Which is the cheapest option overtime?

Hey everyone, I'm back with another question. I'm wanting to know is the shave soaps and creams that require a brush alot cheaper in the end compared to barbasol? All I do when I shave with my cheiftain is do only one pass and never really do more unless I feel the need.

 

How many big cans of Barbasol do you use in a year? Two? Three? If the latter, you're spending about US$6 annually on shaving cream.

One of the most affordable options in shaving soap is Van der Hagen (VdH). A couple pucks of VdH would last me about a year for a total of about US$8 on Amazon, as would a US$10 tub of RazoRock soap.

Even if you face-lather soap, there will be enough good lather left in your brush after your initial application for at least another pass, so being a one-pass-only shaver won't save you anything on soap.

At the end of the day, you'll probably spend US$2-$4 more a year using affordable soaps versus Barbasol.

Is it worth it? I think so..but you'll just have to try for yourself to know.

That said...once you've gotten the soap and brush figured out, you can use that skillset to improve your results with Barbasol. If you're applying Barbasol straight from the can to your beard with a damp brush, you'll end up using less Barbasol than if you dispense some onto your fingertips and slather it across your face. Conversely, if you dispense Barbasol into a shaving bowl, add some water, and whip it up a bit, you'll use about the same amount, or perhaps a little more, compared to fingertip application.

Some store-brand cans are very close copies of Barbasol, perform comparably, and cost even less to use. If your goal is to minimize the cost of shaving, you probably won't find a soap that's as cheap to use as store-brand cans.

Back when Williams Mug Soap was available in stores, you could save some money using it versus cans, but those days are gone. At the end of the day, you'll save far more by using a DE razor than by economizing on your shave cream or soap.

 

Bar soap works for shaving, you just have to whip it good, reapply every pass, and be prepared for the drying effect most may have. That means one bar of soap is all you need, if you decide it works for you. Doesn't get much cheaper than that.

Using body wash or liquid soap to shave is not advised.

 

I tried whipping up some regular bar soap as an experiment, Gorgo, and was surprised that it worked! That's the cheapest way to go, but you're spot-on with the drying effect of bar soap on your face. As for reducing cost, I think it'd be even CHEAPER to use a straight razor (and a couple of sheets of 3M lapping film to hone it) and never have to buy DE blades at all!

- Bax

 

ARKO.

 

Bingo.

FF93, unless you go nuts with RAD or related disorders, everything evens out eventually, cost wise. It may take a few years but most guys tend to settle on a relatively narrow band of tools and supplies and more or less stick to it.

 

The Yardley Cocoa Butter bar soap is the best bath soap I've encountered for shaving, and a cheap option at under US$2 a bar. Some of those little "French milled" bars of soap found in hotel rooms can be surprisingly good, too.

It's not as straightforward to use as shaving soap, however. I'd recommend learning with RazoRock or VdH soap, then trying to replicate the results with Yardley.

I've encountered deodourant bar soaps that are impossible to use for shaving. Irish Spring is one of them.

 

I'll be sittin here waitin, sippin muh coffeh.

 

Seen Yardley soaps at $1.25 Tree but never looked at the ingredients. Will do so.

 

i have spent a few thousand on shave gear-razors,soaps/splashes/brushes blades/accessories since i ditched carts in 2017.thankfully most of it was funded by selling the bulk of a large mostly dormant vintage model car collection.i literally turned something useless into something useful.i have now pared down my 100+ razors into a 40 ish collection of the most desirable british gillettes by sales or trades,including back ups/spares.
with the 60+ soaps and 3500 blades stashed away i shouldn't need to buy anything for the next 10+ years,and that's a blade a day.
if i sold the whole collection i would easily break even tomorrow,being i paid nice prices for nice clean razor sets.
knowing what i know now i would keep 1 open comb razor with a back up and spare parts,a box of Arko sticks,and a couple of omega beech handle boars and not have to buy a thing for years.i will be a minimalist in future.
my point for this longish ramble..i cured a 35 year struggle with rashes,ingrown hairs and discomfort by switching to DE shaving,learning a new skill/shaving technique,learned a new hobby with an interesting past,and hung out with many cool folks during the process.that is the true value to me.2 bad bets on the ponies could easily cost more.

 

That's Pretty much all our family had used, for the past 5 years. It was under $1 a bar, before Jan 2021. Great soap. Easy on the skin.

 

Dollar Tree doesn't carry the Cocoa Butter variety anymore. Your best bet there is the Yardley Shea Buttermilk...but the lather from that falls flat quicker than that of the Cocoa Butter soap.

 

A can of Barbasol around me is $1.99. I regularly purchase Captain's Choice or Sterling shave soaps, which perform better and come in a variety of scents. Captain's Choice is currently $15.99 for a 4 oz tub and Sterling is $14.25 for a 5.8 oz jar and 11.25 for a 4 oz refill puck. I find a tub of either lasts me for somewhere around 3-4 months. If I purchase 4 tubs on the high side, that is around $60 a year. If I recall correctly, I replaced canned soap about once a month, which comes to $24. So the soaps that I prefer is not as cheap as canned soap. However, there are other options that are cheaper. Arko is one that has been mentioned and a 12 stick box is going for $18.90. Each stick is 75 grams, from what I can tell, so 7.19 oz of shave soap. Cella is $35 for a kilo (2.2 pounds) block. I have some Cella and really like the soap.

 

I don't actually track the cost of any soaps. They're all relatively cheap when you consider how long they last, and spoiling yourself a little bit with fancy schmancy soaps isn't that big a deal. If you're going to waste money on something, shaving soap is a good candidate. It's a lot cheaper than hookers, cocaine, and slow horses!

- Bax

 

If you're only doing one pass, using a smaller brush can make your soaps last longer. 16mm would be big enough to make one pass worth of lather and not waste much. Soaps might still end up being a little more expensive but probably not by a whole lot. A good soap is worth it to me though because it cuts down on irritation and I really appreciate that so I'm willing to pay a little extra for it.

 

That's a good point.

I face-lather my soaps/creams and that also helps to minimize wasted product. That said, even my smallest brush will have enough lather for at least a second pass.

 

2 months worth of cart refills will buy me a nice soap.well worth it..

 

Yardley English Lavender Bath Soap is Tallow based and while I don't shave with it, I do shower with it and it lathers like a champ.