If you’re one for a sweet, fruity, and floral scent, the Dr. Jon’s Savannah Sunrise scent might be worth considering … particularly if you like peaches.   The scent is a blend of Orange Blossom, Peach, Gardenia, Jasmine and Honeysuckle.  Personally, I’m not one for floral or sweet fruity scents.  It’s not a hard and fast rule of mine and it’s not that I hate floral or fruit aromas (I actually do like lemon and lime).  But, it isn’t something that I reach for first. 

Dr. Jon's Savannah Sunrise Shave Soap and Aftershave Tonic

Lathering the Shave Soap

Savannah Sunrise Aftershave Tonic

Dr. Jon’s Aphrodite scent is described as a blend of rose, pomegranate, black currant and apple to make a sweet and floral fragrance designed for either men or women.  The soap performs well, the aftershave has a satisfying sting, and I really like the packaging designs. However, the scent really isn’t my thing. While I use them on occasion I will have to say that floral scents aren’t really my thing.

Dr. Jon's Aphrodite Shave Soap and Aftershave Tonic

Like other Dr. Jon’s Shaving Soap that I’ve used, Aphrodite provided a nice, thick, and protective lather without much effort.  As far as the scent strength: I found that is fairly strong when smelling in the tin but isn’t overpowering when face lathering.  The scent washes away and doesn’t linger when rinsing off.   I have the 2 oz tin, which I believe is now out of production.  Though, as of this writing, a 4oz tin is available on Dr. Jon’s web store.

The 4oz Tin was available from Dr. Jon's site.

At one point Dr. Jon’s had a complementing Aftershave Tonic, which also I believe has since been discontinued.  As of this writing, I am not seeing the Aphrodite Aftershave Tonic on their website. The splash has a nice sting to it and I feel that it has a gradually escalating, menthol burn to it which kind of reminds me of the burn I get with Captain’s Choice Cat O’Nine Tails.  I’m not certain if others have experienced this, but with wet shaving Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV).  As far as the scent of the aftershave goes, I found Aphrodite to be strong.  About an hour after applied to just my upper lip and chin I was still aware of its presence.  I thought that maybe it was just because it was under my nose but people who sat across from me at dinner made it known that they could smell it.

The scent isn't really my thing, but I thought the lather was great.

Overall, I’m a fan of the Dr. Jon’s line of shaving soap and aftershave tonics.  Like I mentioned previously, floral scents aren’t really my thing.  It’s a Dr. Jon’s shaving soap, so I enjoy using it for the performance and because the aroma easily washes away.  Regrettably, the lingering smell from aftershave tonic isn’t something I can confidently wear.

Are you a fan of Dr. Jon’s Shave soaps and aftershave tonics?  Please leave us a comment below and let us know what you think.

The barbershop scent is one of those that I find hard precisely describe.  It’s like the word “dude;” it’s used a lot and could mean something different based on one’s interpretation.  Just  about every barbershop scent that I’ve had the pleasure of sampling smelled differently than the next. Fine Accoutrements American Blend smelled differently from Pinaud Clubman; Clubman smells differently than Sir Hare Classic; and Dr. Jon's Classic smells differently as well.

Dr Jon's Classic Shave Soap and Aftershave Tonic

Dr. Jon’s Classic scent is described on their site as a “combined hints of herb, wood, flowers and citrus to create a crisp and fresh fragrance that will make you want to run straight to your local barber for a cut and a shave” and it is their take on the barbershop scent.  On the label Dr. Jon’s lists rosemary, bergamot, lavender, cedar, lime, and vetiver.   To my nose, the lavender and lime stand out more and to give Classic its unique scent.

Dr. Jon's Classic Shave Soap is a soft soap which could probably be described as a "croap"

The Classic Shave Soap is most likely considered by many to be a “croap” as it is of a soft consistency.  As with the other Dr. Jon’s Soaps that I’ve used, Classic performed like the others as it yielded a thick, protective and slick lather without much effort.  Scent-wise, I found that it isn’t overpowering when applied.  It doesn’t linger and it easily washes away when rinsing off.  

