How to lather shaving soap

If you’ve swapped your disposable razor for a plastic-free reusable razor, then you’re well on your way to achieving a sustainable bathroom. The next step is to can the can and replace your aerosol shaving foam with some zero waste shaving soap. In this guide, we will cover all the essentials when it comes to using a shaving bar during wet shaving!

Where did shaving come from?

Can you believe that humans have been shaving for 100,000 years?! Back when we were humble cave dwellers, humans were pruning, often using their hands to pluck hairs from their faces. Zoom forward 70,000 years and humans had begun to invent tools to shave and so the grooming revolution had started!

Early shaving creams were made with an animal fat base and people often just used animal fat soaps as a replacement, just to get the chore done!

Nowadays, shaving has evolved from being a chore, into a ritual. A pastime that makes us feel fresh and ready for the day ahead. If shaving still feels like a laborious chore to you, well, maybe this article will help!

How to use shaving soap

Using your shaving soap is easy - once you’ve mastered the technique. And we’re going to tell you exactly how to lather shaving soap for a luxurious experience.

But before we begin, a quick note to any ladies reading this blog. Shaving bars have traditionally been marketed to men. However, they are just as suitable for women’s skin and in fact are much kinder to your skin.We designed our luxurious Jungle Culture shaving soap bars for women and men alike.

To add to this, safety razors have also traditionally been marketed as a male product, but all of our razors are unisex!

Our moisturising shaving bars are enriched using high-quality essentials oils, giving each soap bar a full-bodied, rich aroma. So don’t let your fella have all the fun!

Do I need a brush to use shaving soap?

Our shaving soap is specifically designed to lather without the need for a brush. We have perfectly balanced our range of shaving soaps to lather and foam when exposed to water and gentle rubbing.

Shaving soap bars have less water content than conventional shaving gels or foams and much less than a soap bar, so it takes a bit more effort to lather them up! But just one of our shaving bars can last an entire year!

Why can’t I use normal soap to shave?

Well, to answer this question… Let’s take a look at the main differences between shaving soap and body soap.

Functional differences between shaving soap and body soap

Shaving soap has a completely different function to body soap, so naturally it should behave differently. Body soap’s function is to clean, remove dirt and nourish, whilst shaving soap is meant to lubricate and moisten your hair follicles to enable a smoother shave.

Body soaps generally produce a lot of foam and lather which is intended to remove dirt and grease from your skin, whereas a high-quality shaving soap should produce a thick, lubricating cream, with minimal foam.

What ingredients are different in body soap and shaving soap

Shaving soap and body soap share a lot of common ingredients. The main difference is that shaving soap contains natural lubricants which reduce friction and lessen the chance of redness due to razor burn.

Our natural shaving soaps contain shea butter and plant glycerin to help lubricate your skin and improve the shaving experience. We also use an organic coconut oil base for all of our natural soaps and shaving soaps, which moisturises your skin during use.

Body soaps do not contain these lubricating ingredients, so instead of making your skin slippery, the foam created by a body soap can actually create clogs and blockages in your razor and increase the likelihood of cuts and nicks whilst shaving.

How to lather up shaving soap

1. Wet the shaving bar with hot water. Gents, if you’re shaving your beard you can dip it in your washbasin. Ladies, feel free to take your soap into your shower or bathtub.
2. Wet the area to be shaved with warm water. Ladies, if you have time you can exfoliate your legs prior to shaving. It will protect your DE razor blades from dry skin and help them last longer.
3. Rub the soap directly onto your skin in a circular motion until it forms a lather. You may find it easier to rub the shaving bar onto a soft flannel. Experiment and see which technique gives you the right amount of lather.
4. For more lather, you can repeat the method.
5. Grab your safety razor and reap the benefits of your at-home barber quality shave!

How long does shaving soap last?

Okay, so now you’ve gotten the hang of it - we have great news. Your invigorating new shaving soap is also remarkably long-lasting!

Shaving soap has an incredibly low water content when compared to shaving gels, foams or creams. This means that a 100g block of shaving soap can easily last a daily user from 6 months to a year!

If you, (like me) shave once, maybe twice a week…. Then get used to your Jungle Culture shaving soap, because it’s going to be a feature in your bathroom for a long time to come!

Not only does using shaving soap help to protect the environment from plastic and chemicals, it also saves you money!

And now you know how to lather shaving soap and about the long-lasting benefits of using our zero waste shaving soap! If you have further questions about how to use shaving soap, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Can you lather shaving soap without a brush?

Our shaving soap is specifically designed to lather without the need for a brush. We have perfectly balanced our range of shaving soaps to lather and foam when exposed to water and gentle rubbing.

Shaving soap bars have less water content than conventional shaving gels or foams and much less than a soap bar, so it takes a bit more effort to lather them up! But just one of our shaving bars can last an entire year!

Give yours a try today and post some feedback in the comments below!