Classic shaving and shaving with a safety razor is a ritual that has been enjoyed by many for over a hundred years. The most important ingredient for a quality and enjoyable shave is shaving soap. Although ready-made foams and shaving gels can be considered an alternative to genuine shaving soap, they will never be able to give you the same result and the refreshing and comfortable feeling on your face. Shaving soaps are genuine soaps made in traditional ways, leveraging centuries-old knowledge and artisanry. It is always best to use the shaving soap with a very high-quality brush and with a bowl or mug. A natural hair shaving brush such as a badger or boar hair will give you great results.
A good shaving soap will soften and lubricate your hair and moisturize and condition your skin. The shaving soap will help to remove the dead skin and skin oils on your face so that the water penetrates the hair and the razor does not disturb it while shaving.
Shaving soaps are often thought to give a smoother shave, and this is due to the addition of specific additives such as sebum, lanolin, glycerin, and bentonite. This ensures a smoother and gentler shave, especially for men with coarse and thick beards. Traditional shaving soaps are usually made from animal fat, but more vegetarian versions are made from vegetable oils. Fats derived from animals such as tallow are usually high in foam and oleic acid, which acts as an emollient.
How to use a Shaving soap?
Getting the proper lather for your shave is essential and more challenging than you might think, so we propose to use your shaving soap in the following way:
- If the shaving soap is a hard soap, soften the soap by adding a few drops of water onto it and waiting for a while.
- Soak your shaving brush in hot water and wait for it to really soak the water for a few minutes.
- Load your brush by swirling over the soap for multiple passes. The time and how many times you need to do this will depend on the softness of your soap. This can be done in a bowl or mug.
- After you build a nice thick lather on your brush, start by rubbing it on your face and take your time to gently rub it on your face. Make sure you have lather evenly on all parts of your face, and the lather is thick and dense.
If you really want to enjoy your shave, you should buy the best shaving soaps and choose your shaving soap based on your skin type as well as the type of your hair. If you have dry skin, you may need to use a shaving soap with more moisturizing properties. Firstly, a proper pre-shave solution or cream will help you to prepare your face if you feel razor burn or sensitivity after your shave. The pre-shave cream will also enhance protective oil for your skin and enhance the gliding properties of the shaving soap. In addition, the moisture on your skin will be preserved, and the risk of having razor burn or razor bumps will be greatly reduced. For people with sensitive skin, using a pre-shave cream and a high-quality shaving soap will deliver a much better experience and result than using a ready-made foam or gel.
Best Shaving soaps are made from additional fats of vegetable or biological origin. Some also contain glycerin. These ingredients help to give the shaving soaps an ideal smooth consistency and provide a protective layer of sebum without losing moisture. If you’re going to shave, it’s ideal to find the best shaving soaps to keep your skin safe and highly hydrated. Here are a few of the quintessential shaving soaps made for the shaving process to be easy and pain-free:
Taylor of Old bond Street Shaving Soaps
Worried about how to keep a close shave? Then you should consider Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving soaps. This is a traditional soap made with the hot pour method and is sold in unsealed jars. Classic scents like Sandalwood are always a favorite for many classic wet shavers. They are made from natural ingredients, and there is a huge variety of scents available.
Pro: High-quality ingredients and a variety of scents and formulas, very good initial lather, rich finish and feel, excellent moisture.
Cons: Softer soap which is less durable than hard soap, might take time to find your favorite scent among the huge variety.
Proraso Shaving Soaps
Another hot pour soft soap made in Italian tradition for a very long time and has been a favorite for generations of classic shavers. They come in 4 different varieties based on your beard and skin type: sensitive, refreshing, coarse, and protective. It can be combined easily with matching pre-shave cream and after-shave balm.
Pro: Soft and easy to lather, a great value for the price, easy selection depending on your skin and hair type.
Cons: Barbershop style is both a pro and a con; the lather might not be long lasting
Colonel Ichabod Conker’s Shaving Soaps
When using Colonel Ichabod’s Konko Bay Rum Shaving Soap, you may want to put on an old soap opera theme song. Eventually, I was forced to go back to when my late father used this scent to cut my hair. This is the new form of one of the best shaving soaps. The base lather is a moderate size as it is smooth and not too greasy. It works well with the razor and doesn’t leave any residue on the skin after shaving, making for better skin. It also comes in a few other attractive scents.
Pros: Very good value at a very low price. It might take a while to lather
Cons: Cheap packaging