What do you prefer and why, are you a soap guy, Do you like lathering up with a mug and a puck of soap, or do you prefer mixing shave creams up in a heated bowl, Which are you? Which brands do you like. I'm sure this has been posted before.
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What do you prefer and why, are you a soap guy, Do you like lathering up with a mug and a puck of soap, or do you prefer mixing shave creams up in a heated bowl, Which are you? Which brands do you like. I'm sure this has been posted before.
If there are 2500 members here, there will be 2500 different opinions. :shrug: It gets down to personal likes. My preference is soap. But I like creams as well.
OK, I realize there are lot of members, I don't think I'll get 2500 responses. That would entail a lot of reading. I read a lot about soaps on this forum, and I'm wondering why more guys prefer soap over cream, that's all. IMO the lather is better, Just wondering.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of each?
I use mostly soaps, but I usually add a shot of cream in there for superlather....so I bastardize the whole process!
What are the individual merits?
That's what I mean, most everyone I hear likes soaps, They don't seem to lather as well as cream, they need help as you stated...What gives
While I do use creams, I'm primarily a soap guy. IMHO, soaps lather up a little lighter and have less "cushion". I like this when using a straight as I feel like I get better feedback and have a better sense of what's going on at the edge. I also enjoy the "building" process of soap lather compared to creams.
When using a DE (about once a year now :D), I prefer creams because I feel they give a little more protection and I don't need the feedback I do with a straight. Creams also carry scents a little better than soaps.
Others may have the opposite experience, but...whatever. Its all good stuff.
EDIT: My soap lather doesn't need any help.
Jordan
+1. I used to be a soap guy and strictly did face lathering. I now do the superlather more often then not. Always lather in a bowl because it works better for me. I like the triple milled stuff like Harris and Trumpers and the glycerin based soaps such as those by QED and Coleen. Also Tabac and MWF. I use a few different flavors of Salter's cream. I may branch out to try other creams if I can quit buying razors and rocks.
I'm mostly a soap latherer...actually, I'm mostly a STICk latherer, and I face lather exclusively. I like soaps mostly because they last forever and a day--seriously, I can't imagine the day when my MWF stick disappears. Tabac is quite good as well, very old school scent. I love Valobra sticks, and Cella Crema is OUTSTANDING. Yep, soaps. Gotta love them
Creams are growing on me, though, mostly becuase of the scent issue mentioned, and the cusion effect.
I must admit, about the only glycerin soap that I've liked so far was VDH deluxe...amazing performance at that price. Boggles the mind, actually.
I love some of my creams but soaps are just cheaper. There are some soaps that are just superior to creams. After you try a puck of Penhaligons you will never look at creams the same again!
Take care,
Richard
I mostly use creams but sometimes I like to mix both. Trufit is nice.
I mostly use cream, because I love the CF products.But Colleens soaps are also great.
Okay, I'm a soap guy, since I only have one soap, a Dr. Harris Arlington, which I just love. BUT, today I received a TAoS unscented cream sample (The Different Scent sent me a ton of samples, like 4-5 with my straight, very recommended vendor), which is probably good for at least two goes, so as soon as I've gotten a feel of my straight, I'm gonna try that out and post an update here and a review in the review section here if there isn't one... :)
I like Mama Bear's soaps in various different flavors but always give a shot of Kiss My Face unscented cream to the brush plus a couple drops of glycerin for an uberlather. The unscented cream doesn't change the scent of the soap but gives an added dimension to the lather. I have been doing this for a couple months and it is the best lather I have used so far.
bj
Oh yeah man, I forgot to mention the answer in my post ;-). I like both, as long as they are good ;-). No preference a priori.
Al raz.
I want to use soap as I find it more classy but I do find the lather not to be as good as cream.
The soaps I have are trufitt&hill, Colleen's sandalwood and Edwin Jagger's sandalwood (never used, but love the scent)
I find that colleen's have worked best of the two I have tried, but it might be due to that my lathering skills have improved.
I also use Palmolive's cream that I find gives a very rich shiny lather that I can't get with soaps. It is easier to get that great lather from the cream rather than from the soaps..But I wan't to be a soap guy:cry:
Is it just the nature of soap to have a lighter lather and creams to have a richer and thicker lather, or is it just my inexperience with lathering up?:shrug:
Here's what a shot of unscented KMF does for a under-performing Williams lather:
Straight Williams lather (not known for having a super-rich consistancy)
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/attachm...1&d=1232164691
And then a shot of KMF, and the lather gets as nice as any out there, look at that peak standing tall and proud!:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/attachm...1&d=1232164757
It seems that the combination of the two is what gives the great consistancy.
Here's the lather from the KMF alone:
http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/att...1&d=1232002882
Cream, because it gives me a thicker lather, no, I'm not a soap guy, no I dont like lathering up with a mug and soap, yes I prefer mixing shave creams up in a heated bowl, I like Trumper. Just answering your questions in the same order you asked :D
How can there be more than 2 answers if there are only 2 possible answers? ";"
Stuggi, Yes I know but actually Palmolive shave cream is really great! I can't tell you enough how good it is, the smell a bit neutral but the lather rich, creamy and shiny. And a little goes around for the whole neighbourhood :D
And the price..I bought 2 tubes for 39 swedish kronor..whats that less than 4 euros?
Seraphim, that's really cool! Can I use anything instead of that KMF?I don't think it's available in Sweden.
No, we don't have Coop here in Finland, but I'll check the local supermarkets, the shaving sections are currently growing quite fast (2 months ago only one store carried DE blades, now every store has Gillette Sweedes, and some of them even have some cheapo brands) ^^ Otherwise I might take you up on that offer! :D
I use and like both soaps and creams. I don't really prefer one over the other at all. I guess I need to keep buying and trying them all until I develop a preference for one over the other. :)
Water hardness makes a huuuuuge difference in lather. We have extremely hard water here in Salt Lake City. Some of the hardest in the U.S. I just made a batch of lather with distilled water. The difference is much greater than you'd imagine. Gonna keep a gallon jug of distilled water in the bathroom from now on.
Guys I will chime in here. Soaps and Creams debate. The winner is........................ What you prefer. It has a lot more to do with then just lather. I can get a great lather out of a bar a Zest. That does not make it great to shave with. High Quality Soaps and High Quality Creams will both do your face well. And it is about your face. Cutting hair is the easy part. What it does to your skin is what maters. Over time using a great soap or cream your face will be in better shape. That is the big advantage with shaving with a DE or Straight. If you want the closet shave stick to the Mach 10 or where ever they are now. They advertise why they are so bad for you they cut the hair under the skin. BAD BAD BAD. Razor Bumps ingrown hairs infections and so on. If you have a lady friend that complains about bumps, itchy legs etc. Get her to get a great quality cream or soap and a DE or straight. Her problems will disappear. Same goes for your face just with your face you it will not bother you as bad because the facial skin is tougher but over time the same results will show including early wrinkles. Its OK Guys we can take care of our skin to. lol
On the whats better side the only really thing if you are comparing apples to apples (quality to quality). Is Cream is easier to work a great lather. A lot of people give up on soaps or do not get the true benefit because they do not know how to build a great soap lather and creams come easier. To big mistakes people make when building a lather. To much water and they do not work it long enough. Water you can add but you can not take away little at a time. Work it. Your brush will not break go to town till it is the consistency you want. some like that big face full some like it more rich and creamy.
No Go and Make Great Lather:roflmao
I tried the TAoS cream, and I must say I was impressed, more lather, and thicker lather, much more easily than with soap. My next buy is def. going to be some sort of lavender cream, prob. Harris since I like their soap so much. :)