10 Best Shaving Soaps for a Close and Smooth Shave

The classic shaving experience can only be achieved by using the best quality elements and that includes a high-quality shaving soap. Just like our fathers, grandfathers and beyond, shaving soap is the traditional choice to achieve a super-rich lather. These days there are so many options when it comes to shaving soaps that it may be difficult to find a premium shaving soap without repeatedly trying multiple soaps.

This guide will help you cut down some or all that wasted time and energy by providing you with ten of the best shaving soaps available. We have done most of the work for you, comparing shaving soaps from many different manufacturers. These shaving soaps have been evaluated on many different characteristics vital to providing the best lather and ultimately the best shaving experience.

Buying Guide

How did we come to these Shaving Soaps? Shaving soaps can be as varied as the individuals that use them. However, there are a few features that we considered to determine the best shaving soaps. These features include:

Base Ingredient: There is five general options for the base ingredient found in shaving soaps, they include:

• Coconut Oil – Provides a richer lather than some other bases, requires warm water, great for sensitive skin
• Sodium Palmate – The result of palm oil and sodium hydroxide, this is often found in soaps that provide a little more cleansing, requires warm water and is harder to lather than other bases, great for dry skin
• Glycerin – One of the oldest soap bases, glycerin provides necessary hydration to the skin, is a perfect carrier base for most other ingredients and lathers quite well with a quality shave brush and warm or cool water
• Bentonite Clay – A newer base for artisanal type shave soaps, increases razor glide, and helps to detoxify the skin but may be harder to achieve a rich lather
• Tallow – Essentially rendered animal fat, similar to sodium palmate and glycerin in benefits, stabilizes and thickens lather, also may result in a harder soap

Fat/Oil Content: Ingredients derived from quality fats or oil provides vital hydration elements to the shave soap. The increased lubrication allows for a smoother blade glide, reducing skin irritation, nicks, and cuts. Content levels should be 30-50% of the shave soap.

Milled: How a shave soap is produced has a major impact on the quality of the soap. Quality shaving soaps are often double or triple-milled to produce a creamer foam that improves lather and lubrication.

Lather: One of the most important reasons users choose shaving soaps over other types of shaving products is the ability to achieve a rich lather. Shaving soaps that can provide a rich lather without using an abundance of sulfates is preferable.

Load: A quality shave soap will load easily; this refers to how the lather is gathered by the shaving brush. Softer soaps will load easier than harder soaps. The load can also be affected by water content during lathering.

Cushion and Slickness: Although there is a slight difference between these two elements, they both involve the way a shaving soap helps the razor glide across the skin for a smooth, close shave while preventing razor burn, cuts, and other skin irritations.

The cushion is the pillowing effect the soap has between the razor and the skin surface, while slickness refers to the decrease in friction between the razor and skin. Both are important for achieving a quality shave.

10 Best Shaving Soaps Comparison Table

10 Best Shaving Soaps: Detailed Review

1. Maison Lambert Shaving Soap (Top Pick)

Editor’s Rating: 4.9/5.0

View on Amazon

Maison Lambert Shaving soap is an organic and vegan shaving soap handmade in small batches by French artisans. This shaving soap is designed to provide a rich lather with an excellent cushion. The addition of cocoa butter and argan oil help to moisturize and condition the skin as you shave, eliminating the need for added oils or moisturizer in your grooming routine.

Since this shaving soap adheres to strict vegan standards it does not contain any harsh chemicals such as parabens or sulfates and no petroleum-based ingredients. This shaving soap is great for all skin types, especially sensitive, dry, or damaged skin.

Check Price

2. Van der Hagen Deluxe Shave Soap (Best Value)

Editor’s Rating: 4.7/5.0

View on Amazon

Van der Hagen’s Deluxe Shaving Soap is a glycerin-based soap that provides a stiffer lather than some other shaving soaps. This shaving soap is made of only the highest quality plant-derived ingredients to produce a soap that is gentle for all skin types, is hypoallergenic and great for use with all types of razors as it rinses away cleanly.

