Even Geo F Trumper shave cream can be replaced — temporarily
I remember the time I discovered that ordinary hand cream could take the place of specialized shaving soap. With some limitiations.It was about 30 years ago, in South India, where I was working for a year. In those days the country’s big manufacturers seemed to be focused on large machinery, and import restrictions (Coke a cola had been forced to stop production and halt imports, because something had offended the government of India) were keeping out a lot of Western consumer and fashion ideas. Add to that the tradition of men having a barbar shave them in his little shop, or at the side of the road. It was not surprising, that shaving cream was not prominent in the shops.I had unexpectedly run out of the shaving cream which had come with me in my suitcase, and before I could go out and look in the bazaar for a replacement I really needed to have a shave.So I used hand soap. And to my surprise it worked!Not as well, I had to admit. The foam didn’t ‘hold’ for long. But it let me get a lather and be presentable.I have reverted to hand soap on other occasions since then. But while it does froth up and do the job, the rich, creamy suds of a good shaving product, like Geo F Trumper shave cream, is so nice on the skin, so pleasant during the shave, and so effective in staying on the jaw through the few minutes of razor work, that I have always gone out to the shop and stocked up on the proper shaving cream at the next opportunity.