a vast conspiracy against us wetshavers!

[Eben Stone]

again ive experiemented with ALL my soaps at various times through out my time wetshaving. this i a recurring pattern out of at least 80 percent of the soaps i have and have tried there either is slickness or cushion but not both

I wish I could be more helpful. When I started my wet shaving journey I read through all the threads here about the slickest soaps and I only tried those. Ok maybe a few exceptions. Some are better than others. I've only encountered a few duds.

IMO, some of the most popular soaps are also the worst performing soaps.

I sold or trashed the duds. I suggest you do the same and don't look back.

 

[Filudo]

maybe find one that you like and stick to it?

There is great variability from soap to soap.....and I think we all value different aspects of them.....so I am convinced there is one that works for each of us.......
Don't spend much money trying to find the "best" one......after all, if you really liked the "gel".....go for it and save money.
I really don't like gel, but I am OK w foam.....
And soap makers.....they are in it to make a profit......it's all about money, just like any other business.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

this might sound like a joke but im being totally honest when i say this. i just had a call with my psychaiatrist thursday and tshe raised my anti-psychotic but the pharmacy didnt deliver it. schizoaffective disorder is a scourge on men. its very frustrating for me when things i do during my hobbies consistently dont work out because of one of the items used in it

Sorry to hear about the health issues, Staggers. I hope that pharmacy issue gets resolved soon.

Soap wise, there are several hundred members posting here every day, and getting lathers they are very happy with. They are not all hoodwinked morons or liars. Many chase around various products, and eventually land upon their favourites, but those favourites are not universal. They all have different methods, different water chemistry, different preferences. The lather you chase is different to the lather I chase. To me personally, cushion is an obstacle. I do not want that from my lather. I'm not under the cognitive influence of any soap makers, I just know what works best for me.

Have you tried adding a bit of citric acid to your water? Even if that doesn't cure the problem, it may make a positive change. If such an adjustment to water hardness does make any form of difference, that could open up a new avenue for you to explore.

If you do decide to go back to gel, I have recently discovered that Erasmic low foaming gel is a very good product (for me), and might be worth a try if you can source it. I have complex neurological challenges, and it's a handy thing for me to reach for on the bad health days.

 

[slyfox279]

I've been able to shave with all of the two dozen (or so) soaps and creams I've used...even Arko!

Sure, there are differences, just not enough to impact my shaves significantly.

i’ve tried 30–50 soaps i can get a useable lather out of all but 2. but some work better then others. mdc gives me best shave. I can’t really sense cushion or slickness i just know did it give me irritation, did i get cuts. was it pleasant. etc. honestly some days a soap that I’ve gotten fantastic shaves with gives me terrible shave with nicks. mdc never has but I like varity. water hardness could be causing his isssues. I have soft water so i’ve been able to use everything but mitchel’s wool fat and williams.

 

[The Blackadder]

I got bad shaves for months due to bad lathers. I’m just starting to see the light thanks to the advice “damp brush, enough soap, add water little by little”

 

[Frito Ray]

1) As mentioned by other members before, folks with hard water often have a rougher time with their lather. Google your city, or call their water department and find out if you have hard or soft water. If you discover you have hard water (or can’t get the info) then you can purchase a gallon of distilled or demineralized water for maybe a buck or two at the supermarket. It‘s a cheap enough way to discover if the quality of your water could be the issue.

2) Each and every soap and cream I bowl lather benefits from adding 3-4 drops of glycerine into the mix. A cheap 100ml of glycerine from the pharmacy will last for years. If you decide to try it, I would suggest transferring it to an empty bottle that has a lid with an integrated eye-dropper. The pharmacists usually keeps them behind the counter, so you have to ask for them. The should only cost a buck or two depending on the size.

3) If you ever go back to the canned stuff, give Proraso a try. I use it regularly for quick shaves and really like it. To my skin it is better than the Gillette, Schick, Barbasol, and Aveeno cans.

4) If you list the soaps you have tried, perhaps folks will have an easier time helping you.

 

[Quaznoid]

I lather with bath soap and I never have any difficulty with any soap. Like everything else, it’s technique that makes it work or not. Calm down and work on it. Soak brush, three shakes, swirl it on the soap 30 seconds, apply to wet face. That’s it.
If it’s not working for you, go with canned foam.

 

[spacemonkey42]

When I was having a bad stretch of lathers, folks here reminded me to use more soap, load the brush like heck, then gradually add water. Like many, I had too little soap and was adding too much water. Try the method in this video, it really helped me! Good luck

 

[gpjoe]

thats why im saying there is some kind of scheme going on a social experiment or something where they say they are all different often enough that people believe them . in terms of lubrication and cushion factor

Actually, my point was that while there may be small differences between brands, and they all seem to accomplish the task - for me.

I don't believe there is some nefarious conspiracy, just differences, as with any product. I do believe that soap makers exploit our passion for the hobby, also true with many products.

Simple solution is to buy one you like and stick with it

 

[AshleyC]

My soap technique is simple. It begins with me inspecting my soap mugs and my brushes and admiring how they dress up my whole shaving display.

Step Two is reaching over the mugs and brushes and selecting a tube of Cremo Cream, VDH Shave Butter, C.O. Bigelow, Proraso, etc. Squeeze a bit on your hand, rub it on with your palm, shave. The slickness and cushion is never variable and is not dependent on my judgement of whether I've stirred in enough crappy hard tapwater or not.

