Can it be? Do I get a better shave with soap?

[Shavegeek76]

For all you experienced wet DE shavers: Why do I get a better, closer shave with a soap rather than a cream?

Gillette Slim Adjustable
Gillette 7 O'clock
Mitchell's Wool Fat
AOS Badger Brush

 

[ScottVTS]

They are generally slicker but provide less protection than creams. This is a general rule.

 

[AFG]

Soaps can be less protective and provide more glide than a cream so you may be able to cut closer. Creams tend to produce a thicker lather. At one time I would have said that soaps give me a better, closer shave but I no longer believe that. Both work and I can get equally good shaves with either a soap or cream.

 

[rbaloha]

Soaps can be less protective and provide more glide than a cream so you may be able to cut closer. Creams tend to produce a thicker lather. At one time I would have said that soaps give me a better, closer shave but I no longer believe that. Both work and I can get equally good shaves with either a soap or cream.

Agreed. Too much soap propaganda. Both can provide close shaves.

 

[xgunterx]

They are generally slicker but provide less protection than creams. This is a general rule.

I can't speak for all creams as I only have Proraso but all my soaps deliver more protection than Proraso.
I can't stand a new Feather blade with Proraso but I don't have a problem with a new Feather blade with all my soaps.
Proraso does give me the closest shaves though when using a smooth blade or a Feather blade that is used at least twice.

If the lather of your soaps are generally more slick and are less cushiony than your creams, then you are probably using too much water.

 

[Leche]

They do work a little differently but both can provide a great shave. Tabac soap produces a rich, thick, and slick lather.

 

[Dave_D]

It can be. Soaps work better for some people, myself included. One of the things (among many) that I prefer with soaps is the ability to change the lather during the shave by adding water or swirling the brush on the puck a few more times.

 

[Luc]

They are generally slicker but provide less protection than creams. This is a general rule.

+1

Like blades, changing an element will change the shave... There are great soaps and bad soaps... There are great creams and bad creams... You know, YMMV...

 

[duotone]

I find most soaps too drying, thats why I more often than not use creams.

Apart from the moisturising properties though, I think that they perform similarly and I can get a great shave with either.

Soap propaganda just about sums it up

 

[cymric]

For all you experienced wet DE shavers: Why do I get a better, closer shave with a soap rather than a cream?

Not all soaps and creams are created equal. Some produce thicker lather than others, some are more viscous too. Most likely the usual range of these parameters with soaps suits you better. Taking myself as an example: products which yield very dense and heavy lathers (La Toja, Cella, Trumper creams, ...) are not as comfortable as products which are somewhat thinner (Tabac, Bodyshop, ...). YMM (and should) V.

 

[sanuginz]

Soap propaganda just about sums it up

I must have heavily fell victim to the propaganda. And glad I did!

 

[norman931]

They are generally slicker but provide less protection than creams. This is a general rule.

This may be true of some soaps and some creams, but I don't think it is a general rule. Actually, in my experience, the opposite is more often true: creams are slicker but provide less cushion than the soaps that I use (Honeybee and Van Der Hagen Deluxe).

 

[dpm802]

I suspect that the reason you get a closer shave with soap is that the soap you are using (MWF) has TALLOW in it.

I have four soaps here (Tabac / Williams / T&H Luxury / VdH Deluxe) and the first three have Tallow, the VdH is glycerin based. The tallow soaps all provide a closer shave than any glycerin products, whether in soap or cream form.

What cream are you using, so we can do a more accurate comparison?

 

[strat1117]

Everyone gets different results with different products, and not everyone agrees on the relative merits of any of them. Soaps work better for me, too, and I enjoy using them more. It is not "propoganda" -- I don't really care if you use one or the other; I only care that you use what works best for you, and what will give you the most rewarding shave experience.

Enjoy!

Enjoy!

 

[norman931]

Everyone gets different results with different products, and not everyone agrees on the relative merits of any of them.

A lot of it depends on your technique, especially how many passes you make. My theory is that those of us who go four passes or more need more cushion than those who get by with one or two passes and touch-up. Otherwise the multiple passes can cause a bit of razor burn.

 

[Stubblefield]

Both work and I can get equally good shaves with either a soap or cream.

I actually get a better shave with creams, but certain French soaps also work very well for me.

 

[Confilo]

I suspect that the reason you get a closer shave with soap is that the soap you are using (MWF) has TALLOW in it.

I have four soaps here (Tabac / Williams / T&H Luxury / VdH Deluxe) and the first three have Tallow, the VdH is glycerin based. The tallow soaps all provide a closer shave than any glycerin products, whether in soap or cream form.

What cream are you using, so we can do a more accurate comparison?

Tallow fries stubble

 

[grampi]

Sometimes I get better shaves with soap and sometimes I get a better shave using cream. I think it's got to do with the water to cream/soap mixing ratio. I didn't think it was possible to get a more comfortable shave than when using Tabac, and then I switched over to Proraso cream. Guess what? It actually felt slicker than the Tabac. Then I'd switch back to the Tabac, and it felt slicker. Since there's no way of accurately measuring the amount of water you add to the soap/cream when mixing, it's really kind of a guessing game and sometimes I get it more right than other times. That's the only way I can explain it.

 

[morijinal]

I enjoy soap tremendously. It is odd that I usually shave with a cream.

 

[kingfisher]

At first I used creams exclusively, then I started using soap occasionally.

Now I find myself reaching for the soaps more often than the creams, to the point where I have samples of creams I haven't even tried and they're getting lonely while I go back to the soaps again and again. Am I getting a better shave? I think so, for the most part. Why? I have no idea.