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“Great Post-Shave”

This is something that puzzles me and maybe you guys can set me straight. I see a lot of talk about certain soaps being desired because of their “great post-shave” qualities. But I don’t think I can detect a difference between soaps with “great post-shave” and soaps that are reputed to have mediocre or no “post-shave” qualities.

At the end of my shave I wash off the soap and apply some sort of aftershave splash, lotion or balm, and it seems to me that the way my skin feels afterwards is mostly to do with the aftershave product, as well as the condition my skin was in before the shave, and how gentle or otherwise the shave was. I really don’t notice any difference post-shave from using different shaving soaps. I’m not even sure that I would want a shaving soap to have a stubborn residual effect on my skin that is still noticeable after applying an aftershave, but in any case I select my aftershave product for this purpose, not my soap.

Do you guys have a different experience or approach, or is “great post-shave” just marketing hype? It is advisable to use an aftershave with some sort of antiseptic property, right, and not simply to rinse the soap off and leave it?
 
For me, I can feel the "post-shave" qualities of the soap during and right after the shave. For example, Arko dries out my skin a lot. It's easy to lather but after the 1st pass, my skin will feel dry and feel that way til the end. Aftershave balm will help out with the dryness in the end but I'd rather not dry my skin to start off if I have the choice.

Stirling soaps are the standards for me in terms of "post-shave" qualities. They feel creamy and moisturizing on the skin. I don't notice any drying during and after the shave. I still need the balms afterwards but my skin is fine until then.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
If the soap/cream has great post shave properties, I don't need to follow up with any lotions and potions. Palmolive shave sticks are great during the shave, but can leave my skin dry... or at least in need of a follow up. Not so with Phoenix and Beau, Wickhams, etc etc. The vast majority of my shaves finish with just a water rinse. As to antiseptic properties, I don't tend to get nicks or weepers, and so if the skin is not damaged, there's nothing to treat.
 
If the soap/cream has great post shave properties, I don't need to follow up with any lotions and potions. Palmolive shave sticks are great during the shave, but can leave my skin dry... or at least in need of a follow up. Not so with Phoenix and Beau, Wickhams, etc etc. The vast majority of my shaves finish with just a water rinse. As to antiseptic properties, I don't tend to get nicks or weepers, and so if the skin is not damaged, there's nothing to treat.
Yeah, maybe that’s another questionable piece of shaving wisdom. I never felt completely convinced that aftershave is so important. Have you ever heard of somebody getting a facial infection after shaving? Seems like quite a small risk. Maybe it was more important in the old days when the water supply wasn’t as clean.

Anyway, I’m in danger of taking my own thread off topic.
 
Shave soap might be specially formulated for the needs of shaving, but it's still soap. Unless your rinse water is badly contaminated, there's not really much worry for infection.

Personally I very rarely use anything other than a cold water rinse after my shaves, so the entirety of my post-shave feel comes from the soap, and forms part of my criteria for picking good performing soap.
 
Post-shave feeling is a "bonus" for me. There are a lot of soaps out there that will give me a good shave. But if I can get a good shave and get some post-shave comfort without a balm or splash - even better. That said, there are several soaps that I love that have "average" post-shave (e.g., MdC) and other soaps with great post-shave (e.g., WK) that I don't use because I don't enjoy the scent, etc. I base my purchases on lots of different factors, including the awesome sauce a soap brings to the table.
 
The first question is what is your skin type. Is your skin lacking in oil or dry? Is it damaged? What type of climate do you live in--is it dry? These factors may tend to call for or require a soap with more post shave feel. And no, it is not just marketing hype. Everyone is different and you have to do what is right for you.

Insofar as I can see, the King of Post Shave on the boards I frequent is @RayClem. Because of his particular skin conditions, this particular quality is very important to him.

As for me, I am a little bit lucky because of my genetic Mediterranean heritage. I do not therefore place as much importance on post-shave-feel. As @bobmsp states it is a bonus. Most of the soaps I use tend to be good enough for me. But then, I tend to gravitate toward high quality artisan soaps. I use a lot of Grooming Dept, Declaration Grooming, B&M, Murphy & McNeil Kodiak, Stirling Mutton, A&E etc. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list. One soap that I just acquired that stood out in this regard is Oaken Lab.