And while others are still stirring and mixing and recreating what each morning must've been like in "The Anal-Retentive Chef's" bathroom, I'm on my second pass.

And when I'm shaving, the cream on my neck doesn't dry out while I'm working on my face. It remains the same predictable consistency.

Of course I'm joking a little. But only a little. I have soaps and use them. I just use creams far more often.

 

[brucered]

Key points for me to make a soap work:

- Stop rotating, stick with one for a month or longer.
- Load way more than you think you need, then load more
- Face lather. Ditch the bowl. It's easier to feel the lather consistency on your face.
- Add water slowly if needed.

There are definitely differences between soaps and creams. If you stick with high quality soaps (non basement artisan made), they have similar qualities and will all work. Tallow Tabac, SV, Proraso, PdP, DR Harris, etc.

Read some of the 3017 thread for suggestions on other soaps.

@gpjoe was posting some similar points at the same time. Take his advise as well. There seems to be a theme here, maybe some of us know what we are talking about.

User error is hard to admit but it is often/usually the underlying problem.

 

[cvac]

I tried straight razors about a decade ago. At that time, I had already been DE shaving for around 5 years and expected that I could make the transition.

Boy was I wrong. The learning curve was much steeper than I imagined. After several bad shaves I had to give it up. Couldn't go into the office with a beet red, irritated face at the time.

Instead of blaming my shaving cream/soap or the razors - I blamed myself. I did not have the patience or skill to learn straight razors at that time. The bad shaves were based on my faulty beginner technique.

My technique was also poor when I started DE shaving. It got better over time though.

Some folks get better at things over time with practice, but it's also possible for bad habits to get INGRAINED. When that happens they become difficult to UNLEARN.

FWIW I've tried a LOT of soaps and creams over the years. Full products, not just dinky samples. I have around 55 in my cabinet at the moment and have had many more than that before. The majority of products I have tried work fine when used properly. There are some known dud products out there, but anyone with some simple search skills should be able to avoid those.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

How can we be sure it is Big Soap conspiring against us? It could be Big Water - after all, they have form. Could be Big Brush too. Or maybe they are all in it together.

The question we really need to ask, though, is what their real objective is. Why are they so determined to ruin our shaves? Why is it so important for them to deny us both cushion AND slickness, and what is in it for them? Who gains, and how? Answer this and we will surely see more clearly what is going on, and what the endgame is.

I think you’re definitely onto something but more investigation is needed. Keep up the good work.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

this is all crap and im really starting to think i should just go back to a dispoasble and canned cream at least then i got a predictable shave

You can use canned cream with straights and DEs too. Many people do. May want to add a little water to it if1 you're using a straight.

 

[Raven Koenes]

I face lather starting with a damp brush and lots of product. I wet the tips little by little working it in. I'll tap the brush sideways in a spot on my face. If the brush leaves peaks it is not hydrated enough. If it doesn't leave peaks in the lather it's good. This works with any soap or cream. Tallow or lanolin may leave residual slickness. I think that is what they call a cushion. That's nice but not necessary for a good shave. I get great shaves with Proraso. It's not known for a lot of residual slickness. As long as a soap is hydrated enough to provide glide that is what is needed. What you don't want is for the razor to stop mid-stroke because your soap is dry. As @Quaznoid said even bar soaps work, and if soaps and creams are not working you can always go back to foam. There is no shame in that. I like Barbasol. A can lasts a long time and it is inexpensive.

 

[cvac]

I usually recommend soft lather creams in tubes to most newbs because they are the easiest to work with to make traditional shave lather. I do use creams and soaps interchangeably and using a soft cream doesn't save that much time for me.

It takes me about one extra minute to lather a hard triple milled soap. I don't have excessively hard water though, and I know what I am doing.

Based on YT vids, I'll say a number of supposed long time wetshavers look like they never learned to lather properly in the first place.

My theory is that problems like hard water, and/or an unwillingness to learn to lather properly ("it can't be my fault!") are why we now have a whole bunch of folks on here and other forums recommending canned goop and brushless creams or promoting the use of such products and saying traditional soaps and creams are no good. I would love to see some of these folks make a lather video.

Oh, they really save so much time. If I used a brushless cream or canned goop, it would save maybe 2-3 minutes total off my shave. I bet these people are the same folks that gun it 1 block only to hit a red light in their "men extender" trucks and SUVs.

 

[Billhanna]

I cannot build whipped cream to save my life. I just face lather until I like what I see, then shave. I’m now allllllmost as handsome as @FarmerTan. Like 73%. It’s good enough for my wife, doggone it.

 

[zygalski]

How exactly does a water-based lather "cushion" against an extremely sharp solid piece of stainless steel?

 

[EclipseRedRing]

this might sound like a joke but im being totally honest when i say this. i just had a call with my psychaiatrist thursday and tshe raised my anti-psychotic but the pharmacy didnt deliver it. schizoaffective disorder is a scourge on men. its very frustrating for me when things i do during my hobbies consistently dont work out because of one of the items used in it

It sounds like this is making you unhappy so my advice is to stop doing it, at least for a while; maybe talk it over with your psychiatrist the next time you speak with her. There are things which are important in life - shaving soap is not one of those things. Good luck to you.

 

[sternej]

As far as cushion goes, I always have to whip/beat some air into it. Really working it like a kitchen cook. Slickness is more dependant on the exact amount of water. Starting slightly drier and dipping the brush tip in some water a bit at a time. For my mileage, I always have to use a bowl even if it's a soap in a bowl I offload it. Face lathering is a hard pass for me.