I've been shaving with my Merkur 23c and D.R. Harris soap for about a month now with various blades from the sample pack. The results are fairly consistent, but occasionally the soap will dry out on my face. So I've been experimenting with some cheap shaving cream, and adding a tiny dab to my shaving bowl as I make my lather. It seems to help, but I was wondering what other things I could try to keep the soap from drying out on my face.