What Is The Best Shaving Soap For Men? Reviews And Top Picks (2021)

When it’s throwback Thursday, we all look back at the music, fashion trends, and memories that left us smiling. The nostalgic feeling is unmatched. Us men, go a little further to set aside a soft spot for grooming tools used back in the days.

These are tools like the safety razor and shaving soaps. Our grandpas have fond memories of them. Some of the younger lads might have never experienced either of these tools and find them mysteriously.

Old is gold. Give me the benefit of the doubt when I tell you the best shaving soaps can compete with the newest trendy lather and shaving creams.

That’s what made our old men neat and formal back in the days.

Even with time, shaving soaps have managed to withstand the market’s pressure and remain in business. Their services have always been appreciated.

If you wish to try them out but don’t know where to start from, don’t fret.

My ‘Best Shaving Soap for Men’ article touches on all the important info you need to know.

I also have included a list of the best products in the current market and ended with a buying guide on how to choose the best shaving soaps.

Enjoy your morning shave, mates!

Best Shaving Soaps For Men Comparison – Our Top Picks of 2021

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Top 5 Best Shaving Soaps Reviews (2021)

1. Henry Cavendish Himalaya Shaving Soap

Henry Cavendish has been in the business for quite a while now. The brand is popular for manufacturing high-end grooming products. Its shaving soap is also one to admire. But that’s what to expect from a brand that has been in the industry for such a long period.

What qualifies this product to my list is its ingredients. The soap’s ingredients ensure that its performance is top-notch. Glycerin leads the way as a moisturizing agent. Shea butter, on the other hand, replenishes, revitalizes, and moisturizes the skin.

This soap will also provide you with a rich and creamy lather on top of a smooth shave. This is important in softening coarse beards and making the shaving process a smooth one.

Other incredible features of this soap include its natural and refreshing scent, natural ingredients that are excellent for sensitive skin, and long-lasting service.

Don’t let this soap’s high price turn you away from it. Every cent spent on it is worth it.

2. Van Der Hagen Scented Shave Soap

When choosing the right soap, the scent comes second. The main considerations are normally the soap’s lather and lubrication. Van Der Hagen Scented Shave Soap tops in these two categories.

What you’re settling for with this product is a rich lather, great lubrication, and terrific smell.

What more could you possibly want from a shaving soap?

The soap is among the few that fall under the category of highly desired soaps.

The manufacturers combined cocoa butter, mango butter, and shea butter in the right ratios for appealing quality and fragrance. Glycerin is also added to the mix. And although it doesn’t play any role in improving the scent, glycerin helps provide a smooth, lubricated, and moisturizing shave.

As if to end there, this soap adds more to its fantastic features. Its lather is a rich one that builds up easily. You’ll also notice that it lasts longer than those of ‘budget’ products. The price of the soap is also affordable and won’t leave a huge dent in your pocket.

You’ll love the scent of this soap as it isn’t overpowering. I would define it as mild but noticeable. Men who hate strong fragrances in their shaving soaps shouldn’t worry about this one. And did I mention that this soap is vegan friendly?

The only problem with this soap is that it’s slick and would likely not last you long.

3. Proraso Shaving Soap

Shaving doesn’t have to be the same old boring ritual you undergo just to look neat.

The right tools – including shaving soap – can make the experience downright luxurious. Among the few products to achieve this fate is the Proraso Shaving Soap.

Proraso is an iconic Italian brand that has been in business since 1948. Its half-a-century existence in business means that the owners are doing something right.

A big reason for this soap’s success is its ability to work with sensitive skin.

Men with sensitive skin will agree with me that the process an arduous one, which leaves their skin inflamed, razor-burned, and irritated. This doesn’t have to be the case anymore.

Proraso Shaving Soap is the best product for sensitive skin that I came across. It includes ingredients like green tea and oatmeal, which soothe and protect your irritated skin. Moreover, it also produces a rich, creamy lather that softens and provides superb lubrication to the skin.

This soap is made using all-natural ingredients. It is paraben-free and doesn’t include any chemicals that will strip off your skin’s natural oils. Its pricing is also affordable, which makes it ideal for a larger target audience.

When it comes to the scent, this soap possesses a mild, non-overpowering lime-apple fragrance. It isn’t too citrusy and doesn’t fill up the room. I love it, and I’m sure you will too.

The only minor problem with this soap is that its lather is a bit thin and doesn’t mix up easily. Other than that, there’s no better soap for sensitive skin than the Proraso Shaving Soap.

4. Barrister and Mann Bay Rum Shaving Soap

Barrister and Mann Bay Rum Shaving Soap is a true throwback, with lots of scent options and a rich lather that only a few products can compete with. The company specializes in bringing old grooming products back to life in a better, modern twist.

Have a sniff of this shaving soap, and you’ll understand why this brand is among the best.

Barrister and Mann Bay Rum Shaving Soap deserve all accolades its way from its refreshing scent to the decent packaging. But that’s only the tip of the product’s iceberg.

Its formula is carefully calibrated to allow it to work with any type of razor. Shaving soaps were invented way before some modern razors came into existence. But this one will work smoothly even with the newest razor.

The soap’s lather is also one to commend. It builds up quickly and is relatively thick. Working with the soap should, therefore, be easy.

Although some testers found this soap’s scent to be a little strong, I don’t mind it. I suppose it all narrows down to personal preference.

5. The Blades Grim – Luxury Shave Soap

The Blades Grim – Luxury Shave Soap isn’t the most appealing soap that you’ll come across. But there’s more to what meets the eye. Four features qualify this soap among the best – its lather, scent, components, and softness.

