Is Cella Shaving Soap Any Good? (Is It Worth the Price?)

If you’re looking to upgrade your shaving routine, you’ve probably run across Cella Shaving Soap. It’s definitely pricier than your drugstore go-to, but is it worth the extra cash?

Cella Shaving Soap offers a great shave that leaves skin feeling soft and fresh, but so do other shaving soaps. The difference is that Cella uses master soap makers to ensure its shave soap provides a quick, refreshing lather that smells of almonds and cherries. The classic formula uses beef tallow as a preservative, although the green tub doesn’t.

Whether you’re new to wet shaving or a veteran who’s been holding out, read on to learn about the price, value, and ingredients that go into Cella Shaving Soap.

Is Cella good for shaving?

Every man has different things he looks for in a shaving soap, but it’s going to be some combination of a couple of primary factors.

Let’s take a look at each of these aspects of Cella Shaving Soap to find out if it’s good for shaving:

• Ingredients – What is Cella shaving soap’s formula? Are there any stand-out ingredients that differentiate it from other soaps?
• Performance – How are the ingredients created and what is the result? 
• Cost – In light of how it’s made, what’s the impact on your bank account? What is included in the total cost?
• Value – The cost compared to the value of the product. How long will the soap last before spending more money on a new bar?
• Availability – How hard is it to find and purchase? Does it exclusively appear in certain stores, or is it only available over the internet? Are there many shipping complaints?

Now that we’ve established our criteria, let’s see how Cella stacks up!

Ingredients

Cella Shaving Soap describes itself as a soft soap – a soap that works with sensitive skin –  that lathers easily. What ingredients are essential to achieve a soft soap?

Soft soap is created by using potassium during the saponification (soap making) process. Cella uses these ingredients and more. Many of the easily identifiable ingredients include coconut oil, water, sweet almond oil, and miscellaneous fragrances. 

Additionally, there are other ingredients that some people may not be familiar with: 

• Potassium Hydroxide and Sodium Hydroxide – These two ingredients are used to make bar soap and liquid soap. Combining the two allows for a soap that stays together but can also lather.
• Tallow – Tallow is an ingredient that has been essential in soap making for some time. Although there are other ways to create soaps now, many still use this ingredient.
• Stearic Acid – This waxy solid is a naturally occurring component in tallow and is commonly found in bar soaps because it creates a stable and creamy lather.
• Potassium Carbonate – This ingredient helps create a soothing and soft soap that is less harmful to your skin.
• Tetrasodium EDTA – This ingredient is used as a preservative to retain the soap’s freshness and protect its fragrance.

Performance

Soft soaps lather faster and dissolve quicker compared to hard soaps that don’t create as strong of a lather. 

A strong lather separates a poor-performing soap from a good one. Cella’s Shaving Soap has been following its original manufacturing process dating back to 1899, requiring master soap makers with years of experience to oversee the process.

I’ve found that Cella shaving soap excels in creating a quick lather, rather than soaps that require excess brushwork. 

Occasional reviewers did report some difficulty with the slickness of their shave, so be aware that this has been reported before.

While Cella Shaving Soap rests on your skin, the master soap makers designed the foam to freshen your skin. It also features a refreshing almond, marzipan fragrance that has notes of cherry.

All of these qualities come together to provide an easy gliding shave that has a satisfying smell and leaves your skin feeling and looking more youthful.

For those who avoid or chase strong, lingering scents, Cella Shaving Soap’s scent whisks away soon after your shave is complete. 

Cost

Looking around the internet marketplace, there were certainly plenty of money-saving ways to purchase your Cella Shaving Soap. 

While you can find a good deal on Cella, it’s going to be quite a bit more than your standard can of shaving cream and even many higher end creams and soaps.

Many of the Cella Shaving Cream Soaps in the small (5.2 ounce) tub stayed below $15 USD and were even sitting as low as $10 USD. The cost includes a small plastic tub with the soap already inside. 

The Cella Shave Cream Block is also available, containing about 35 ounces, and costs roughly $34.99 USD. This brick is roughly six times larger than the amount in the small tub at only a little more than half the price. This refill is sold primarily as a way to refill the small tubs once they’re used up.

Brand	Standard size	Cost	Cost per ounce
Barbasol Shaving Cream (2 pack)	10 oz (each)	$12.95 (for both)	$.65
Cremo Shave Cream	6 fl oz	$6.97	$1.16
Van Der Hagen Shave Soap (2 pack)	3.5 oz (each)	$9.40 (for both)	$1.34
Proraso Shaving Soap	5.2 oz	$9.50	$1.83
Cella Shaving Cream Soap	5.2 oz	$13.92	$2.68
Taylor of Old Bond Street	5.3 oz	$16.97	$3.20
Tabac Original Shaving Soap	4.4 oz	$18.56	$4.22
Martin de Candre Shave Soap	1.76 oz	$27.74 *26.25€	$15.76

Cella Shaving Soaps are more expensive than regular shaving gels and foams. But the question now becomes, what is the value?

