Product Test and Review: Marble Hill Body Scrub & Shaving Bar

Developed by Dr Maria McGee, Marble Hill products are 100% natural.

I tested the Marble Hill Scrub Bar, using it as a shaving soap, shampoo and body soap during an 8 day holiday in Spain, May 2013. I suffer from itchiness in my scalp and on my shoulders, additionally my cheeks often have  the Alex Ferguson type redness and blotching (seborrhoeic dermatitis). Would this brown coloured rather innocuous looking soap be any good?

Dr McGhee advised me that when showering to leave the soap in my scalp for a few minutes before rinsing it out to let the soap work its magic. The soap lathers up well enough and rinsed out from my hair easily. 

Shaving with the Marble Hill Scrub Bar was a different experience for me as I'm used to lathering up a cream with my shaving brush in a bowl then lathering up on the face. Like a traditional shaving cream Marble Hill lather remains visible while shaving.

Marble Hill threafter is different, you lather up the soap puck then apply to the face, within a minute the white lather goes almost transparent. I wondered if it had evaporated, no fears, using my trusty Muhle R89 Safety Razor, Marble Hill provided a really wonderful layer of soap for my razor to glide effortlessly on my face and neck.

The brush maintained enough lather within the bristles for two excellent close shaves, a quick re-lather on the soap was plenty for a third pass.

Maria had mentioned to me that I would not need to apply an after shave balm as Marble Hill is so moisturising that all that's needed post shave is a wash with cool water to close the pores. I did as she suggested and she was bang on the button, post shave my skin felt really smooth and moisturised. Result!

Within three days my facial redness had completely disappeared and my itchy shoulders were no longer itchy!

By day 6 of my break, the soap was just about finished but I was using it twice daily in the shower and once for shaving. In my opinion £8.00 is a lot to pay for a soap but this is much more than a soap, this truly is a three in one product.

It's a shaving soap, a shampoo and a body and face soap.

If you suffer from skin complaints you'll willingly pay handsomely for a product that actually works. I would willingly pay double for this scrub bar, it is that good.

What I really liked about the Marble Hill Scrub Bar was that this was all I needed for my showering and shaving needs, no more shampoo or shower gel to take on holiday or buy when I'm at my destination. For a 2-week stay however you'll need two pucks of soap.

Made in Derry, Ireland using water from a Donegal well, this scrub bar contains a refreshing blend of essential oils and organic seaweed which gives the Marble Hill Health Scrub Bar exfoliating properties. It also contains avocado oil to moisturise and jojoba oil which is rich in vitamin E to soothe dry, irritated skin especially after shaving.

After shaving, wash the face in luke-warm water to remove all traces of shaving debris, then wash your face gently using the Marble Hill Health Scrub Bar to moisturise and soothe the skin.

Rich in moisturising glycerine, keep this bar dry between use to extend its life.

Executive Shaving Ratings Out Of 10

Value for money: 10/10

Effectiveness: 10/10

Fragrance: 7/10 (no essential oils or perfume added so the fragrance is only  slightly 'soapy')

Packaging: 5/10, for best results buy a plastic soap container with holes in it for aeration and for draining out after use.

Written by Brian Mulreany,
Sales Director at The Executive Shaving Company.
Telephone: 0141 880 3040
Email: brian@executive-shaving.co.uk