I get a good, slick, and protective lather with Classic Vol 1.  Interested in trying Vol 2.

To complement the soap, Dr. Jon’s Classic is also available as an aftershave tonic.  As I’ve written before, I like a nice sting of an aftershave splash; with the aftershave tonic I get a nice and satisfying burn that my skin craves after a shave.  The aftershave’s scent lasts longer than the soap.  But to my nose it doesn’t seem to linger around as much as, say, Black Label.   Granted, I’m not a huge fan of the Black Label, so it is possible that I may just get used to the Classic scent much quicker as I find it to be more pleasant of an aroma.

My 2oz tin (which I believe are no longer available) of Classic for one of my SOTD's

Overall, I’m a fan of the Dr Jon’s Shave Soaps.  Since I’ve purchased my Classic tin though, they have gone on to reformulate their soaps and this soap is now available as “Classic Vol. 2”.  It generally looks like it is being met with some good reviews.  I have yet to try Vol. 2, but look forward to giving it a shot one day.

Are you a fan of Dr. Jon’s Shave soaps and aftershave tonics?  Please leave us a comment below and let us know what you think.

Dr. Jon's Shaving Soap Co. officially started on November 30th, 2014. But their story started out in 2013 when the founder, Jon Eplin, started getting into traditional wet shaving. As with many of us, it started to become somewhat of an obsession. Once he was hooked, Jon decided he needed to learn everything he could; including how to make his own soap.  


He found a recipe, but it proved to not be precisely what he would want in a shaving soap. So after much experimentation with just about every type of oil and butter that he could get his hands on, Jon finally had the recipe for a soap with great conditioning and hydrating properties which could easily produce a thick lather that he was looking for.   Dr. Jon’s also set out to design eye catching labels as well.  To paraphrase what they said about their labels: whether someone likes the designs or not they are difficult to not notice. 

Dr. Jon's was designed as a soft soap for ease of producing a lather.

We had the opportunity to sample Dr. Jon’s soap. Many have posted in shave forums, blogs, and even in their YouTube videos that Dr. Jon’s is a rather soft shaving soap.  We inquired about this and Dr. Jon’s had informed us that this was by design:

The decision to make a very soft soap was so that even new shavers would have no problems producing a thick creamy lather, hard pucks are great if you know what you are doing but can be somewhat frustrating for the new guy.

Dr. Jon's Handcrafted Soap is available in 2 oz and 4 oz tins

Classic: Jon's favorite.  The Dr Jon’s Classic Scent is a blend of lavender, cedar, lime, bergamot, vetiver, and rosemary.
Aphrodite:  This soap is a blend of rose, pomegranate, black currant and apple to make a sweet and floral fragrance.
Hydra: Dr Jon’s originally produced a mandarin and black pepper blend.  While the company had sampled that soap with customers they opted to not release it.  Rather, Dr. Jon’s opted to release a citrus soap that blends orange, lemon, lime, mandarin, grapefruit, and bergamot … which would be called Hydra.  Of their current soap line up, this is currently his wife’s favorite scent.
Savannah Sunrise:  This scent blends hints of Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Gardenia, Peach and Orange blossom
Big Green Monster: Dr Jon’s Big Green Monster blends lime, basil, and peppermint to create this scent.
Anne Bonny:  This is the Dr. Jon’s Take on Bay Rum.  This one is probably my favorite thus far.  The Anne Bonny scent is a blend of West Indies Bay leaf essential oil, dark rum, lime, and black tea.
Hex:  A blend of black pepper, cedar, orange, and cinnamon

New Tobacco Based Scents planned for release in April

I asked Jon if there is anything in development at Dr. Jon’s Handcrafted Soap Co. and was pleased to hear that they have two new soap fragrances planned for release in April as well as a line of aftershaves that are slated for a release in July.  The response to Dr. Jon’s Handcrafted Soap products seems to be largely positive.  Even though I’m not certain what to expect with the new products, I’m sure it will have that unique Dr. Jon’s Handcrafted Soap Co. look, feel, and smell to it.