Thread: What would you recommend as a first soap or first cream?

The real Shave Co. cream is also top notch. However, I hesitated recommending it to a beginner because to me the scent was pretty powerfully overpowering. It smells to me like an old, mossy tree stump. I love this, since it brings back memories of many days spent in the woods. But it was so pungent it almost made my eyes water.
But it is a wonderful cream in every regard.

Originally Posted by SRNewb

It smells to me like an old, mossy tree stump. I love this, since it brings back memories of many days spent in the woods.

That's the great intangible of all these wonderful scents, isn't it. I know exactly you mean. Institut Karite Paris reminds me vividly of a scent my mother used to bathe us with as wee ones.

That's also one of the BEST things. All of the different scents, different consistencies, and all the other differing characteristics. And not just soaps and creams, but the razors, the brushes, heck, even the bowls. That's not even getting into the pre or post shave routines. Wonderful, and never a dull moment.

I actually did a poll on this and the results were very easy to figure out. The majority about 80% started out with Proraso cream. Why I think for a few reasons .... #1 creams are easier to build a lather when starting out plain and simple. As long as you follow the basics of not over hydrating and going slow you will get a great lather. Proraso is also very obtainable and a classic. The second most popular was Taylor of old bond street's Sandalwood. I will repeat it is a classic scent and creams lather easier as a very general statement. I personally started with Proraso though rarely use years later. I feel it is a great product that makes a quality lather, but found I liked soaps more as I progressed. Soaps are a little more picky when it comes to loading and water ratios etc... though not always. Which ever way you go make sure it is a scent you enjoy as if you don't enjoy the scent you wont use it whether a cream or a soap. Good luck and I'm sure what ever you get it will be the right choice.

I think you should take the high road. Buy the best soap or crème you can buy so you are not disappointed and you will learn faster. You can buy the cheap stuff but you will end up with the best later anyway. My best list include Le pere Lucien soap, MDC soap, DR harris cremes

I'm just a starter, started about 1,5 month ago. But I like trying soaps and creames. Soaps work best for me.
I've got one expensive soap. Truefitt and hill - Sandalwood. Like the smell but the lather isn't great (for me). But the wooden box looks great .
The rest is quite inexpensive:
Tabac (My favourite soap)
De vergulde hand (Dutch, really cheap and definitely my second favourite soap)
Proraso green (Really nice)
Palmolive cream. (For me soaps shave better. But it's not bad)

Also I've got suavecito cream (not inexpensive) which I sometimes use is as a pre-shave cream. It doesn't lather, but it's a nice cream.

I can really recommend the Tabac. It has quite a strong scent (which you may or may not like), but the lather is really nice.

PS. Face-lathering works best for me.

I'd check out Stirling Soaps. Great.variety of fragrances and.down to Earth pricing. They are really easy to whip up, tallow based and great protection.

Shaving Soaps

Go to the Sample page, he has the largest sample pucks (1 oz.) for $2.
In Christ
SB

+1 for Sterling Soaps. Best kept secret in the wet shaving world. One could spend years trying their samples, not a bad idea.

Not sure whether I agree on Proraso.
Not everyone likes the strong scent of (green) Proraso and there are reports that not everybody's skin agrees with it.
After years of problem-free occasional use, I started developing a rash from either the green Proraso pre-shave cream or shaving soap when shaving with a straight razor and have laid off Proraso for a while.

If you want a fairly inexpensive, proven shaving cream that is known to agree with skin types, I would pick Nivea (cream only, no hard soap).

It's economical, smells pleasant (if unobtrusive), lubricates nicely, and is easy to build a good lather with.
In Western Canada it can be had in Shoppers and London Drugs for about $3.99, either in the blue (mild or extra moisture) or the white (extra sensitive) variant. For me, both work equally well.
In fact, these Nivea products seem to be available pretty much all over the world and you just can't go wrong with good ole Nivea - in particular the less expensive baseline products like shaving creams and Nivea skin cream in the dark blue tub or tube (which I apply after the shave).

My mother used to put Nivea cream on this baby-boomer's face in the 50's, and today my wife still likes to kiss the cheeks of this 61-year old, so Nivea can't be that bad, can it?

Try Castle Forbes. Then you'll have a soap that you can compare all the others too. Great suds, cushion and glide.

Have fun.