What Is The Best Shaving Soap For 2024? - Sharpologist (2024)

Sharpologist’s “best shaving soap” article from 2014 has consistently been one of the most-popular on the site (and with search engines) and I continue to update it. What is the best men’s shaving soap now? Here are the top 12 shaving soaps (plus 12 honorable mentions) and the data behind the picks.

Contents – Skip To:

Summary

Criteria For Judging The Best Shave Soap

So What Is The Best Shave Soap?

“Back In The Day”

The Anatomy Of Shave Soap

The Best Shave Soap – TL;DR

What is the best shaving soap?

First the TL;DR list (in alphabetical order), then the data, details, and honorable mentions:

1. Ariana And Evans (“K2” or “Ultima” base)

2. Barrister and Mann (“Omnibus” base)

3. Captain’s Choice

4. Catie’s Bubbles

5. Chiseled Face

6. Declaration Grooming

7. Noble Otter

8. Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements (“CK6” base)

9. Stirling Soaps

10. Southern Witchcrafts

11. Wholly Kaw (“Donkey Milk” base)

12. Zingari Man (“Sego” base)

Honorable Mentions

Links may go a product choice page where you can select where to find the product: the brand’s website and alternate sources (Amazon [localized to the reader’s country when possible], Grown Man Shave, Pasteur, Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements, Smallflower, The Razor Company, and West Coast Shaving links are affiliate).

A Set Of Criteria For Judging The Best Shaving Soap (And Why Trust Sharpologist)

So what are the “best” shaving soaps? To be sure, there are many excellent shave soaps, mostly from artisans making products in small batches with quality ingredients. But artisans come-and-go, they often have limited availability, and their formulations tend to change more often. So let me propose a set of criteria for determining what rises to the top:

• Superior shaving experience (based on over ten years of research on review sites, blogs, forums, and the experiences of Sharpologist editors and readers who have actually used the product); with both “cushion” and “lubrication” much better than most others.
• Ease of lathering with a shaving brush using water with a variety of mineral content (in other words it works well in both “soft” water and “hard” water).
• Good post-shave feel for all skin types (not overly-drying).
• Available in a variety of scents (you won’t use even the best soap if you don’t care for it’s smell) or no scent at all.
• Availability (whether a soap is usually in stock and available from several sources).
• Artisan’s time in the market.
• Price.

Remember, “Your Mileage May Vary” with these recommendations: although there is a large majority that like these products there will always be some for which a soap does not work as well.

And an omission from this list does not mean it’s a bad product—there is a lot of great stuff out there!

This article will be updated regularly. Be sure to come back every few months.

Previous lists have been a “top 10” but there are so many really good shave soaps that it’s getting more and more difficult to come up with just 10. So the list has been expanded to 12.

Looking for a shaving cream instead of a shaving soap? Check out Sharpologist’s best shaving creams list! What is better, shaving soap or shaving cream? It’s largely personal preference, though the conventional wisdom holds that shave soaps cut a bit closer and shave creams provide a bit more protection to the skin. Many think that the distinctions are subtle, though.

So What Is The Best Shaving Soap?

Now for the details and honorable mentions. First, the top 12:

Ariana & Evans

Ariana & Evans (A&E) Like Barrister & Mann, Catie’s Bubbles, and some others, A&E is very “fragrance-oriented.” But beyond fragrance they also have an excellent, regularly-evolving shaving soap base, now referred to as “Ultima.” Their “K2e” base is also outstanding. A&E shave soaps are often praised for not only their voluminous and “slick” lather but also the post-shave moisturization as well. on some new soaps for them.

Barrister And Mann

Barrister And Mann is another established artisan with a reputation for product scents, and their “Omnibus” shave soap base performs very well even in “hard” water. They have even experimented with unusual ingredients like synthetic menthol.

Captain’s Choice

Captain’s Choice shave soaps may be a bit weakly scented to some but no one complains about the performance! I find Captain’s Choice lather exceptionally long-lasting: if you’re looking for a particularly long or leisurely shave (maybe you are a beginner and taking more time as you work through the learning curve?) you will have plenty of lather to use for the entire time. Here’s Sharpologist’s review of the Bay Rum version.

