Good morning, This applies to creams too, but I figured I'd post it here. I read a lot about people adding a new soap to their rotation, so I'm curious how your rotation works. Is it mood dependent? Like today I feel like Vanilla or Orange. Is it event dependent? Got this hot date, I want to use Lavender. Day depedent? Today is Monday, so Lemon. Tuesday brings unscented. I also see people talk about seasonal, adding it to their summer rotation. What makes a good seasonal soap/cream? I'm typically a one and done kind of guy. I'll pick one thing and use it until I'm tired of it. Thanks, Jacob
Every wet shaver has their own "method" of gear rotation. You mentioned them in your post. I have been known to occasionally use an Excel program that randomly chooses my SOTD. One 'til done is the method of our forefathers...and a few current wet shavers, but they are definitely in the minority.
I have five stacks of about six soaps each, all sitting on an upper shelf. Take the top soap off first stack, lather up, shave. Move to lower shelf. Work down first stack. Start on second stack. Repeat, working down each stack. If I get a new soap, it gets used the next shave, then placed in the stack as if it had been there all along.
I usually Rotate through my soaps by Artisans, i.e. Soap commander, Local Gent Shaving , PAA, Razor Rock, Etc Sometime Pick at scent Profile and do all the ones i have of the i.e. Barbershop, OUD , Spicey scents
These might help: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/soap-rotation.46682/ http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/how-do-you-create-your-soap-rotation.46058/ http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/soap-rotation.18624/ http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/what-is-the-method-to-your-rotation.20297/ http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/how-do-you-manage-your-rotation.48842/ http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/winter-versus-summer-soaps-help.46962/
Whatever rotation and method you want to use is fine! I have been known to use this setup: Monday - some type of menthol Monday combination Tuesday-Thursday - same combination of soap, brush, razor, aftershave Friday - Mitchell's Wool Fat, Omega boar brush, Fine American Blend (Fat Fridays) Saturday-Sunday - whatever I want to use, generally not shaving on one of these days That rotation worked for me and provided some good variety. But I'll encourage you to set up whatever type of rotation you'd like!
I keep a very short supply of things. I only have a few soaps on hand, not counting samples. It makes it far less complicated. Sent via mobile - Chris
I shave M-F because of work. Take Saturday off and shave Sunday to start my razor rotation. Except for this month and next month as I'm doing a Focus. My Sunday shave is the only one I plan. Saturday night I figure what cream/soap I'm gonna use and which razor/blade is up. During the week I stick my hand in the cabinet and whatever comes out goes on my face. As for summer some of the Gents around here apparently shoot for something with menthol in it. Hope that's somewhat of what you' re looking for.
For many months, I would just pick one soap and stick with it until I finished it even though I had many more soaps on deck. Since trying and getting hooked on Proraso, I bought all four creams and now I just pick one of them depending on my mood. I don't know what it is but some days I just really feel like using one fragrance over another. I might throw in an artisan soap once in a while if I can find one that doesn't feel like acid on my face.
I don't have a "set-rotation." I use mainly (but not always) seasonally appropriate soaps and aftershaves. I just use what I feel like. Obviously, I use far less chilled/cold soaps in the winter and far fewer bay rum soaps in the summer...but I think you get the idea. @Primotenore hit the nail on the head when he stated that using one until done is far in the minority. I literally only know 1 person that does it at all, and he even "cheats" sometimes. Variety is the spice of life. To answer the seasonal question, I will put a starter list below: Winter: seasonals are usually warmer and heavier. Bay rums, pine, leather, fir, etc. Spring: seasonals are usually lighter, fresher, and often floral. Roses, geranium, lanolin, lavender, etc. Summer: seasonals are usually colder, chilled, glacial, and mentholated. There are often a lot of fruit and citrus options. Lemon, lime, orange, pineapple, etc. Fall: seasonals are typically a bit warmer, some spicy, holiday related, often with sweet notes. Things like pumpkin, apple cider, cranberry, chocolate, fougeres and ferns, ouds, etc. Obviously there are some that fit into multiple seasons and some that can be used year-round better than others. I find that certain soap makers and/or aftershave makers tend to produce items that are better suited for various seasons. Great examples of this are: 1) Stirling soap. Although they are one of my top soap makers in general and they make fantastic soaps for every season...I feel they are THE TOP soap company for summer soaps and aftershaves. Orange chill, lemon chill, Margaritas in the arctic, iced pineapple, etc. They just have a great corner on the "cold" soaps and aftershaves. 2) Catie's Bubbles. Once again...another top soap maker, but they seem to excel at fall scents. Smores, cape cod cranberry, chocolate covered strawberries, etc. They have KILLER fall options.
Couldn't agree more. I do what's easy for me. That doesn't mean it's going to be easy for everybody. As for seasonal soaps, I don't worry about it. I just use whatever comes up next, regardless of the season. I don't like to complicate my shaves
Thanks all for the replies. I've got several samples, and some more on the way (TSD soaps) that I am looking forward to trying, so I do like variety. Sometimes with too many choices though I need to structure things out some. Thanks again.
@Primotenore forgot to finish the last sentence, which should have read:. "One 'til done is the method of our forefathers... and a few [million] current wet shavers, but they are definitely in the minority on the forums / boards but not in the world at large." Right now, I have a fairly good fixed weekly rotation of razors and blades and brushes. For aftershave, I have about half a dozen possible products and pick if I need a cleanser, balm or aftershave and then randomly grab in that category. Meanwhile, in soaps/creams, I have about 40 choices built up, and I tend to pick one product as my main soap or cream and use it until it's used up, with a different product substituted on occasion as whim or whimsy strikes me. For the last three months, for example, I have been concentrating on using up (3017ing) a nearly decade old tub of TOBS avocado cream, with frequent breaks to try other things, such as a week I spent comparing samples of brushless creams for travel. By trying to stick to one soap or cream at a time, I hope to learn the quirks of each product so I get the best use out of it while also reducing my inventory methodically and consuming opened products before they spoil. Tossing in changes at random keeps that interesting.
Sometimes I use the same soap \cream for back to back shaves. But rarely. I have 5 soaps and 2 cream in my rotation. Usually pick the one that I'm in the mood for that day. It may be do to scent, the way it performs or because I haven't used it in a couple of weeks. The same thing goes with my razor and aftershave rotation. I guess I like having options every time I shave. As in the past I used 1 electric razor, 1 preshave and 1 aftershave. So it became a routine that did every day. Now with a rotation of shave gear. I find shaving much more enjoyable.
In the last month, I just started a Soap a Week. I pick a soap and use it 7 days then move onto the next one.
