Thread: Recommend good shaving cream/preshave/aftershave kit?

I was at the Art of Shaving yesterday and it looked like they had nice kits but they were expensive. Are there any other good kits with a preshave, shaving cream and aftershave that you recommend that are of high quality and cheaper?

Also what is the difference between shaving soap and shaving cream?

Not really a "kit", but you can buy the items separately an make your own up for much less. Do you know what scents you like or at least an idea of cologne to go off of? For me I like poraso preshave, soaps & creams to many to list, aftershave I like nivea. Its cheap, available, an works great. Just some thoughts.

I was using pre shave oil for a lil while and I would recommend staying away from it. It gunked up my brushes. Noxzema is working great for me in my preshave routine. There are many less expensive shave products. Too many to count. I can tell you one thing though. There shave cream is and always will be part of my rotation. They have my favorite sandalwood scent.

Originally Posted by RollinCoal69

Not really a "kit", but you can buy the items separately an make your own up for much less. Do you know what scents you like or at least an idea of cologne to go off of? For me I like poraso preshave, soaps & creams to many to list, aftershave I like nivea. Its cheap, available, an works great. Just some thoughts.

Well as I understand you don't want to mix fragrances between aftershave, deodorant, cologne etc. because then the scents interfere. So best bet would be an unscented shaving cream/after-shave unless you can find one that matches your body wash/cologne/deodorant, no?

Originally Posted by 7055

Well as I understand you don't want to mix fragrances between aftershave, deodorant, cologne etc. because then the scents interfere. So best bet would be an unscented shaving cream/after-shave unless you can find one that matches your body wash/cologne/deodorant, no?

I mix scents of pre-shave, shaving cream/soap, and aftershave products all the time. I don't get scent interference. The scents of the pre-shave and cream/soap disappear. Having all of them with the same scent is typically something "nice" to have, but not necessarily a must.

The Art of Shaving products are heavily scented, but you can still mix with them.

Also -- to answer your original question -- the main difference between shave soap and shave cream is that the soap typically requires more water and work to get a good lather, when compared to shave cream. You can get a lather easier with the cream. However, both work well for shaving, depending on the brand you use.

7055,

I am not sure what your baseline for "cheap" is — I assume you mean "inexpensive." Quality costs money, however, and some products more than others.

The Art of Shaving focuses on the "Four Elements of the Perfect Shave" — pre-shave, shave cream, brush and moisturizer — and it is pricey.

Your next alternative is to mix and match, although that will not be inexpensive either. For the pre-shave, try Edwin Jagger or Proraso. For me, Castle Forbes pre-shave is top of the line, but it is costly. For an inexpensive quality cream, try Arko, Lea, Rose of Bulgaria, Herbs of Bulgaria or Erasmic. There are better creams at a higher price.

The difference in soap and cream is in the method used to lather, soap generally requiring a little more work. The results are the same, though. One is not better than other. Also, Some gentlemen say creams give better cushion and soap better glide. I find that to be nonsense.

Ooooooo.... a guy, I mean a practically stranger, with a beard gave me an AoS "kit" he'd had sitting around unused for years. Lovely stuff - leather, zipper, shaving cream, travel brush, cartridge razor, lotion squirter, oil packets etc. Easy $120 thingie.

I emptied it out except for the travel brush (free to me) and added my straight razor in an old coffin case, a small jar of Noxema cold cream preshave ($3.00), a styptic pencil ($2.00) an Arko soap stick in a plastic holder ($3.35), some witch hazel/aloe/lemon essence in a plastic squirt bottle ($2.00), a Pinaud aftershave bottle ($8.00) and a home made travel strop ($0.00). I fitted a sweet leather case with my idea of perfect travel gear for under $20.00. I may toss in a Merkur DE razor one day.