This soap has a soft texture when compared to other products. It lacks the hard pucks found in the modern soaps. The scent of this soap is one of its most noticeable features. Whereas many people don’t like strong fragrances in their soaps, this one might change that notion.

The scent is describable as ‘spicy.’ There are hints of coriander and star anise in it. This scent is more masculine when compared to vanilla.

Thirdly are the ingredients. Coconut oil is the major ingredient of this soap. Perfect for all skin, it hydrates and cleanses, thus providing a smooth shave. Glycerin also present in the ingredient is mixed with stearic acid for adequate moisture. It eases the lathering process.

Speaking of lather, this soap produces a thick and slick one. The soap’s texture enables you to create lather easily.

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Shaving Cream vs Soap – What’s The Difference?

Are shaving soaps and creams the same thing? 

Not really. There might be similarities in their usage, but these are two totally different things.

For starters, soaps are more traditional than creams. The shaving cream debuted first in the mid-20^th Century, a time when the soap was already tucked in place.

Second is their appearance. Shaving creams are simply cream, without a better way of illustrating them, while soaps come packaged as hard plucks.

Also, building a lather with soaps will take more time than with the cream.

Shaving Soap

Since I’m already deep into details, there are a few things to note with shaving soaps.

There are three main types of shaving soaps; triple-milled, semi-hard, and croaps. Triple-milled soaps are the most expensive but form the thickest and best lather.

Shaving Cream

Taking on from where I have left with soaps, shaving creams make the best lather – a major reason for their popularity. They are applied directly to the cheeks during wet shaving.

Another signature mark with shaving creams is their fragrances. But if you have sensitive skin, it’s important to go for fragrance-free shaving cream.

How to Choose the Best Shaving Soap?

If you’re the type to pick the nearest shaving soap on the shelf, then you have been doing it wrong all along. Purchasing a shaving soap shouldn’t be a one-second affair. Take time to ensure that you go home with a high-quality product.

How do you do this? Here are a couple of things to look out for in shaving soaps.

Types of Shaving Soaps

This category is more of the manufacturing process than the type. There are three types of shaving soaps based on their methods of manufacturing.

1. Triple-Milled

Triple-milling involves grafting the soap, melting it, and then pressing it into bars. This is a DIY process that you can undertake using a cheese grater. But soap companies use more sophisticated machines for the process.

Triple-milling is a significant process as it eliminates all the moisture in soaps. The less moisture found in a soap, the better it is. In addition, triple-milling is also quick. While the average period to cure soaps can take months, this process is way quicker.

Soaps manufactured through triple-milling are also harder and last longer. But they are also costlier.

2. Semi-Hard

Semi-hard soaps are the next in rank after triple-milled.

As their name suggests, they are softer than the triple-milled but harder than croaps – which are next in line. Semi-hard soaps have relatively low density and won’t last as long.

3. Croap

Croap soaps have moisture in them, making them softer and easier to use. Lathering with them is easy.

Ingredients

Looking for ingredients in products, leave alone shaving soaps, is normal. Shaving soaps in most cases are oil -, glycerin – or tallow-based.

What’s the difference?

1. Oil-Based

Oil-based soaps are made using oils such as coconut, palm, argan, and olive oils. They are vegan-friendly and solid alternatives to tallow-based soaps.

2. Glycerin-Based

Glycerin-based soaps are increasingly increasing in popularity. They are gentle and perfect for sensitive skin.

3. Tallow-Based

Tallow-based soaps are the old traditional soaps. They are animal-fat based and were considered superior some time back. But the game is changing, and new products are rocking.

Ease of Use

How easily can you form lather with the prospective soap? How fast can you load it on a shaving brush?

These are some of the questions that should cross your mind before making a purchase.

Yes, I know that you can easily create a lather with your hands, but it will be far easier with a shaving brush. Go for soaps that form lather easily to save you the hassle.

Fragrance

The aroma factor is something that almost all grooming, skincare, and beauty products consider.

In fact, companies are now using the terms ‘no-scent’ or ‘fragrance-free’ to lure buyers into purchasing their products.

But not all scents are the same. Over 3000 different chemicals are used in the industry when making these products.

So, the choice of going for a scented or fragrance-free product is a personal choice.

Whereas some men don’t like the idea of fragrance in their shaving soaps, some scents are simply irresistible.

Cushioning

You’ll come across two common phrases in soap reviews – cushioning and sleekness.

Cushioning is the soap’s ability to allow the razor head to float on the skin and prevent razor burns, cuts, and nicks. On the other hand, slickness refers to the thin layer of lather left on the skin to prevent friction.

Price

The price of shaving soap is another factor to consider, although not of a big impact.

Why?

Because no matter how much you purchase your soap, you’re assured of its longevity. Besides, shaving soaps only cost a few bucks and won’t cause a huge dent in your pocket.

In my opinion, soap’s price shouldn’t deter you from getting it. If it’s worth the money, why not have it.

Here is a video illustrating a DIY process on how to make shaving soap (source).

Final Thoughts

There’s no problem if you didn’t have to go through the entire article. Here is a recap of what’s included:

Firstly, Henry Cavendish Himalaya Shaving Soap is easily the best overall product. Although it comes at a price slightly higher than the rest, every dime spent on it is worth it.

Secondly, when choosing the right soap, look out for its price, cushioning, ease of use, and ingredients. Also, check whether it has any scents. Scent or no scent – is a personal decision. Whatever you choose, ensure that you are comfortable.

It’s also important to choose a shaving soap that lathers easily. It will save you time and hassle.

Which is your best shaving soap from my pick?