Shaving cream or shaving soap

I have been enjoying Taylor of Bond Street Eton College shaving cream quite a bit lately. I have collected maybe 10 different flavors of soaps and creams and usually wait until game time to decide which to use (unlike razors and brushes which need to be pre-chosen to avoid delay in the morning).


My questions for the masses today:


Do you prefer cream or soap or both?


Do you have a favorite that is used more often than anything else?


What characteristics do your soap or creams have to have (e.g., lather, scent)?

I am with you on the eton college. It is one of my favs. I have almost the entire TOBS line. Eton, Jermyn, St james are my favs from this company. I too wait till game time to pick my flavor. I rotate mainly creams. I prefer creams over soaps as I get a better quality lather IMO. My favorite scent overall is DRH Windsor. Although Arlington is a real close second. Only characteristics they have to have is good all around performance an a nice scent for me. SWMBO likes Windsor the best so that also tends to make me use it more. I am somewhat of an addict with creams an soaps. Only one I have been completely disappointed in was Trumpers sandalwood. The performance didn't do it for me and the scent turned my stomach after use. My normal travel pick is a tube of C.O. Bigelo. Cheap an great cream.:tu

A few people have said that trumpers soaps are a bit disapointing, the violet cream is nice though, and eucharis (?) Smells lovely.
The only product i have tried so far that i dont like the smell of is a cream called "shave" but lots of other aussies seem to like it.
I look for shave comfort and moisture retention first, followed by scent.
I recall a more experienced member saying that either soap or cream gives better cushion, whereas the other gives better glide, or something like that, i know for sure that soap outlasts cream.

I just picked up some CO Bigelow, I am looking forward to trying it. I have had some good shaves with SRD soaps. I love the India Bay scent.

SWMBO seems to like the organic stuff from etsy and local soap merchants, I on the other hand think most of these people seem to spend very little time trying to develop real lather that stays. Their soap smells nice but is basically soap packaged for shaving with no thought given to how long the lather should last

I'm a soap guy. I've used a few creams and they perform well but for some reason, I just enjoy working a soap puck into a lather. I typically face lather and that probably works best with soap but it can be done with cream as well.

When I try another cream, it will probably be Castle Forbes.

I use both soaps and creams, though I started off with creams exclusively.

What I use on any given day seems to be based on my mood more than anything else; sometimes I want a particular scent, while sometimes I just want to change up the lather building experience (is that weird?!?). Sometimes I ask SWMBO what she'd like.

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Originally Posted by JTmke

I have been enjoying Taylor of Bond Street Eton College shaving cream quite a bit lately. I have collected maybe 10 different flavors of soaps and creams and usually wait until game time to decide which to use (unlike razors and brushes which need to be pre-chosen to avoid delay in the morning).


My questions for the masses today:


Do you prefer cream or soap or both?


Do you have a favorite that is used more often than anything else?


What characteristics do your soap or creams have to have (e.g., lather, scent)?

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I'm basically a soap guy but frequently switch to creams, especially if I don't have a lot of time. I don't really know why. I just like using both and it probably adds a "spark" to the shaving experience to switch around. Both work equally well to me.

I use the menthol soaps and creams more in the summer because of the cooling effect.

The characteristics (at the risk of offending Modern Williams users) that they whip up a lather in fairly short order and don't dissipate. I can make Modern Williams work but for me personally it's a pain. I have discovered too many others that perform the way I want them to.

Many of the very best only come in one form or the other so I use both. But I do love the ease of using creams. That being said, I use soaps more often than creams.

My favorites are the DRH creams -- Arlington and Windsor, so far. I get the best lather and it lasts through my wonderfully slow shaves. I have TOBS, but can't get the same results with it. I do however also use soaps, Arko is my traveling soap, and I like Proraso green, which is a softer soap. I think (since I finally got stropping right) that the lather may be the most important part of a successful shave for me.

When I started I preferred soap, then I switch to creams for a while before falling back to soaps. Today I still have a few more soaps than creams in my cabinet, but I really don't prefer one over the other anymore.

I have a handull that are more frequently used, but it also depends on the season. For winter I find myself reaching for more dry, earthy scents like Sandalwood, Tabac etc. while in summer I like more fresh scents with more flowery or fruity tones.

