How to Use Shaving Soap

It would take a while before history invented aerosolized cans of shaving cream. Before that, there were shaving soaps that created a dense, lubricating lather for taming one's mane.

That "history" as Frank Shields coming along in 1919 and deliver Barbasol to the world. But enough about shaving cream, let's talk shaving soap.

Steps to Use Shaving Soap

Start by prepping your tools. You'll need a shaving brush (ideally badger hair or synthetic), a shaving bowl or scuttle, and some shaving soap. The brush should be clean and slightly damp, not dripping wet. Many barbers prefer to keep their scuttle filled with warm water to maintain the lather's temperature throughout the shave. Don't argue with the pros.

Now, fill your scuttle or bowl with hot water (around 100°F/38°C) and let your brush soak for approximately one minute. This softens the bristles and helps them hold water better. While the brush soaks, prep your station.

After soaking, shake out the brush so it's damp but not waterlogged. Too much water will create a thin, unusable lather. Now for loading, swirl your brush on top of the soap using firm, circular motions. This should take you 20-30 seconds, depending on the soap's hardness. You'll know you have enough when the bristles are coated with a paste-like substance.

Transfer the loaded brush to your lathering bowl. Using circular motions while applying gentle pressure, begin working the soap into a lather. Add small amounts of water as needed. A good lather should have the consistency of whipped cream with small, tight bubbles. It should have peaks that hold their shape when you lift the brush.

Before slathering the lather on a face, place a few warm-to-hot towels on the skin to soften the beard. Apply the lather using painting motions, Bob Ross-style, then circular motions to lift the hair. The lather should be thick enough to hold its shape but wet enough to feel slick between your fingers.

While you're waiting for the hot water to heat up, go on and create what we call a reserve lather in your bowl. This extra lather allows you to reapply during the shave without having to create more. Keep your lather warm throughout, as warm lather keeps pores open and provides a more comfortable shave. Also, be mindful of the chemistry and makeup of different soap, as some traditional shaving soaps need more water than others, while some modern formulations lather more easily.

Pro tip: Be careful when shaving in the area of a fresh tattoo as you don't want to damage the skin in the recovery process.

Why Should I Use Shaving Soap?

Whipping up a lather from shaving soap helps to create microscopic air bubbles that act like tiny cushions, allowing the razor to glide across the skin while maintaining just the right amount of contact. Each soap molecule has a hydrophilic (water-loving) head and a hydrophobic (water-fearing) tail. When you work up that lather, these molecules orient themselves around each hair on the face. The hydrophobic ends help soften and lift the hair while the hydrophilic ends maintain moisture against the skin. This arrangement creates excellent lubrication compared to canned shaving creams, which often rely on artificial lubricants and propellants.

What makes shaving soap particularly valuable for professional barbers is its stability and customization potential. Unlike canned products that start breaking down almost immediately, a properly made shaving soap lather maintains its structure throughout multiple passes of the razor.

The traditional soap-making process also allows for better incorporation of beneficial ingredients. Natural clay minerals can enhance slip and provide mild exfoliation. Essential oils can be properly emulsified into the soap base, providing delightful fragrances. Modern shaving soaps often include additional ingredients like shea butter or lanolin, which really amp up lather quality.

There's also an economic advantage. You see, a single puck of quality shaving soap can last for months of daily use. This longevity comes from the concentrated nature of the product, as you're not paying for water and propellants. That's enough to make your grandma proud.

Plus, isn't it luxurious knowing that some Hollywood tough like Clint Eastwood probably shaved this way his whole life? No Gilette disposables. No 4-blade wonders of technology. Just a flat razor and some soapy lather.

Types of Shaving Soaps

Traditional Tallow-Based Soaps

At the foundation of shaving soap history, and before commercial-grade soap making manufacturing plants, we had tallow-based soaps. Tallow, or rendered beef fat, creates what many consider the gold standard of shaving soaps. The molecular structure of tallow closely resembles human skin oils, which gives these soaps exceptional moisturizing properties alongside a dense, creamy consistency.

Vegetable-Based Soaps

As alternatives to tallow emerged, artisans developed excellent vegetable-based formulations. These typically use coconut oil, palm oil, or a combination of plant-based fats. Castile Soap, for example.

The key difference lies in their fatty acid profiles. Vegetable-based soaps often produce a lighter, airier lather compared to tallow soaps. While they can be excellent performers, they sometimes require more precise water control to achieve optimal lather. You might notice that these soaps take slightly longer to load onto your brush, but they often compensate with better scent projection due to their different fat composition.

Triple-Milled Soaps

The milling process fundamentally changes a soap's characteristics. Triple-milled soaps go through rollers three times, creating an extremely dense puck with very little water content. When you use a triple-milled soap, you'll find it loads more slowly onto your brush but produces an exceptionally stable lather. These soaps typically last longer than other varieties because they're so densely packed. The lather tends to be very fine and uniform, with smaller bubbles than you'd see in other soap types.

Croaps (Cream-Soaps)

These hybrid products sit between traditional hard soaps and creams in consistency. Croaps are softer and often contain more moisturizing ingredients. You'll notice they load onto your brush very quickly and typically require less water to generate lather. However, the trade-off is that they may not produce quite as stable a lather as harder soaps, particularly in humid conditions.

Remember, soap must contain lye to be called soap.

Semi-Hard Artisanal Soaps

Modern artisanal soapmakers often create formulations that combine various fat sources with added ingredients like clay, lanolin, or synthetic ingredients. These soaps typically have a consistency between triple-milled and croaps. The lather characteristics can vary significantly depending on the specific formulation, but they often provide excellent slickness due to their complex ingredient lists.

Turmeric Soap is one such example.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What kind of shaving soap for coarse hair?

Using a tallow-based or triple-milled soap might be ideal because they provide a most robust, stable lather that will maintain throughout multiple passes. A dense lather will soften tough beard hair.

What kind of shaving soap for sensitive skin?

A vegetable-based soap with added soothing ingredients (Aloe?) might be preferable. These tend to be less alkaline and can include natural anti-inflammatory ingredients more easily than traditional formulations.

What kind of shaving soap for vacation?

Let's assume you're going to Florida and it's humid. If so, you're going to want to opt for a triple-milled soap, as they generally perform better in humid conditions because their lather remains stable. Conversely, in very dry conditions, croaps might be easier to work with as they require less water to generate good lather.