Need help with shaving soap

[Minas]

Hello guys, I need some help!
I've been shaving my head for about 5 years, the last 2 with SE (Leaf Thorn) and DE (recently bought a Rockwell 6S). In the past I was using a Mach 3 and Nivea sensitive gel, when I got the thorn I tried 2 soaps (Haslinger & Cella) Cella worked better for me but none of these made me believe that it was worth changing the nivea gel (mostly because of extra time to lather, cleaning bowl + brush etc).
So now I am thinking of buying a Barrister and Mann soap just to try something "better".
Does it worth the extra money?? Is it SO much better than the Nivea Gel??
I know the ingridients are better but will for example be more slick and protective? Will it give a better post shave experience?
Thank you!

 

[abies]

Hello guys, I need some help!
I've been shaving my head for about 5 years, the last 2 with SE (Leaf Thorn) and DE (recently bought a Rockwell 6S). In the past I was using a Mach 3 and Nivea sensitive gel, when I got the thorn I tried 2 soaps (Haslinger & Cella) Cella worked better for me but none of these made me believe that it was worth changing the nivea gel (mostly because of extra time to lather, cleaning bowl + brush etc).
So now I am thinking of buying a Barrister and Mann soap just to try something "better".
Does it worth the extra money?? Is it SO much better than the Nivea Gel??
I know the ingridients are better but will for example be more slick and protective? Will it give a better post shave experience?
Thank you!

For what it's worth I don't use a brush usually, usually only if the soap is hot poured into a tub.

If you like the gel, go for it, nothing wrong with that. But I usually just hand lather soaps and creams. Maybe creams would be more up your alley?

 

[Minas]

For what it's worth I don't use a brush usually, usually only if the soap is hot poured into a tub.

If you like the gel, go for it, nothing wrong with that. But I usually just hand lather soaps and creams. Maybe creams would be more up your alley?

I like the gel but at the same time I am looking for something better overall. I just wonder if an "expensive" soap will give what I am looking for .

 

[NorthernSoul]

I like the gel but at the same time I am looking for something better overall. I just wonder if an "expensive" soap will give what I am looking for .

I don't think so. Maybe try a shaving cream such as Speick or Proraso Blue w/Aloe. Easy to lather and much less cost per shave. You should use a brush, but you can apply the cream to the brush and lather directly without needing a bowl.

 

[Minas]

I don't think so. Maybe try a shaving cream such as Speick or Proraso Blue w/Aloe. Easy to lather and much less cost per shave. You should use a brush, but you can apply the cream to the brush and lather directly without needing a bowl.

Thank you for the reply!! I will check for shaving creams too then!

 

[KW Driver]

Hasslinger’s and Cella for that matter are good soaps for me. But I’ve mastered the skill of building a lather. I face lather with a brush, but have also done shower shaves with a stick and my fingers to build the lather. It’s not as thick as with a brush, but it’s slick enough and with good technique with the razor, they’re fine shaves as well.

I’ve tried a couple creams and found soaps better when I’ve done my part.

I’m pretty firmly in the technique is everything if the equipment is of an acceptable minimum quality camp. It takes time and iterations to get good at any aspect of this, and all aspects count. Prep and pre shave, lather, razor, blade, post shave aftershave, balm, whatever.

My well went hard at one point and I did bottled water for a while then just learned to lather with it.

Keep trying to work your skills until you figure out your favorites or what works for you, but change one thing at a time to gage the causal factor.

There’s no one true way to do any of this, you just have to figure out yours

 

[Minas]

Hasslinger’s and Cella for that matter are good soaps for me. But I’ve mastered the skill of building a lather. I face lather with a brush, but have also done shower shaves with a stick and my fingers to build the lather. It’s not as thick as with a brush, but it’s slick enough and with good technique with the razor, they’re fine shaves as well.

I’ve tried a couple creams and found soaps better when I’ve done my part.

I’m pretty firmly in the technique is everything if the equipment is of an acceptable minimum quality camp. It takes time and iterations to get good at any aspect of this, and all aspects count. Prep and pre shave, lather, razor, blade, post shave aftershave, balm, whatever.

My well went hard at one point and I did bottled water for a while then just learned to lather with it.

Keep trying to work your skills until you figure out your favorites or what works for you, but change one thing at a time to gage the causal factor.

There’s no one true way to do any of this, you just have to figure out yours

Thank you very much for your advices, I will try to follow them and also improve my technique which I am sure is the most importand!
If you had to suggest 1-2 soaps that have good protection/cushion and they are slick enough what would these be?

