Thread: Best Soaps For Hard Water

This has come up in a couple other recent threads, but I think it deserves it's own thread. Title basically says it all. To those of you living in areas with hard water, what soaps and creams do you find to lather and moisturize the best with hard water?

http://straightrazorpalace.com/soaps...ard-water.html

There are a few more threads out there too

ahhh, I don't know why that didn't come up in my search for hard water! Thanks

I have found Mama Bear's soaps to lather up easily and effortlessly with the hard water we have here in the central valley of California. Mitchell's Wool Fat does an exceptional job as well.

When I go to my hometown of Big Stone Gap, Virginia, nestled in the Appalachians and lather up using water filtered down from the mountains it looks like my badger exploded.

For other soaps I use my boar brush and it whips up a fast lather no matter the water conditions.

Just my two cents worth.

Palmolive and arko are fine in hard water area where I live. most creams are fine to but a badger hair brush is more effective then boar hair for mixing the lather up.

Also lots of moisturiser once you have finished the shave helps to.

aeon,

I know Edmonton has a reputation for having water that leans towards the hard side of the spectrum. Don't worry too much about. I have well over a dozen soaps and creams, and have found only one brand of soap that will not play nice, which for the record may or may not due to our local water supply.

I've always lived in an area with very hard water, but to be honest, until I started reading posts on SRP about the problems I should be having, I'd never given it a second thought.
It's never been much trouble getting a decent lather with any of the soaps and creams I've used. At the moment I'm using one from the Body Shop which works well.

Originally Posted by Ryan82

aeon,

I know Edmonton has a reputation for having water that leans towards the hard side of the spectrum. Don't worry too much about. I have well over a dozen soaps and creams, and have found only one brand of soap that will not play nice, which for the record may or may not due to our local water supply.

I had a feeling most of my issues with building a decent lather were problems with me and not the soap/water, but I figured it best to maximize my odds. Things are starting to work out better for me, which is a relief. Those first few shaves were far from perfect.

I FIND THAT A BADGER HAIR BRUSH, EVEN A CHEAPER ONE WORKS HEADS AND HANDS ABOVER TRYING TO USE A BOARS HAIR BRUSH, EVEN A ONE OF BETTER QUALITY. I HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT PRORASO SHAVING CREAM IN THE GREEN TUBE WORKS WELL IN HARD WATER, AS DOES STRAGHT RAZOR DESIGNS OWN SHAVING SOAPS, I'VE ONLY TRIED 2 OF THEM, BUT THEY WORK WELL AND ARE REASONABLY PRICED TO BOOT, THANK YOU LYNN. MY FIX/ALL FOR VERY,VERY HARD WATER IS TO BUY DISTILLED WATER AND MICROWAVE A FEW OUNCES, NOT TO MUCH AND JUST USE THAT TO ACTUALLY MAKE THE LATHER. I USE REGULAR TAP WATER TO WARM UP THE SHAVING MUG AND THE DISTILLED TO WET THE SHAVING BRUSH AND TO MAKE THE LATHER. NOT REVOLUTIONARY, BUT BASIC AND USEABLE. HAVE A GREAT SHAVE AND A DAY TO MATCH!!

TINKERSD OR SRP

Although I live in a hard water area, I have found Mama Bear's, Mitchell's Wool Fat and Proraso shaving soap to lather quite well.