Shaving Cream for use with Hard Water

[phule]

Can anyone suggest a shaving cream for hard water? I'm presently using Trumper's Coconut Creme but I thought I'd try TOBS Lavender since my skin is rather sensative.

[Trea]

I have very hard water and the ToBS Lavender lathers great for me with any brush I use. I've even face lathered with it, which is not something I normally do.

[Bobtrumpet]

Proraso and Speick work pretty well. I've also had good success with Nancy Boy, ToBS sandalwood (all the ToBS, actually, but the rest were samples), Barbon, Real Shaving Co. (I don't like the smell, though), The Body Shop maca root SC, Pacific Shaving Co. SC, and Art of Shaving lemon, sandalwood, and unscented creams. I'm sure there are others I'm not remembering.

The biggest issue is to use more product; the "almond sized snurdle" just doesn't cut it in hard water. Double it. At least.

The only SC I really had a problem with was D. R. Harris Arlington. I went through an entire tube and could never get the mix quite right.

[phule]

Thanks for all the brand names! I hope the moderator makes this thread a sticky.

[Bobtrumpet]

I neglected to point out that water can be "hard" by degree, and by different mineral content proportions. Your best bet is to try a particular product (get a sample if you can) and see how well it works. You also might try using distilled water if you find a product you like but it doesn't work well with your water.

Good hunting!

[rickboone1]

Maca Root.

[Foyle]

I've found Proraso to work better than just about anything in hard water. Here in Wisconsin the water is pretty hard, somewhere between 12 and 18 depending on where you live.

[finotti]

Very limited experience: when on vacation, I noticed the KMF did not lather well at all, but Proraso was just fine. (After that I just stuck with Proraso, so I cannot comment on others.) OTOH, I've learned then that mixing KMF Lime and Proraso (green cream) is a very nice combination.

[njpaddy]

I have well water and had lather issues starting off, but Proraso and TOBS creams were usually pretty good. Using more product overcomes many of the issues with hard water. Another thing that worked for me was switching to warm water from hot water and not using my scuttle as the heat was breaking down my lather quicker. But the best thing I ever did to improve my lather was switching to face lathering. It's faster and the lather is more consistent than when I lathered in a bowl. When I started off I couldn't get a decent bowl lather with soaps. Since switching to face lathering, I rarely use a cream anymore.

[Pgg365247]

You could build a great lather with AOS Ocean Kelp on mars (virtually no water) using rocks as a brush... I have really grown fond of this cream.

[Dusty1]

Honesty, I think it depends on the minerals in the water, not just if it's hard or not. I can't speak a whole lot for creams, but as far as soaps, I personally can't get Palmolive Euro shave stick to froth for me at all, but MWF all but exploded in my bowl. Tabac is ok lather (even though performance is still great), and AOS Sandalwood soap is also very nice.

[Martini203]

Another option is to buy distilled water from Wal-mart or grocery store. That way if there's a cream you like you'll be able to get better lather.

[pdillon]

I'm in STL, so not too far from KC.

I haven't tried proraso cream, but the soap lathers fantastically in our hard water.

For a cream, I second Speick. I am LOVING this stuff this spring.

I'm not a fan of the whole distilled water/kettle thing. To me it's too clunky. I tried it for some soaps I was having trouble with, I decided it's better to just forget about those particular soaps and move on to others. There are so many good options.

[insight]

I find Proraso, Nivea and Kaloderma work well with my hard well water.

[smalltank]

Trumpers Limes Soap works well for hard water

[Blooze]

Proraso and Speick work pretty well. I've also had good success with Nancy Boy, ToBS sandalwood (all the ToBS, actually, but the rest were samples), Barbon, Real Shaving Co. (I don't like the smell, though), The Body Shop maca root SC, Pacific Shaving Co. SC, and Art of Shaving lemon, sandalwood, and unscented creams. I'm sure there are others I'm not remembering.

The biggest issue is to use more product; the "almond sized snurdle" just doesn't cut it in hard water. Double it. At least.

The only SC I really had a problem with was D. R. Harris Arlington. I went through an entire tube and could never get the mix quite right.

+1 on the doubling of the product.

I've had good luck with TOBS Sandalwood, all the AOS creams, Proraso (CO Bigelow), and the T&H creams. Soaps on the other hand are a royal PITA, although I've not tried MWF or Mystic Water yet.

[Bellac]

TOBS or Proraso will work exceptionally in hard water. Actually IMHO, I think TOBS works with just about any water condition; it is the easiest to lather from my experience. If you have very hard water, then remember to increase the amount of soap used, along with water as well. Also, keep an eye out for soap scum that could build up in your brush and ruin it.

[Bobtrumpet]

Soaps on the other hand are a royal PITA . . .

+1 Just about every melt-and-pour soap I have tried has been a disappointment. I can get a nice looking lather but it isn't good for shaving. VDH Deluxe and Luxury soaps are passable, but just. C&E soaps, Cade, Provence Sante, and Harris Arlington also did not do well.

Tabac works well, but I need to face lather it to get a good shave from it.

And I just remembered that C&E creams didn't do all that well, either. I really liked the Sweet Almond Oil cream, which lathered better than the Sienna (whose scent I also liked), but it was very tricky to get a good serviceable lather. I was using them at the start of my wet shaving journey, so it may have been my technique as well.

[dpm802]

You also might try using distilled water if you find a product you like but it doesn't work well with your water.

+1 ... get a gallon of distilled water from the grocery store (about $1) and see if that improves the performance of the products you already have at home. You only need about 4oz each time you shave, just enough to cover the knot of your brush when its standing up in a tumbler, coffee cup or scuttle.

If it works (there's no "if" about it, it will work) then look into a permanent solution to improve the water quality in your house. You can get a Britta or Pur pitcher for around $25, a faucet-mounted filter for about $35, or a whole-house filter starting at $50. Fancy-schmancy high-tech water softeners will run into the thousands, but even a simple, low-cost device will work wonders to improve your lather ... and it will make your food and coffee and everything in the kitchen taste better ... and your clothes will come out cleaner in the laundry ... and it will help to make better lather when you take a bath or shower, too.

Trying to find another cream that will work with hard water is the wrong way to solve this problem. Treat the water, and then you'll boost the performance of everything in your shave den.

[miamimoe]

I have incredibly hard water, and here is my list of proven performers, not necessarily in order:

1. Eshave Verbena Lime
2. La Toja
3. Lavanda
4. C.O. Bigelow (assume Proraso would deliver similar results)
5. Veleiro
6. Musgo Real

I use double the suggested amount, i.e. 2 almond size dollops, hot water, and I face lather. The creams listed deliver outstanding performance for me.