How to Make Shaving Soap Cakes

Old-fashioned soap cakes are becoming an increasingly popular way to achieve the perfect shave. Not only are soap cakes cost-effective, but many brands also offer a combination of natural ingredients and moisturizers that are gentler on sensitive skin. Many shavers are finding that soap cakes offer more consistent results than foams or gels as well.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Soap cake
• Shaving mug
• Shaving brush
• Sharp non-disposable razor
• Hot water
• Towel

1. Avoid soap cake brands that contain excessive perfumes or colognes that can irritate your skin. Make sure you use soap cakes that are glycerin-based and made from natural ingredients, and contain moisturizers such as aloe vera to soothe and lubricate your skin while you shave (see Resources below).
2. Place the soap cake in a shaving mug. The diameter of the mug should be slightly larger than the diameter of the soap cake, which will make it easier to create lather with the brush without the soap cake moving around too much.
3. Use a high-quality shaving brush with your soap cake. Brushes made from the hair of badgers are preferred, since the consistency of the bristles is effective in both creating a healthy lather and exfoliating the skin.
4. Dip the shaving brush in water for a couple of seconds, shake off the excess moisture, and move the brush in circular motions across the top of the soap cake to create the lather. Don't apply too much pressure to the brush, which will cause the soap cake to wear in a strange pattern. Let the tips of the bristles do their job and patiently wait for the lather to accumulate on its own.
5. Apply the lather from the soap cakes to your face in an up-and-down motion, as if you were painting a fence. Allow the bristles of the brush to work the lather into your beard in an even, consistent layer.
6. Remove the soap cakes from your shaving mug and rinse out both the mug and the brush in cold running water. Rinse the excess lather from the soap cake and allow it to air dry before placing it back in the mug. This will make sure that the soap cake will maintain a flat, round shape throughout its use.

Tips & Warnings

• If the tap water in your house suffers from hard mineral deposits, you may want to consider using distilled water in order to create more lather when you use soap cakes for shaving.