Catie’s Bubbles

Catie’s Bubbles is another favorite artisan brand for their scent profiles: some of them seem to evoke a strong emotional reaction. Their shave soap bases are also excellent, particularly the “Premium” base. Check out my recent update review of Catie’s Bubbles “X” shave soap.

Chiseled Face

Chiseled Face shave soaps enjoy an excellent reputation, particularly within the enthusiast community. Ghost Town Barber, their take on the ubiquitous barbershop scent, is a particular stand-out. Cryogen is another highlight among “menthol heads” for it’s extreme cooling (OK, freezing) properties.

Declaration Grooming

Declaration Grooming continues to make strides. Their “Milksteak” shave soap base is widely considered to be some of the best in the business, providing a really thick lather. Reviews often end up using words like “amazing” and “astonishing.”

Noble Otter

Noble Otter has steadily improved their shave soap base and reviews have been enthusiastic–so much so that it continues to take a while for supply to catch up with demand. Read Sharpologist’s review of Noble Otter’s take on the ubiquitous barbershop scent, “Barrbarr.”

Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements (PAA)

Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements (PAA) has a constantly changing soap inventory with a wide variety of scents that tend to be a mix of reproductions of classics and whimsical takes on culture. Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements’ shave soaps use their excellent “Crown King” formulation now in its sixth revision, CK6. It’s easy to get a creamy, lubricating, cushioning lather with PAA shave soaps but I think the highlight is a really outstanding post-shave feel on the skin.

Stirling Soap Co.

Stirling Soaps is another well-established, well-respected artisan whose products are widely available. They have a wide variety of scents (three of which, Ben Franklin, Executive Man, and Port au Prince, have been reviewed here on Sharpologist) and an active laboratory cranking out updates on a fairly regular basis. The reputation of Stirling Soap’s price:performance ratio is outstanding.

Southern Witchcrafts

Southern Witchcrafts is making a name for itself with their bold, strong scents and an excellent vegan-based shave soap formulation that’s been turning heads. Check out my review here.

Wholly Kaw

Wholly Kaw is another wet shaving artisan that has made an impact in the shaving soap world. Their “claim to fame” is the use of donkey milk (some use a less charitable term for donkey) in some of their shave soaps. Donkey milk contains a number of proteins, vitamins, and other ingredients friendly to the skin and often used as an alternative to Lanolin, which can be irritating to some people. Post-shave moisturization and skin feel are particularly good with these formulas.

Zingari Man

Zingari Man came on the wet shaving artisan scene in 2019 and after a bit of a shaky start have been surprising shave enthusiasts and reviewers with some outstanding shave soaps that produce a really rich lather formulated with their “Sego” base. Here is Sharpologist’s review of one of their shave soaps, Wanderer.

Honorable Mentions

I decided to limit the “best” list above to 12 to keep things manageable. There are a number of products that barely missed the cut for one reason or another, but are still excellent and well worth discussing. Others are mentioned for special reasons. Here are another 12, again in alphabetical order:

Cooper & French is another artisan brand with a solid effort. Check out the review of their Authentic Barber shave soap. Their already excellent lather even seems to improve noticeably while “percolating” in my shave brush between passes, so my second and third passes can be quite confident.

Ethos Grooming Essentials have a significant commitment to using the best skin-friendly ingredients and essential oils. Performance is outstanding. Check out Sharpologist’s recent review for more detail.

Fine Accoutrements was previously on the ‘best’ list until they reformulated their soap base a couple years ago. It was removed from the list here out of abundance of caution to avoid confusion between formulations. Enough time has passed and sufficient reviews posted online to conclude the new Fine shave soaps are as-good or better than the older base. So back on the list they go!

Grooming Dept is another one of those artisans with a stellar reputation (with their “Kairos” soap base) but hampered by inconsistent output. However there is sufficient inventory at several wet shaving vendors like West Coast Shaving and Pasteur. Check out my review of one of their shave soaps for an example of their quality.

Lothur (Løthur) Grooming is a relatively new artisan out of the UK, with limited availability in North America, but they are making waves in the wet shaving enthusiast community with their shave soap formula that contains Dimethicone. Here is my review of one of their soaps, “Tears.”

