What You Need to Know About Best Shaving Soaps

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at shaving soap and why it might help you get the most comfortable close shave ever.

As a man, it’s great to be living through the decade of many choices when it comes to grooming products.

Best shaving soap can sometimes be compared to shaving gels, shaving creams, but there are some differences both in texture and performance results.

We also included tidbits about what makes a good shaving soap, and the best ones that will deliver the biggest bang for your buck!

Some Historical Facts about Shaving soaps

The first shaving soap can be traced to the early 14th century. But one must go back to the days of the Sumerians for the oldest soap recipe.

Even after 5,000 years, soap manufacturing steps have changed very little. Animal fats or other fats are combined with some type of oil through the mechanism of boiling.

Also added to the mixture is potassium hydroxide or sodium which is sometimes called alkalis, to induce the perfect soap base.

It is after the base is gotten that other ingredients like fragrances, moisturizing properties are added.

Those that enjoy the traditional old fashion wet shaving experience will testify that it’s never complete until you try it with the best shave soap.

What Properties Should You Expect in Quality Shaving Soap?

Usually, a high-quality shaving soap will contain a significant amount of fat (which can either be vegetable or tallow) and glycerin.

Pure glycerin is derived from vegetable oil, just like alcohol is derived from grain. This valuable property helps to hydrate the skin thus preventing it from drying out during and after shaving.

You should also seek to buy a shaving soap with emollient factors, meaning they help to keep the skin smooth and moisturized.

You need protection and lubrication for the facial skin during your early morning shave so that the razor glides effortlessly across the surface of your skin, all without nicking or irritating it.

Some might say, you should look for a shaving soap with fat contents of at least 35 to 50 percent.

While the composition matters, your main concern should be how the best shave soap reacts with your skin.

Be aware some cheap shave soaps are just regular shower or bath soaps that offer no additional protection properties as you shave. Cheaper is not always better, so choose wisely!

The way the shaving soap is milled is also a good point to consider.

The high-quality brands are usually triple milled, thus guaranteeing the chances of witnessing a rich lather with intense creamy foam that can help keep your skin smooth even after shaving.

How to Use Shaving Soap

If you want the completely wet shaving experience, you’ll need a lathering shaving brush, and a bowl, mug or a deep dish.

In simpler terms, you need a container to hold the soap as you work up a rich lather with your shaving brush.

Apply some water to your badger brush or boar brush, and stroke it on the soap as you work up a rich lather.

Badger shaving brushes are made from natural fibers and do a better job if you have sensitive skin.

Some would say you need to use hot water, but lukewarm water would do just fine, from our research.

The rich lather should be gently but firmly applied to your facial hair.

A good shaving brush will retain some moisture which is then transferred to your beard as the soap properties soften and open your pores.

Some would say you need to apply circular strokes, but we believe any type of good strokes would do just fine.

The best step is to gently bring your straight or double edged razor up to your whiskers while using gentle deliberate strokes to shave them off.

Be sure to pour out or shake off excess water from your shaving bowl to preserve the longevity of your shave soap.

Some Subtle Differences between Best Shaving Soap and Cream

Shaving creams are far easier to work it.

A good shaving soap will last much longer, thus costing you less per shave.

While both would lather up rather well, the richness from using shave soap is more noticeable.

Our Top Choices for Best Shave Soap

Proraso Shaving Soap with Eucalyptus & Menthol

This company is known for many shaving products, but their shaving soap is one of best selling product on Amazon (See Here).

Not only does this shave soap lather up easily, it also contains Eucalyptus Oil and menthol.

This soap is more concentrated than others we’ve tried, and it comes in a nice bowl. Since it contains Menthol, you’re encouraged to rinse the brush with cold water.

This is a well-established brand, and there are no downsides to using this best shave soap.

Colonel Conk Glycerin Soap

This is another great brand and comes in packs of four with the different fragrance like amber, lime, almond and bay rum.

Each bar is about 2.25 oz. Colonel Conk shaving soaps are glycerin based and contain Vitamin E and Avocado oil for smoother skin texture after shaving.

Your wet shaving experience would be enhanced tremendously while using this product.

Van Der Hagen Deluxe Shave Soap

Van Der Hagen is a well-regarded name among shaving products enthusiast.

This shaving soap contains at least 40% moisturizers in each bar, including Shea butter and Aloe Vera for smoother skin after close shaving.

If you’re environmentally conscious, you should know the finished product is not tested on animals, thus giving it a seal of approval from animal rights activist.

The only downside is that you’ll have to buy a package of 12 – 2.5 oz bar, to experience the high quality of this product.

It’s reasonably priced, but it would have been nice to buy one bar for trial purpose. It’s solid shave soap nevertheless!

Henry Cavendish Himalaya 3.8 oz. Shaving Soap

This Best Shave Soap contains Shea Butter. This is probably the only shaving soap claiming to be made from all natural ingredients.

This product is free of all toxins, including Synthetic Fragrances and Parabens. This shaving soap is larger than the rest of them at 3.8 oz.

This would be the ideal best shave soap for men with sensitive skin. This is probably the best product of all the ones reviewed.

While our shaving soap reviews list is by no means complete, the above comparison guide for shave soaps provides more choices to find the best product for your skin type.

We’ve discovered that Amazon offers some of the best online prices for shaving soaps and you can click the link below for wider selection choices.