 

[DesertIguana]

Thank you very much for your advices, I will try to follow them and also improve my technique which I am sure is the most importand!
If you had to suggest 1-2 soaps that have good protection/cushion and they are slick enough what would these be?

Some people think that a Super Razor that is Pricy will give GRAIL BBS Shave, I use nothing but Vintage Gillettes. Went I put effort in to taking time, and use good Technique I get a GREAT SHAVE.

If I use a Mild Razor & Good New Blade, and use Great Technique I get great shave. If my effort is poor not doing things correct, I get marginal shave.

I never go for BBS, as most of my Vintages are mild, the one Razor I own that can be Aggressive is my Slim Adjustable, it can be Aggressive if I turn the Dial to 8 or 9.

Speaking of soap on on a binge using Cremo, it does good job, if I do two passes, then reapply a small amount, to do final pass.

JMHO

 

[Minas]

Some people think that a Super Razor that is Pricy will give GRAIL BBS Shave, I use nothing but Vintage Gillettes. Went I put effort in to taking time, and use good Technique I get a GREAT SHAVE.

If I use a Mild Razor & Good New Blade, and use Great Technique I get great shave. If my effort is poor not doing things correct, I get marginal shave.

I never go for BBS, as most of my Vintages are mild, the one Razor I own that can be Aggressive is my Slim Adjustable, it can be Aggressive if I turn the Dial to 8 or 9.

Speaking of soap on on a binge using Cremo, it does good job, if I do two passes, then reapply a small amount, to do final pass.

JMHO

I totaly understand what you are saying, I guess I am still trying to find how some things work,although I don't believe that a "magical" soap will solve any problems I have, just try to understand if there is a real big difference in some products and if they worth to spend the extra money.
Thank you for your response!

 

[driftwood]

Hey!

So I think if you value speed the Nivea is as fast as you are likely to get. Apply with hands and go to it.

I agree with the others creams are your next move. In fact I would say brushless creams/gels, like Barbasol, Cremo, and Floid has a brushless. I've not used them so can't say whether they would preform better than your current system. But again, can be applied with the hands so no brush clean up.

Lathering creams would be the next phase. They can be lathered with your hands, so again avoiding fussing with a brush. They are reasonably affordable (I'm thinking Proraso, as there are some fairly expensive creams out there). But these can also be lathered with a brush so may be a good compromise if you are also wanting to see if lathering with a brush provides benefits to outweigh the additional time in cleanup.

Now soaps/croaps. Basically have to be lathered with a brush, so as you already know because of the Haslinger and Cella, you have to deal with thst aspect. Now both Cella AND Haslinger are highly regarded soaps. Is B&M "better", "higher end" etc. Well that could be argued either way.

If you aren't sold on the benefits of using soap and brush after using Cella and Haslinger based on clean up time I'm not sure any of the Artisan soaps will be enough to close that gap for you.

All that said, drop the bowl, it's redundant you can build lather on yoyr dome and face, so there is some efficiency to be had by face/head lathering.

As for "higher end" soaps I've recently tried Zingari Man (Bon Monsieur) and it's a lovely soap. Easy to lather, fantastic scent (if that's of value to you), and has a very nice post shave feel. So you could consider Zingari Man.

Hope that helps, good luck in whatever direction you choose to go!

 

[Ron R]

If you enjoy using gels or foam stay using them because its your shave. Getting to work on time or a important meeting is that much more important IMO.
When you have the time to use a brush because to myself its more enjoyable for myself. I gel lathered with my hands for about 35+ years and shaving with brush is my ZEN moment in the morning.
It took me a lot of shaves to get where I can shave with any razor and get a DFS++ most of the time with little or no irritation, I call it a mature shave technique!
Have some great shaves!

 

[Ravenonrock]

Nothing wrong with branching out and trying Barrister and Mann, it’s good soap, I used Cologne Russe for some time, very nice. Not everything has to be better, sometimes just different, a new experience to change things up. I’m a fan of variety, so I encourage trying new things. I don’t see cleanup being a problem, it’s soap and water after all.

 

[KW Driver]

Thank you very much for your advices, I will try to follow them and also improve my technique which I am sure is the most importand!
If you had to suggest 1-2 soaps that have good protection/cushion and they are slick enough what would these be?

Hasslinger’s been in constant rotation since I found it. 10 years at least. Cella’s as good when you figure it out, I just don’t like the scent.

