if so, what brands are best?
can regular bath soap be used for lather?
- Thread starter Omnichron
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Sure, In a pinch most any bath product will work.
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would a regular moustirizing soap be just as good?
Those are the key words right there. In a pinch. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it. You won't get the same protectiveness, cushion, or slickness from a regular bath soap that you will from a shaving soap. I mean, in a pinch you could probably just use cold water, or shave totally dry.
But there are so many great products out there. Unless you're in the middle of nowhere, would you really need to ever do that?
I bought a friend of mine a shaving set. His Proraso didnt make it with the rest of the shipment so he decided to use bath soap and said that it burned.
Not that it really means anything. There are many variables there.
Not that it really means anything. There are many variables there.
I use Dove soap in the shower and a few times when I've been pushed for time, I've lathered up my face and done a couple of quick passes with it. It gets the worst of the stubble off easily enough but I wouldn't like to do that every morning. I've never experienced drying of my skin from this, but perhaps that would happen if this was done more than just occasionally.
I use Pre de Provence soaps in the shower (French triple-milled cold press veggie soaps), and they are awesome on a lot of fronts - luxurious, wonderful scents, very moisturizing, slick, etc...I'd often though of trying it, lol. They make up so much thick and creamy lather with one of those shower poofy things that you probably COULD shave with it.
Every time I come across a great bath soap like this, I can't resist and try to shave with it. I have never had any luck. Bath soaps just don't work for me. They make foam right away, but it also disappears right away. Even If I'm able to load plenty, I've never had luck with any bath soap.
I have used bath soap many times. Not the same sort of shave but I have done it many many times. I have used Irish Spring soap and others.
I find the key is to rub up a lather with as little water as possible on my hands then spread it on my face, otherwise it bubbles up too much.
I find the key is to rub up a lather with as little water as possible on my hands then spread it on my face, otherwise it bubbles up too much.
There you go, I always tried making lather with my brush. Using your hands with as little water as possible would be the way to go with bath soaps.
I have never tried to use bath soap with a brush
Building low water "cream" on my hands seems to work nicely though. It is slick....certainly other attributes that folks favor are not there, but slick gives me a decent shave with no irritation.
The minute too much water is used though...the soap goes to thin froth.
Think of GI's in 1942....I am quite sure they used GI soap everyday with very little water.
We are spoiled by all the great products available.
Building low water "cream" on my hands seems to work nicely though. It is slick....certainly other attributes that folks favor are not there, but slick gives me a decent shave with no irritation.
The minute too much water is used though...the soap goes to thin froth.
Think of GI's in 1942....I am quite sure they used GI soap everyday with very little water.
We are spoiled by all the great products available.
I heard that Neutrogena clear face and body soap works pretty good. Try it and let me know. 
If it has all the characteristics of a shaving soap, but sold as a bath soap, I don't see why one would not take it in rotation?
If I would go on a field trip I see myself taking a bath soap as Woody's taking with me.
I can attest for this one.
And while it is one of my most comforting soaps (easy to get a creamy thick lather with lots of protection from the blade), it doesn't give me the closest shaves either because of the tremendous protection it provides.
But on the other hand, while Tabac is for me also very comforting, it doesn't give me the closest shaves either.
You can shave a completely dry face with nothing but a disposable razor if you were so inclined. Adding water will make it a little more comfortable, adding hot water even more so, and any kind of soap on your face can only help.
The question is, can you shave comfortably like that? And the answer is, probably not. In a pinch you could do it, but there are so many cheap and easily obtainable products specifically designed to improve your shave, I don't know why you'd bother any other time.
The question is, can you shave comfortably like that? And the answer is, probably not. In a pinch you could do it, but there are so many cheap and easily obtainable products specifically designed to improve your shave, I don't know why you'd bother any other time.
So, you shower with a shield of poofiness?
Er, dunno how to answer that, lol. I wish those things were better named, like "buffing appliance" or "scum scrapers" or something...but...since they are not, I'll take the fifth.
I make hand made soap (and shaving soap).
To make shaving soap, I add bentonite clay to my standard soap recipe. It creates a great amount of "slip" or a slickness to the skin. If you look at the ingredients on most shaving soaps, I believe you will find bentonite clay listed.
I used to use 2 standard recipes, one for bath soap and one for shaving soap. My customers started requesting more shaving soaps than bath soaps because they preferred the slick feeling it left on the skin. That slickness is what gives the added lubrication and allows the blade to glide smoothly across the skin. (I am a straight razor shaver by the way). So now I add bentonite clay to every batch so all my soaps work equally well for bath or shaving. But that is only because they are really all shaving soaps.
The only difference in my batches now are colors and fragrances. Any lubrication is better than none at all. The utmost in lubrication is desirable for an enjoyable shaving experience. Soap gives a good amount more lubrication than water alone. But bentonite clay adds a lot more lubrication than you will get from plain soap.
To make shaving soap, I add bentonite clay to my standard soap recipe. It creates a great amount of "slip" or a slickness to the skin. If you look at the ingredients on most shaving soaps, I believe you will find bentonite clay listed.
I used to use 2 standard recipes, one for bath soap and one for shaving soap. My customers started requesting more shaving soaps than bath soaps because they preferred the slick feeling it left on the skin. That slickness is what gives the added lubrication and allows the blade to glide smoothly across the skin. (I am a straight razor shaver by the way). So now I add bentonite clay to every batch so all my soaps work equally well for bath or shaving. But that is only because they are really all shaving soaps.
The only difference in my batches now are colors and fragrances. Any lubrication is better than none at all. The utmost in lubrication is desirable for an enjoyable shaving experience. Soap gives a good amount more lubrication than water alone. But bentonite clay adds a lot more lubrication than you will get from plain soap.
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