What's new

Best soap for hot shaving

I keep experimenting with various double-wall lathering bowls. shaving with hot/warm soap gives me always pleasure and relaxation. However, selection of proper soap is challenging. The high temperature makes things with lathering and keeping proper consistency difficult. Even made satisfactory it disappears quickly.

My question is, can you recommend soap good for hot shaving, based on experience?
 

Attachments

  • 76A160B2-F9C5-47DD-9EAC-2D2071DF2F1A.jpeg
    76A160B2-F9C5-47DD-9EAC-2D2071DF2F1A.jpeg
    1.5 MB · Views: 11
I keep experimenting with various double-wall lathering bowls. shaving with hot/warm soap gives me always pleasure and relaxation. However, selection of proper soap is challenging. The high temperature makes things with lathering and keeping proper consistency difficult. Even made satisfactory it disappears quickly.

My question is, can you recommend soap good for hot shaving, based on experience?
This is where a good superlather comes in handy. It's denser and better suited to handle the higher heat of the scuttle, I'd give it a try by first lathering with a shaving soap base and then adding in a good cream. It's what I do when I use a scuttle. You'll be rewarded with a denser, more stable lather that won't dissipate as quickly as that of a lather from each of the soap or cream used by themselves.
 
This is where a good superlather comes in handy. It's denser and better suited to handle the higher heat of the scuttle, I'd give it a try by first lathering with a shaving soap base and then adding in a good cream. It's what I do when I use a scuttle. You'll be rewarded with a denser, more stable lather that won't dissipate as quickly as that of a lather from each of the soap or cream used by themselves.
how/where could I get a „soap base”?
 

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
I abandoned scuttles ages ago for face lathering, but warm lather is so nice. I just run a tiny bit of hot water over the bristle tips and make a brief return to the puck if needed to ensure warmth for all three latherings. Since the lather doesn't need to sit, this enables me to use my preferred texture, wet but not so wet as to run down my throat and collarbone.
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
I just use regular soaps but I do not get them hot but just warm, I just put my ceramic shave bowl under the hot water for 20-30 seconds with the soap pressed in the lathering bowl & then heat up my brush and squeeze out excess moisture and create the lather. When done making my lather I sometimes give a second 20 seconds hot water flood over the top as shown and you have beautiful warm lather for the duration of the shave mostly. Works perfect for my shaving needs!
If my soap seems to be dried out slightly on the 2nd pass or 3rd pass I dip my brush tips carefully(mister works well also) to rejuvenate the lather to my liking.
Heat will evaporate moisture regardless out of the soap lather, to hot a lather makes it evaporate quicker.
Shaving bowl 2 (2).jpg
Shaving bowl Septemper 11, 2022.jpg

Have some great shaves!
 
Last edited:
I place my deep bowl in the sink that is partially filled with hot water. Where it remains for the entire shave, keeping the lather, and the brush toasty warm. 🤗
 
I've been trying this for a great feeling warm shave.

Hot water from the tap in a warmed ceramic coffee cup. Sit the brush in there for a minute or so.
Wet face and use a shave stick or soap puck as a shave stick.
Face lather with hot brush.

Subsequent passes this way are a little tricky, which is why I have an antique shaving scuttle on the way. The lathered brush can then sit on the "soap holder" top of the scuttle, where steam will continue to keep it warm due to the drain holes. That's the theory at least. I'll find out for sure in a couple of days.

Here's the type of scuttle I'm talking about:
antiquescuttle.jpg
 
Very timely thread for me, as I have just received a scuttle and have had poor results with it.

Trying to get a good lather that does not break down, is challenging because the micro air bubbles in the lather out-gas, forming larger and larger bubbles, thereby breaking down the structure of the lather. I don't think that the type of soap used will make a difference. Perhaps the use of soap / cream mixture, as @Pedigree has suggested is the solution.

So far, as far as I can tell, starting with warm (not hot) water is necessary and keeping the lather temperature constant throughout the process of making the lather is necessary. Don't expect the brush and lather that cools down to be put into the warm scuttle without it breaking down.

Too hot a water temperature and / or too drastic a change in temperature is the culprit.

I should also add, that I am a face latherer, but was hoping for warm lather for my weekly head shaves. For my face, I simple dip the brush tips in warm water and face lather and get the warm lather that way. My head shaves don't permit that.
 
Ive got the best results with shaving cream (not soap), boiling water and little water, then gradually adding more water. The growing bubbles are typical when you start with too much water.
 
I've been trying this for a great feeling warm shave.

Hot water from the tap in a warmed ceramic coffee cup. Sit the brush in there for a minute or so.
Wet face and use a shave stick or soap puck as a shave stick.
Face lather with hot brush.

Subsequent passes this way are a little tricky, which is why I have an antique shaving scuttle on the way. The lathered brush can then sit on the "soap holder" top of the scuttle, where steam will continue to keep it warm due to the drain holes. That's the theory at least. I'll find out for sure in a couple of days.

Here's the type of scuttle I'm talking about:
View attachment 1591170
Yep. This is/was my go to facelathering, keep the brush and lather warm between passes technique. I still use it for soaking my brushes regardless of temps. Mine doesn’t have holes in the top soap dish, but the ceramic heat sinking works fine.

Any “too hot” method will cause a breakdown, but a pleasantly warm lather on a cold day is pretty easily achievable.
 

musicman1951

three-tu-tu, three-tu-tu
I use hot tap water in the scuttle, but my hot water is around 135 degrees. MdC, WK, Haslinger and Canada soaps work great for me. SV does not hold up to the heat.

3rd pass is the warmest. Lovely.
 
Best soap for the scuttle is CREAM. That is what most scuttles were meant for.

If you like HOT lather get a tallow soap like WSP T FORMULA.
 
I like warm shaving, but would find daily shaving with very hot water drying to the skin. A ceramic lather bowl resting in a sink of hot water works pretty nicely for bowl lathering. I only make enough to shave with, not gigantic amounts.

Face lathering with very warm water to start and using a brush scuttle to keep the brush warm (or hot) can work well. That avoids the need to keep a big bowl of lather hot without breaking down.

I'd agree you'll probably have a better success rate with creams.
 
Top Bottom