Lather? Thick and creamy :)

I prefer soap with a little eucalyptus oil in it, provides a refreshing cool sensation I enjoy even in the winter.

In principle I prefer soaps. I think it's the classic way to shave. However in the end it's the way they perform that matters the most. My favorites are MDC and C&S and CF and Xpec to name a few.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

In principle I prefer soaps. I think it's the classic way to shave. However in the end it's the way they perform that matters the most.

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Just about my view too and you can add shave sticks in with soaps. Scent is so personal you just use what you like. I look for a slick rich fairly thick lather and soaps that are tallow based seem to do for me more times than not. Personal likes are Palmolive shave stick, Tabac puck and shave stick and Arko shave stick. There are so many good soaps and creams it is hard to go wrong but it can be done.

Bob

Gentlemen,

My benchmarks for the top creams are Xpec, Castle Forbes and Santa Maria Novella; for the top soaps, Martin de Candre, Czech & Speake and Le Pere Lucien. I don't prefer one over the other; rather, take each for what it is — each delicious in its own way.

So it is with the other creams and soaps in my humble shave den: I like both equally.

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Originally Posted by Obie

Gentlemen,

My benchmarks for the top creams are Xpec, Castle Forbes and Santa Maria Novella; for the top soaps, Martin de Candre, Czech & Speake and Le Pere Lucien. I don't prefer one over the other; rather, take each for what it is — each delicious in its own way.

So it is with the other creams and soaps in my humble shave den: I like both equally.

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Gee whiz, Obie, it's.evident why you're a mentor and I'm a novice. I have never heard of some of those products you mentioned.

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Originally Posted by CaliforniaCajun

Gee whiz, Obie, it's.evident why you're a mentor and I'm a novice. I have never heard of some of those products you mentioned.

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You, a novice? My dear friend, you make me blush.

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Originally Posted by JTmke

I just picked up some CO Bigelow, I am looking forward to trying it. I have had some good shaves with SRD soaps. I love the India Bay scent.

SWMBO seems to like the organic stuff from etsy and local soap merchants, I on the other hand think most of these people seem to spend very little time trying to develop real lather that stays. Their soap smells nice but is basically soap packaged for shaving with no thought given to how long the lather should last

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I know of at least one shave soap on Etsy that works...... look up BumbleandCo. Been shaving with it for a couple of weeks, took a couple tries to figure it out...but it does work

And just so I'm not Off topic.........I like my shave soaps

I prefer soap over cream. I used to use cream until I discovered soap & I've used it exclusively ever since. I really took a liking to Klar and Proraso, because of their lather ability, and you don't need a cubic metre of water to keep them from drying on your face before your shave is done. Also, I like to load the brush right out of the tub, which I enjoy better than taking a dollup of soap out of a cream tub. Actually, I'll probably never get another tub of cream again. ;)

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Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Many of the very best only come in one form or the other so I use both. But I do love the ease of using creams. That being said, I use soaps more often than creams.

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My rotation is very similar except I use seven creams and five soaps.

The issue with "soap" or "cream" is the definition of a "cream". If the item is not a hard puck then it is called a cream. This definition is carried through all of the vendors I frequent.

Of the seven creams I use I would, IMHO, only call three of them creams. These are TOBS, C. Forbes and Baum.Be.

The other four creams, Cella, 2 MdC and Proraso White Tub, I would call pastes.

JMO
Dave

I have heard the word "croap" applied to those inbetweeners.

Bob

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Originally Posted by BobH

I have heard the word "croap" applied to those inbetweeners.

Bob

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lol I guess my favorite is a "croap". That does not sound nice.

Dave

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Obie

Gentlemen,

My benchmarks for the top creams are Xpec, Castle Forbes and Santa Maria Novella; for the top soaps, Martin de Candre, Czech & Speake and Le Pere Lucien. I don't prefer one over the other; rather, take each for what it is — each delicious in its own way.

So it is with the other creams and soaps in my humble shave den: I like both equally.

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They sell these at Walgreens? :p

Nice taste. You really are the king of your kingdom

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Originally Posted by JTmke

They sell these at Walgreens? :p

Nice taste. You really are the king of your kingdom

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Thanks for the kind words, Jim. I'm afraid, not at Walgreens.