If you’re bowl lathering now, just keep at it with them, since you already have them. Load your saop with a damp brush until it’s almost a paste consistency then take it to the bowl and start building the lather. Add a bit of water and keep building it. Squeeze the lather out of the brush and swirl it around and build it, add some water, build… until you get a consistent, creamy kind of texture. When the lather surface has a sheen to it, I know I’m in the ballpark if not all the way there. If you add too much water it’ll start to fall apart and then you know not that much water. It’s trial and error for all of us. If your lather’s too load heavy initially, you may end up with more lather than you’ll use, but you can start loading less the next time until you find your sweet spot.

Face/skull lathering is a bit harder to dial in, but once you have consistently good bowl, or palm lathers (use the palm and fingers of your hand as a bowl), you can transition to face/head lathering as you see fit. I had to work to learn how to do it too.

If your lather’s too thick and sticky? Add some water. Too soft and sloppy, lacking structure and runny? Add more soap. If it all falls apart… start over. It’s just soap. Practice lathers when you have time and aren’t in a rush.

There’s nothing wrong with creams, canned goods, whatever works for you. I just prefer soaps/croaps as the best lathers capable of being made. But I worked to get the best out of them. It just takes work on your part. You’ll get there if you stick with it.

And I think you have a boar brush? If it’s new, it needs a break in. They hog lather until they are fully broken in. Eventually, you’ll get consistent results. So, use the brush, get it fully rinsed out of this shave’s residual soap, get as much water out of it as you can, dry the tips on a towel and let it fully dry before the next shave. They’re great brushes when they’re treated right. They’re my preference unless it’s cold, then I like a badger because they retain heat the best between passes.

But master your set up then try other things if you want.

 

[Minas]

Hey!

So I think if you value speed the Nivea is as fast as you are likely to get. Apply with hands and go to it.

I agree with the others creams are your next move. In fact I would say brushless creams/gels, like Barbasol, Cremo, and Floid has a brushless. I've not used them so can't say whether they would preform better than your current system. But again, can be applied with the hands so no brush clean up.

Lathering creams would be the next phase. They can be lathered with your hands, so again avoiding fussing with a brush. They are reasonably affordable (I'm thinking Proraso, as there are some fairly expensive creams out there). But these can also be lathered with a brush so may be a good compromise if you are also wanting to see if lathering with a brush provides benefits to outweigh the additional time in cleanup.

Now soaps/croaps. Basically have to be lathered with a brush, so as you already know because of the Haslinger and Cella, you have to deal with thst aspect. Now both Cella AND Haslinger are highly regarded soaps. Is B&M "better", "higher end" etc. Well that could be argued either way.

If you aren't sold on the benefits of using soap and brush after using Cella and Haslinger based on clean up time I'm not sure any of the Artisan soaps will be enough to close that gap for you.

All that said, drop the bowl, it's redundant you can build lather on yoyr dome and face, so there is some efficiency to be had by face/head lathering.

As for "higher end" soaps I've recently tried Zingari Man (Bon Monsieur) and it's a lovely soap. Easy to lather, fantastic scent (if that's of value to you), and has a very nice post shave feel. So you could consider Zingari Man.

Hope that helps, good luck in whatever direction you choose to go!

I have heard good things about Cremo but I can't find it in Greece, only Floid is available here if I am not wrong.
I really wouldn't bother to lather on my head/face, so I think I will try this for now and skip the bowl.
Everyone is suggesting a cream and I think I will try one, at least I will know the difference!
Thank you so much for your reply and suggestions, really appreciate it!

 

[Minas]

If you enjoy using gels or foam stay using them because its your shave. Getting to work on time or a important meeting is that much more important IMO.
When you have the time to use a brush because to myself its more enjoyable for myself. I gel lathered with my hands for about 35+ years and shaving with brush is my ZEN moment in the morning.
It took me a lot of shaves to get where I can shave with any razor and get a DFS++ most of the time with little or no irritation, I call it a mature shave technique!
Have some great shaves!

So you do use a brush but not often, that's a nice option too I guess.
I always achieve BBS but with some irritation in the back of my head and I was wondering if a "better" product would help with that issue. Maybe it's my technique that I must improve.
Thank you for your reply!!

 

[Minas]

Nothing wrong with branching out and trying Barrister and Mann, it’s good soap, I used Cologne Russe for some time, very nice. Not everything has to be better, sometimes just different, a new experience to change things up. I’m a fan of variety, so I encourage trying new things. I don’t see cleanup being a problem, it’s soap and water after all.

