The Lather Ratings
In the 18 months of this safety razor shaving journey, I’ve managed to demonstrate absolutely no self control and have amassed 47 different lathers–shaving soaps, soap sticks, shaving creams, gels, croap, etc. Every time I think or say that I have enough, I end up with another one or two in the collection.
I did sit down and put together a post rating them a while back, but that’s dated now, due to some new acquisitions since, and I decided that I really need to set up a single place for these ratings. Obviously, this will change as time goes along, but all of the lathers I have are listed here, so here goes.
Please note that all of these ratings are mine and mine alone, and as such, they’re pretty subjective. There are things I expect and look for in a lather, and that will become apparent as you read through them. You are perfectly welcome to form your own opinions.
| Pos. # | Photo | Lather | Type | Lather Quality | Scent | Overall | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  | Proraso Sensitive Shaving Soap (white) | Soap | 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.000 | My second soap, and by far my favorite. The lather I get from the soap feels thicker and slicker, and for some reason just more luxurious. While it doesn’t lather as quickly as the white cream, I find this lather more satisfying and enjoyable in my shaves. The fragrance is pretty neutral and similar to the cream, and also fades quickly. I’m probably halfway through my first tub of the stuff, so will reload when the time comes. |
| 2. |  | Proraso Protective Shaving Cream (blue) | Cream | 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.000 | With the sample I had of this formula, I initially questioned the fragrance, wondering if I would tolerate it and if I’d grow to like it. Well yes, I have. Very much so. It’s one of the strongest fragranced lathers I have and like it a lot. In addition, the cream has a similar luxurious feel to the white cream, and it performs extremely well. |
| 3. |  | Proraso Sensitive Shaving Cream (white) | Cream | 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.000 | I love the sensitive formula. Let’s start with that. But I think that I’ve come to love the fragrance of the blue line just a little bit more. But the white cream and soap feel the most luxurious to me, making a slightly thicker and more protective lather than either the blue or green products. There’s only a slight earthy and fresh scent that’s easy to ignore and fades quickly. |
| 4. |  | Proraso Refreshing Shaving Cream (green) | Cream | 5.00 | 4.75 | 4.875 | The Refreshing (green) formula is Proraso’s menthol and eucalyptus formula, and the scent and coolness is there in the lather, though not as strong as in the pre-shave. The lather is thick and rich, and yes, luxurious feeling. It lubricates very well, protects very well, and products a very pleasant shave. |
| 5. |  | Cella Organic Aloe Vera Shaving Cream (green) | Soap | 5.00 | 4.75 | 4.875 | First off, Cella calls their soap a cream, which just feels weird, but it is a solid mass in the tub, so I’m calling it a soap. But the lather and faint fragrance is easily luxurious. It’s smooth, thick, slick, comfortable, and pleasant. |
| 6. |  | Taylor of Old Bond Street Shaving Cream | Cream | 4.75 | 4.75 | 4.750 | For a while I’ve seen posts from people singing the praises of TOBS (the acronym of Taylor of Old Bond Street). It is a thick, rich, slick lather that performs very well and produces a pleasant shave. This is a luxurious lather, as that is the best term I can come up with to describe the feel. It just feels like a treat. This appears to have been discontinued, but replaced by TOBS Natural Shaving Cream. |
| 7. |  | Stirling Soap Co. Sheep Shaving Soap | Soap | 4.75 | 4.75 | 4.750 | A sheep’s tallow soap, one of 3 unscented soaps Stirling offers. I love this lather–it’s thick, slick, smells mostly neutral (though some say that it smells a little “gamey”), though I don’t notice or mind at all. |
| 8. |  | Cooper & French Unscented Shaving Soap | Soap | 4.75 | 4.50 | 4.625 | I stumbled across this while trying to see if there were any shave soap producers located near me, and oddly enough, this home-based company is located about 8 blocks from my house. I would also call this lather luxurious, as it produces a slick and thick lather that always works well for me with no noticeable scent. |
