The past few days, I've been shaving with whatever soap I shower with. The package is gone, so I can't say what it is, but it's a typical bar soap and pretty slick. I'd still consider myself a novice at pretty much everything, but I seem to be getting better shaves than I do using Arko shave soap. Has anyone else had this experience, or is it more likely that I have a ton of room for improvement in traditional prep?
Shave with bar soap?
- Thread starter domingo3
- Start date
Oh, my. I started shaving with a Tech and Ivory bar soap in 1966. I did not know shaving soap existed. Didn't use a brush and shaving soap until 1971. By then I was a well traveled twenty.
Bar soap works. However, shaving soap works better.
The more you prep, the better the shave.
Bar soap works. However, shaving soap works better.
The more you prep, the better the shave.
Have got good shaves from bar soaps.... Ivory works very well.
I've gotten better lather with Caprina Fresh Goat's Milk Soap ("original formula" or the "shea butter" version) than with Proraso Green or Proraso White.
It collapses quickly on the face, but still has residual slickness.
I would not try anything that is too strongly scented though.
The worst I've tried was Pear's Transparent bar soap.
I figured "Glycerin" - that's gotta be good, right?
It started burning like acid halfway through the first pass.
It collapses quickly on the face, but still has residual slickness.
I would not try anything that is too strongly scented though.
The worst I've tried was Pear's Transparent bar soap.
I figured "Glycerin" - that's gotta be good, right?
It started burning like acid halfway through the first pass.
I used to use bar soap when I used to use carts. It was fine. But then I found the wonderful cost savings world of de shaving. I will use shaving soap for a most comfortable shave. I imagine you will soon be in the same camp as I am. Shave cream or soap makes my shaves more enjoyable.
Many bar soaps are quite slick and that slickness might work better for you. I would try making a runnier lather with the Arko though, and see if that performs better. So many shave videos show meringue type lather that doesn't work as well as something closer to yogurt for a lot of people.
yeah, I can still get a better (and cheaper), easier lather from a bar of Ivory than modern Williams. smells better too. I can easily shave off castile soap too.
but I like quality shaving soap, with tallow.
but I like quality shaving soap, with tallow.
My father used to use Sunlight Laundry Soap to shave with. If it works then why not. Any soap will lather, whether it is slick enough is another thing.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
Bar soaps work just fine.
I've been trying a few samples of supposedly good shave soaps recently, and while the lather feels luxurious, I'm not finding any real benefit in the shave itself, or post shave for that matter. PdP gummed up my brush, and was less slick than I can get with a bar soap. MdC was slick, but too much effort, and the "protective" nature meant I had to reshave after the lather was gone to get a decent closeness. Every cream I've tried has been disappointing too.
I've been trying a few samples of supposedly good shave soaps recently, and while the lather feels luxurious, I'm not finding any real benefit in the shave itself, or post shave for that matter. PdP gummed up my brush, and was less slick than I can get with a bar soap. MdC was slick, but too much effort, and the "protective" nature meant I had to reshave after the lather was gone to get a decent closeness. Every cream I've tried has been disappointing too.
Whatever works is just fine!
Personally, I much prefer a quality shaving soap because I get better shaves.
Personally, I much prefer a quality shaving soap because I get better shaves.
I've used a few, some work well, some don't. I routinely get great lathers from my shaving soaps so I pretty much have given up on bar soap shaves.
for the PDP, then you need to have used more water in the mix. it's almost as good as a tallow soap when you dial it in. probably the same for the MdC, but I've only tried a sampler and likely didn't dial it in to its best performance.
creams... I agree.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
When I thinned the PdP down, it lost it's slickness. I did over 20 shaves with it, using vaious methods, and wasn't impressed.
I got 19 shaves out of the Mdc sample. Luxurious feeling lather, and very slick. Post shave was nothing special, and the shave closeness suffered. I can better shaves with other products at a fraction of the cost.
I have not shaved with a bath soap
But I have bathed with a shave soap
Mitchell's Wool Fat.
Nothing bad to say about it.
But I have bathed with a shave soap
Mitchell's Wool Fat.
Nothing bad to say about it.
no disagreement there. and one of the reasons I like tallow based soaps is the post shave feel is better than any veggie/bar/cheap soap I've tried. they tend to have better cushion and glide generally too.
Nothing baa...baa...baad, huh? Wonder what the sheep has to say about it?
In its original formulation, Ivory Soap was called Ivorine. It was invented by J. B. Williams Soap company of Williams Mug Shaving Soap fame. Williams wanted to focus on shaving soap, so they sold the formula for Ivorine to Proctor and Gamble. The process was tweaked to produce the "soap that floats" we now know as Ivory. Thus, Williams mug soap and Ivory soap share a common history.
There are a wide variety of bath and facial soap bars in the marketplace. I normally bathe with Irish Spring bath soap. It is a tallow based soap that produces an extremely slick lather, but the lather is thin, not offering much protection and offering little skin conditioning.
Irish Spring also makes a Signature for Men Hydrating soap containing both tallow and shea butter. It offers the same slick lather, but the shea butter improves the post-shave feel.
I have also used Yardley of London mooisturizing bath bar with Cocoa butter. In addition to tallow and cocoa butter, it also contains shea butter and Vitamin E, so it is another step up from Irish Spring Signature. I include the soap in my shave soap rotation every 4-6 months to serve as a baseline. While most shave soaps are far superior to Yardley bath bar, I do rate it more highly than some shave soaps I tried. I find the slickness of Yardley to be better than that of Williams Mug soap when lathered in my hard water. Amazon sells 8 bars for $18. That would be enough soap to last for more than 2 years of shaving. So if you want to bee super-cheap, this is one way to go.
There are a wide variety of bath and facial soap bars in the marketplace. I normally bathe with Irish Spring bath soap. It is a tallow based soap that produces an extremely slick lather, but the lather is thin, not offering much protection and offering little skin conditioning.
Irish Spring also makes a Signature for Men Hydrating soap containing both tallow and shea butter. It offers the same slick lather, but the shea butter improves the post-shave feel.
I have also used Yardley of London mooisturizing bath bar with Cocoa butter. In addition to tallow and cocoa butter, it also contains shea butter and Vitamin E, so it is another step up from Irish Spring Signature. I include the soap in my shave soap rotation every 4-6 months to serve as a baseline. While most shave soaps are far superior to Yardley bath bar, I do rate it more highly than some shave soaps I tried. I find the slickness of Yardley to be better than that of Williams Mug soap when lathered in my hard water. Amazon sells 8 bars for $18. That would be enough soap to last for more than 2 years of shaving. So if you want to bee super-cheap, this is one way to go.
The OP was comparing soap bars and ARKO.
Both are very, very inexpensive.
Both are very, very inexpensive.
Agreed. However, the OP liked soap bars better than Arko. I have no experience with Arko, but I have evaluated the soap bars mentioned. Someone else mentioned ivory soap, so I noted the history between it and Williams Mug Soap, which is also inexpensive.
Yes. As a teenager I was instructed by my father to lather up with Ivory and make a pass or two with his Tech. That was all the instruction I received. At 20, fresh out of the Army, I bought an Everready boar and a puck of Colgate.
