Quote Originally Posted by Alraz View Post
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.
Quote Originally Posted by jhenry View Post
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.