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Almond Oil Hard Shaving Soap: how to use it best?

The Almond Oil Hard Shaving Soap is one of Antica Barbieria Colla most loved products. Its incredible scent transforms the moment of shaving into a pleasure break to dedicate to yourself, while the soft and compact texture guarantees a perfect result even at home, without irritating the skin. But how to use it best?

Perhaps not everyone knows that, to take advantage of the maximum benefits of our soap, it is useful to follow a specific ritual. In fact, it is not enough to dip the shaving brush in the cream of the soap: for a barber-proof shave, you need to put a few simple tips into practice.

Sapone da Barba Olio Mandorla

First, let’s have a look at what you need. To make the most of all the potential of the Almond Oil Hard Shaving Soap, it is recommended to get:

  • A brush with resistant bristles, like that of Antica Barbieria Colla, made entirely of natural bleached pig bristles;
  • A metal or ceramic bowl to hold the soap;
  • A smaller bowl to whip up the soap itself, for example our polished stainless steel Shaving Bowl.

Once you have everything you need, you can proceed with the so-called “saponata” – this is how we define the action of whipping the soap – following two different ways: let’s see them together.

Saponata if you have a bowl to hold the soap

For those who already have a bowl to hold the soap, the saponata will be very easy to make at home. We start by wetting the brush with hot water, so that the bristles soften and it is easier to collect the soap.

At this point, the brush is positioned on the side of the Almond Oil Hard Shaving Soap and, with a slight push of the hand, you rotate the bowl. This will allow you to collect the right amount of soap on the brush for the shave.

Then, using the shaving bowl, the collected soap is whipped up to obtain a soft and compact consistency.

Saponata if you don’t have a bowl to hold the soap

You should not despair if you do not have a bowl available to hold the soap. Also in this case it will be possible to obtain an artful saponata, with a procedure very similar to that seen previously.

Just take a fairly abundant flake of soap and place it in the shaving bowl and, after thoroughly wetting the brush, proceed with the saponata.

Let’s not forget about the face

To get the maximum comfort and the highest precision in shaving, it is not enough to mount the soap inside its bowl. It is above all useful to distribute it evenly on the face, performing a real saponata while applying it.

With the help of the brush, the soap is applied by massaging for a long time on the area to be treated, with circular movements that allow the product to become more and more creamy and soft. This action, in addition to preparing and lifting the hairs for shaving, helps to open the pores thanks to the action of heat and to significantly reduce irritation due to the razor.

Shaving soap VS shaving cream

In our shop, the ancient craft of shaving has been handed down since 1904; faithful to the Italian tradition, our barbers have always used the classic shaving soap and, since 1945, its cream version, whose recipe is still the original one. But let’s see their features in more detail.

Both are specific products aimed at preparing the face skin for shaving, moisturizing and protecting it from the aggressive action of the razor; they also allow to soften the hair and facilitate the sliding of the blade.

The Soap has a solid consistency and is packaged in a greaseproof paper; its formulation is based on Almond Oil, an ingredient with a strong moisturizing and softening power, particularly appreciated by those with sensitive skin, and with a delicate fragrance.

During production, the soap still liquid is poured into the appropriate molds and then left to solidify for a time that varies according to the humidity in the air and the time of year.

Shaving soaps solidifying in our laboratories

 

To be used, the soap has to be lathered, an operation that may not be easy if you are not familiar with it, especially if the water used is very hard.

To lather the soap, you need to prepare the brush first: fill a bowl with hot water and leave the brush to soak for a few minutes, in order to soften the bristles.

After this time, take the brush and squeeze it to remove excess water: the bristles have to be moist, but not dripping.

Then you can proceed by rubbing the brush on the soap with circular movements until you start getting some foam. At this stage we recommend paying attention to the quantity: a little soap is enough to produce the foam necessary for a complete shave.

Now it’s time for the so-called saponata (which means lathering): with the brush you apply the foam on the face and perform a series of continuous circular movements so that the foam rises further until it becomes a white, thick and creamy lather.

Once this is done you can start shaving.

Let’s now talk about our Shaving Cream: it has a soft consistency and is packaged in a jar; the formulation is the same as the soap, therefore based on Almond Oil.

Its production takes place by emulsifying the ingredients to form a cream, which is then transferred to the jar in a still semi-liquid form. The jar is then closed and the product is allowed to cool and solidify for a short time before handling the package again.

The Shaving Soap in Cream has to be lathered too, but given its consistency the operation is simpler and more immediate: you can in fact take the necessary amount of product and put it in a shaving bowl, and then lather the foam with a damp brush. .

After applying the product on the face, with repeated circular movements we will obtain a compact and homogeneous lather.

Have a good shave!