Knowledge

Soap, cream, gel or shaving foam – what’s to choose?

Shave with what? We compare four types of shaving products. Choose the one that suits you best.

 

Queen Elizabeth II has allowed Prince Harry to break protocol and leave the beard at Megan Markle’s wedding, but the prince is more of an exception. More than half the men don’t wear a beard and shave several times a week. Rather than shave so this procedure isn’t painfully unpleasant?

Shaving soap

The classic traditional shave is soap. It’s a salvation for men with dry and mature skin.

The benefits of shaving soap:

 

    The soap gives you the densest foam that’s saturated with moisture, slips and hydrates your skin while you shave;

    Shaving soap is often cheaper than cream;

    Suitable for all skin types, even sensitive skin.

 

Shortcomings of shaving soap:

 

    The shaving procedure takes a little longer: you need to whisk the foam out of the soap;

    The soap requires some anointing, so it’s not very comfortable to travel with.

 

Shaving Cream

 

The cream is essentially the same soap, but in a more liquid form. In some manufacturers, the composition of soap and cream differ only in percentage of water. Others add additional components to the composition, such as silicones for better sliding or alcohol for longer shelf life.

 

Benefits of shaving creams:

 

    The cream is slightly easier to use because it’s actually already a well softened soap. It’s quicker and easier to beat the foam from the cream. Dear manufacturers make creams that are whipped right on your face, with your hands, without any anointing (such as D.R. Harris and Muehle creams).

 

    Like foam, the cream is well moisturized and protects the skin, the blade slides easily.

 

    Economical in use, compared to the finished foam from a cylinder.

Shortcomings with shaving creams:

 

    As with soap, the procedure also takes time because the cream needs to be whipped into the foam first. Although with cream it will be a little faster than with soap.

 

    As a rule, you’ll need some anointing for the cream.

 

    Due to the possible presence of silicones and alcohol in the composition can dry the skin a little more than soap.

 

Modern creams are becoming more comfortable and pleasant: some no longer require whipping (e.g. Clubman Universal Shaving Cream) and some are squeezed directly into foam (e.g. TBR Shaving Solution).

 

Shaving foam

Ready-made balloon foam has burst into our daily life and has become the most popular shaving product. The foam is cheaper than other products, it can be found in any supermarket, and what could be more convenient?

The benefits of shaving foam:

 

    Affordability and low price;

    You won’t need any anointing: The foam is ready, it will foam right after being squeezed out of the dispenser;

    The foam can be applied to both wet and dry skin.

 

Shortcomings with shaving foam:

 

    The main drawback to shaving foam is the lack of liquid and a weak structure compared to soap or cream foam.

    The low percentage of moisture in the foam causes the skin to be moisturised and irritated when shaving: you shave ‘dry’.

    The alcohols and acids contained in the foam dry the skin.

    The foam can be unstable and ‘slide’ off the skin, causing you to constantly renew the layer and reducing all cost savings to zero;

    It’s difficult to dose: often the dispenser produces more foam than necessary. It’s just marketing, nothing personal.

 

Sometimes the foam helps a lot. When traveling, on business trips, at the country house or even in the office: a spare bottle of foam and a machine will save the foam and get you in shape in a couple of minutes.

If nothing can make you try other means, at least do not save on your face and buy the foam of those manufacturers who specialize in products for wet shaving: it is as similar to the characteristics of foam whipped from soap or cream.

 

Shaving Gel

The gel does a better job of hydrating and removing hair than inexpensive foam. The gel is usually transparent and consistency similar to melted jelly, so it is easier to apply it to skin and stubble. Transparency ensures a precise shave, which is important for contouring. Distribution of the product on the face is effortless.

 

The benefits of shaving gels:

 

    A gentle, smooth shave slide that’s important for those with delicate or problematic skin;

 

    The gel is transparent, allowing you to see through rough hair, bypass skin damage and form a precise beard contour;

 

    The gel is more economical than shaving cream: it’s better than foam, but a little more expensive than soap.

Shortcomings with shaving gels:

 

    There’s usually no soap that dries out your skin, but sometimes it contains alcohol, so take a closer look at the composition if your skin is dry.

 

 

Which shaving product should I choose?

    For everyday shaving, soap or cream is the best choice. They give you a foam that’s dense, thick, stable and nothing like it. And a thick, moist foam is the key to a gentle shave. All soaps and shaving creams.

 

    Use clear gel to shave your head or shape the contour of your beard. It will help you not miss.

 

    On the road, it’s best to use ready-made foam in packs up to 100 ml, such as Proraso foam. Check out our All Shaving Bubbles catalog.

 

Be sure to consider your skin type when choosing a shaving product: what’s right for oily skin isn’t always right for dry skin, and sensitive skin needs a different approach to hard bristles.