Been wet shaving since the earth was still cooling and always used hard soaps. Decided to give creams try, so I bought a tub of TOBS rose and a jar of Cyril Salter wild rose along with a tube of Palmolive classic. Tried the TOBS this morning and had a wonderful shave, just a light swirl on top of the cream exploded on my face into a beautiful slick lather, enough for an easy two pass shave with touch up. I think I’m going to like this experiment.
I tried cream for the first time, loved it
- Thread starter gsurko
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I'm just the opposite. I was a cream user for 30 years, and just recently started using soaps. I would have been content to stick with Musgo Real, but they changed their formula (not for the better) and increased their price to where they are now non-competitive with artisan creams.
Creams are especially good for face lathering. Two or three pea sized blobs on the face, swirls with a brush, dipped in water, and your are good to go. They are definitely costlier than hard soaps and even soft soaps since their cost per shave is so much higher.
When I want a quick shave I reach for the cream. The convience factor can't be beat.
Creams are especially good for face lathering. Two or three pea sized blobs on the face, swirls with a brush, dipped in water, and your are good to go. They are definitely costlier than hard soaps and even soft soaps since their cost per shave is so much higher.
When I want a quick shave I reach for the cream. The convience factor can't be beat.
I really like creams and use them with lathering in a scuttle. I've found one or two creams that don't lather well in a warm scuttle, specifically Proraso Red and a Viking Eucalyptus I got from Amazon. TOBS, T&H, and Trumpers all lather perfectly in a warm scuttle.
I don't like using soaps. It's too much trouble IMHO to bloom and then lather, etc. It does eliminate some scents I like to use, like the Chiseled Face Cedar & Spice, which is only available in a soap.
I don't like using soaps. It's too much trouble IMHO to bloom and then lather, etc. It does eliminate some scents I like to use, like the Chiseled Face Cedar & Spice, which is only available in a soap.
I was a hard soap only person until I went to Poland and bought some creams there. Now I use both hard soaps and creams depending on my preference on any given day. I'm hoping to obtain some Palmolive menthol cream at some point.
Creams are so easy to use and perform so well, it’s hard to fault them, especially the nicer ones like TOBS and DR Harris.
As a friendly suggestion, I would scoop out a small snurdle of cream instead of sticking your wet brush in there. Creams have a lot of water in them already so it’s easy to a) burn through them prematurely and b) make your cream a soupy mess.
As a friendly suggestion, I would scoop out a small snurdle of cream instead of sticking your wet brush in there. Creams have a lot of water in them already so it’s easy to a) burn through them prematurely and b) make your cream a soupy mess.
TOBS makes good cream, lathers very well, shaves nicely.
I still bowl lather my creams and soft soaps (like Stirling) and recently started face lathering my harder soaps like MdC.
My recent revelation is that I can get a very good 3-pass shave face lathering my MdC with 10-15 swirls of my damp brush, without blooming the soap. Feels like my three jars will last decades.
I still bowl lather my creams and soft soaps (like Stirling) and recently started face lathering my harder soaps like MdC.
My recent revelation is that I can get a very good 3-pass shave face lathering my MdC with 10-15 swirls of my damp brush, without blooming the soap. Feels like my three jars will last decades.
Any time I go overseas in the future I'm stocking up on creams. In Poland tubes of Lider and Wars were like the equivalent of $2 a tube.
I used creams like TOBS and Trumpers exclusively for over a decade. I have since discovered North American artisan soaps like B&M and Stirling. For me there is no comparison. The richness of the lather, protection, slickness, the way they nourish your skin, the variety of amazing scents….
I’ll admit I’ve never used a traditional hard soap puck like MWF. But the modern stuff blew me away.
I’ll admit I’ve never used a traditional hard soap puck like MWF. But the modern stuff blew me away.
- Thread starter
- #9
Makes a lot of sense , I’ll do that. Thanks
Hi Gsurko, Glad you enjoyed the TOBS. Looking forward to your post on the Cyril R. Salter Wild Rose. Just embarked on a similar cream trial myself including Cyril Salter Wild Rose and Vetiver as well as LEA menthol and LEA Professional (big 250g tube). Prior to this all I used were shaving soaps.
The Salter Wild Rose produced excellent creamy and slick lather though the scent, while pleasant, was much milder than expected and not really discernible in the lather itself. Vetiver scent is much stronger and enjoyable though I've yet to shave with it.
Both LEA creams produce excellent lather with nice kick from the menthol version. Typical barber shop scent is fine.
For all of these I use roughly an almond size amount that I spread on my face with a finger and then face lather with a damp synthetic brush. Smaller pea sized amounts also work well to superlather my soaps. Will still primarily shave with soap though the creams add some nice variety to the experience. Just squeeze the cream out of the LEA tubes or use a small expresso spoon to scoop the Cyril Salter.
