quality due to heat or moisture.  Drying out is a risk.  I think you will have to take up the offer and send a sample back to the maker if you really want to get to the bottom of this.

Nothing has changed AFAIK regarding the water supply, Marco. Athens has a very good and quality water. I haven't moved, I use the same brushes, my climate is the typical Mediterranean with dry summers and mild winters. Actually I asked for a shipping address but I didn't get anything in reply. I said them I'm busy lately, but I'll do my best to send them what they asked from me. The whole things is a mystery to them too. If you ask me, they still believe it's a user error, I'm not a fool.

Sounds like a lovely climate    I doubt its a user error.  Its funny how some of these soap makers can develop an attitude over time and aren't as open to the possibility that it could be them.  Even if it isn't them (or you) good customer relations would dictate a solution that would make the customer happy.  I had a similar experience with the Obsessive Soap Perfectionist a few years back.  I contacted him about the absence of scent isn two soaps I bought from him.  He told me it was my problem and to be honest, from what I've learned about scent and my own nose over the years he may even have been right but he said it in such a way that I figured, fine, no more soap from you.  Where is he now?  I hope you pursue the matter with Nuavia because I'm curious about the issue as well as their commitment to customer satisfaction. Fortunately, I've had virtually no other problems with artisans or vendors in the wet shaving world. I really am impressed by how helpful everyone is.

I used Nuavia Blue this morning and no issues with mine, however the way I make a lather is probably a bit more forgiving than the way others do it.

What I used to do was to guess how much water I needed for a soap. I'd add my water and begin lathering. As I got more familiar with a soap I'd get better at judging how much water to add. Still it was easy to overshoot or undershoot the mark. Sometimes I'd get a soupy mess, sometimes a drier lather, usually somewhere in between, but it wasn't common to hit it perfectly.

What I do now is a take a more conservative approach to the water. I start out with less water and begin lathering. I watch how the lather is developing as I go. I'll turn the faucet on so that it's dripping. I'll then add water about six drops at a time several times and watch the lather change as I go. I'll continue to lather like this until I have enough lather for a nice three pass shave and I'll usually add a bit more water at the end to get a nice shine to it so that I know it'll be nice and slick. I've found this method to be far superior to the guessing method that I was employing earlier on. It seems to give me a perfect lather every time regardless of the soap I choose, how wet or dry it is and how easily or difficult it is to lather. As the variables change you still get a perfect lather every time doing it this way.

I know we all have our own way of doing things. I'm just sharing what I've found that works well for me in case you or anyone else would like to try it.

I follow the same approach regarding the water, David. Well, you see the results a few posts above.

"There is nothing permanent except change."

Heraclitus

  

I follow the same approach regarding the water, David. Well, you see the results a few posts above.

Yeah, not questioning if you know what you're doing or not. so no disrespect intended.  I've seen you here a while and figured you have some experience.  Just trying to help look for a solution, so I'm reaching for possibilities is all.  Figured if nothing else then the advice might help someone else.  

The second photo looks like you didn't pick up as much soap as you did with the first one.  What happens of you lather it a bit longer on the soap?  

Another thought I was having is have you tried scraping a bit off of the top of the soap or perhaps pulling the soap from the container and flipping it over to access the portion that was not exposed to the air and allowed to dry out.  I imagine that it'll be a lot less dry on the bottom than it is on the top due to the lack of exposure.  I moved my Nuavia soaps (and everything else) to plastic Parkway Plastics containers as I much prefer these to the ceramic crocks.  Maybe an OCD thing on my part as it makes me happier when all of the containers are the same size and shape and stacked nicely.

I follow the same approach regarding the water, David. Well, you see the results a few posts above.

Yeah, not questioning if you know what you're doing or not. so no disrespect intended.  I've seen you here a while and figured you have some experience.  Just trying to help look for a solution, so I'm reaching for possibilities is all.  Figured if nothing else then the advice might help someone else.  

The second photo looks like you didn't pick up as much soap as you did with the first one.  What happens of you lather it a bit longer on the soap?  

Another thought I was having is have you tried scraping a bit off of the top of the soap or perhaps pulling the soap from the container and flipping it over to access the portion that was not exposed to the air and allowed to dry out.  I imagine that it'll be a lot less dry on the bottom than it is on the top due to the lack of exposure.  I moved my Nuavia soaps (and everything else) to plastic Parkway Plastics containers as I much prefer these to the ceramic crocks.  Maybe an OCD thing on my part as it makes me happier when all of the containers are the same size and shape and stacked nicely.

No worries, it's all good. I didn't get offended. It's just the way I wrote the post that seemed that way I guess.

I started shaving traditionally in 2012. I'm certainly not a newbie. I'm not saying I make no mistakes, we all make mistakes. But in this case I've done everything possible to get a great lather. In the first photo you see what's left after two full passes. The second is just a sample of the lather I recently got. I tried what you're suggesting and it didn't make any difference. I just couldn't get a dense lather. Believe it or not.

Look, it's not just me that experiences this. There are other experienced forum members as well. If it were just me, then I'd have second thoughts. Now I truly believe that these soaps don't last... forever. They certainly have a limited shelf life, like all artisan soaps. I used the I Coloniali today, a soap that I have since 2016 in my den and performed really great. It was stored next to the Nuavias. But it has preservatives, it's a mass produced product. This plays a role.

Sorry to hear about the issue, Nikos.
Fortunately, for me, my large collection of Mystic Water pucks are still in very good condition, even after having many of them for almost nine years, now.
The scents are still fine and they generate beautifully thick lather.

What are you going to do with the soaps, now?

Sorry to hear about the issue, Nikos.
Fortunately, for me, my large collection of Mystic Water pucks are still in very good condition, even after having many of them for almost nine years, now.
The scents are still fine and they generate beautifully thick lather.

What are you going to do with the soaps, now?

Celestino, I'm glad your pucks are in great condition. I know you love this brand and it'd be a bummer if anything happens.

I haven't decided yet. I really enjoy the Nuavia scents but I don't use pre-shaves. That could be a solution though. Or use them to break-in my future brushes. At least I will keep the ceramic containers when the content is gone.

Best of luck, Nikos. If all else fails, you can always use them in the shower/bath.