Thread: Compare Shave soap to Shave Cream?

Originally Posted by zib

You know, I've always fancied myself a shave cream user, but some soaps are off the hook and provide lather just as thick and rich as any cream. I have shave soap labeled as such, but is a cream, triple milled..I've only seen this consistency in Xpec.
Soaps are generally thinner, and provide more feedback. Shave Creams are usually thicker, and provide more cushion, Generally speaking...Of course there are exceptions to every rule....

I will second the feedback of soaps, I just tried my first which was some MWF, that another member(ty glenn) sent as a swap, my favorite cream(caraceni) for his mixture of soap and cream(uberlather). He sent enough that I figured I would try just the soap first. It made lather very easily, although I could probably do better with more practice. It didnt seem as cushiony as cream, but it did seem to really get the whiskers crisp enough to pop with really good feedback. Next I am going to try the uberlather to see how it goes, i imagine it will be wonderfull, the plusses of both cream and soap all in one.

Originally Posted by Jasongreat

I havent ever used a soap, but I am more than happy with the resulting shaves I get with a cream. I started using CF Lime, which I really liked until I tried Domenico Caraceni. As far as I am concerned there is no better cream, at least not one I have found yet(I have to admit though I havent really looked too hard). After reading Glens post with his special mixture, I might have to give it a go to see how it compares, unless he chimes in and tells me hes tried the caraceni and his mixture is better. I have also tried Al's bomb and got great shaves from it.

I had a great shave this morning using just the Domenico Caraceni,, Thank you Jason...

The wife is trying it out on her legs as I type this, she is an Uberlather fanatic herself ...

Definitely a must have cream, if you are into super luxurious products, basically if you have the Castle Forbes collection, you probably want to own the Domenico

I also must say again this is what makes SRP so great...


Edit:

OK the wife is a bit more critical of the Caraceni then I was...
her reaction is
"Good, very creamy, not sticky, good glide, nice scent (which surprised me) BUT I will need lotion after I get out of the shower, which I don't after a true Uberlather" (perhaps because of the extra glycerin)

Since we're plugging, I may as well through out Xpec. This is absolutely wonderful product, Rich, luxurious cream, that cannot be killed with water...it just seems to get thicker and thicker, and all you need is a pea size dolop. Robin's review is right on...
I'd be willing to send a sample of the, Really hard to get Xpec for a sample of Caracini.....

I've posted before about my cousin who used to shave using only a piece of glass and cold water at a cattle trough but this seems like a thread to reiterate it. For what it's worth, I prefer soaps. Moisture and control is all.

Originally Posted by souschefdude

I just finished reading the 1905 'learn how to shave' manual posted elsewhere on this site. The book talks about how the purpose of Shave soap is not to soften or lubricate the beard, but just the opposite, to stiffen it. I use a Cream from TAOS, which has alot of oils in it, also a pre-shave lube oil.
Has anyone tried both methods and gotten appreciable differences?

I have limited experience, but for creams I like Castle Forbes Lavender and for soap's it is definetly Mitchell's Wool Fat. For me, the MWF is the best thing I've tried. The smell, the slickness, the entire ambiance of MWF rocks.

Originally Posted by Alraz

Bath and shaving soaps are very different. They are obtained using different combinations of fatty acids. The main function of bath soap is cleansing not lathering. Short chain fatty acids, which are often used in making bath soaps, are good cleansers but poor latherers. I do not see how this could be changed with technique, elbow grease or luck.

Al raz.

Originally Posted by jhenry

IMHO any bar of bath soap could be used for shaving--if one were desperate for a shave and had no genuine shaving soap product on hand to to so.

I don't think that it would be an enjoyable shave, however.

Actually, my Grandpa shaves with nothing other than a bic disposable and lather from the bar of soap at the sink. He's been doing this as long as I can remember, as I can never recall him using gel or creams from a can (or anything else for that matter). He says using those products is a waste of money when you can use a good bar of soap.

Don't get me wrong, it's not for me. I enjoy my lathering products too much to go to Ivory hand soap. But if it provided a nasty shave he probably would have given it up decades ago. Part of this I could possibly atribute to his skin condition after years and years of shaving; the face is able to tolerate more abrasion.

I find that cream works alot better than soap for me. Soap tends to dry out quickly and doesn't lather up as good. Maybe I'm not lathering the soap correctly, but I'll stick with the cream, works good. Why fix something that aint' broke?