Soap for shaving

[adamgottschalk]

I know there's that ancient shaving thread floating around, but I wanted to talk about a recent realization I had: the important part in the shaving-soap/brush combination is the brush. I prefer unscented liquid soap for my main soap (so that my new natural perfumes are not obscured); nevertheless, I'd continued using a mug and (unscented) hard soap with my badger brush to shave. I got to wondering why it was I insisted on adding that extra layer of complexity to my life. So I decided to see if there was a point. My own experience is that there is none. Apply _any_ soap to the face and work it in with a brush and you're primed for a good shave. Maybe this is obvious to some; it wasn't to me. One coffee mug (a big one) added to my kitchen.

 

[rmrdaddy]

Adam,
I understand your point, but I just simply don't like to face lather.
If you have never seen them, check out the videos on YouTube by Mantic. They are a series of tutorials on all aspects of weshaving. Mark is a member of Badger and Blade, as I am, and he's a great guy IMHO. His video on lather making compares mug and face lathering, and the respective times for each. He shows the time for face lathering being longer, and I find he is correct.
So, I keep the big latte cup in the bathroom for lathering, I can use the extra minute, LOL. But, to each his own!

 

[freebird]

another aspect, the scuttle. I'm not sure how warm the lather would be when face lathering, but with a scuttle you're assured ofwarm lather through your shave.

 

[BellyTank]

Don't use just -any- soap, use a shaving stick- whatever brand.
I've never needed a brush, or a mug with a stick of shaving soap- hands do a fine job- a better job than a brush.
Just get hot water on your face, some soap, lather it up a little with the hands and shave. Too much lather is pointless too.

-Any- soap is not good on the face, no.
Shaving soap better. for the face and you won't cut yourself so much.
-Any- soap is SO harsh on the face.


B
T

 

[freebird]

dunno bt, I've heard that a brush is good for the face,works as an exfollent to get rid of dead skin, but I don't know if that's true or not, just what I've heard.[huh] I think it's mainly whatever your preferences are.

 

[C.K.Farnsworth]

don't forget the pre shave oil

I bought the book the Art of Shaving from the Classic Style site and it states the importance of pre shave oil. I tried wet shaving once before and it riped up my face so I went back to the electric for a while. This time around I use the oil and the lather and it is incredible. I have never had a shave so close and clean without discomfort. The book also echoes some of you guy's advice:

1) Hot water-softens the beard makes it easier to cut

2) brush exfoliates and further softens the beard

3) not just any soap because the better you take care of the skin on your face the happier it will be when you drag razorblades across it every morning, also less likely to have ingrown hairs. I have found hand soap for example dries out my face and makes it more prone to nicks and chaffing

4) in the end it is what gets you the results you want and gives you, in your opinion, the best shave....

Cheers!

 

[DerMann]

Don't use just -any- soap, use a shaving stick- whatever brand.
I've never needed a brush, or a mug with a stick of shaving soap- hands do a fine job- a better job than a brush.
Just get hot water on your face, some soap, lather it up a little with the hands and shave. Too much lather is pointless too.

-Any- soap is not good on the face, no.
Shaving soap better. for the face and you won't cut yourself so much.
-Any- soap is SO harsh on the face.


B
T

You're spot on about the types of soap, but I'm going to have to disagree with you on the brush bit.

Brushes make thicker lather and more of it. There just isn't enough surface area on one's hands to create the sort of lather necessary for an excellent shave. And you're right again, too much lather is definitely not a good thing and shaving soaps are specially formulated to give you a good shave by lubricating the blades of the razor and keeping your skin healthy.

While dish washing soap could be used, it would be far nicer to your face to at least use the $1 cake of William's Shaving Soap from Wal-Mart.

 

[BellyTank]

Disagree away,
"the hands" works better for me than the brush- lifts the hairs and gets the soap underneath, I believe. I think experimentation works better than treating one person's formula as a gospel- we all have different beards and skin. Slippery with as little lather as possible works best for me, so does using disposable razors.

