Reddit reviews Proraso Shaving Soap in a Bowl, Moisturizing and Nourishing for Coarse Beards, 5.2 oz

To be honest, I'm not a bay rum fan... but check out some of the options at Maggard razors. Barrister & Mann, LA Shaving Soap, Reef Point, and Strop Shoppe would all be good choices.

I've heard good things about the sandalwood in Proraso Red. Again, check out the options at Maggard. Barrister & Mann Latha, Castle Forbes (this one is mostly cedarwood), DR Harris, and Haslinger would all be great choices.

Yes, shaving soap is slightly different from body soap. Here's my favorite. Some are more expensive, you can also get cheaper ones. The major difference is the inclusion of clay, and some may have special oils to reduce cuts, or promote healing. You may want moisturizing soap, or you could just use lotion after using regular bar soap. Overall the benefits are minimal, but the difference in the lather production is the most noticeable difference. When you shave you want tiny bubbles, in order to create a strong lather that looks similar to canned soap, or whipped cream. With body soap you create medium sized bubbles that don't last as long, which means to get a proper lather requires more effort.

BUT... use whatever works best for you. When I was in the military I dry shaved twice a day for two months and never had any cuts, ingrown hairs, or irritation. Soap is a luxury for me, and luxury generally means not necessary.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00FF77IQC/ref=sr_1_2_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1416531202&sr=8-2&keywords=proraso+red&condition=new

Seeing it for $10.xx shipped.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0084GVSWG/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1416531202&sr=8-1&keywords=proraso+red&condition=new

$9 shipped

I want to try different scents but it's really hard to judge a scent over the internet, I ended up buying this after reading some reviews on Amazon.

Not sure it's the same exact scent, but Proraso Red is pretty great.

Sandalwood shaving soap. This shit is manliness in a jar. It's like 10 bucks, too.

Bought some matching robes with my best friends. I'm in the middle!

I could really use some shaving soap for my new Double Edged razor!

Mitchell's Wool Fat is what I'm using now. Really like it. But for softer soaps, I'm also partial to Taylor of Old Bond Street or Proraso

http://www.amazon.com/Utopia-Care-Straight-Barber-Razor/dp/B00N5HD340/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1415933885&sr=8-6&keywords=shavette



I love this stuff:
http://www.amazon.com/Proraso-Irritation-Pre-shaving-Cream-Oatmeal/dp/B003VS5O3Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1415933935&sr=8-2&keywords=prorazo+preshave



With soap:
http://www.amazon.com/Proraso-New-Shaving-Soap-Sandalwood/dp/B00FF77IQC/ref=sr_1_6?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1415933962&sr=1-6&keywords=proraso




This is your 30 mark, but you need some form of post shave:





... $10 for 2
http://www.amazon.com/Alum-Block-Osma-Pack-Value/dp/B004QVCIKE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1415934080&sr=8-3&keywords=alum+block

BUY A SAFETY RAZOR

Seriously. You'll save boatloads of money and you'll give yourself the best shave of your life. The initial start-up is a bit of an investment (~$50), but after that you'll only pay about $20-30 per year.

Buy a safety razor. This is a perfectly good one for $20 on Amazon. They can last your lifetime.

Next, buy these 100-count razor blades for $10 on Amazon. You can get 3-6 excellent shaves out of a blade before needing to change it. If you're not picky about a super close shave, you can get 10+. That's 300-600 excellent shaves for $10. Or 1,000+ okay shaves for $10.

Now of course, if you go the safety razor route, you'll also want to buy a brush and shaving soap. First the brush. Brushes come with either boar hair or badger hair. Badger hair is superior quality, but's naturally more expensive. Boar hair is perfectly sufficient, it's just not quite as smooth or durable. If your want to try this whole straight razor thing out for a while first before investing any more money than necessary, go with a boar hair brush. You can find them pretty easily at Wal-Mart and Target these days for $5-10, but here's one on Amazon for $11. You may be able to find one for cheaper -- I only spent a few seconds searching.

Next we have the soap. Personally, I'm a big fan of Proraso Shaving Soap for $10 on Amazon -- it comes with its own bowl, so no need to buy one. Naturally it depends on how often you shave, but these last quite a while. I shave 2-3 times per week and I probably go through maybe three a year. There are of course many options - you can also consider buying the solid soap bars that go in a little bowl. I feel like these last even longer. I think I once bought a 3-pack for $15. It lasted me almost 2 years.

Alternatively, many vendors and stores sell combo packs that will include all or most of these components. I know I've seen them at Target and Wal-Mart. I can't attest to the quality, but I'm sure they're perfectly acceptable for a newbie that wants to try it out and see if he likes it. If you decide any of the individual components aren't meeting your standards, you can easily buy an upgrade on Amazon.

Switch to a safety razor. I implore you. It's the best and closest shave you'll ever give yourself - and it costs a fraction of what the stupid Gillette, etc., razors cost.