Thread: Shave Soap or Cream

I got my supplies and ready for my first wet shave (with my DE). Which should I use first, shave soap or the cream? I have seen a few videos on how to get good lather on both types, see what works best for all of you. All your suggestions and advice are welcome and appreciated.

I would suggest using the cream first. Still easier to obtain a good lather faster than with a soap.

If this is your first DE shave take it slow. You can cut yourself just as easily with a DE as with a straight razor. It's about no pressure as in let the blade do it's work. Your blade angle is somewhat determined by the type of DE you are using. Enjoy some shave cream for your first shave. Most of all, enjoy.

Originally Posted by lz6

If this is your first DE shave take it slow. You can cut yourself just as easily with a DE as with a straight razor. It's about no pressure as in let the blade do it's work. Your blade angle is somewhat determined by the type of DE you are using. Enjoy some shave cream for your first shave. Most of all, enjoy.

Thank you for the advice (got an edwin jagger d89) and a BIG thank you for the supplies you sent. This is the nicest guy on this site!

I started with cream & then switched to soap, now having no cream in my rotation. Cream lathers a bit easier so IMO it's more suitable for a beginner. Good luck!

Among the creams, C&O Bigelow (= Proraso green) is a particularly friendly cream: whips up like a boss. Great starter cream if you like menthol.

Thanks guys, went with the cream as you all suggested. How much diff is it to lather soap then cream?

Originally Posted by deepweeds

Among the creams, C&O Bigelow (= Proraso green) is a particularly friendly cream: whips up like a boss. Great starter cream if you like menthol.

+1 - This is what I started my Brother on when decided to try wet shaving.

With creams you can just put an almond sized dollop on your damp brush or you face and start swirling - either on your mug or in your mug.

Soaps have to be loaded on the brush first - normally a pre-soaked but with the water shaken out (varies) brush swirled on a pre-soaked soap (varies)

For many the transition from creams can be the soft Italian style "soaps" like Proraso in a tub (green, white, red) Cella Red or Cella Brick and the list goes on for ever. (I would put MdC on this list since its so easy to work with)

Next its the harder soaps like MWF. Of these Tabac is, for me at least, on the soft side and very easy to learn.

The Soap and Creme elders will now weight in - but there are some great products out there and I have a hard time every morning deciding what I am going to use.

Smooth Shaving...

If you've already used the cream and have an idea of the lather consistency you got, try just practicing whipping up a lather with just the soap and apply it to your face. All soaps lather differently. I used VHD and the lather wasn't great, switched to Col. Conks and liked the glycerine soap. I then did a super lather with Col. and Proraso red and loved it. Then I got my order of Tabac in and it has the best lather I've used so far. I did a super lather with Tabac and Proraso red and found the combination that works well for me, until I get the other soaps I ordered.... Its an addiction

And on a side note... My VDH set came with a boar bristle brush, I bought a pure badger knot and stuck in a piece I was working on. That brush whipped up the Col. Conks better than the boar brush. Took a little longer because the badger isn't as stiff but it was a different lather.