I definitely do think that shaving has become another paraphernalia and "stuff" propagandised lark- just like so many simple, daily duties- complicated with "must do-s".

I blame the internet, too much disposable income(well, maybe it's credit) and too much time on one's hands.

American Psycho...

But then again, the more options we have, the chance we have of getting it right.

Have a great weekend.


B
T

 

[DrSpeed]

Each to his own!
I like to use old fasioned soap with a brush. I'm not saying it's better but I just like it. I use a Dutch brand that has it's name stamped into it. Great when you open a new package. And much cheaper then those horrible foams.
But that's just my opinion.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Straight razor shaving, using a brush & soap to make lather, etc. isn't necessarily because of too much credit or disposable income. IMHO, it saves a lot of money. $100 or so for a straight razor sounds like a lot, but when you consider the cost of a pack of cartridges, each one lasting a week or maybe two at the most...you're ahead by the end of the first year.

 

[BellyTank]

Not talking about economy-
People looking for "stuff" to buy and a reason to use it-
Consumerism.

The new, internet driven connoisseur, whisky, cigars, shaving, hats... bla...
Child of the message board.



B
T

 

[DeaconKC]

I use a razor because my beard is so stiff that electrics just couldn't give me a decent shave. Just ordered some old fashioned Burma Shave soap and brush, we'll see how it does.

 

[InspectorMorse]

Almost nothing feels better than a close shave done correctly!

 

[rmrdaddy]

Deacon,
Let us know how you progress.

I have plenty of shave creams, I'd be happy to offer you some samples if you want to branch out

 

[Stoney]

No matter how I end up shaving , I always use a good shaving soap. It makes a great deal of difference in the health of your facial skin. I have quite a collection of straight razors, turn of the century safety razors and a few of the venerable Gillette Adjustable Safety razors. One bad thing about blade shaving is that too much of it can lead to razor burn, and as anyone who has had a bad case of it can attest to , it's quite irritating. A quality shaving soap can help reduce razor burn but can not prevent it.

Oddly enough I picked up one of these new Norelco 8020 Cool Skin shavers

which was designed to be used with Nivea for men shave gel. As it's my nature to do so, I quickly dismissed the electrically pumped shave goo and tried using it with my shaving brush and soap. Since the shaver was designed to be used wet, I just substitute it for my safety razor and rinse periodically as I shave. I have to say that I was quite pleased with the result. No razor burn and a close shave. Sure the shaver does not get a few of the whiskers, in the softest part of my neck, shaved down to baby's butt smooth. I can't get those satisfactorily with a straight or double edge safety razor either, unless I completely scape off the upper layer of skin . The Norelco does just as well on my face as the Gillette Adjustable when set to 8. Overall a very impressive experience and one I would recommend to all.

Does this mean I'm done with the blade? Not hardly. I still enjoy shaving with a blade, but it's nice to have an alternative; especially when the face starts feeling raw.



BTW. I've tried a multitude of shaving soaps and can highly recommend the soap sold by Chelsea's Soap Garden on ebay. A very nice glycerin based soap that moisturizes while you shave. My favorite is the Bay Rum scented.

Description from their ebay store:
Popular and Masculine Bay Rum scented Shaving Soap is made from all Natural White Glycerin soap, French White Clay, Aloe Vera Gel, Witch Hazel, Vitamin E and an amazing new product called "Foaming Bath Butter". The foaming bath butter produces an incredible lather. A centuries' old and traditional masculine fragrance, Bay Rum has the sharpness of bay leaves and the full-bodied, but softened, scent of rum enhanced by orange peels and eucalyptus leaves.


Oh.. one other thing I forgot to mention is that the shaver has a 60 day return it guarantee.
If you try one and do not like it , they will give your money back if you return it, with the receipt, within 60 days. I've been using mine for over a month now and plan on keeping it.

 

[John in Covina]

Soaps & Creams

I have a number of shaving soaps and also shaving creams that come in tubs or tubes that I alternate thru.

