Shaving

Frank, if you look very hard you can find shaving soap powder in a can. I just use a bar of soap, or buy or borrow some plain lotion when I get there. Heck, I've used sunscreen before too.

Frank II
You can find shaving soap at www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com. It does not go in the 3-1-1. At Chagrin Valley, they make their own products which are all natural. One look at their shaving soap page shows that they have a Bay Rum bar and a Lemon Lime Bar (http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/products/for-the-face/shaving-soap-all-natural/shaving-soap/). While I have never used their shaving soap, I do use their shampoo bars (instead of liquid shampoo and conditioner), face bars and moisturizer bars (instead of lotion) daily--not just for travel. I switched over from chemical shampoos about 2 years ago and haven't used any "products" on my hair since (including mousse, gel, hair spray, etc.). I use the Chamomile and Citrus bar for my blonde hair, my hubby uses the Lavender and Spice for his dark hair. In the summer, we both use the Summer Sunshine. I love the Seasalt and Seaweed for my complexion. I highly recommend Chagrin Valley products. Hope this helps. Ukkrazy/Theresa

Frank,

I normally use a Panasonic rechargeable, but always carry a Mach III razor in my carry-on for "emergency use" (which I've had to use on several occasions, most recently this year when my luggage was "delayed" on the trip home).

I use the blade razor with THIS product and it's always worked really well. It does have to go in the 3-1-1 bag but I don't find that to be a problem because it's so small. It is "fragrant" to some extent, but I find it to be very refreshing. There's also a SIMILAR product available from TravelSmith, which is I believe the same product offered at Magellan's. Unfortunately I can't check the Magellan's product as their website is "down" at the moment. It looks like they've just been bought-out by another firm.

Good luck with your search.

I shave everything, well from the neck up, and bar soap works fine, but I prefer gel shave.

@Ken....I used Somersets years ago when it had to be ordered from England. Pacific Shaving Oil is made in the U.S. and is thinner in consistency than Somersets. KIng of Shaves is somewhere in between.
I've tried most shaving oils and I no longer like them because they are a pain to clean off the razor and seem to dull by blade faster.

As for Magellans, it was merged with Colorado Bag N Baggage a couple of years ago. However, this past summer, Colorado Bag N Baggage was bought out and Magellans was spun off back to the original owners.

Second the suggestion for Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve. I travel with their Butter Bar soap bar and use it for washing hair, body, and for shaving (legs). It is the only shampoo/body bar I have used for the last year.

Frank,

Thanks for the additional information. I haven't noticed that Shaving Oil is hard to clean or decreases the life of the blades, probably because I don't use it on a regular basis (although it seems to get used at least once on every trip).

You might also have a look at THESE products from Dr. Bronner. Let us know what you decide, as the information may be of use to others here.

It's interesting that the original owners of Magellans decided to get back into the retail business.

Frank,

when I decided to ditch the electric razor a few years ago, I took along a disposable and used ivory soap - the same bar of soap I use for showering, washing my hair, and washing my clothes. It worked. Then I decided "to heck with it all, I'm on vacation" and grew a beard. Problem solved, and I save time in the morning.

Frank I was in my local CVS (a US pharmacy chain) today and see they still have good old Williams shaving soap, in the little round bars, for $0.99. Meant for brushing, but works by hand too. If you don't want fragrance, it is hard to beat that, since the only real difference between soaps is the fragrance. But I will say, my last trip, I stopped in a German store and bought a tiny travel-size can of foam that lasted exactly the length of my trip. Cost was less than $1.

@stan....I used Williams in my old brush and mug days and it was on the list. I've never tried it without the brush though.

Any good backpacking, hiking oriented sporting goods store will have soap less shaving supplies.

I use Pacific Shaving Company Oil, it comes in a small bottle and is good for 4-6 wks of travel. I also use a Shick Quatro blade razor instead of my travel electric razor. I found that the electric razor took up to much space and I had to get batteries if it ran down. I've tried Somerset's shaving oil, it works fine but I just don't care for the smell. The one nice thing about the electric razor was that I could step into the plane's lavatory just before landing and shave so I looked better when I hit the ground running.

I used King of Shaves oil for a few years after trying Somerset's and Pacific Shaving and a few others. With a razor that has a flow through design (Mach III) there is minimal clogging and swishing in soapy water usually takes care of it. However, when I got to the last bottle of oil from my last order I decided to try some other alternatives just for variety and local purchase availability.

I'm currently using Kiss My Face shave cream which comes in several scents, including unscented, and is available in a TSA sized travel tube. It works very well. Yes, I have to use a 311 baggie but I need one anyway for eye drops and a few other liquids that I prefer over solid equivalents. I personally never found pulling the baggie out to be that onerous.

Disclaimer: I have a beard but shave daily to trim around the neck and cheeks. YMMV

While we talk about shaving you may want to look into this product: http://www.razorpit.com/

Since I started using it the expected life span for a blade has changed from 2 weeks to 6 months, which is longer than my vacations :-)
(also saving a lot of money when I am not on vacation)

I use shaving oil, but if I am hard pressed, I can just use my fingers to massage hand or shower soap into the skin.

I have tried several shaving oils and don't like them. Personally, I think they do very little to help me shave. Lately I have been taking a small can of shaving cream and that has been working fine, although I also use ordinary soap in a pinch. At times I take this product which works a little better than soap, but not as good as shaving cream: Sea to Summit Shaving Cream

If you look around a CVS or Walgreens at their travel size racks you can find a few options. I don't care for shaving oil so I go to the nearby beauty supply store and get a small bottle of American Crew shaving cream. It's non aerosol, works and smells good, and should fit the size requirement.

https://www.americancrew.com/products/shave/moisturizing-shave-cream

I shave with soaps all the time. May I suggest a few options.

Try a shave stick (search google). Wet your face, rub the soap stick on your beard and rub it in. This creates a thin lather (which is all you need), then shave. Heck, I use Williams Mug Shave Soap that you can get for 99 cents at grocery stores and pharmacies. Light soapy scent and the puck isn't very big. Perfect for travel. Slick stuff too!!

Another option is to kill two birds with one stone. You can use JR Liggett's shampoo bar for both your hair and creating a lather on your beard. That's two items that won't need to be in your 3-1-1 bag. I've known people who use it as a bath soap as well.