Thread: Beginner Q: Soap vs Cream? Which is easier to lather?

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

I think if you're bleeding after using a Mach3, then there's SOMETHING amiss! But your description on the soap sounds good, you seem to have plenty of it, and it sounds like it 'feels' OK. What else might be wrong, if not the soap?

I was thinking the same thing, Are you using too much pressure? or do you have bumps, areas on your face that make shaving challenging?

Originally Posted by zib

I was thinking the same thing, Are you using too much pressure? or do you have bumps, areas on your face that make shaving challenging?

Seriously here, perhaps you might want to see a dermatologist.

I've never heard of the soap you're using. As others have said, try something else. I've found some local soap makers who sell "shaving soap" but it flat out sucks for wet shaving. Maybe if I just rubbed the puck on my wet face it would work well. The Bigelow/Proraso stuff is good. If you have a Rite Aid nearby they usually carry a brand called "The Real Shave Co". It is a cream and is $5-$6. Not stellar but it produces a good lather, quickly. The scent is also mild. I tend to use it for mixing with soaps that I like the smell of that just don't lather well. Other easily affordable options include the SRD and Mama Bear soaps. Great stuff, either way. They'll fill your bowl if that's what you want them to do. TOBS can also be found on Amazon for around $12 a tub from time to time. The VDH soap, while nothing amazing is only $3 a puck and works halfway decently.
Personally, I'd rather spend the extra few bucks for something better but if you combine it with your soap it may work wonderfully.

If you want to fill your bowl with lather you can, but you'll waste a lot of it. If it dries out on your face you can also wet your face first.
I've got a pretty spartan routine that I enjoy-
Soak Brush for 5 minutes in cold water.
Shake it once or twice then rub my face lightly with the wet brush.
With my TOBS, I swirl it 4 times in the tub and start making lather. I usually add 5-6 drops of water to it as the lather forms up.
For soaps each one is different but I load it up until I like how it looks. Add water to lather bowl if needed. If you have too much soap it will dry out too quickly so mess around making lather and not shaving with it.
Then I lather up for a minute or so and really scrub it in
Strop. 30 on Webbing, 50ish on leather.
Shave. If my lather is starting to dry I add a few drops to the bowl, mix them in and paint my face again.

I have a Rite-Aid near my house so I'll try to pick some of that up tonight. I like your idea of mixing it with the soap, because I really like the smell and it's done wonders for my skin. Next time I'm at the mall I plan on picking up the Bigelow stuff.

As for the bleeding, I have a patch of skin on my neck that's really sensitive. It's just below the chin, down the entire the middle of the neck. My beard is also thick, so 2 or three passes of a triple bladed razor is just too much for it to handle. And if I use just one pass, the stubble looks like I took a weedwhacker to it because the blades get immediately clogged and don't cut anything. I barely use any pressure but those blades still cause all these little bleeding pinpricks. Fun times, folks.

What are you using for your post shave routine? The Nivea stuff for sensitive skin is great.

picked up a tube of the real shaving co from rite aid. for $4 it was worth a try. i'll put a little dab in my soap lather tomorrow.

as for post-shave, I dab the bleeding areas with my styptic, then apply Gillette Aftershave gel for sensitive skin. I like it a lot, but I'm open to other things too.

I get more irritation when I shave after a shower, so I'm going to try a cold shave tomorrow before I jump in the shower to see how it goes.

Originally Posted by U2Bono269

picked up a tube of the real shaving co from rite aid. for $4 it was worth a try. i'll put a little dab in my soap lather tomorrow.

as for post-shave, I dab the bleeding areas with my styptic, then apply Gillette Aftershave gel for sensitive skin. I like it a lot, but I'm open to other things too.

I get more irritation when I shave after a shower, so I'm going to try a cold shave tomorrow before I jump in the shower to see how it goes.

That reminds me of my pre straight razor days when I got the idea of using my disposable to shave in the shower. Man did my neck get irritated, well so was I that day. I still use Gillette's post shave gel too, I alternate it with Nivea's after shave balm.

Try a pre shave oil, make sure it's not for electric razors, we'll hear you scream!! I use Anthony pre-shave oil on my neck and it's great!