I like Burma Shave soap, it lathers and gives a great glide. Col. Conk soaps have glycerine in them and seem to be very nice, if you find the glycerine based shave soaps they tend to have great scents.

Shave creams seem to work really well, Musgo Real and Proraso are some old time creams with a menthol scent, cooling and nice. E-shave has some of the most intriguing scents, I like their White Tea. Crabtree & Evelyn is nice.

You can find small places making small runs of interesting stuff, and old companies that have been around forever. Spendy stuff is all good and well but I am not sure it is worth the extra bucks as an everyday shave soap or cream. However, you have to work out what works best for you and what you want.

Got some more but can't think of the names right now, but the high end stuff tends to perform well and smell sensational. The low end like Burma Shave and Williams are really effective and quite economical but not as exotic when it comes to scent.

 

[DeaconKC]

After a couple months of wet shaving, I have tried several soaps and have found great differences already. Colonel Conk's are very good and even the Van der Hagen at Walmart is much better than the canned stuff. The extra couple minutes it takes in the morning are well worth it to me for a good shave.

 

[Bugsy]

Some of you might want to try Trufitt and Hill products from England. They are a bit pricey, but quite good.

 

[BetterBackThen]

Opinion: Brush and soap more important than style of razor

I've got a tough beard. I've used electric razors, safety razors, and disposables. The electric razor required me to go over and over and over an area to get it smooth, and by that time my face was burnt. No matter what brand of blade I try, safety razors nearly always nick me up pretty well, leading me to question their name. I went back to twin-blade disposables, but I have not returned to shaving cream or gel in a can, nor do I ever intend to. I am sold for life on good shaving soap, whether in a cake or a tube... and I plan to always use a brush with either.

Cakes of shaving soap are much, much better than foam or gel, but good cakes are much better than cheap cakes. I'm not trying to convince myself because I spent some money; I've tried 99-cent Williams and $5 Classic Shaving cakes (http://www.classicshaving.com). I like the Williams clean classic scent. Still, the $5 cake is MUCH better because whatever's in it mixes with the water to soften the beard and keep water on your face without drying out your skin. I bought 4 cakes in the spring of this year, and am still not more than halfway through the first, although I use it nearly 5 days a week. How many cans of cheapo foam or gel would I have gone through by now? I never intend to find out.

I know the tubes are supposed to be "brushless", and true, you can use them that way, but a good brush makes it better by working water into the mix better than your fingers can. I use the two mentioned before, Musgo Real and ProRaso, both being great but the former edging out the latter for a smooth, close shave.

Now the brush: I started with a $6 Burma Shave brush from a retail chain. This was good enough to start. But I kept hearing about the badger brushes and how good they are. I went to Classic Shaving and finally bought a Vulfix "best badger" brush for $40. WELL worth it... the boar bristle Burma Shave brush felt like a whisk broom compared to the badger brush. The reason you get a better shave with a better brush is that it holds more water in the bristles than the cheaper brush, thereby putting more water into the shaving soap, and thereby putting more water on your face... which is the key to keeping the blade skimming along your skin's surface rather than digging into it. (Well, that and pulling the skin taut as you shave, and experience with blade shaving.)

How I rank them:
1. Good cake soap or "brushless" tube used with a good brush
2. The above with *any* brush
3. Good brushless soap used, well, brushlessly
4. Williams or other cheaper shaving soaps... still much better than foam or gel
5. Electric razors: in a hurry and a good shave isn't important
6. Foam or gel: the Devil's work!

I've tried pre-shave oil and didn't like it. It kept my skin from getting wet, which is the point of the soap/brush routine. I'd rather soften the beard in a hot shower using a good face soap like Musgo Real Lime Glycerin soap, which has some softening oils but they don't get in the way of the brush and shaving soap later.

Dave

 

[DeaconKC]

Just picked up a tube of C O Bigelow shave cream from Bath and Body Works last night. It's made by Proraso and did it do a NICE job this AM. Keep that mug warm and enjoy tons of warm lather!