Soap or Cream - there is a difference, right?

[Drubbing]

The title of this post questions the passed down and assumed wisdom, that soaps are slick and cream are cushioning. I disagree. This may be a personal thing, shaving pretty much is, but I can't tell the difference between slickness and cushioning? Can you?

I've been on the DE train for two years now, and like many of you starting out, I've tried quite a few of the hyped and loved products in both categories along the way. Luckily, I've also had my share of samplers, so the experience hasn't cost me dearly.

Off the top of my head:

Creams -
Most of the TOBS range
T&H Ultimate
Musgo
Speick
Proraso
Trumpers Violet

Soaps -
Tabac!
DR Harris Marlboro
Proraso
Speick
Cade
T&H Luxury
C&E Sienna
Cella
P160

There's probably a few more, but you'll know all these. My opinion is there are good products and average products. There's only a couple of the above I'd call really poor, but again, that could be preference. I can't detect any cushion Vs slick feeling with any of these.

I find Proraso a great, slick cream and Tabac a slick soap. P160 is protective and moisturising and slick. Perhaps it's the way I make lather, as I like it wet and slick regardless of what it is.

Also, giving the Simmo's Berk in Best Badger a run, I'm starting to think boars tend to put less air into lather. Maybe this is placebo, who knows, but I find badger whips up thicker, fluffier stuff, and I have to work to get it slick. Perhaps this is a contributing factor to those who find more of a difference between products.

What do you reckon?

 

[Monsta_AU]

I think you have hit the nail on the head with the brushes. There is a difference in what they lather, but I find while the badgers might put more air in the lather, but it is much FINER and to me it feels creamier. The boars tend to put coarser bubble in the lather and it's not as creamy for me.

As for the rest of it, I feel it is down to local water quality, and then the physical treatment of the soaps/creams in question. Age, has it dried out or been kept moist, suffered from heat... there are so many variables. Is the local water hard or is it rather soft?

I've been suffering from hard water of late, and the lather is collapsing after the first pass in many cases, and also the odd drip comes out of a just-rinsed razor and tends to cause a lack of glide on the skin. So I went back to Proraso & the Muhle Pure Badger this morning, and got a great lather happening which stood up and lasted. Going to give my bowl and all my brushes a detergent clean and try and get rid of any buildup which could be contributing.

 

[Pjotr]

Well funny you should ask, I've just used some soap ( the unmentionable Mennen) for the first time in christ knows how long. It did seem different. I was using a Black Badger brush. That could, depending on maker, also be Best, Pure, Pure Badger, Pure Badger Bristle, Budget, Almost, Not Silvertip or whatever classicfication they dream up on a Monday morning. It did seem fluffier but I'll keep an eye on it in future. What's the Berkeley like by the way? Not too big and pillowy I trust!

 

[Drubbing]

The Berk is a good size. A regular size. I lost the Wee Scot a few times in the sink and needed a microscope to find it. I can use the Berk and still see most of my face underneath it. With the T&H rooney, I needed a mask and snorkel.

Got your msg about the SE. Don't know if I want the crack purveyed in the opposite direction.

 

[Pjotr]

That's good. They need to be small those badgers. Common, you gotta try an SE just to say you have. I'll lend you a cute GEM junior and two blades. That, by all acounts, should give you plenty of shaves.

 

[Drubbing]

Oh, alright. You'll need some Speick sample then, which pretty much means the Fauldings will go in the bin afterwards...

 

[$qwuzzy]

I haven't actually tried a shaving cream since starting DE shaving!
Only soaps. Wait. No. Prorasa, and only soaps.

 

[JugV2]

I went the other way. I have only really bought creams, apart from a Palmolive stick from Coles which doesn't really rate.

 

[~Spyne~]

the aussie palmolive sticks are diff to the euro ones - not as good.

and so far i'm the same, just creams, no soaps yet.

 

[JugV2]

the aussie palmolive sticks are diff to the euro ones - not as good.

yeah I know, I was impatient and wanted to try soap.

 

[$qwuzzy]

Well I have two of the Euro palmolive sticks that i'll pick up tomorrow in a package from Connaught, and I just ordered a TOBS sampler from MensBiz. So first creams on the way!