You may be asking yourself what shaving soap even is, and the easy answer is that it's shaving cream minus the water. But it goes significantly deeper than that.
Shaving creams didn't really become the norm for men's grooming until after World War I, and prior to that men used soaps specifically designed to lather up for application to the face. It's a process that took some time. You had to use a brush, and apply the amount of water in proportion to the consistency of the lather you wanted, among other considerations. All of which is inconvenient, right?
Exactly. Which is why shaving creams in a can became de rigeur for men's grooming. They're easy, and they take some of the guess work out of the equation, but they also remove all of the control.
While there's a vast variety of creams out there, using a shaving soap puts the control back in your hands, and brings you back to the luxury those of us who care about the classic aspects of men's grooming expect in a great shave.
Let's face it; convenience isn't everything. In fact, it often sacrifices many of the things that make our daily rituals pleasurable.
Choosing a Good Shaving Soap
When deciding which soap to buy you want to take three things into account:
- Is the soap going to be good for my skin?
- Does it help me achieve a close, quality shave?
- How much is it going to cost per shave?
A great shaving soap isn't just that bar of Ivory your mom kept in the shower stall. It's formulated to be good for your face — sensitive skin or not — and while it takes a little time and practice to get a perfect lather, you get complete control of what goes on your face. It also produces much less waste — think packaging — than typical shaving creams do. A good brand will usually last you six months or so on one puck. Sure, you might spend $15 to $20 on one soap, but you're ultimately spending pennies per shave over half a year or more, and ultimately getting a better shaving experience than with typical shave creams.
And we've got some great ones. Mount Royal Soaps is partnered with Imperium to bring you a variety of ideal shaving soaps.
- They're vegan and cruelty-free
- They're formulated to be good for your skin
- They cost pennies per shave
