Thread: Shaving soap vs other soaps

What is the difference between shaving-soaps and any other soap?

Could I just go and buy any soap and get a good lather?

I am wondering because I found some nice sandalwood hand-soap in an indian store.

Shaving soaps are specially made to provide the lather and lubrication needed for shaving. I would think regular bath soaps would not provide the necessary lather, and would tend to dry the skin.

I started using a shaving brush back in the early '70s with the usual Old Spice or Williams pucks that were readily available. At some point I just started lathering with Dove soap and I continued that for decades. A couple of years ago I got into DE shaving and started using shaving soaps and creams and the improvement is dramatic. I wouldn't go back to the regular soap for love nor money.

Regular soaps don't lather so well and the lather don't last. Like dward said the skin drying is in there too. Soaps might feel quite slickery depending ingredients and you can shave with it if you don't somehow mind the lather.

I used to shave with liquid Dial soap until I found real shaving soap and Badger Brushes when I went to DE shaving. It was like I came out of the cave and moved into a condo.

bj