One of the questions we get asked most when either at our stall or on the road is “Whats the difference between soap and cream?!”
As you check out our store you’ll see that there is a variety of both available.
You’ll read plenty of articles on this online, most going into crazy detail that only true aficionados of shaving care about. We’re going to give you a quick breakdown so you can make up your own mind.
Shaving soap is self explanatory, a chunk of soap made using the traditional process which is either hot or cold molded. Cream is soap which has been emulsified with water, aerated and pre-whipped to form a lather which make creams a bit more convenient.
At the end of the day, the difference between soap and cream comes down to personal choice. Both will produce a great lather to help you shave.
Most shavers who use a straight or cut-throat razor prefer a soap as it offers a more slick shave. Those that use Double-Edged razors tend to go with Creams as there is a little more protection. But you can obviously use either soap or cream for any shaving method.
Using a soap and brush to get a good lather is part of the true wet-shaving experience and using a cream is no different, it just makes it a bit easier to lather. In this day and age where time is king, grabbing your cream and brush is marginally quicker/easier but either produces an amazing lather quickly. Personally I use cream during the week with my Double Edged Safety and Soap at the weekend with my straight edge shavette.
We should also mention Gels as these are what re most available on your supermarket shelves. Anything that comes out of a can tends to suck. You don’t need to use a brush and can just lather it up in your hands. We have one quality gel available from Truefitt & Hill, part of their No.10 Range which is designed for those with sensitive skin. Modern, slick and smells great, if you have to use a gel, use this one.
To summarise, soap or cream both do a wonderful job provided you use a good shaving brush to get a nice thick lather, soaps tend to last longer so maybe think about that if your price conscious.
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