I love the soap, but the soap don't love me...

ok, I'm one of those lucky guys that has sensitive skin, and stubborn whiskers. Right from the start of my wet shaving journey, I 've been using soaps, and believe me, I 've used quite a lot. I've had some really excellent shaves from most of them, but for one thing...irritation, in one form or another. In fact, I have a Simpson Duke3 Best, that I was so tempted to sell at one point, due to irritation from the bristles. But now, it is the brush that I reach for whenever I purchase a new soap...why? Because I've learned that if I get irritated when I'm lathering my face, then that is not a soap that agrees with my skin. When did this epiphany happen? The moment that I tried Mike's shaving soap. I lathered my face, and, hang on! This is a really nice brush, and I actually enjoyed an irritation free face lathering, and the shave was also free from irritation. The only factor that had changed was the soap. So, what I'm trying to say is, if you have sensitive skin, and you've had a really nice shave, but you know that your face should feel better than it does, try a different soap. Finding a soap that agrees with my skin totally changed my shaves for the better. At the moment, I only use 2 soaps on my face, and that's 'Mike's Natural Soaps' and 'Phoenix and Beau', both unscented... I have some Le Pere Lucien to try at the weekend, so fingers crossed. If this post makes the penny drop for just one person, then I'll be happy..

Its got to be something common in the soaps that irritate you. Read the labels and try to find a common ingredient thats not in the soap's you use. Just a thought. Good luck. and welcome.

Try some MWF A.K.A. Mitchell's Wool Fat. Lots of lanolin, and it is a great latherer. For a real treat get some shaving cream and squeeze a dab into a shaving bowl, lather up on the MWF puck, and then in the bowl with the dab of cream. MWF is particularly good for that because it doesn't have much scent. So there is no conflict with the scent of the cream.

yeah, MWF was one of the big guns that I tried in the early days... can't remember why it didn't click, I might have to revisit that one... Tabac was another early one...jeez what a lather, but the fragrance must have killed it for me.

Two soaps that I have used lately that lather well and seem mild to me are both Haslinger soaps. Their Scharfsmilch, has lanolin, and Hoenig varieties. The Scharfsmilch has a mild clean soapy smell like MWF and the Hoenig smells mildly like Honey. I think I prefer Scarfsmilch to MWF as it is not as fussy to lather. These will make a lather, I think, that is comparable to Tabac for being rich, creamy and slick but without the Tabc scent. Glad I like the Tabac scent.

Bob

I've really been enjoying Haslinger schafmilch as well. I recently picked up a tub of Phoenix and Beau citra royale from Maggard's and am officially impressed. It might rival schafmilch for post shave on my skin. Great stuff.

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Originally Posted by BobH

Two soaps that I have used lately that lather well and seem mild to me are both Haslinger soaps. Their Scharfsmilch, has lanolin, and Hoenig varieties. The Scharfsmilch has a mild clean soapy smell like MWF and the Hoenig smells mildly like Honey. I think I prefer Scarfsmilch to MWF as it is not as fussy to lather. These will make a lather, I think, that is comparable to Tabac for being rich, creamy and slick but without the Tabc scent. Glad I like the Tabac scent.

Bob

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What about the Musgo creams, know you're a fan as well - been really enjoying them lately - the Classic is superb, enjoy the Lavender, and waiting to try the Musgo Real Oak Moss - all have lanolin as well and are stellar latherers...

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Originally Posted by Phrank

What about the Musgo creams, know you're a fan as well - been really enjoying them lately - the Classic is superb, enjoy the Lavender, and waiting to try the Musgo Real Oak Moss - all have lanolin as well and are stellar latherers...

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I had one tube of Musgo Classic shave cream which I thought was a good cream. I now have their shave soap puck which I also like. The scent is like the Classic cream and the lather is very good too. I seem to have gotten away from creams and prefer pucks for some reason. Just like the process of loading the brush on a puck more I guess.

Bob

I've never been a real cream fan. It's just too easy. Soap is the classic way. All these fancy brushes, I mean to get my moneys worth out of them.

I second MWF for sensitive skin it's pretty mild stuff with a simple clean scent.

I too am a big fan of Mikes Natural Soaps. For me they have an extraordinary density to them that I don't get often. You can just feel that tallow and lanolin, rich and creamy with a nice post shave softness to the skin. I don't have sensitive skin and scents have never been a deal breaker over shaving performance. i generally go for easy to lather slick rich body soaps being of primary importance and if the scent isn't vile i can live with that over a nice scent that doesn't impress performance wise. Mikes, Haslinger, MWF, Barrister and Mann and Tabac, some of my go to favorites, skin feel is great even if some of them don't have the best scent in the world.