I've never weighed my soaps but dividing the net weight by my number of shaves, I'm somewhere in the 1-2 gram range on most soaps. With creams, probably more in the 4-5 gram range.
How much soap do you use per shave?
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I can't speak of soaps yet, but i 've kept track of my latest creams and i use 2-3ml per shave for creams and croaps. 3 full passes + 1 half-decent 4th pass. Face lathering. Bowl lathering, has lower consumption.
I am currently keeping track of shaves of Haslinger, but it's too early to tell. I don't weigh the soap. I simply write down the number of shaves in a document in the computer. Easier this way.
I am currently keeping track of shaves of Haslinger, but it's too early to tell. I don't weigh the soap. I simply write down the number of shaves in a document in the computer. Easier this way.
This is something I've never considered or cared to know. I must need to obsess more...
I have no idea how much soap I use, I have never weighed my soaps.
I load it like I hate it and then lather away
I load it like I hate it and then lather away
I have been bowl lathering recently and have been using WSP Formula T soap. I have been scooping approx 1.5g into my lather bowl and lathering with a relatively wet WCS Silvertip Badger Brush and adding some water as needed. This makes an insane amount of lather and I feel like I could get away with using significantly less soap. I most likely could get away with using half as much, but I want to get through my soaps quickly so I can try more things and lock in a system.
I could fine-tune my soap usage but have enough going on in life that, "good enough" is certainly going to be good enough for the near future. Interesting to see other people's thoughts/usage on this topic.
I could fine-tune my soap usage but have enough going on in life that, "good enough" is certainly going to be good enough for the near future. Interesting to see other people's thoughts/usage on this topic.
I've used anywhere from .25 to 7 g per day, depending on how much I like a soap and how hard it is.
Almost none, based on longevity!
AA
AA
I weigh my soaps typically every 5 or 10 shaves to get a better 'average'. I weight after it has had the lid off for about a day to let excess moisture evaporate.
I use pretty much the same soap daily until it is gone, i use synthetic 26mm brushes only, and i 'want' to use more soap as:
a) it gets me through my tubs faster, and
b) my shaves are better with more soap regardless of what anyone says. YMMV.
My usage for hard pucks such as D.R Harris is circa 1.5-1.8g per shave with a good 2 minute load after blooming.
For softer soaps such as B&M Glissant, Uncle Jon's, or Caties Bubbles, it ranges between 3-7g per shave. I also load my brush and build the lather on the puck initially by adding a small amount of water in this process before transferring to my face and building more lather there to the consistency i desire.
Using the same soap daily also means the soap keeps hydrated, therefore is softer to load, and as i get towards the end of a tub, the usage increases dramatically.
I don't lose any sleep using so much soap as i enjoy the whole process from buying to binning the empty tub. I'd rather use soap up than bin it because it turned bad from old age.
I use pretty much the same soap daily until it is gone, i use synthetic 26mm brushes only, and i 'want' to use more soap as:
a) it gets me through my tubs faster, and
b) my shaves are better with more soap regardless of what anyone says. YMMV.
My usage for hard pucks such as D.R Harris is circa 1.5-1.8g per shave with a good 2 minute load after blooming.
For softer soaps such as B&M Glissant, Uncle Jon's, or Caties Bubbles, it ranges between 3-7g per shave. I also load my brush and build the lather on the puck initially by adding a small amount of water in this process before transferring to my face and building more lather there to the consistency i desire.
Using the same soap daily also means the soap keeps hydrated, therefore is softer to load, and as i get towards the end of a tub, the usage increases dramatically.
I don't lose any sleep using so much soap as i enjoy the whole process from buying to binning the empty tub. I'd rather use soap up than bin it because it turned bad from old age.
Check out this thread for lots of information on usage. My Guess... 3017 Most of the guys here use a soap from start to finish and track the weight after every shave to determine average use per shave and how many shaves they get from each soap. This would take all the fun out of it for me but it seems to be right up your alley. Enjoy.
Factors for me would include: brush size, water hardness, physical hardness and latherability of the soap itself, frequency of use/giving the soap time to dry between shaves, lathering time, amount of water, how many passes, etc.
Factors for me would include: brush size, water hardness, physical hardness and latherability of the soap itself, frequency of use/giving the soap time to dry between shaves, lathering time, amount of water, how many passes, etc.
The easy way to calculate the per shave usage is to count the number of times used and divide it into the total weight of the tub. That’s your average daily usage.
If you’re a daily shaver and use the same soap every day till it’s finished, this is an easy calculation.
If you’re a daily shaver and use the same soap every day till it’s finished, this is an easy calculation.
I don’t bother. I just load my brush and lather my face. It doesn’t worry me how much soap or cream that I use as I have enough to last me quite a long time. For the members that do weigh everything, hats off to you for going the extra yards. It always marvels me how our brains think. How we can look at something and get two different opinions, and how something that means nothing to me can stir someone to go that little bit further.
It helps me to estimate how long i can expect a soap to last and look forward to it ending and a new one starting - ideal for when the climate changes and i want to move to my wintery soaps for example.
As far as weighing goes, as its the same tub, every week or so i just head to the kitchen with it and pop it on the kitchen scales. Takes only a moment, and then pop the figure in my spreadsheet on my phone or ipad.
If you track the number of shaves and use the same soap for every shave then the average usage is easy.
As mentioned above, the 3017 thread is a very useful source of info as it gives an easy way to track averages and many 3017ers keep and post their logs.
