What's the deal on "artisan" Shaving Creams?

Does any one else use ejsberg cream. That's the only cream I have and the only thing I bowl-lather and I like it.

Didn't you mention Xpec on another thread? Isn't that a cream?

Technically I guess it is a "cream" but I load it out of the tub just like a soap. Esjberg is a soft cream,xpec is not.

Thanks for clarifying, I've never used Xpec and wasn't sure if it was a true cream or like a Cella "cream", which I don't consider a cream since it's not different than any other Italian soft soap.

Know what cream made me sad?

Clubman...

Stone Cottage works explained the difference between the products elsewhere. It sounded to me like the ingredients were identical but the ratios different, more potassium hydroxide in creams holding more water so yes, shaving creams contain more water.

Its also true that you do NOT have to lather some shaving creams. Proraso and Crabtree and Evelyn come to mind as the directions on the box clearly say you do not have to use a brush. But this was not intended to be technical discussion of the ingredients or formulas. Rather ...

Why do "The Vast Majority" of Artisan soap makers make Shaving Soap rather than shaving cream?

I know of stone cottage works and Al's Shaving Cream. Googling Malasapina comes up with nothing. Nancy Boy - OK, now I know Three (3).

Is it at technical reason?

Is it more "COOL" to use a soap?

Have soap makers tried to sell both and actually found it harder to sell creams?

Whats the deal?

grim

I think it comes down to money and business. Soaps are way more popular, trendy and cool. There isn't a large enough market for makers to dabble in creams and only a handful do it exclusively.

Mob/forum mentality and influence have people think they perform better. An experience shaver should be able to get equally good shaves from both.

Gingers Garden

Irena Marchu (who has been an artisan soap maker before some of the current popular artisans were even born)makes an Argan oil based cream that I like a lot. She'll put any scent you want in it. I like the ease factor in creams and I never feel reluctant to add more if I need more lather, the way I sometimes feel (inexplicably) about going back to the puck on hard soaps or croaps. In fact, my positive experience with her cream led me to try Stone Cottage, which is also very good, imo.

The economics don't favor creams as they run out faster in my experience, but that just means I get to try more of them Haven't had a problem with any going bad on me as I use them up pretty quick. Both of these Artisans' creams are now stapes in my rotation.

 Soaps are way more popular, trendy and cool.   ... Mob/forum mentality and influence have people think they perform better.  An experience shaver should be able to get equally good shaves from both.

I suspect this is the reason. There is a herd mentality. It might appear "cool" and in nostalgic but in reality there be little or no difference.

There is a herd mentality. It might appear "cool" and in nostalgic but in reality there be little or no difference.

Look how people perceive 2-band vs 3-band and the price difference.....IT'S THE SAME HAIR!!!!!!

 Soaps are way more popular, trendy and cool.   ... Mob/forum mentality and influence have people think they perform better.  An experience shaver should be able to get equally good shaves from both.

I suspect this is the reason. There is a herd mentality. It might appear "cool" and in nostalgic but in reality there be little or no difference.

Is it possible this is a thing? People really make personal buying decisions for soaps based on a cool factor? And creams are uncool?

Don't get me wrong, the online community certainly impacts my buying. But through awareness not what's cool.


I have a number of creams; use them for travel mostly. Haven't seen Omega mentioned as Proraso's cousin but I like it a great deal and it saves you a couple bucks.

kwsher Yes. People are greatly influenced by what they read and see people using on forums.

It's very difficult to manufacture both soaps and creams in the same facility, especially an artisan facility, where space is considerably more limited. The storage time required for a cream to rot can range from anywhere from 6 months to a year, depending on the ingredients and storage conditions, so storing it for that long can become problematic. If you have something especially popular and run out, it's not just a matter of making some more and letting it age for a week or two. It takes months and many people are simply not that patient.

Additionally, the methods for manufacturing shaving creams are far less well known than those for making soap (consider the fact that before LASSSCo. published their tutorial on B&B, there were far, FAR fewer artisan shaving soap manufacturers), so access to information is a heavily limiting factor.

Finally, there's also a lot of truth to the idea that a perception that soaps are better, whether true or not, significantly influences the market. People want soap. They prefer soap. There's an overwhelming idea that soaps uniformly last longer than creams and that their performance is almost always superior, neither of which is true in my experience. It's likely that, as some of the larger soap companies continue to expand, creams will start to become more common, but, for people making it in their kitchens in crockpots, it's probably not worth the time or the effort.