Mike’s Natural shave soaps is an artisan who sort of “flies under the radar,” even in the enthusiast community, though it’s been around for some time now. But the shave soaps are the real deal: quality ingredients with a minimum of chemical extras (most use essential oils for fragrance). Many reviews mention the ease in which Mike’s soaps lather up. Unfortunately availability is very limited.

Mondial labels them as a shave cream but they’re really a shave soap, and a fairly firm one at that. Like some other Italian shaving brands, Mondial has recently expanded into the U.S. and carries some really excellent wet shaving products, including old-school shave soaps.

Murphy & McNeil may not be a well-known name (even in the enthusiast community) but they are cranking out some great shave soaps.Their regular tallow-based soaps are very good but it’s their “Kodiak” base that’s been raising eyebrows among reviewers.

Saponificio Varesino is another Italian brand making inroads into traditional shaving in the U.S., with a high-quality lineup of products that continue to be refined and improved. Availability in North American is happily robust, with their own U.S.-based website.

Shannon’s Soaps is an artisan sometimes overlooked in the enthusiast community…to the community’s loss. Here is Sharpologist’s review of their Botanica shave soap.

Tallow + Steel has been around for a few years and their tallow soap base is definitely in the “best” range.Their scents evoke exotic destinations with names like “Himalaya,” “Madagascar,” and “West Indies” but the real focus should be the performance: most everyone comments on the lubrication ability of these soaps.Post-shave feel is also noteworthy.Availability is not as widespread as other names on this list though so it may be more difficult to obtain.

Wet Shaving Products (WSP) “Formula T” shave soap is a “croap” with some fantastic scents and a tallow-based formulation that is both “minimalistic” and excellent-performing. Read Sharpologist’s review of WSP’s “Mahogany” shave soap for details.

Some Special Cases

There are a few shave soaps that are not on the above lists but are still worth mentioning for specific reasons :

Martin de Candre (“MdC”) is insanely expensive, difficult to get, and often out of stock. But admittedly this shaving soap is at the top of many shaver’s “best” list. Originally available in only a single scent they have now branched out with some additional scents.

Mitchell’s Wool Fat Shaving Soap (“MWF”). Available in a single (mild) scent, some consider it the only shave soap they will use. However, since it contains lanolin, some with sensitive skin may have trouble with this soap. And a reformulation has caused some concern in the enthusiast community.

Proraso is an established brand with a loyal following: previous versions of this article often have comments along the lines of “what about Proraso shaving soap?!?” Other “best” shave soap lists from men’s grooming sites that often concentrate on what is available on Amazon have Proraso shaving soap. But personally, although I think it’s a good shave soap (particularly the “Sensitive” version with the white label) it does not hold up to the other soaps on Sharpologist’s “best” list.

Keeping An Eye On….

There are a number of other shave soaps that I’m keeping an eye on for possible inclusion in a future update. Some are new to the market. Others have had a recent change in their business circumstances. Some have recently changed their soap formulation. And some are here simply because I don’t have enough information for a full evaluation yet.

If you use a line of shaving soaps that match the criteria but aren’t listed be sure to leave a comment defending your favorite! I plan to update this post as products arrive and leave the market.

The Best Shaving Soap “Back In The Day”

Not too many years ago there were a few high-quality, old-school, tallow-based (more on that below) men’s shaving soaps from the established high-end names (Trumper, Taylor Of Old Bond Street, Truefitt & Hill, DR Harris, etc.) that were familiar to those who use a safety razor; and some low-end, every-man products like Williams Mug Soap, Burma-Shave Soap, and (a little later) Van Der Hagen.

And virtually nothing in between.

Oh sure, you could find a hardy artisan toiling away in their kitchen–if you knew where to find them. But they were few and far between (one notable “old-timer,” Emsplace, is still around, having stayed in business largely by word of mouth).

Now

Now there are shave soaps covering the entire range of price, performance, and scent. And a lot of shave soaps perform solidly–if not exceptionally–and can provide a close, comfortable shave indeed!

Let’s look at this “embarrassment of riches” to try to determine which are merely really good and which are the top 12 shaving soaps.

The Fall Of The English And The Rise Of The Italians?