Value

Shaving soaps and creams are alone in their ability to deliver the overall experience, including the smell, protection, and skin rejuvenation.

Cella Shave Soap is made with coconut oil and other quality ingredients that help provide a great shave and refresh your skin. Cella and other shaving brands recommend using pre- and post-shave products to get the most from your shave.

Additionally, veteran wet-shavers know that the more shaving soap is used, the quicker it goes bad, which impacts the value of your purchase. 

That being said, the tallow ingredient is built into Cella Shaving Soap to ensure it lasts as long as it can. After 4 months, begin to check the color and smell of your soap to ensure it hasn’t gone bad. 

Cella Shaving Soap’s shelf life will depend on your shaving ritual. Do you shave in the shower? Do you shave daily? Do you shave multiple times in a session? All of these will impact how much value you get out of your purchase.

As an added money-saving tip, soap tends to break down when it is exposed to warmer temperatures. So ensure the refill brick you are not using remains clean and dry, and store it in a cool and dry space like a cabinet, bathroom drawer, or even a refrigerator. 

Availability

Depending on your shopping preferences, you may want a shaving cream that can be purchased on your regular grocery run or at your local big box store. In that case, Cella may night be the right choice for you.

Cella Shaving Soap is easily found online. This soap was first created in Italy in 1899, so when we talk about American availability, proximity is already a large limiting factor. Shaving soap is more of a specialty item meaning many stores like Walmart, Target, and Safeway likely only carry gels and foams.

This product can be found on the internet in many marketplaces as resellers are eager to add it to their product line. 

In short, if you’re used to buying online you should have no problem.

Cella shaving soap vs. other brands

At its price point, Cella Shaving Soap certainly lands near the center of the market. 

There are certainly more cost-effective and certainly more luxury options than Cella. However, something must be said about how much care Cella puts into the creation of their product. Unlike other brands that try to adapt to the client, Cella bets the client will want to adapt to their brand.

And for more than 100 years, they’re still using their original manufacturing process. One Youtube reviewer shared their initial surprise reacting to the Cella cherry and almond smell, and how the smell has grown into one of their favorite scents. 

There’s certainly something to be said about the creator who simply makes what they know, but how do they compare to similar shave soaps on the market?

Proraso

When we talk about older Italian shaving products, Proraso is an essential name.

While the brand started in 1948, it is grown with the times and has an arsenal of products and strong advertising driving for larger market dominance.

Their multiple shaving products ensure that anyone can find themselves shaving with Proraso, whereas Cella’s has a limited supply of products.

Taylor of Old Bond Street

This U.K. brand is similar to both Proraso and Cella, due to its storied brand that began in the 1950s.

Taylor of Old Bond Street’s products are more expensive than Cella’s, but have similar glowing reviews.

We recommend their Sandalwood Shaving Soap down below.

Who makes Cella shaving soap?

The brand Cella was established in Milan, Italy in 1899 when barbershops were becoming an important hub for social interaction. 

Cella’s master soap makers slowly cook their ingredients in a steam boiler, then season the soap for a few weeks. This achieves a concentrated product. Cella requires master soap makers to work for years in the industry before allowing them to assess the progress of production. 

At the end of the saponification process, a “soap test” is conducted in order to assess the quality and alkalinity. If it doesn’t meet the master soap maker’s standards, it isn’t labeled “extra extra purissima,” which is Italian for “extra extra pure.” 

How do you lather Cella shaving soap?

Cella shaving soap – also called Cella shaving cream soap – provides a unique type of lather because it’s technically neither cream nor soap. 

Some people have begun to call this soap “croap” category because it is harder than a cream but softer than a liquid. This consistency makes it easy to work with when turning into a lather. Many people find that with the right amount of water, a few swirls of your brush in your mug will do the trick.

Of course, every man manages their mug differently, so swirl your brush in your mug until you’re satisfied with your foam. Some men found as little as 15 to 20 swirls with the proper technique created a satisfactory lather.  

To learn more about croaps, check out this article.

For those new to lathering, we recommend swirling your brush in your mug or bowl until you have a foam of microbubbles similar to a latte drink consistency. Many shaving brands – including Cella – have tutorials that explain the ritualistic process.

Is Cella tallow based?

Tallow is an essential ingredient in many soaps that soap makers have used for centuries. 

Cella Shaving Soap uses tallow to create a soap that produces a rich, creamy lather that gently cleanses and reinvigorates the skin. However, Cella’s green tub — the organic, aloe vera — does not feature tallow for people looking for a more animal-friendly product.