Do you guys have a different experience or approach, or is “great post-shave” just marketing hype? It is advisable to use an aftershave with some sort of antiseptic property, right, and not simply to rinse the soap off and leave it?

Personally, I usually do a three pass shave then leave the fourth lather on my face while I clean up. I then wash it off in the shower and apply an aftershave, usually one with witchhazel.
 
"Post shave" for me means immediately after cold rinsing following the final pass. Then the qualities of the soap will be most evident. Does my skin feel supple and mositurised, or dry, or--worse--sticky? After that it is sort of irrelevant (only sort of), because I use alum and then witch hazel followed by a balm or moisturiser.

So, while I don't specifically look for that "post shave" feel in a soap, I prefer soaps that deliver it over those that provide a sub-par experience simply because, while I may not need a moisturising soap given my subsequent regime, I feel that people that make soap that does feel great must know what they are doing. If that makes sense?

# edit: oh, and I moisturise afterwards because I apply that to my entire face, rather than just the area that I shave :)
 
The old formula Macca Root Shave Cream by Body Shop always had one of the greatest post shave skin feels I've ever experienced. I have had some, like Williams, that tend to dry out my skin.
 
"Post shave" for me means immediately after cold rinsing following the final pass. Then the qualities of the soap will be most evident. Does my skin feel supple and mositurised, or dry, or--worse--sticky? After that it is sort of irrelevant (only sort of), because I use alum and then witch hazel followed by a balm or moisturiser.

So, while I don't specifically look for that "post shave" feel in a soap, I prefer soaps that deliver it over those that provide a sub-par experience simply because, while I may not need a moisturising soap given my subsequent regime, I feel that people that make soap that does feel great must know what they are doing. If that makes sense?

# edit: oh, and I moisturise afterwards because I apply that to my entire face, rather than just the area that I shave :)

+1! I agree! For me the point is how does my skin feel after my cold water rinse?
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
I did notice a pleasing post shave feel with MWF but as I no longer use MWF I cannot have found it that beneficial. I have gravitated to high quality non artisan soaps such as Arko, Old Spice, Tabac, and Yardley. A very cold water shave and rinse, and some alcohol based aftershave is all I need. On colder days I sometimes apply a balm but that is whether I shave or not. 👍
 
I agree with several others who have said that some soaps dry out the skin, and I don't like that. Some soaps leave the skin feeling soft and supple; that's the sweet spot for me. Finally, some soaps seem to leave a residual that is difficult to rinse off. I am not a fan of that.
 
One of the best soaps I have found with a great post shave feel is Clubman Pinaud shave soap. It leaves a very smooth and silky feeling on the face after rinsing. It is also ridiculously cheap, lathers well, has a great vanilla like scent and pairs perfectly with Clubman vanilla after shave.
 
One of the best soaps I have found with a great post shave feel is Clubman Pinaud shave soap. It leaves a very smooth and silky feeling on the face after rinsing. It is also ridiculously cheap, lathers well, has a great vanilla like scent and pairs perfectly with Clubman vanilla after shave.
That's for the advice about Clubman Pinaud shave soap. I ordered 2 X Pinaud Clubman Shaving Soaps 59g from ebay and waiting for it. I noticed Clubman Pinaud Classic Barber Mens Shave Shaving Cream at 7 times the capacity. Is it virtually the same?
 
Can't say. I've never used that one. I had the Clubman shave lather in a tube (below and left in your link), but it did not lather very well. Don't know if that's the same as that big tub. I've got the canned shave foam as well. It's not terrible for a foam. The shave soap is the best though, hands down. imho.
 
I usually throw everything I have at the shave. I finish with a "witch hazel" toner followed by AS, balm and Cologne. I feel like my shave is incomplete otherwise. The soap's post shave feel is a bonus for me, though not high on the list. I do avoid soaps that dry my face, and even with all of my post shave ritual I still appreciate a soap that leaves my skin feeling supple.

In the summertime is a different story. Then it's a soap that rinses clean and a splash of something with menthol.

So, yeah, a soap's post shave is noticeable and does make a difference.
 
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