This package includes 3 super-sized 3.50-ounce soap pucks, which should last quite a while even with daily shaving. Additionally, this shaving soap is unscented to even individuals with the most sensitive noses will not have to worry about a strong odor or a fragrance that does not mix well with other grooming products.

Check Price

3. Men’s Soap Company Shaving Soap

Editor’s Rating: 4.7/5.0

View on Amazon

The Men’s Soap Company is dedicated to providing the best men’s grooming and hygiene soaps specifically designed for men’s unique needs. This shaving soap is manufactured with only the most natural and simple vegan ingredients. This soap features a subtle bay rum scent that both men and women love.

The lather potential of this shaving soap is amazing and requires only minimum effort thanks in part to the glycerin base and included shae butter, which adds essential moisturizing qualities. You will find that this soap also produces a great cushion and an unmatched slickness for the smoothest shaving experience no matter how long you have been shaving.

The Men’s Soap Company also guarantees that you are going to love their soap, or you will get your money back.

Check Price

4. Henry Cavendish Lavender Shaving Soap

Editor’s Rating: 4.7/5.0

View on Amazon

Sometimes you want a shaving soap that can work for everyone, both men and women, and provides a superior shaving experience with less effort. Henry Cavendish provides that with their Lavender Shaving Soap. Don’t worry the lavender is not overpowering and provides some excellent relaxing benefits.

The addition of shae butter to this glycerin-based shaving soap helps to improve skin softens and retain much-needed moisture. Made with only a few, all-natural ingredients you never have to worry about artificial ingredients, harsh chemicals, or something unpronounceable.

Additionally, this shaving soap is a generous 3.8 ounces but can be easily melted using a microwave to fit your favorite shaving mug. Henry Cavendish soaps always come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so you have nothing to lose by giving them a try. This soap is also made in the USA. Other scents are available as well.

Check Price

5. Williams Mug Shaving Soap (Best Budget)

Editor’s Rating: 4.6/5.0

View on Amazon

Williams Mug Shaving Soap is budget friendly soap made from tallow and specifically designed to be used in a shaving mug. Each 1.75-ounce soap bar produces a thick lather easily and provides essential moisture to the skin.

This soap will not dry out your skin or reduce razor glide. Made of only the highest quality ingredients since 1840 Williams knows what you need in a quality shaving soap. This shaving soap proves that you don’t have to spend a fortune to achieve a great lather.

Additionally, Williams Mug Shaving Soap has no strong fragrances that may interfere with other grooming products. This is just a simple, budget-friendly shaving soap.

Check Price

6. Proraso Shaving Soap in a Bowl

Editor’s Rating: 4.6/5.0

View on Amazon

When what you want in a shaving soap is the same high-quality shave you can find from the traditional barbershop, then Proraso’s Shaving Soap in a Boal will definitely meet your needs. This shaving soap has been the choice of professional barbers since 1948. The coconut oil-based soap contains over 95% all-natural ingredients, including refreshing menthol and soothing eucalyptus.

This soap is produced using a ‘hot soap’ method which produces a dense, hard soap, no paying for water content here. You also won’t have to worry about any harsh ingredients such as parabens or silicones. This soap is made in Italy and contains no animal byproducts.

Check Price

7. Col. Conk Shave Soap (Variety 4-Pack)

Editor’s Rating: 4.4/5.0

View on Amazon

If you are one of those individuals that like to mix things up or have trouble deciding on a particular type of soap, then this variety pack from Col. Conk may be just up your alley. This pack feature Col. Conk’s four most popular fragrances, lime, almond, amber, and their signature bay rum.

These soaps are a generous 2.25-ounces, which would fit perfectly in most standard shaving mugs. However, thanks to the sturdy plastic packaging, they can be used directly from their package.

Col. Conk’s Shave soaps are glycerin-based soaps that produce a thick, rich lather that loads well in most natural fiber shaving brushes. And Col. Conk’s is proudly made in the USA.

Check Price

8. Lather & Wood Shaving Soap

Editor’s Rating: 4.4/5.0

View on Amazon

Lather & Wood Shaving Soap is a handcrafted, tallow-based soap that is made in small batches to ensure the highest quality standards. This soap features a subtle sandalwood scent that won’t overpower other grooming products or colognes you may use. The tallow base ensured superior cushion and slickness.

