Why I am veering more towards creams than soaps.

[dotKomo]

I also prefer soaps, although I have a lot of creams and like them as well - Proraso Green and Red, AofS, Castle Forbes, etc.

I am gravitating towards a thinner lather from puck soap which is really slick.

 

[Timeclo]

I like both creams and soaps but I am enjoying more creams these days. I like to put some on the bowl and lather up so cream makes it more convenient compared to having to scoop out the soap and clean the tools afterwards.

 

[NorthernSoul]

Use what you like, creams can be very good. Creams usually make lather a bit more quickly and easily, so a lot of people prefer them for the convenience.

 

[wulfgar1976]

I prefer soap as I enjoy using them. Creams are a bit quicker so I often use those if I want to try and save time.

 

[Happy Jack]

I tend to use creams more than soaps now, just for the convenience of being able to whip up a lather in a few seconds. I don't feel that I'm missing out on anything. I'll hang onto my TOBS Sandlewood soap, just in case I run out of cream.

 

[DEgeezer]

Creams are easier to lather, soap last longer. But good soaps, creams, and croaps all make great lather with the proper technique.

 

[steveclarkus]

Good evening all.

For some reason when I started to proper DE shave since I got my Sledgehammer razor I've always went for the soaps. Nowadays I find myself getting more creams than soaps. In my subjective opinion I find it easier to lather up creams than soaps and I have been happy with the results. Perhaps my experience of the GFT Coconut shaving soap has tainted my opinions of them? (Though my Amazon soap works well enough).

I don't really want to turn my back on soaps for good. There must be some good soaps that are just as good as creams.

Jason.

Creams are great for face lathering too. Just put a dab on the brush and go to it.

 

[Yuritau]

I've never actually tried a shaving cream, and they don't appeal to me at all. Loading from a hard puck and going right onto the face to build the lather just feels right, so I don't mess with it, heh.

 

[kingfisher]

I used creams at first but use soaps exclusively now. Creams just don't do it for me. Yeah, they lather fine and they lather quickly, but they just don't have that certain je nais se quois.

 

[Slock]

I think if I could shop at Trumpers and TOBS on a regular basis like Jason can I would end up with more creams as well.

 

[bubo_strix]

Creams are great for face lathering too. Just put a dab on the brush and go to it.

I recently tried this for the first time for a head lather using a Yaqi synthetic brush and some Proraso red cream. It worked really well. I’ll definitely revisit this method, especially if I’m in a hurry.

 

[Rhody]

I use both. But frequently when going from a soap to a cream (in a jar) I hit it with the brush like it’s a soap and get way too much product and have enough lather for 5 shaves.

 

[emwolf]

I prefer soaps, but enjoy creams. I think creams lather faster and I tend to use them the mornings I need to cruise through quickly.

 

[RayClem]

Some traditional triple milled tallow pucks can be difficult to lather, but that is rarely the case for most artisan soaps. I refuse to spend more than a minute lathering a soap. For me, that normally breaks down to a 10 second bloom time, a 10 second loading time, and 30-40 seconds of lathering time in a bowl.

If I use a cream, the difference is that I measure out the cream into my bowl, add water and allow it to bloom for 10 seconds and then lather for 30-40 seconds. Thus, the overall time is still about 1 minute.

I rarely use traditional tallow pucks as it takes me more time to bloom, load and lather than I am willing to spend. The only way I would consider using a tallow puck would be if I used it every day for my shave so the puck stays hydrated.

 

[FarmerTan]

I use both. But frequently when going from a soap to a cream (in a jar) I hit it with the brush like it’s a soap and get way too much product and have enough lather for 5 shaves.

I'm guilty of this myself.

I have a feeling we aren't the only ones!

 

[hairless wonder]

I'm guilty of this myself.

I have a feeling we aren't the only ones!

With creams and croaps, I scoop out an almond sized amount with a plastic butter knife and put it in my lather bowl. If I scoop out too much, I can add it back to the tub. If you bowl lather, this could help prevent overloading a cream.

Of course, if you do end up getting too much cream, you can always opt to shave other parts until you're as hairless as I!

 

[Phoenixkh]

Most of you have been wet shaving a lot longer than me... so what is obvious to you might be beyond me. That was my situation when trying to get a soap to lather in a shaving bowl the first couple times.

I ended up watching a guy making lather on YouTube. He said the most important thing was not to just put a chunk of soap into the bowl... but spread it out over the bottom of the bowl with your fingers... making it very thin.

I don't know how long it would have taken me to figure that out (I'm not that bright), but after I started doing it, the lather time wasn't all that much longer for a soap than a cream, at least, the soaps I own. I have my ceramic Stef Baxter bowl warmed up and that helps spread out the soap. It can't take more than 30 seconds or so. Add another 30 seconds to compensate for soap vs. cream... so maybe a minute longer to use soap than cream.

 

[APBinNCA]

Most of you have been wet shaving a lot longer than me... so what is obvious to you might be beyond me. That was my situation when trying to get a soap to lather in a shaving bowl the first couple times.

I ended up watching a guy making lather on YouTube. He said the most important thing was not to just put a chunk of soap into the bowl... but spread it out over the bottom of the bowl with your fingers... making it very thin.

I don't know how long it would have taken me to figure that out (I'm not that bright), but after I started doing it, the lather time wasn't all that much longer for a soap than a cream, at least, the soaps I own. I have my ceramic Stef Baxter bowl warmed up and that helps spread out the soap. It can't take more than 30 seconds or so. Add another 30 seconds to compensate for soap vs. cream... so maybe a minute longer to use soap than cream.

Where creams are arguably faster and easier is face lathering. They take less time and less water to build a quality lather. You can smear soap on your face in a hurry with a very wet brush, but your chances of getting a airy non protective lather are a lot higher.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Where creams are arguably faster and easier is face lathering. They take less time and less water to build a quality lather. You can smear soap on your face in a hurry with a very wet brush, but your chances of getting a airy non protective lather are a lot higher.

That makes sense. I've never tried face lathering. I don't see any need to start now.

I'm an old dog... we can only learn a few new tricks, if we are lucky.

 

[APBinNCA]

That makes sense. I've never tried face lathering. I don't see any need to start now.

I'm an old dog... we can only learn a few new tricks, if we are lucky.

I just started with creams a month ago specifically to see if I could tolerate face lathering and to speed things up. By not having to spend as much time with water additions and building, I find face lathering tolerable. Most people like the extended "facial massage," I do not.