Thread: Shaving Soaps and AS

First of all, notice that there are many opinions on this subject. After having tried a fair number of the products mentioned here, I must tell you that you are setting yourself up for some disappointment. The reason being that usually people like soap A because they hate soap B and vice versa. This is not always true but it happens a lot. Instead, I am going to tell you as a user and a soapmaker what I look for in a shaving soap/cream. A good soap/cream:1) contributes to beard and skin preparation by softening whiskers and lubricating the skin; 2) provides a well hydrated lather that does not dry out; 3)allows sufficient cushion and glide during the shave; 4) conditions your skin after the shave; 5) is economic; and 6) and has a pleasant scent. Needless to say, the products that excel in all of these areas can probably counted with the fingers of your hand. These products are typically expensive but well worth their price. Once you try these, you would probably not shave again with most of the cheap ones. Do not take me wrong, there are some inexpensive soap/creams that are very good, even if the scent or the conditioning is not the best.

One thing to be particularly aware of is the economy of the product. The price of the product only tells you half of the story. If you buy a soap that cost twice as much as another but gives you twice as many shaves or more, you are no saving by buying the inexpensive one..., it is that simple. I am not big into scents so unless the soap smells like rotten fish, turpentine, hippie, etc., I am usually happy. I prefer soaps that do not have a pronounced scent. Because I have sensitive skin, for me, what often tilts the scale is conditioning. If you do not have special requirements in that front, you will find more products that fit the bill and your budget.

So here is my list:

Creams: Castle Forbes, without a doubt, the best that you can buy at a store; Truefitt & Hill, close but no cigar. If you are looking for value: Proraso, C. O Bigelow and Taylor of Old Bond Street, no essential oils and sub par conditioning when compared to the best but not bad by any means.

In soaps, I would go with Mitchell's Wool Fat and Truefitt & Hill. If you are going for budget, Tabac is almost unbeatable. There are also many others that would fit the bill in that price range. I have not found the first glycerin-based soap that I have been happy with so I would suggest to stay away from them.

My suggestion would be to try Castle Forbes or a good milled soap (basically a high end product) first and then decide where you go next, rather than merely going though a wishlist.

After Shaves are even more complicated: alcohol based vs balms, scented high or low, more balmy or oily, etc. I like bay rum, alcohol based after shaves mainly, but enjoy a good balm from time to time. The problem with balms is that sometimes they can leave your skin feeling pretty "sticky", which I do not like. I like Truefitt & Hill and The Art of Shaving but I am sure that you will get a full list. I discovered that a good soap/cream and good lathering skills, reduce the need for aftershave; mine are used mostly as a cologne these days.

Al raz.

Originally Posted by Huizar6

Hey everyone,

So I had my first SR shave today, and it was amazing! Though it was with a disposable SR, can't wait to use a real one.

I was just wondering what everyone's favorite shave soap and AS are.
I used Williams shave soap and Nivea after shave balm, and they were pretty good. Thoughts welcomed.