The large 4.7-ounces soap will last for some time, even with daily use. Additionally, this soap is produced as part of a full line of men’s grooming products and meant to be paired with Lather & Wood’s Pre-Shave Oil and Aftershave Balm, both also available in sandalwood for a layered scent experience.

Check Price

9. Sir Hare Shaving Soap

Editor’s Rating: 4.4/5.0

View on Amazon

Another handcrafted shaving soap can be found in Sir Hare’s Shaving Soap. This soap is a tallow-based soap design to provide premium lubrication for added safety and smoother shave experience. Not only do you get a generous 4.0-ounces of shaving soap, but it is hand-poured into 8-ounce containers, eliminating the need for a shaving bowl, simply work the lather directly on the soap.

The rough surface that results from hand-pouring will actually help speed up the lathering process. This soap is formulated to emulate the feel of an old-fashioned barbershop hot-towel shave with hints of bergamot, oak moss, and cedar wood.

Proudly made in the USA, Sir Hare soaps include a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Check Price

10. The Art of Shaving (TAOS) Shaving Soap

Editor’s Rating: 4.4/5.0

View on Amazon

The Art of Shaving has quickly risen to be one of the premier producers of high-quality shaving and grooming products designed specifically for men. Their shaving soap definitely lives up to their reputation. This shaving soap is made from only the highest quality ingredients including pure oils and plant botanicals. The sodium palmate base helps to provide a cleaner, smoother shaving experience, while the inclusion of both glycerin and coconut oil help balance the soap, offering qualities found in all base types.

This soap provides a thick, rich lather with less work than other shaving soaps. The Art of Shaving is dedicated to using only the safest ingredients and never uses any synthetic dyes or alcohol that can cause skin irritation. This shaving soap provides a premium shaving experience with little effort.

Check Price

Tips for Using Shaving Soap:

Using a shaving soap for the first time can be a bit finicky, but with a few tips and tricks, you can become a lathering pro in no time. Here are a few of the most important tips and tricks to achieving a super-rich lather for the best possible shaving experience.

Shave Brush: When using shaving soap, you will have to work the soap into a rich lather to achieve the best results. You can do this in a shaving bowl or directly on your face. Either way, you will want to invest in a quality shaving brush made of natural fibers.

Before shaving, allow the brush to soak in warm water. Synthetic fiber brushes will not absorb and retain the proper amount of water to easily work your soap into a great lather. One of the best brush fibers is badger hair.

Limit Adding More Water: Using a natural shave brush ensures ideal water content as you work your shaving soap. While it may be tempting to add more water, this will actually knock down the lather making it thinner and harder to reach the perfect thick lather that provides the best shave.

Softened Shave Soap: Some shaving soaps are harder than others and may require adding a small bit of warm water to them to soften them enough to be gathered with your brush. Softer soaps will likely not require this step. If you are having trouble loading your shave brush to work into a lather, consider softening your soap.

Swirl It Up: Achieving a thick, rich lather from your shaving soap is all in the swirling technique. Using a firm smooth motion, load the brush by swirling it for about 10 seconds across the entire surface of your soap.

Swirling helps to ensure that the soap is loaded around most of the brush fibers, which will help to make the lathering processes faster and easier. Moving to your shaving bowl (or directly to your face) work your brush in a slow steady swirl.

Some work their lather in multiple directions, while others are adamant that you should only work a lather in one direction to avoid knocking down the lather. There is really no evidence one way or the other.

The Perfect Lather: You will know you have reached the perfect rich when you have removed most of the larger bubbles and the shaving and the lather loads into the shaving brush well.

A thinner lather can be thickened by swirling back across the shaving soap a few times. When a lather is too thick you can add warm water ONE drop at a time and continue to swirl. Over time and with practice, achieving the perfect lather will become second nature.

Conclusion

We hope this guide has provided you with enough information to help you choose the shaving soap to meet your individual shaving needs. Following the tips and tricks will help to ensure you get the best out of whichever shaving soap you choose. We sincerely wish you the best in your shaving endeavors and hope you have found this information helpful. Now get to swirlin’!