What are the key differences between soap and cream besides the obvious one is soap and one is a cream.
Noobie question
- Thread starter Suhrim21
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They soap is slicker than cream.
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- #3
Ok. That would mean I definitely need to stick with soaps.
I think that this is a generalization, and an incorrect one. I have creams that provide a slick lather; I have soaps that don't. And vice versa.
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- #5
Ok now I'm lost again
There are few hard, fast rules to shaving. Use what you like to use. Read through the Shave Cream forum. You are bound to find references to brands that provide slick lather (since that's your preference), then purchase them. Decide for yourself what you want to use.
This is a great question. Let's restrict the answer to products that lather.
The continuum goes from lather to cream to croap to soap. Croap is combination of the words cream and soap.
There are few lathers as they are already lathered. It takes a lot for each shave. Cream is soft like butter. In general, it's easy to scoop out a bit with the tip of a spoon or a popsicle stick. Because they often contain glycerin and other products the concentration of actual soap is less. In general, they are more suitable for people who are experienced shavers. Beyond soap, there is triple milled soap, which is very hard and lasts a long time.
You are trying to balance two characteristics. Slickness and cushion. Slickness refers to how easily the blade slides across the face, but really it's how close it allows the blade to get to the face. We are talking thousandths of an inch here. Cushion holds the blade slightly away from the skin. You won't get quite as close, so there is less chance of irritation with good technique.
In general, the harder a shaving product is, the fewer grams you will use per pass. Soaps generally last far longer than you want them to. For instance, I get about 166 two-pass shaves out of a 50 gram puck of Williams. I've seen people say they only get 60. No matter, it's still a lot.
Practically speaking, you need to make a choice to start someplace. The best place to start is the product you have and learn to use it to its potential. This probably means about 100 shaves with the product. You will learn a method and the amount of moisture to use to vary the slickness and cushion.
In my opinion, switching soaps to get better performance is an endless game that doesn't work. It leads to thinking the quality of the shave is more dependent on the product than the shaver. It also leads to a drawer full of soaps you never use.
The best teacher is shaving, even if you need to just practice lathering a few times a day without actually shaving. In the end, your opinion will be the one that counts.
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- #8
That really helps clear things up.
I use both, Good creams are slick (SJOL, T&H, Castle Forbes, Stone Cottage to mention a few)
I don’t think I could add anything else to what has been said other than try a bunch of stuff and you’ll find what you like. I highly recommend checking out the Stirling Soap Co. and ToBS(Taylor of Bond Street) they make incredible products I had a triple milled puck of ToBS sandalwood I got in 2014 and just killed it this year
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- #11
What is the difference between I guess it would be called regular soap and triple milled soap.
shavefan
I’m not a fan
I'm on the opposite side here. Generally, I find creams slicker than soaps. Generally.
As a matter of fact, I have all but stopped using glycerine loaded creams because they don't provide enough cushion for me.
The only generalization I can make is soap is usually harder than the cream! (And the brontosaurus is thin on one end, much thicker in the middle, then thin again at the other end). But it seems that creams lather quicker for me. That's not saying I can't get equal amounts of lather from either, but I get an immediate reaction with the cream.
The only difference i 've seen, is 1) that creams are generally more beginner-friendly, because they have incorporated a distilled water content (and distilled water helps lathering easily), while soaps, being "dry", may require more effort/knowledge depending on your skill and water hardness and 2) exactly because creams have water incorporated, don't last as long as a soap of the same weight. Also, the scent remains probably stronger in creams (at least those in tubes), because the area that comes in contact with the air is limited.
Soaps are more fun to play with, creams are faster. I use both. If i had to choose, i would choose soaps (they also suffer less from prolonged storage, for us hoarders).
Soaps are more fun to play with, creams are faster. I use both. If i had to choose, i would choose soaps (they also suffer less from prolonged storage, for us hoarders).
Most "Italian" style creams are essentially uncured soaps (fats saponified with an alkali). The Proraso line has the same ingredients for their soaps and creams; the soaps are cured for 10 days vice 3. In a sealed tube, there's nowhere for the extra water to evaporate to, so they never harden.
"British" style or tub creams saponify with normal lyes as well as triethanolamine, or TEA. TEA is a base like the lyes, but it is also an emulsifier; it keeps the waters and oils in the cream from separating, which prevents the cream from drying out. Canned creams use TEA almost exclusively.
"Rapid" or "brushless" creams are not saponified; they are oils and water dissolved in an alcohol.
"British" style or tub creams saponify with normal lyes as well as triethanolamine, or TEA. TEA is a base like the lyes, but it is also an emulsifier; it keeps the waters and oils in the cream from separating, which prevents the cream from drying out. Canned creams use TEA almost exclusively.
"Rapid" or "brushless" creams are not saponified; they are oils and water dissolved in an alcohol.
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- #16
There is so much to learn
Don’t make it tough, pick a few and see how you like them. Lots of great soaps and creams. Enjoy
Soaps may be more expensive (by volume), but they can last longer.
I agree with @Boar Fighter about creams being more beginner friendly.
There is a lot of discussion on how to lather specific soaps, including some very well known ones, but almost none about how to lather any cream.
@76vibrochamp the ingredients list seems to indicate that Proraso cream and soap are not exactly the same. I know they seem to imply so on their site, but I posted this a while ago and was corrected. I believe there's one ingredient that seems to be present in the cream only. Relevant thread: Your favourite Proraso cream
I would suggest picking up any cream that you look at and think "hey I remember my dad/uncle/grandad using that" if it's still available. They are around for so long for a reason.
In my part of the world that would be Nivea, Palmolive, Denim right now, all around 2€ at the local store. They work great.
If you want to try both, pick a Proraso cream and a soap for possibly under 10 euro or $ (or better, a tube and a tub, as they are both labelled "sapone da barba" so according to Proraso they are both soaps).
There is a lot of discussion on how to lather specific soaps, including some very well known ones, but almost none about how to lather any cream.
@76vibrochamp the ingredients list seems to indicate that Proraso cream and soap are not exactly the same. I know they seem to imply so on their site, but I posted this a while ago and was corrected. I believe there's one ingredient that seems to be present in the cream only. Relevant thread: Your favourite Proraso cream
I would suggest picking up any cream that you look at and think "hey I remember my dad/uncle/grandad using that" if it's still available. They are around for so long for a reason.
In my part of the world that would be Nivea, Palmolive, Denim right now, all around 2€ at the local store. They work great.
If you want to try both, pick a Proraso cream and a soap for possibly under 10 euro or $ (or better, a tube and a tub, as they are both labelled "sapone da barba" so according to Proraso they are both soaps).
I believe it's up to your know preference some like cream and others would prefer soap, the important part whatever you use is that providing you the lather you are comfortable shaving if yes stick with it otherwise... otherwise just search through the forum you'll find the reputed brand that would do the job done...
Here's an article might help you about shaving cream: 10 Best Shaving Creams
Here's an article might help you about shaving cream: 10 Best Shaving Creams
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