| 9. |  | Arko Shave Stick | Soap Stick | 4.75 | 4.50 | 4.625 | Arko is a deeply divisive product in the online community. Some people absolutely detest it’s fragrance, and others aren’t bothered by it. Truth be told, it does have a strong fragrance that I describe as just being strongly soapy. I find the scent inoffensive and are not bothered by it, especially since the scent is easily covered up or doesn’t last long. I don’t know that I’d refer to this lather as luxurious–the sticks are super cheap (I got mine for $4), but the soap itself performs extremely well. Lots of slickness, a lot of thick lather that protects the skin very well, and a fragrance that I don’t really mind. |
| 10. |  | Cella Almond Shaving Cream (red) | Soap | 4.75 | 4.50 | 4.625 | In a direct comparison to its green sibling, this one falls short. Though the lather is luxurious and slick, it just doesn’t seem quite as rich as the organic. The fragrance is pretty unique, smelling very much like marzipan. So not as good as the organic, but it deserves to be in the top 10. |
| 11. |  | Hoffman’s Grooming Autism Strong Shaving Soap | Soap | 4.75 | 4.50 | 4.625 | This one is described as having barbershop, lemon, bergamot, lavender, and musk in the formula, and I do get quite a bit of the barbershop and musk–it’s got that masculine, but slightly floral tone under all of that. I really don’t mind the scent, as it was pleasant and not overpowering. It’s a softer soap, but it lathers well, provides excellent slickness, and made for a great shave, so I’ll be happy to use this one going forward as well. |
| 12. |  | Hoffman’s Grooming Bushido Shaving Stick | Soap Stick | 4.50 | 4.75 | 4.625 | The Hoffman’s formula seems to produce softer soaps, but this one also lathers well. As you can see on the label, the scent is applewood, tonka bean, spice and vanilla bourbon. I can’t individually pick those aromas out, but it’s a masculine scent that is pleasant and not too strong. In fact, in my shave, I was worried it might get overwhelmed by or clash with the Nivea balm I was also using, but it worked out just fine. |
| 13. |  | Stirling Soap Co. Unscented with Beeswax (sample) | Soap | 4.75 | 4.50 | 4.625 | This Stirling offering performs slightly better than the Naked & Smooth, but worse than the Sheep probably because of the Beeswax. It lathers very well, and offers great lubrication and protection with no noticeable fragrance. |
| 14. |  | Edwin Jagger Aloe Vera Shaving Cream (sample) | Cream | 4.75 | 4.50 | 4.625 | I noted this in my sample review posts, that the Edwin Jagger cream makes a wonderful lather, slick and thick, and I really like it for that alone. But I’m someone who doesn’t like to break up the brand collection when I don’t have to, and I can’t really figure out how this pairs with their pre- and post-shave products because there’s no cohesive scent to all three. |
| 15. |  | Nivea Sensitive Shave Gel | Gel | 4.50 | 4.75 | 4.625 | The best gel in the collection, this one does foam slightly, and makes a very slick and thick cover on my face and neck. It’s probably the second thickest lather in the list after the Barbasol 1919, but in this case, that’s a good thing. It makes for a faster shave than a soap or cream lathering with a brush, and it, combined with the Nivea after shave balm, provides a nice fresh fragrance on my face after shaving. |
| 16. |  | Stirling Soap Co. Naked & Smooth Shaving Soap (sample) | Soap | 4.75 | 4.5 | 4.625 | Let me begin by saying that Stirling makes some great soaps, and this is no exception. The three soaps I have here demonstrate their great lathers without that overpowering fragrance. This one lathers well and protects well, but just not as effectively as the other two. |
| 17. |  | Barbasol 1919 Classic Shaving Cream | Cream | 4.75 | 4.50 | 4.500 | Every single time I use this, I’m impressed. When I bought it, and even still when I use it, I seem to not expect much from it, but it seems to work very well for me. It’s a thick non-lathering cream that lubricates almost better than anything else I have, and protects the skin and stands the hairs up extremely well. The fragrance is strong, but not off-putting. For a grocery store lather, this one is awesome. |
