The Shaving Soap Guide (2024)

Elevate Your Shave with a Quality Shaving Soap

As bottled body wash and liquid hand soap have become increasingly popular because of their presumed convenience and ease of use, real bar soaps, despite their considerable benefits, are becoming harder and harder to find. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the world of shaving soaps: specially formulated bars that serve the same function as shaving cream.

Shaving soap is a prime example of a classic men’s grooming essential that’s been overshadowed by its canned cousins, even though, in several respects, the newer product is actually worse than what it attempts to replace! The fact of the matter is the only real difference between bar shaving soap and canned shaving cream is water, some added stabilizers and chemicals, and a bit of extra convenience, but as you will learn in this guide, there is at least one factor in which shaving soaps are the clear winner!

In today’s guide, we will explain exactly what shaving soap is, reveal how it differs from and is largely superior to canned shaving cream, teach you how to find a quality shaving soap, and share with you some of our house favorites.

Understanding What a Shaving Soap Is

Shaving Soaps Make Shaving More Convenient and Pleasant

Fundamentally, shaving soap is a bar of soap specifically formulated to be used during shaving because the resulting lather helps to protect the skin and soften the facial hairs, encouraging a better shave.

Shaving soap consists primarily of fatty acids and oils, often tinged with a sweet-smelling fragrance, that appears in a bar or puck form and, when mixed with water and agitated, builds up a thick, luxurious lather that is applied to the face before shaving.

The Benefits of Shaving Soaps

Functioning similarly to a lather, shaving soap offers three primary benefits.

A Brief History of Shaving Soaps

Men have likely been using some kind of soap or a similar product to aid in shaving for essentially as long as they have been shaving. Prior to the specialized formulation of dedicated shaving soaps, however, men often used a regular cleansing soap when shaving: it would provide some kind of protective barrier for the skin and ensure that the facial hairs were plump and elevated.

The first references to specialty soaps designed specifically for shaving appeared in the 14th century. Many soaps during this time were made from rendered animal fat, also known as tallow, or olive oil, and it was eventually recognized that soaps with higher concentrations of fat worked best when used for shaving.

As modern shaving methods developed and were codified in the late 17th century, shaving soaps assumed a standardized form, usually that of a small, round puck. If intended to be used with a shaving mug, these pucks would have a flat bottom, while rounded bottoms appeared on shaving soaps intended to be used with a shaving scuttle, a special mug with a spout for holding and retaining hot water.

Shaving soaps were a fixture in men’s shaving routines until the middle of the 20th century, when canned shaving creams rose to prominence and eventually became ubiquitous. To this day, however, shaving soaps remain in high esteem with shavers who savor the traditional aspect of the wet shaving experience and with men who appreciate having a bit more control over one of the most important products used in a shaving regimen.

Distinguishing Shaving Soaps from Shaving Creams

Based on their formulation and ingredients, most shaving soaps have a higher concentration of moisturizers and other elements that contribute to a pleasant shave than canned shaving creams do. This is only because, however, shaving soaps tend to be designed to higher standards than most shaving creams, as shaving soaps are intentionally marketed to a more discerning audience.

The fact of the matter is that high-quality shaving creams are functionally almost exactly the same as quality shaving soaps, delivering the same degree of comfort and closeness.

High-quality examples of both products differ in essentially two ways: the time and effort needed to achieve a superior lather and overall cost.

The Characteristics of a Quality Shaving Soap

The Best Shaving Soaps Encourage the Best Possible Shaves

When considering what makes a quality shaving soap, it is important to recall what the function of shaving soap is. It should act as lubrication between your skin and the sharp blade, in combination with water and heat, to soften the hair and protect the skin.

The fact that shaving soap can help to clean the skin or that it has a pleasant and enjoyable fragrance is technically just a bonus! Therefore, it is most important for you to keep the following facts in mind when shopping for shaving soap.

High Fats and Glycerins Improve the Shave Experience

The best quality shaving soaps contain a high level of fat, usually derived from animals or vegetables, and glycerin.

The higher the fat and glycerin levels in the shaving soap, the better the lather in most cases. Ideally, the soap should have a fat content of at least 30 to 50 percent, although it can be hard to determine based on the label alone as ingredients lack percentages and are listed by their chemical names. The best indication of high fat and glycerin content is a rich lather that coats the skin thickly and lubricates effectively without requiring pressure; your skin should also feel soft and moisturized after shaving and not tight or dry.

Aside from reading reviews and seeking out tested and recommended products, like those discussed later in this guide, experimentation is usually the only way to test the fat and glycerin levels of soap.

Privilege Quality and Natural Ingredients

In many aspects of menswear, relying on natural products is a safe bet, and this is especially true when it comes to personal hygiene. Synthetic ingredients are usually favored by manufacturers because they are cheaper and easier to source and not because they offer superior results; in addition to potential chemical undertones, many synthetic ingredients are more likely to dry out your skin.

