Thread: Shave cream or shave soap?

I have always used soap so I wouldn't know the difference. I just got 2 things of proraso shaving soap its about as close to cream as I have ever gotten. I will try some cream some day. I use for the most part Williams shaving soap and its always worked fine for me at a dollar a puck.....I know I am a cheapskate. This sit is breaking me though I must say.

And then there is the in-between, the Italian style soft soaps- Cella Crema Sapone (the 1kg), Cella in the red tub, Vitos, Valobra, P160 (good luck) R160, Proraso in the tub etc. Easier to load that traditional hard soaps (IMHO) they seem to work well with all kinds of brushes, waters and lather styles and they can be a great value. (I can shave for almost two months on $1US worth of Cella Crema Sapone if I pay attention and shop carefully)

I find Tabac in the soap to be not much harder than the Italian style soap soaps and very easy to load and lather...

And I suspect that many of us could shave for a decade or two with what we have stashed in the shave den....

Enjoy the journey and smooth shaving..

When I first got into wet shaving about a year ago I bought a Merkur DE and Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandlewood cream. The Taylor was very newbie friendly and I got very comfortable shaves with it using the DE. But when I began using a SR, I found the Taylor didn't provide enough glide for me as a beginner, so I switched to a Proraso soft soap and found that to be better for me with a SR. In my very limited experience it seems the best soap or cream may depend a little on the shaving system.

I've been hoarding a lot of artisan soaps. It's entertaining experimenting with different soaps/creams that suits your facial needs.

I have found that creams are easier to lather and are great for DE shaving. However, for SR shaving it seems that soaps are slicker and provide a better cushion. IMHO soaps are not that much harder to lather than creams, but they seem to take more water.

Originally Posted by MJC

And then there is the in-between, the Italian style soft soaps- Cella Crema Sapone (the 1kg), Cella in the red tub, Vitos, Valobra, P160 (good luck) R160, Proraso in the tub etc. Easier to load that traditional hard soaps (IMHO) they seem to work well with all kinds of brushes, waters and lather styles and they can be a great value. (I can shave for almost two months on $1US worth of Cella Crema Sapone if I pay attention and shop carefully)

I find Tabac in the soap to be not much harder than the Italian style soap soaps and very easy to load and lather...

And I suspect that many of us could shave for a decade or two with what we have stashed in the shave den....

Enjoy the journey and smooth shaving..

Never was there a more true statement.

One plus to only buying pucks is you can use them in the shower if they do not meet your expectations as a shave soap.

But, what do you do with creams and soft soaps? Tried using a cream in the shower. That did not work out so well. A little practice might help.

For now, I just use creams and soft soaps for pre-lather.

I've never used anything but soaps. When you find one you like, you'll learn quickly how to make a good lather. I load the brush from the container and lather right on my face. It's a cinch once you get the hang of it.

Also, I've found glycerin soaps to be easier than milled soaps, but they don't last as long.