| 18. |  | Hoffman’s Grooming Nocturnal Savage Shaving Soap Stick | Soap Stick | 4.50 | 4.50 | 4.500 | It’s interesting that such a foreboding named and themed shave soap has such a fruity scent. The blackberry and raspberry are really at the forefront. And I could pick up the champagne while lathering, but the musk was completely lost to me. But the fragrance fades very quickly after the shave, and was really covered up by even the unscented balm I used with its first shave. This shave soap just reinforces that the Hoffman’s shave soaps have an excellent base. It lathered very well and quickly into a nice thick, rich lather. |
| 19. |  | Razor Emporium Nordic Shaving Soap (sample) | Soap | 4.50 | 4.50 | 4.500 | Razor Emporium calls these (Nordic, Barbershop and Element 47) croaps–a soap/cream blend. But it’s solid, so I don’t get that. Otherwise, this lands here. The same formula as Barbershop and Element 47, this has a lighter, more “fresh” piney or outdoorsy scent. Works about the same as Barbershop for me, though it doesn’t excite me or make me want to buy more. |
| 20. | Razor Emporium Barbershop Shaving Soap (sample) | Soap | 4.50 | 4.50 | 4.500 | Better slickness and protection than with the Element 47, which I don’t fully understand since they should all use the same formula, with a pronounced classic barbershop fragrance. It performs well, but it’s kind of in the bottom middle of the list because it doesn’t really make me happy like the top products do. | |
| 21. |  | Razor Emporium Element 47 Shaving Soap (sample) | Soap | 4.50 | 4.50 | 4.500 | For the life of me, I can’t really describe the fragrance here. It isn’t strong or overpowering, but it isn’t a basic barbershop. The Razor Emporium site describes the scent as a “cool water” scent, but I don’t really get that. Also, this one isn’t nearly as slick or thick for me as the Barbershop or Nordic samples I have, even though it should be using the same formula. |
| 22. |  | Imperial Barber Products Field Shave Soap | Soap | 4.50 | 4.50 | 4.500 | Before you read the rest of this review, it should be noted that this really isn’t a bad soap. It’s just that I have so many others before it that I think perform better. This was the first glycerin based soap that I’d used, and it was kind of disappointing. It lathers well, but doesn’t seem to lubricate as well as I think it should, given it’s composition. The Henson razors just seem to drag through it, and that doesn’t make for a great shave. It’s fragrance is neutral and soapy, but this one just isn’t great for me. |
| 23. |  | Carden Farms Clear & Clean Shaving Soap Stick | Soap Stick | 4.25 | 4.50 | 4.375 | This one was purchased at a booth at the Minnesota State Fair from a North Carolina farm business that makes and sells soaps, oils and lotions on Etsy. It is another glycerin-based formula that does lubricate well, and lathers well, but despite its assertions on the label of being the “best shave stick,” the lather is again not as protective as I’d like. |
| 24. |  | Zingari Man Artisan Shaving Soap Unscented (sample) | Cream | 4.25 | 4.50 | 4.375 | I’ve noted this in the sample review posts, but this soap is just okay. It’s a slight step up over others below it, but certainly not one I’d restock when the time comes. It lathers well, but doesn’t have much lubricity or protection, and with so many options ahead of it, it just doesn’t have a permanent place in the collection. |
| 25. |  | Barrister & Mann 42 Shaving Soap (sample) | Soap | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.250 | Barrister & Mann is a popular brand in shave soaps and other software, and I was excited to give this a try when I found the sample. And I’ve got to say that I’m a bit disappointed. It doesn’t lather as well for me as I’d like, seems fine for lubrication, but the lather has consistently come out wetter than I’d like, so there isn’t as much protection. The scent is weird, and I know that’s the point (as 42 is a reference to the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), as it’s described as Petunias, Ambergris, Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster (a drink invented by the president of the galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox), and Tea. But the fragrance doesn’t excite me nor turn me off. All-in-all, when I use this soap, I just kind of feel “meh.” |