Natural ingredients, on the other hand, usually provide superior results with fewer issues and have the added benefit of not requiring special manufacturing that often unnecessarily harms the environment.

If possible, seek out shaving soaps that take advantage of natural products. Shea butter and lanolin, for instance, are both natural moisturizers, while coconut oil and almond oil can soothe the skin and balance natural oil production. You should also avoid products that include superfluous synthetic ingredients like artificial colors through dyes.

Price Can Serve as a Guideline When Making Your Selection

Price and quality are not always correlated in the shaving product world, but it can be a rough indicator of quality, especially if the low pricing of a product seems too good to be true.

Bargain bin shaving soap brands cost less because they are usually nothing more than regular bath soap disguised as a specialty shaving soap: they offer little to no protection and can even cause significant irritation when used for shaving because they were not formulated for that particular task.

Conversely, some retailers take advantage of the assumption that all shaving soaps are innately high quality to charge over-inflated prices for products that do not justify the increased cost. This tactic is especially common among designer and name-brand labels attempting to cultivate a luxurious or high-end appearance.

Regarding price, you should not be afraid to pay a little extra upfront for a product that you enjoy and that offers good longevity. After all, a good quality soap that costs $25 may last you for half a year, which comes down to cents per shave and represents a superior value to a cheaper product that only lasts a month or two.

Rely on Trusted and Well-Reviewed Brands, Not Just Famous Brands

When it comes to shaving soap, you will find it easier to narrow down and source quality products if you limit yourself to reputable brands. This does not necessarily mean Gillette or any of the products you’ll find at your local drugstore: name recognition and market saturation does not always indicate a superior product.

Instead, seek out brands that are known primarily for making shaving products, have been around for years, have loyal followings, don’t rely on flashy marketing and claims, and have excellent reviews about the performance of their products. Essentially, these brands have a reputation to maintain and can therefore be safely considered reputable.

Choose a Scent That You Enjoy

Shaving products, and hygiene products in general, are often associated with pleasing smells. Therefore, for many men, the scent of shaving soap is very important.

Many smells associated with shaving soaps are derived from common shaving soap ingredients, like almond, eucalyptus, rose, and lemon. Other smells are generally associated with “smelling clean,” like mint, lavender, menthol, or clove. Finally, some smells are simply considered enjoyable and masculine, like sandalwood, cedar, vanilla, musk, or patchouli.

Keep in mind that the scent of your shaving soap will not linger for long, as the soap is washed off after the shave. Therefore, you do not need to worry about scent confusion between your shaving soap and other products like an aftershave or cologne. Therefore, when selecting a scent for shaving soap, opt for something that you enjoy, as you are likely the only person who will be smelling it.

How to Use Shaving Soap

Traditional shaving soaps are worked into a lather, or “bloomed,” by placing the soap into a shaving scuttle, mug, shaving bowl, dish, or jar, adding water, and agitating the soap and water with a shaving brush until a thick lather is formed.

Some shaving soaps also come in a stick form that is wetted and applied directly to the face, and you can always use your hand and water to work up a lather if necessary.

Follow these steps to work up the perfect foamy lather every time!

Our Top Recommended Shaving Soaps

While working on our shaving information magnum opus, The Shaving Guide, we had the opportunity to directly test and analyze over 150 shaving products, including many shaving soaps. The following three items are among our best-rated and highly-reviewed products, so you can enjoy them without hesitation!

Even More Shaving Soaps for Your Consideration

To provide you with all of the information that you need to make an informed decision when selecting a beard soap, we have provided the following table that details thirty shaving soap brands, their prices, nations of origin, and our unbiased, not-sponsored assessments of each of them.

We have endeavored to provide options at a variety of price points, and this list is arranged in ascending order based on cost.

Conclusion

Shaving is a ritual that involves products, tools, techniques, and knowledge to create a smooth, closely-shaven face. We hope that by better understanding how shave soaps function as part of your shaving ritual, you will be able to achieve the best shave possible. And if you need a little help …

RECOMMENDED

Master the Art of Shaving with Our Shaving Guide

Each man has different needs, and even though we love a deep dive into one part of shaving, we know that the Big Picture is just as important. To answer the many shaving questions and concerns that we receive from men every day, we put together the most comprehensive Shaving Guide out there.

In assembling this work, we personally tested over one hundred shaving products to see how they performed. Our expert testers have extensive experience with all shaving methods, including cartridge, double-edged or safety, and straight razors, techniques, and tools. All products were tested comparatively by the same team so you can be sure that every suggestion, tip, and review is unbiased and the direct result of our genuine opinions and assessments.

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Let us know in the comments: what are your favorite shaving soaps?