Tallow can be created with multiple forms of fat like palm and coconut oil, but some soap makers and users still love to use tallow from beef fat. Beef tallow has many nutrients, and can be better at holding its form compared to vegetable tallow.

You’ll hear people say there’s nothing like beef tallow, due to its shelf life and feel. However, some people think it’s worth forgoing those benefits to avoid using animal products in their shaving soap.

Is Cella triple-milled?

The triple-milling process can be confusing for consumers who haven’t done research into the benefits of triple-milled soap. Triple milling is also called French-milled soap.

Cella shaving is not a triple-milled soap, although they enjoy advertising their soap manufacturing process. Triple-milled soaps are pressed through large stainless steel rollers and mesh screens at least three times. Triple-milled soap has fewer impurities, a longer shelf life, and creates more soap per ounce.

Cella’s website explains that their shaving soap is made from fusing vegetable oils and fats when the lyes are slowly added. Next, the triglycerides are mixed in to produce glycerol and fatty acids. Next, a steady heat is applied until the saponification process is complete. 

Lastly, the cream is transferred into special containers called “marne” to eliminate excess moisture and create a more gentle product.

Triple milling isn’t a simple process. If done incorrectly, it can leave a soap dry and pasty. Master soap makers inspect cella soap to ensure its quality.

Is Cella shaving soap available everywhere?

You’ll be in for a long search if you’re looking for Cella Shaving Soap in your grocery or convenience store.

Throughout the Americas, Cella Shaving Soap is best found online. Amazon, WestCoastShaving.com, ItalianBarber.com, and many others retailers have it well stocked. Because shaving gels and foams are easier to stock and use, stores generally avoid shaving soaps. 

Our favorite price was on Italian Barber, which priced their 150-gram Cella Shave Soap at $9.99 USD.

If you live in a larger city that has access to a specialty barbershop or specialty men’s fashion products, you may be lucky to find this Italian company’s products in person. 

Cella shaving soap alternatives

If you’re looking for an alternative, Cella shaving soap offers its own organic brand that doesn’t feature its typical almond, cherry scent. 

Additionally, there are plenty of shaving soaps on the market that can offer great features. There are some that are similar to Cella shaving soap, and others that are more budget-friendly.

While none of these are exact dupes for the Cella shaving soap, they should all give similar shaving results.

Van Der Hagen

A great start for those looking for a budget shaving soap, Van Der Hagen provides multiple scented and unscented options at as low as 90 cents per ounce.

Van Der Hagen boasts an all-skin type formula and a three-month, 100% money-back guarantee for unsatisfied customers.

Many reviewers praised the soap’s feel on their face and protection from a blade, although some were disappointed they couldn’t find it in stores anymore. 

Taylor of Old Bond Street

Taylor of Old Bond Street is a luxury, U.K. brand that tends to sell out around the holidays.

Between their wide variety of scents and wooden bowl options, new and veteran shavers can have their pick of traditional or sandalwood shaving soaps.

With luxury brands, you can expect to spend more, and Taylor of Old Bond Street is no exception, coming in at around $3.20 per ounce.

Proraso

An Italian shaving icon, Proraso shaving soaps come exactly how you want them – in bowls or tubes or with multiple formulas to match your skin needs.

Proraso’s Refresh Shaving Soap is their first formula and features eucalyptus oil and menthol. It’s designed for any user and is cruelty-free without animal ingredients.

Beyond their Refresh formula, Proraso offers a large collection of shaving soaps, creams, gels, and foams that can match any facial hair skin type.

Martin de Candre

The Martin de Candre line of soap has a wide range of luxury, pricier soaps and shaving soaps.

The Original Shaving Soap with Bowl is fairly expensive and is currently priced near $78 USD (after Euro conversions). This limited edition offers 200 grams of their original shaving soap scented with lavender, mint, and rosemary. Refills are closer to $50 on their online website.

Martin de Candre is a big name in the shaving soap world and has taken on a larger-than-life quality in wet-shaving communities because they often sell out online. This brand also offers multiple scents like fern, rose, unscented, and more.

Cella Extra Extra Bio 

The Cella Extra Extra Bio is a Cella shaving cream that comes in a striking turquoise plastic container. 

This Cella cream focuses on offering an alternative to their classic shaving soap that respects the environment without cutting corners on Cella’s manufacturing process. It also features aloe vera, a soothing ingredient that’s great for sensitive skin.

The product’s cost is comparable to the original product. On Amazon, the Cella Extra Extra Bio tub is selling at $14.75 USD for a 150-gram soap with a small plastic tub.

This alternative is great for people who aren’t keen on the Cella shaving soap scent and still want the same great product.