Face Not Falling Off Yet

My other new acquisitions arrived today, two new Eau de Colognes -- I'd like to just say "colognes," but I guess that ship has sailed, referring to perfumes that aren't as powerful as some others. No -- you know what? F-- the perfume makers. This is a practical difference, and it's high time more people got familiar with comfortable skin. Today I received my two new colognes. Deal with it. I'll let you keep your "toilet water."

Duru Limon has the thin aroma derived from the rind of the fruit, with some of the unnatural notes from Arko, landing its initial impression somewhere between furniture polish and PEZ. True to the class, the strength is closer to the candy, which makes it entirely pleasant. And it delivers the comfort I learned to appreciate from Florida Water, which I believe citric acid brings. It has to be the best value going, just like its soapy colleague.

Today, it was cleaning up after Pre de Provence. I loaded it thicker this time, allowing myself its full luxury. I find it impressive that it can be "bent" either way, like KMF, with more or less water. It irritated me during the shave, though, like any other glycerin-heavy, artisanal shaving soap.

But this lather has the "wetter" quality of a soap enriched with clay, and the discomfort stops short of injury. It must be the sodium hydroxide. It makes it feel "soft," like the time I peed in my Arko -- and we've since traced that to ammonia, another base. As aggressively as it moisturizes, the two balance out, preventing my SC from disintegrating. I think this is going to do well with a straight-up oil cleanse preshave, but fear it may get tacky with the additional digestive action of pumpkin juice.

Today I skipped the alum, and applied moisturizer after cocoa butter, in order to avoid yesterday's collapsed skin. A few little chips appeared after that dried down, but it's holding. The skin is more opaque than usual, for a very clean look.

So, did they reduce the glycerin, or not? I think they did, but very deliberately, mixing most back into the puck. Everything about this soap is tweaked, but as efficiently as possible. I recognize that mentality, that decidedly French sensibility, and find it very endearing. That, and it isn't chewing up my face. But if I can't solve the irritation, this could end as another "it's not you, it's me" situation.

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