I reordered the rose petal and also decided to try the star flower (blue color) and the milk version (white color), all in the 250 g size. I am SOOO disappointed that Pre de Provence seems to have changed its formula. The soaps are so drying!! I wouldn't have cared if the star flower and the milk versions were not good, but for the rose petal to also have changed is a total disappointment. I have been using the rose petal for a long time and was so happy I found it after trying different brands of soap. It used to be creamy when you lather it, now it just lathers and is so harsh when I tested it on my hands, it even made my skin hurt!! Also the fragrance has changed, it doesn't smell of roses anymore. Now I have to go back to square one!!. What is wrong with most companies now? They seem to be reformulating their products not to make them better but to make more profit by substituting their ingredients with cheaper ones. Sad, really sad. This seems to be happening not only with US products but probably worldwide. By the way, I used to order the smaller size, the one in 150 g,, but I don't think the size makes any difference.

I have been experiencing progressively dry skin issues (crackly, itchy, bumpy, flaky, tight, rough) over the past year or so. High dollar lotions have helped a little, but who has time to lotion up every night, or can even afford it?

I chose Lavender because I like the calming nature of Lavender and this has shae butter which research told me should help.

Sooooo....

Day 1) Forearms, face and feet are noticeably more smooth and soft. Skin is definitely more moist.

A suggestion I would give to anyone who has sensative skin and who thinks this soap is like sandpaper; try using a washcloth instead of direct contact to your skin and complaining about it. It lathers up nicely that way.

Lavender soap is the archetypal product of Provence, with its light purple hues and bits of real lavender plants inside. The last time I was in Provence, I picked up a couple of bars from different manufacturers, and this Pré de Provence version seems every bit as good. The lavender scent is definite, although not overpowering. This bar is French-milled, which leaves the bar hard, smooth, and long-lasting with a quick rich lather. It feels like luxury.

-- Debbie Lee Wesselmann

This Shea Butter Enriched Artisanal French Soap from Pre de Provence is a premium soap that is rich and moisturizing.

The 250g bar is a large, weighty bar. It comes wrapped in clear plastic. Immediately upon unwrapping, I got the wonderful scent of Herbs of Provence, which is a mixture of herbs native to the Provence area of France and often includes savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano and lavender leaves. Herbs of Provence are often used in cooking and they have a delightful, herbal smell.

You will notice that there are bits of these herbs in the soap bar - very much like an exfoliating bar. They are a little rough and scrubby.

The soap itself lathers well and is very moisturizing due to the shea butter. It leaves your skin soft and smooth. It's also quadruple milled, meaning it has been milled 4 times to remove all impurities and any extra water. That produces a hard, dense soap that lasts longer than ordinary bar soap.

I also got the Tiare scent, which is a combination of tiare (a type of gardenia) and vanilla. This bar does not have as many bits in it and the bits that are in it are not as "scratchy" as in the Herbs of Provence bar. To me, the scent of vanilla is stronger than the scent of tiare so it's not my favorite. However, my family also likes this bar. Apparently they are bigger fans of vanilla than I am.

Because this is a large, heavy bar, I suggest cutting it in half because it will really hurt if you drop it on your toe. Because it lasts so long, the price is more reasonable than it might appear. I will definitely buy this brand again and I'm thinking I'd like to try the lavender and the lemongrass.

UPDATE: Three men in my house have asked me to keep buying the Herbs of Provence bar for their daily shower so I ordered more. They like the scent and they like the exfoliating feel of the soap.

I enjoyed l'Occitane verbena soap recently in a fine hotel so I thought I'd buy some on Amazon. Little did I know it was $14 for a bar. In an effort to save money I tried the Pre de Provence. I did like scent almost as much but it lasted about 4 weeks..not "forever" as one reviewer mentioned. For the size of the bar I thought that was not so long for one person. It's an unhandy size..maybe it's worth cutting it in half.