I would say, from my experience, either or work well for dry sensitive skin depending on the ingredients used to make the cream/soap. I've had very good luck with Stirling soaps and Mitchell's Wool Fat for moisturizing my skin. That's examples of soaps. For creams, I've had luck with a sample of Taylor of Old Bond Street Sensitive. I haven't had a lot of either under my belt but that's my two cents worth.
Generally the difference between soap or cream is the amount of water in the package. A triple milled soap puck is hard and needs water added to soften it up to make lather. A cream already has water incorporated to make it soft and quicker to lather. With less water in them hard soaps don't quickly spoil, althogh tallow based soap can go rancid. Creams generally have added preservatives to retard spoilage. If you are feeling dry from your shave lather consider a soap or cream that has add ingredients like shea butter, lanolin, glycerin. Post shave you can use a lotion or balm instead of a drying alcohol based aftershave.
I'd suggest Nivea Sensitive cream. A almond size on my brush lathers well enough (on face lather) for two passes and a touch up if needed. Toss in some Nivea post shave balm and it's a great shave for sensitive skin. Sent from my LGLS755 using Tapatalk
I wondered the same thing too since I have dry skin in the winter but then I finally tried creams and found that they dry out the skin quite as much but they certainly don't moisturize it. I use aftershave balms in the winter for this reason. I'd pick a cream over a soap if balms weren't readily available but the difference between a cream and a good soap with shea butter is kind of minute.
I've found that for my face in the colder, drier months both Speick and surprisingly low cost Derby creams do moisturize. Like others have said, using an aftershave balm would probably have more of a positive effect on moisturizing than any soap or cream. Proraso post shave balms work well for me.
I have used hundreds of soaps, and I would totally agree with the sentiments above. Stirling soaps are simply one of the best on the market, and with their low prices...an obvious no-brainer. I can't say enough about TOBS Jermyn Street line for sensitive skin. It is incredible.
Stirling soaps have far better skincare than any other creams I've used with the exceptions of Palmolive, Gada, and Noxzema Lather.
I use plant based oils as a pre shave oil. Not for the beard nor for any added benefit for the shave itself, but for dry skin. After thoroughly hydrating the skin, I apply a small amount of oil to help “lock in “ the water. Many, including me at one point, poo-poo any benefit of pso. After well over a year of this preshave treatment; I no longer have issues with dry skin. Again this is my personal experience. Now if one suffers from oily skin or acne problems, I would definitely think twice before using on a regular basis.
I have found that either creams or soaps can leave me with dry taught feeling skin. Some are worse than others. As I get older, I am more sensitive to the dryness. Though I have been unimpressed when using pre-shave oils in the past, I am planning on giving PSO another try before this winter season ends. Thanks
You might consider giving it least 30 days, which is what I did. I no longer have dry flaky skin on my face, even during the Michigan winters. A couple year ago; I probably wouldn’t have believed it
Thanks for your advice. I will definitely give it some time once I get started. Question: Do you also use an aftershave balm? Thx again.
My post shave routine: Which hazel with small dab of Nivea face cream, I follow with either as or asb.