Boker Barbers Corner | BUSA Edition 2017 / 2018

56
BÖKER MANUFAKTUR SOLINGEN
BOKER SOAPS
Everyone can imagine intuitively
or has already experienced that a
wet shave without soap or oil is
practically impossible, or at the
very least torture for skin and
razor. Nobody really thinks about
how the soap actually works.
Soap mainly has three functions
in wet shaving. The first and
most important is to soak the
beard hairs to make it easier to
cut. The tensides in the soap
emulsify fats, which glue the
scales of the cuticle – the scaly
layer of the hair – and opens
them. This allows water and
soap to enter into the hair and
soften it. As a result, the scales
of the beard hairs, which open
to the side, stand up. This way
the cortex – the fiber stem of
the hair – gives the straight razor
the ideal place to “attack.” You
should let the dense foam of the
soap act for at least two minutes.
The foam has to be kept wet for
the duration of the entire shave.
Re-apply soap as necessary.
The second characteristic of the
soap is that it lets the blade
slide over the skin easier. And
finally, the soap provides an
optical guideline to see what
part of the face has already
been shaved. It also helps mark
off contours of partial beards
by drawing lines into the foam
on the face. After the shave,
soap residues should be washed
from the skin with cold, clear
water. The cold water shrinks
the pores of the skin and closes
any small cuts. Whether to use
an aftershave or lotion after this
is a question of taste and skin
type.
Quality attributes of shaving
soaps are that they effectively
soften the hair and leave the skin
free of irritation and tension after
the shave. For this purpose, we
offer two outstanding shaving
soaps on two different bases.
Those who like it "old school"
will use soap based on beef
tallow, which is what our great
grandfathers used. For this
soap we chose the classic male
fragrance, TOBACCO.
Those who reject the use of
animal products on principle will
prefer our shaving soap based on
herbal lauric oil. We carry this
soap with the traditional, warm
SANDALWOOD fragrance.
Apart from a minimum
natural color difference in the
uncolored soaps, both products
are basically identical in use
and attributes. Shaving soap
can also be foamed by hand if
necessary. However, the shave
becomes more comfortable and
authentic only when you use a
porcelain cup. The porcelain
cup should be taller than the
piece of soap, in order to guide
the brush and prevent the soap
from running over the side. The
cup should also provide a safe
grip, even with wet or soapy
hands.