| 26. |  | Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel | Gel | 4.25 | 4.00 | 4.125 | Purchased at my local grocery store a couple of weeks after the Barbasol original, I was looking for something “better” in the lather category. Aveeno skin products are in wide use here in my household, so this one felt like a good call. For me, the shave gels are a step up over the foams–they are thicker, protect and lubricate better, and seems to do a better job of standing up the beard hairs. It doesn’t foam as much as the Nivea gel, but it was an improvement on everything that came before and had a kind of typical Aveeno earthy fragrance. |
| 27. | Badger Shaving Soap Bar | Soap | 3.50 | 4.50 | 4.000 | My first true shaving soap! Badger is a New Hampshire company that makes soaps, balms, shampoos, and the like, and are mostly stocked in food co-ops it seems. I spotted this soap in my local co-op when buying some other things, and there it was next to a bamboo and goat bristle shaving brush on the shaving shelf. So I grabbed them. I was really excited to try them and develop my lathering skills, and as I’ve since learned, while this soap lathers okay, it doesn’t seem to make the thicker, slicker lather that I prefer, though it doesn’t have much of a fragrance. | |
| 28. |  | Barbasol Sensitive Skin Shave Cream (sample) | Foam | 4.00 | 4.00 | 4.000 | This is a sample or travel size 2 oz can (I think) that I bought to see if it would perform any better than the regular Barbasol or the Aveeno gel. This isn’t truly a cream, it’s a foam, and I can’t honestly say that I have proof that it’s any better than the Barbasol original foam, but it had a little lighter fragrance and seemed at the time to glide better. |
| 29. |  | Barbasol Original Shaving Cream | Foam | 4.00 | 4.00 | 4.000 | Again, this is not really a cream, it’s a foam from a can. It’s thick and fairly rich and did an okay job for quite a while. I should try it again sometime because my technique has improved considerably since then, but one complaint I recall having is that once the razor went through an area, there wasn’t any lubrication left on my face. I should try it once with a pre-shave and reapply for additional passes, just to see if it can be made any better. I doubt it, but it would be interesting. Its fragrance is classic–that men’s barbershop smell that I recall from childhood…or walking into my great uncle’s bathroom. |
| 30. |  | Taylor of Old Bond Street Jermyn Street for Sensitive Skin shaving cream | Cream | 1 Shave | |||
| 31. |  | Catie’s Bubbles A Midnight Dreary Luxury Shaving Soap (sample) | Soap | 1 Shave | |||
| 32. |  | Cella Professionale Riserva Fresco Shaving Cream (sample) | Soap | Untested | |||
| 33. |  | Fine Accoutrements Bay Rum Shaving Soap (sample) | Soap | Untested | |||
| 34. | Haslinger Sheep Milk Shaving Soap | Soap | Untested | ||||
| 35. |  | Henri et Victoria Bay Rum Shaving Soap (sample) | Soap | Untested | |||
| 36. |  | Henri et Victoria Cognac and Cuban Cigars Shaving Soap (sample) | Soap | Untested | |||
| 37. |  | Henri et Victoria Unscented Shaving Soap | Soap | Untested | |||
| 38. |  | House of Mammoth Shire Artisan Shaving Soap (sample) | Soap | Untested | |||
| 39. |  | Martin de Candre Original Artisan Shaving Soap (sample) | Soap | Untested | |||
| 40. |  | Mike’s Natural Soaps Unscented Shaving Soap | Soap | 1 Shave | |||
| 41. |  | Noble Otter Noir et Vanille Artisan Shaving Soap (sample) | Soap | Untested | |||
| 42. |  | Old Spice Original Lather Shaving Cream | Cream | 1 Shave | |||
| 43. |  | Pre de Provence No. 63 Shaving Soap | Soap | Untested | |||
| 44. |  | Proraso Refreshing Shaving Soap (green) | Soap | 1 Shave | |||
| 45. |  | Rasozero Pelli Delicate Shaving Soap | Soap | Untested | |||
| 46. |  | Taconic Shave Eucalyptus Mint Shaving Soap | Soap | Untested | |||
| 47. |  | Village Soapsmith Old Spice Type Shaving Soap | Soap | Untested |
Definitions: All ratings are on a 5-point scale from 1 to 5. Ratings and reviews are given after at least 2 shaves. A soap is a solid product, it could be hard or soft, but should be solid. A cream is not solid. A croap is a cream soap–not as liquid as a cream, but not as solid as a soap should be. A soap stick is a stick of shaving soap, again it could be hard or soft, but it is fairly solid. A gel typically comes from a can (or tube), and may not lather. A foam comes from a can and is just that–foam.