Between “Back In The Day” and “Now” there has been an interesting evolution of some of the Old World shave soap. Many of the old school, traditional English shave soaps from the classic brand names (especially Trumper and Truefitt) have been reformulated, no doubt to cut costs. The performance of these products have dropped noticeably over the past few years.

Meanwhile the classic shave soap from Italian sources (Officina Artigiana, Saponificio Verasino, Tcheon Fung Sing, etc.) seem to have improved over recent years. Even the classic value brand Proraso made some improvements a few years ago. Click/tap here to read my article on Italian shaving brands.

This change is reflected in this article’s list with the inclusion of several Italian shave soaps.

How Do You Make Shaving Soap? The Anatomy

When discussing soap, especially shave soap, a lot of terms get thrown around: hot process, glycerin, tallow, triple-milled, etc. But what do they really mean? And is one ingredient or process inherently superior to another? Let’s look at a general overview.

Processes

There are basically two ways of making artisan-style soap: hot process and cold process. They each have their advantages and disadvantages:

Hot process uses an external heat source to (carefully) speed up the soap-making process (“saponification”). Hot process soaps generally take less time to make: a couple hours for saponification and about a week to cure. Extra ingredients are added near the end of the “cook time” and the texture of the soap is generally rough-looking.

Cold process may also use a heat source but it’s used to liquefy solidified oils for mixing. The real saponification comes from an exothermic heat reaction between the fatty acids of the oils and and a lye (“base”) they’re mixed with. Cold process soaps take about a day to “cook” and take several weeks to cure. Extra ingredients are added early on and the soap’s texture has a smoother look.

You may also see the terms melt and pour or glycerin. The term “melt and pour” defines the soap base as a ready-to-use item as opposed to someone saponifying fats and oils themselves: in effect, the most difficult and time-consuming aspects of the process are already complete. Some artisans then add additional ingredients and/or fragrances. Most of the time the prepared bases are made in large production facilities using specialized equipment. You may also see it referred to as a glycerin soap. This is a misnomer however for all shave soaps contain glycerin–it’s a by-product of saponification.

Animal Tallow vs. Vegetable

Another common debate rages on, about “tallow-based” vs. “vegetable-based” (or perhaps “animal” vs. “vegetable”) shave soap foundations. The process of making either type of soap is the same. The only difference is the fatty acid profile that results from the oils and fats used. Despite the “conventional wisdom,” it is technically not appropriate to call non-tallow based soaps “glycerin based.”

Glycerin is a byproduct of saponification but it is not typically the main base ingredient in a non-tallow based shaving soap. The main ingredient in vegetable based soaps is most likely Stearic Acid which can be derived from various vegetable sources including Palm Oil, Kokum Butter, Mango Butter, and Cocoa Butter. Stearic acid, when combined with Potassium Hydroxide makes lather. Additional ingredients like coconut oil and shea butter can enhance the ingredient mix.

This is why tallow, and other high stearic fats are commonly used in shaving soap formulas. Most of the time there is a combination of ingredients used as there are many different kinds of triglycerides that provide various benefits in shaving soap. It’s important to make a soap that has great lather but it’s also important that the soap is moisturizing, creamy, bubbly, slick, and protective. Tallow was used back in the day as a source of stearic acid. It was a super cheap by-product of the meat industry.

Triple Milled

You may have heard the term “tripled milled” (or perhaps “French milled”). These are products that have been passed between large steel rollers, squeezing more air and water out of the soap (and it also provides some additional mixing of the soap, making it more uniform). Because more air and water have been removed, triple milled soaps are denser and last longer than un-milled soap.

“Croap”

The opposite of triple-milled soap is probably a “croap.” The term croap is an abbreviation for cream soap, a very soft shave soap. The consistency is firmer than a shave cream (actually, similar to a dehydrated cream) but softer than the “typical” shave soap.

So What Is Better?

In my opinion, none of these processes or ingredients are inherently better for a shaving soap. I think a great shaving soap comes from using quality ingredients, mixed in the correct proportions. Despite “conventional wisdom” there are tallow-based shave soaps that are nowhere near “best” (*cough*WilliamsMugSoap*cough*). There are vegetable-based soaps that are excellent. And vice-versa. While “melt and pour” soaps sometimes get knocked because they are thought of as short-cuts, there are examples that are very good.

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