Why use a shaving soap?
If you suffer from sensitive or dry skin, switching to shaving soap could be the solution you're looking for. The rich, creamy lather produced by these soaps offers extra protection from cuts and burns. This deeper lather also helps to keep your skin moisturized and hydrated, even after you've finished shaving.
The fancy soap works by softening your facial hair and lifting it away from the skin, giving you a closer shave and a cleaner cut. Thanks to the slickness of the lather, your razor should be able to effortlessly move across your skin, making sure no spots are missed.
Plus, if you like to save a few coins now and then, shaving soap can be great value for money. A traditional, hard soap will give you many months of use - some even last up to a year!
How is it made?
There are several vital ingredients found in shave soaps that are used to create the desired outcome:
Stability: Shaving soap differs from regular soap because it includes potassium and sodium salts with a high stearic fat/oil acid content. Stearic acid creates the stable lather, slickness, and softening qualities that are necessary in a shave soap. Some of the most common high-stearic fatty acid content oils are castor oil, palm oil, and coconut oil. When mixed with fats/oils, potassium hydroxide causes a chemical reaction called saponification (resulting in soap).
Slickness: The high stearic acid also aids in slickness in the lather. Other ingredients that can contribute to this are castor oil and glycerin.
Hydration: Since soap can have a drying effect, moisturizing agents are an important ingredient. Some common moisturizers are jojoba oil and shea butter.
Nourishment: Many of the ingredients used for hydration are also good for nourishing the skin. Cocoa butter, jojoba oil, and others are examples of ingredients that serve multiple purposes.
This isn't a complete list of shaving soap ingredients, but it can give you a good idea of some common ingredients and their purposes.
How do you lather shave soap?
With a wet shaving brush, swirl over the soap for 10-15 seconds. If you prefer, transfer it to a bowl. Use a light pressure to whisk up a lather, being careful to not push too heavily. You'll see the lather start to build up.
Once you're confident that you have a good, thick lather, you can start applying it to your face.
How do you use shave soap?
Wet your shaving brush. This allows it to soak up enough liquid to build a good lather. Whisk it over the soap, then decide where to build the soap into a lather. This can be done in the palm of your hand, in a shave bowl, or directly on your face.
To build the lather, simply swirl the brush around until the texture is light. If your lather is still very stiff or thick after a minute or so, you may need to add hot water a little at a time until you get the desired texture.
Apply the lather to your face evenly to exfoliate the skin and surround each whisker with lather. Shave with the grain, across the grain, and shave against the grain for a baby-butt smooth shave. You may then want to do a clean-up pass for any spots you may have missed. Rinse with cold water, and voila!