P.S. Saw some of the comments on creams being costlier per shave than soaps. While true in most cases the LEA creams are a bargain at 3.25 GBP for 250 grams and 2.25 GBP ex VAT for 150 grams (roughly $4 and $3 U.S.) at Connaught. For comparison Cyril R. Salter is only 8 GBP ex Vat or roughly $10 U.S. for 165 gramn with TOBS cream similarly prices at 8.25 ex VAT for 150 grams.
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I am excited to try some more creams and I am ecstatic that @BudgetShaverGuy taught me the new word “snurdle”! 
- Thread starter
- #12
The Salter wild rose is up next on my first trial shaves. The cost while important is not to bad considering the experience and pleasure I’m getting, good to change things up every so often. Really looking forward to using the Palmolive classic, talk about old school.
I hadn't used my TOBS creams in a while and pulled out the Rose the other day. It really is a good product. Good performance and good post-shave face feel. Grateful I have several of them.
I likes soaps and I like creams.
For a beginner, creams might be easier to deal with and they may also be slightly more convenient.
In many countries, where men still regularly shave without resorting to shaving foam/gel from the can, you find shaving creams in supermarkets, but - except for the occasional shaving stick - not so much shaving soaps.
If you have shaved long enough, shaving soaps and creams are both easy to deal with, but soaps are easier to travel with (airport security has no limitations on hard soaps in carry-on bags and shaving cream tubes can get smashed in suitcases creating an oozing mess). If you start hoarding, like many of us do
, soaps have a longer shelf life but I also do have some creams that are years old.
Both perform about equally well as far as lubrication is concerned and can give excellent shaves, although some people who consider themselves “serious shavers” may frown upon creams.
I’m turning 70 soon and have shaved longer than most, so I can’t say that such thinking impresses me much.
B.
For a beginner, creams might be easier to deal with and they may also be slightly more convenient.
In many countries, where men still regularly shave without resorting to shaving foam/gel from the can, you find shaving creams in supermarkets, but - except for the occasional shaving stick - not so much shaving soaps.
If you have shaved long enough, shaving soaps and creams are both easy to deal with, but soaps are easier to travel with (airport security has no limitations on hard soaps in carry-on bags and shaving cream tubes can get smashed in suitcases creating an oozing mess). If you start hoarding, like many of us do
, soaps have a longer shelf life but I also do have some creams that are years old.Both perform about equally well as far as lubrication is concerned and can give excellent shaves, although some people who consider themselves “serious shavers” may frown upon creams.
I’m turning 70 soon and have shaved longer than most, so I can’t say that such thinking impresses me much.
B.
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- Thread starter
- #15
Oh, I’m not quitting soaps or pounding the drum for one product over the othe, I’m just sharing a pleasant experience with you guys. I never tried cream’s before and now understand where the cream guys are coming from.I likes soaps and I like creams.
For a beginner, creams might be easier to deal with and they may also be slightly more convenient.
In many countries, where men still regularly shave without resorting to shaving foam/gel from the can, you find shaving creams in supermarkets, but - except for the occasional shaving stick - not so much shaving soaps.
If you have shaved long enough, shaving soaps and creams are both easy to deal with, but soaps are easier to travel with (airport security has no limitations on hard soaps in carry-on bags and shaving cream tubes can get smashed in suitcases creating an oozing mess). If you start hoarding, like many of us do
Both perform about equally well as far as lubrication is concerned and can give excellent shaves, although some people who consider themselves “serious shavers” may frown upon creams.
I’m turning 70 soon and have shaved longer than most, so I can’t say that such thinking impresses me much.
B.
There's many ways to use creams. As @BudgetShaverGuy says, it's better not to use the brush directly in the container if you can avoid it.
You might try palm lathering. Put a bit of cream in the palm of one hand, load the damp brush from the palm. Wipe any remaining cream onto the face. Follow with building the lather on the face with the brush.
Another way is to take one-half the cream you'll use and put it inside the damp knot of the shaving brush. Take the other half and spread it on the face. Then, build the lather on the face with the brush.
You might try palm lathering. Put a bit of cream in the palm of one hand, load the damp brush from the palm. Wipe any remaining cream onto the face. Follow with building the lather on the face with the brush.
Another way is to take one-half the cream you'll use and put it inside the damp knot of the shaving brush. Take the other half and spread it on the face. Then, build the lather on the face with the brush.
- Thread starter
- #17
He can load upside down so that gravity prevents water from going into the cream.
MdC with a synthetic lathers quicker than any cream I have used. Even loading is not that bad with just 20 swirls.
(I started with creams.)
I scoop an almond-sized piece of the cream from the tub, put it on the brush, and then lather from there in my scuttle. The only cream that I dip my brush into is the tub that I squirted Kiss My Face Cool Mint into, because that cream is very runny, almost like a thick skin lotion. I just dip the very tip in as I don't want much on the brush.
