Why are you a cream man...or a soap man?

[rbscebu]

Locally, I can only source canned goo so I can only by creams and soaps when overseas. I bought a can about a decade ago. I tried, I really tried, to like it but at about halfway through I had to give it to the poor.

When I started shaving I was using bar soap applied to my face then lathered with a brush. When Palmolive sticks became available, I switched. Late I tried creams and like them but still kept a Palmolive stick in use. I'm now down to my last 1¼ sticks of Palmolive.

Later stick shave soaps became harder to find so I ended up using creams more and more. I use my creams like I use a stick; apply cream to wet face, then lather with brush, adding water as needed.

I've got enough creams to last me about another 12 to 18 months. I just hope I can travel again before I'm out of stock.

 

[KQY61]

Hi,

Soap. More correctly, soaps; two of them mixed.

One is a vintage tallow soap, the other a modern glycerine soap. The Glycerine is slipperier, but dries out very quickly. I can only do one side of my face before it dries. The tallow dries much more slowly, but isn't nearly as slippery. So, I take each and cut the pucks and put it 50/50 in an Old Spice mug. The brush does the mixing.

I began in 1976 with Yardley soap, which is what my father used. Then Yardley went away with the Rexall drug stores. Dad switched to Old Spice, and so did I. In the late 1980s, we entered the Shaving Apocalypse. First all shaving soap and DE blades disappeared from the grocery stores. Then, the drug stores.

Old Spice soap refills left first, then a few years later the mug and soap sets. So, I have several extra mugs, two of which I got after Dad passed in 1995. They still have Old Spice soap in them. Mom gave him a new refill for Christmas each year and so he'd put what was left from last year away and use the new.

Now, Dad shaved every 3 days and so didn't go thru soap the way I did shaving daily. Ever with a new OS supply once a year, I would be almost out by the following Christmas. I had to do something once the OS went away.

For a while, I used the Gillette Brush Plus creme refills and squirted it into an OS mug and let it dry. Later, that went away as well and so I switched to Palmolive creme, done the same way. Then, it went away. That is when I found the artisan Carden Farms glycerine soap.

Then, I spotted an eBay auction for some pucks of old Oster Latherservice model 222 tallow soap pucks. And, so my mix was born.

And, I have enough of the Oster to likely last the rest of my life. The Carden Farms is a local outfit here in NC and so easy to get. I have enough of that for at least the next decade. SO, this is where I will be regarding soap. I made a small mix container for traveling

Oh, and when the blades went away, I found the Personna Med Preps in the surgical supply store along with the Personne Lab Blues. Personna keeps messing with their packaging so I dropped the Lab Blues due to difficulties identifying them these days. But, the Med Preps are easy to spot and source.

Stan

 

[never-stop-learning]

I like Soaps, Croaps and Creams. Use 'em all. Just depends on my mood and the scent/feel I want for today's shave.

 

[ajkel64]

I like Soaps, Croaps and Creams. Use 'em all. Just depends on my mood and the scent/feel I want for today's shave.

This is me as well.

 

[Whilliam]

Both, plus sticks and gels.

 

[Wgg2017]

When I first started wet shaving about a decade and a half ago I was strictly a cream user. I stuck mostly with the three T's but tried other brands as well. They were easier to lather for me at the time and it seemed like there was more choice in creams.

Then I stopped wet shaving until I picked it back up again about 6 months ago. Now I'm primarily a soap user and don't have any of my old favorite creams. I primarily have artisan style soaps that are hard but can still be scooped into a lather bowl, although there are a couple triple milled soaps also. There's just so much choice in soaps these days and I like the variety of scents offered vs creams.

 

[GreazyThumbs]

Same here. Though I do seem to have more soaps in my collection, and so I use them more often.

I agree there are far more numerous good soaps that good creams. But for DR Harris I totally prefer their cream to their soap and they are both exceptional. Just like everything in this hobby, variety is the spice of life.

 

[DougK]

I like and use soap, cream, gel, and foam, but I've noticed that my soaps have been drying out my skin more than they used to. As a result, I've been using cream. They all get the job done.

 

[GreazyThumbs]

Doug, recommend you try out a full set from Wholly Kaw. They specialize in skin care, and my face never feels better that after shaving with their products.

 

[Alex A]

The simplicity of cream in a tube I quite enjoy. I find creams better for me, TOBS especially.

 

[dieselfuel79]

I’m in the same category as some of the other gentlemen have mentioned. I use and enjoy both. But if I could choose one... I would still pick both.

 

[DaveL]

I prefer soaps but I do have some creams on hand. It'll be a while but once my creams are gone they won't be replaced.

 

[ShaverAZ]

I like them both and use them interchangeably. I don't show a preffererence if they're good performers.

Sent from my VS996 using Tapatalk

^^^ This ^^^

 

[kluber]

Soap mostly because they last a lot longer (hard soaps) than creams for me and I’m cheap at times.

Cream when I need a quick 3-5min shave before work. Both are good.

 

[pmj]

Why?

I face lather in the shower at home so I use a boar brush loaded with cream. I don't soak the brush, simply use the water already on my face, Leaf Razor. When I travel I use the stiffest synthetic brush that I've found, cut down to about half original height with a travelling tin of shaving soap. I would use a smaller boar brush for travelling but the drying time is too long as I'm usually on the motorbike straight after breakfast.

 

[pmj]

I am exactly the opposite. I use mostly tubs of artisan soap at home. When traveling, I carry a tube of Cremo. If I leave a tube of Cremo in a hotel room, it can be replaced easily at the nearest Walmart, Target, etc.

I add orange oil to Palmolive Cream in a tub at home. Occasionally I'll add coconut oil. For me, a travelling tub of soap is more convenient. YMMV!

 

[Leo501]

I'm in my 7th month of DE shaving. Started with a few soaps and then bought 2 creams (Proraso and Geo F Trumper). I've realized that I'm a cream man because:

• Consistency- for me, I'm just able to create a better lather on a more consistent basis
• Precision- I love just squeezing the tube and knowing what's there
• Ease of use
• Face Feel- Even my inexpensive cream leaves my face feeling moisturized.

With pucks, there's just more variables involved in loading the brush. And I find that with creams, I can adapt any brush to a cream and create good lather. A puck is definitely more sensitive to what brush I'm using (boar, badger, or synth), so much so that I'll only use a specific brush on a certain soap. My harder Pre de Provence puck works best with a stiffer boar.

I'll finish my soaps & croaps, but future purchases will be primarily tubs and tubes of cream. The only downside is that will limit the variety of what I can buy.

I'd love to see more small artisans start producing creams.

 

[lancre]

Only soap in an aerosol can, that I'm aware of.

THAT is neither soap nor cream!

 

[lancre]

Mostly soaps & croaps here. Except I frequently use cream when traveling.

 

[Fawkes007]

It depends on the day and how whimsical I am feeling.