I've heard good things about Cologne Russe. For some reason I believe that it will be a very good product I only was wondering if the extra 25€ worth the "difference".
Thank you!

 

[Minas]

Hasslinger’s been in constant rotation since I found it. 10 years at least. Cella’s as good when you figure it out, I just don’t like the scent.

If you’re bowl lathering now, just keep at it with them, since you already have them. Load your saop with a damp brush until it’s almost a paste consistency then take it to the bowl and start building the lather. Add a bit of water and keep building it. Squeeze the lather out of the brush and swirl it around and build it, add some water, build… until you get a consistent, creamy kind of texture. When the lather surface has a sheen to it, I know I’m in the ballpark if not all the way there. If you add too much water it’ll start to fall apart and then you know not that much water. It’s trial and error for all of us. If your lather’s too load heavy initially, you may end up with more lather than you’ll use, but you can start loading less the next time until you find your sweet spot.

Face/skull lathering is a bit harder to dial in, but once you have consistently good bowl, or palm lathers (use the palm and fingers of your hand as a bowl), you can transition to face/head lathering as you see fit. I had to work to learn how to do it too.

If your lather’s too thick and sticky? Add some water. Too soft and sloppy, lacking structure and runny? Add more soap. If it all falls apart… start over. It’s just soap. Practice lathers when you have time and aren’t in a rush.

There’s nothing wrong with creams, canned goods, whatever works for you. I just prefer soaps/croaps as the best lathers capable of being made. But I worked to get the best out of them. It just takes work on your part. You’ll get there if you stick with it.

And I think you have a boar brush? If it’s new, it needs a break in. They hog lather until they are fully broken in. Eventually, you’ll get consistent results. So, use the brush, get it fully rinsed out of this shave’s residual soap, get as much water out of it as you can, dry the tips on a towel and let it fully dry before the next shave. They’re great brushes when they’re treated right. They’re my preference unless it’s cold, then I like a badger because they retain heat the best between passes.

But master your set up then try other things if you want.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful advice and your time!
With Cella I was able to build really good lather most of the times. Maybe I didn't give hasslinger enough time I was too new to all these at the time, I still am but you know what I mean.
I will try everything you say on the days I am not on a rush! And maybe I can use soaps not every time I shave but only the ones I have time and I want something different.
I was using a synthetic brush (Yaqi) easy to clean and smooth on my head.
Again, thank you very much!!

 

[Barberbite]

So now I am thinking of buying a Barrister and Mann soap just to try something "better".
Does it worth the extra money?? Is it SO much better than the Nivea Gel??
I know the ingridients are better but will for example be more slick and protective? Will it give a better post shave experience?
Thank you!

I've heard good things about Cologne Russe. For some reason I believe that it will be a very good product I only was wondering if the extra 25€ worth the "difference".
Thank you!

In my opinion whatever Barrister & Mann soap you choose is worth trying and see if you like it. Otherwise if you already feel better with the Nivea gel and don't want to spend too much money keep using Nivea that or try looking for some simple shaving cream, even in supermarkets.
Up until a couple of years ago you could find samples of the soaps and shaving cream on Shavedash (UK) allowing you to try multiple soaps and evaluate them before making a purchase.

There was a bit of shipping cost to bear and they charged for the service of repackaging the soap in small packages, however they allowed you to try different soaps without spending too much money on whole soaps that you might not like. I think after Brexit they were forced to close down.

 

[verysmooth]

I’ve got a lot of artisan soaps, and honestly, the difference in experience is pretty minimal. Unless you’re allergic to it, the stinging sensation is probably down to your technique or your skin condition. If it’s the latter and something you’re born with, well, that’s not easy to change.

 

[NorthernSoul]

If you had to suggest 1-2 soaps that have good protection/cushion and they are slick enough what would these be?

Following up on the previous post, I just wanted to point out that spending a lot doesn't necessarily result in higher performance. That goes for soaps and creams. It might be good to try a few of each.

Haslinger and Cella are both good soap choices, IMO (Cella also has the Extra Extra Bio formula in the green tub that is good for people with sensitive skin or who want a veggie based product).

People accustomed to shaving creams often do not load enough soap when they first try it. This gives a thin lather without enough slickness. Something you might like to try with Haslinger is to rub the soap directly on the damp face/scalp, like a shave stick. Then, take your brush and build the lather directly. Plenty of soap and plenty of water should give you good lather.