Being interested in usage or wanting to see how little is enough doesn't mean one is worried.
I've been looking for some info on old shaving stick ads to get some context on usage.
Ads are surely exaggerated at a time where there was little limit to what one could claim. If anyone can find some real records of usage from the same period i'd be curious to know.
I'm not sure how much soap was in a vintage Colgate stick - please chip in if you know.
So according to one ad "one man writes that he had 270 shaves on a single stick":
Another ad, published at a women's magazine, informs us that there are 50 shaves in a stick, which in all honesty sounds too little. There are instructions on how to add a stick refill and minimize waste (process that has been discussed here by the stick enthusiasts):
And lastly an ad boasting 350 shaves from a stick (so apparently an ancestor of @AimlessWanderer has been giving his figures to Colgate in the 1920s).
If you want to make your Nuavia last longer, apart from loading less and see how you like the lather, you can try to put some in a stick, something a lot of us do with our soaps. A starting place: Creating A Shave Stick
In general I think most people produce a lot more lather than they need. There's no use in have a 2cm thick layer on your face but it's fine to do so if you enjoy it.
All the above being said, nothing wrong with using 2 or 7 or 10 grams of soap per shave.
As mentioned above, the 3017 thread is a very useful source of info as it gives an easy way to track averages and many 3017ers keep and post their logs.
Being interested in usage or wanting to see how little is enough doesn't mean one is worried.
I've been looking for some info on old shaving stick ads to get some context on usage.
Ads are surely exaggerated at a time where there was little limit to what one could claim. If anyone can find some real records of usage from the same period i'd be curious to know.
I'm not sure how much soap was in a vintage Colgate stick - please chip in if you know.
So according to one ad "one man writes that he had 270 shaves on a single stick":
Another ad, published at a women's magazine, informs us that there are 50 shaves in a stick, which in all honesty sounds too little. There are instructions on how to add a stick refill and minimize waste (process that has been discussed here by the stick enthusiasts):
And lastly an ad boasting 350 shaves from a stick (so apparently an ancestor of @AimlessWanderer has been giving his figures to Colgate in the 1920s).
If you want to make your Nuavia last longer, apart from loading less and see how you like the lather, you can try to put some in a stick, something a lot of us do with our soaps. A starting place: Creating A Shave Stick
In general I think most people produce a lot more lather than they need. There's no use in have a 2cm thick layer on your face but it's fine to do so if you enjoy it.
All the above being said, nothing wrong with using 2 or 7 or 10 grams of soap per shave.
Great ads, thanks for sharing. I love those old ads.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
And lastly an ad boasting 350 shaves from a stick (so apparently an ancestor of @AimlessWanderer has been giving his figures to Colgate in the 1920s).
Even I don't get that many from a Palmolive stick (around 200), but that Colgate stick is shown as big as a bloke's torso
How much soap I use per shave never comes to mind. How a soap performs is my main concern. Lasting, slickness, hydration is mostly what I care about. With the exception of a kilo of Cella I use hard soaps that last 3-4 months, Cella well over 2 years. Cost is a preference and what your budget will hold. I like the Kilo of Cella, Arko, bowl pressed and Williams mix.
Buy a large puck of shaving soap, one too good to toss, too heavy to PIF, but one which is clearly not a favorite. Even if you use your largest boar, that puck will last forever.
Having an idea as to how long a soap will last helps to rationalize the cost. When you pay close to $50 for MDC, it helps to explain to the wife that it will last close to 2 years, maybe more, about $2 per month or 1 can of Foamy per month. Nuavia is equally if not more expensive. I'd want to stretch that baby out as long as possible and if I could get as good a shave with half the usage I would do so.
A synthetic brush uses 1/3 to 1/2 the soap of a boar.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
I only started keeping track of the samples, so I can see if a full puck would be value for money or not.
I already know a puck of Mitchell's lasts me around 500 shaves, and a Palmolive stick around 200. That works out around 0.25g per shave, although it will vary as I'm not precise in my loading.
With MdC I was using around 1/3g per shave, and as a full tub of that is several times the cost of Mitchell's, it works out at five times more per shave - and I prefer the post shave feel with Mitchell's. To me, value for money comes from both number of shaves per £1, and the quality of those shaves. MdC didn't justify its cost either way.
PdP worked out only slightly more expensive than Mitchell's but was an inferior shave, and Haslinger worked out a lot more, but also didn't offer anything extra over the soap it was modelled after.
Creams from the likes of Taylors and Truefitt, works out almost as expensive as MdC per shave IIRC, and give me a lather that's far too rich for my liking. If I thin them down, they lose slickness.
I'll continue to measure other samples the same way.
I already know a puck of Mitchell's lasts me around 500 shaves, and a Palmolive stick around 200. That works out around 0.25g per shave, although it will vary as I'm not precise in my loading.
With MdC I was using around 1/3g per shave, and as a full tub of that is several times the cost of Mitchell's, it works out at five times more per shave - and I prefer the post shave feel with Mitchell's. To me, value for money comes from both number of shaves per £1, and the quality of those shaves. MdC didn't justify its cost either way.
PdP worked out only slightly more expensive than Mitchell's but was an inferior shave, and Haslinger worked out a lot more, but also didn't offer anything extra over the soap it was modelled after.
Creams from the likes of Taylors and Truefitt, works out almost as expensive as MdC per shave IIRC, and give me a lather that's far too rich for my liking. If I thin them down, they lose slickness.
I'll continue to measure other samples the same way.
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