Thread: What are the differences between shaving soaps and regular bath soaps?

Whats the difference? Can someone break down soaps for me? Like what makes a good soap, what they are made of, what makes some lather better than other? Also can you recommend some good soaps? Also soap vs cream.

Well, someone could write pages about this and one of the soap makers might be able to answer the technical side. From a practical view bath soaps are made to clean and shave soaps are meant to provide lubrication and cushioning and in general assist in the shaving process.

As to soaps and creams and brands you just need to check out that forum and read the posts. People will just tell you their favorites which you might hate. Soaps vs creams are strictly personal preference.

Case, it coud be said that these answers will be hard to come by because the number of subjective variables is greater. Ant that's before considering our preferences in scent/smell/perfume. Smell is a huge influence. 'Makes it tough to make choices, and easy to accummulate a collection of soaps/creams that you feel are marginal performers.
TBS tells ya right about the distinction. One forum rated various soaps or creams on their ability to keep the skin moist, cushion (face protection) and glide (lubricity). Its a fair way to look at it. What has been helpful for me was reading threads by experienced shavers. I'd look for comments about their beard and skin, looking for attributes like my own skin/beard and see if there was a small list of soaps/creams that were well spoken of by others. For me, the honorable Obie talks to God on the topic. 'Coarse beard, sensitive skin (not a pleasant combination) - but this means a soap's performance is really important. Some are affordable.

You'll find a familiar list of the usual suspects keep repeating - they're probably a safe bet.

The topic of various "uber-lather' recipes is probably best left for another thread, but the combination of some creams w/ some soaps can have a dramatic affect.

Another aspect of the uber - roll yer own approach is that you'll find creams that bring alot to the party and allow you to make a marginal soap rather pleasant. At least you can use the soap and not hate it the whole time. Only one soap got banned to the shower as a body bar - Caswell-Massey. Even here, I spoke w/ a friend that thinks its wonderful (a DE shaver).

There are still many products i've yet to try. I have favorites, but think it best to point you to the threads by guys that have used many many products. Have fun trying them.

Originally Posted by pinklather

Case, it coud be said that these answers will be hard to come by because the number of subjective variables is greater. Ant that's before considering our preferences in scent/smell/perfume. Smell is a huge influence. 'Makes it tough to make choices, and easy to accummulate a collection of soaps/creams that you feel are marginal performers.
TBS tells ya right about the distinction. One forum rated various soaps or creams on their ability to keep the skin moist, cushion (face protection) and glide (lubricity). Its a fair way to look at it. What has been helpful for me was reading threads by experienced shavers. I'd look for comments about their beard and skin, looking for attributes like my own skin/beard and see if there was a small list of soaps/creams that were well spoken of by others. For me, the honorable Obie talks to God on the topic. 'Coarse beard, sensitive skin (not a pleasant combination) - but this means a soap's performance is really important. Some are affordable.

You'll find a familiar list of the usual suspects keep repeating - they're probably a safe bet.

The topic of various "uber-lather' recipes is probably best left for another thread, but the combination of some creams w/ some soaps can have a dramatic affect.

Another aspect of the uber - roll yer own approach is that you'll find creams that bring alot to the party and allow you to make a marginal soap rather pleasant. At least you can use the soap and not hate it the whole time. Only one soap got banned to the shower as a body bar - Caswell-Massey. Even here, I spoke w/ a friend that thinks its wonderful (a DE shaver).

There are still many products i've yet to try. I have favorites, but think it best to point you to the threads by guys that have used many many products. Have fun trying them.

That explains a lot. Regular bath soaps are made to wash away skin oils and if overused can make your skin dry, which it is why its a bad idea to shampoo with it? Makes total sense now. I didn't think about the lubrication part. I have been using a goats milk made shave soap that I got at a farmers market from a lady who makes a ton of soaps. She makes great soaps, but now I wonder if what she was calling a shave soap was just her regular soap shaped into a puck. I just went to target and bought a van der hagen badgers brush and soap. Anyone try this? I imagine its a lower end, but hopefully its at least made for the purpose of shaving and will lather well.

I have (and use) the VDH brush and soap and it works well for me. It lathers well and has a nice, mild smell.

I also have a goats milk, hand made (not my me) shaving soap as you describe. It smells nice (Sandalwood) and is more expensive but it shaves no better than the VDH soap.

I'm sure there are some soaps that don't lather well but mainly it seems to be mostly personal preference.

For the soap vs cream part of your question, in my experience, soaps can produce a good fluffy lather, but I prefer, a thicker denser lather, which I find easier to achieve with a cream. I also find creams tend to last longer on the face.

After years of experimentation with a little bit of everything, it appears I've settled primarily on "The Big Four"
-Arko Shavestick
-Mitchells Wool Fat
-Tabac
-Cella
Sure I'll use others as the spirit moves me (i.e. L'Occitane Cade, TOBS Eton College, Proraso, VDH and yes even sometimes Barbasol) but the afforemention 4 have distinguished themselves as my go-to soaps (YMMV and all that.)

With regard to non-purpose built soaps (i.e. bath soap) the only one I have found that will produce serviceable lather is the Clearly Natural Glycerin line. I generally use it for pre and post shave face washing but it is very good as a shaving soap. I simply drop the bar into a metal bowl, whip up the lather with a brush and I'm off.