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I am sure this has been asked a million times so I'll go for a million and one. When I make lather (shaving soap), it looks creamy and with peaks. It goes very smoothly on my face but it dries out too darn quick. I am a newbie so it takes me a little longer to shave but I do not think an excessive time. Any ideas about what I am doing wrong? I am enjoying the experience of SR shaving but the lather thing is frustrating. Thanks.
Albuquerque's got some hard water, which can make lathering a chore. Try with some distilled bottled water...that was my issue up in Ontario and it did the trick.
Are you using hot or cold water to make your lather?
Heat, if used in excess, can cause your lather to dry a bit faster than it should.
Also, what soap/cream are you using? Depending on the kind used, you may or may not get good lather...
Hey orion, welcome to the game.
First, there's nothing wrong with re-applying lather part way through the shave. Sure, you will take less time shaving as you learn but proper technique and comfort are more important than speed.
There are only a few reasons for weak lather, to wit:
You need to experiment a bit. As MWS mentioned, hard water can be a problem. Since it in effect "deactivates" some of the soap, try using more product. I have ferociously hard well water here but have learned to live with it. If using puck sap, load the brush with a damp - not dripping wet - brush for a bit longer. You can then dip the brush tips in water again, shake it off, and load some more. Some find it helpful to pinch the knot between thumb and forefinger while loading to stiffen it a little. If using a stick or a cream, just apply/use a bit more.
The next possibility is that you may not be using enough water. Some soaps just need a lot of water to build a good lather. If it seems like it's getting thin, just work the dickens out of it for a bit. You will be surprised by how much it will thicken up as you beat more air into it.
Finally, you might want to try a different soap. Each soap seems to act a little differently for each guy according to water quality, brush used, technique, and seemingly the phase of the moon. What works for me might not work at all for you.
Part of the fun is experimenting (that's a code word for playing.)
rs,
Tack
Before I switched to cream I used to fill my cup, with the soap in it, up with hot water and let it sit a couple minutes as I was wetting the brush... Then, I would pour off the water leaving the soap hot, wet and ready to go and that seemed like it made quite a difference in both loading the brush and building the lather; most likely because I got more soap loaded. I was also playing with adding Glycerin (just the stuff from the Grocery Store) to my soap like 6-8 drops in the cup after I loaded the brush and right before building the lather. Right before I lather up with soap or cream I reach down and splash water up on my face so that it is kind of dripping/running off just seconds before putting the brush to my face.
Shawn
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Here's a post with some info...
http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...akthrough.html
Thanks to all for your ideas. I am using hot tap water. I use SRD soap. I think I will experiment with the amount of water and see how it goes. Thanks again.
orion,Quote:
Originally Posted by orion1
This will save a lot of typing. This video is Lynn showing how to use an SRD soap. Enjoy, and :gl:
Regards,
Howard :)
Shaving Lather with Badger Brush - YouTube
Ah, yeah, SRD has some good soap, so I don't think it's the soap.
I would maybe drop the temperature of your water just a bit (warm, not hot) and add a bit more water. If you still have issues, then try bottled water as suggested earlier.
One more thing, don't be afraid to practice lathering even when you're not shaving. You can gain some real insight in doing so, and the pressure is off because you're not overly worried about getting razor burn.
Let us know how you make out!
I am also in Albuquerque.... And i also have the same problem... The combination of extreme hard water and super dry environment causes our problem... I found that Cella stays wet in my face longer and also Jack black as well ... All doe i dont like JB much... What i do is lather one side of the face at the time... Shave and then lather the other side... It is a pain but you will get a smoother shave this way...Quote:
Originally Posted by orion1
I've found a few drops of Glycerine helps too
I will definitely try thatQuote:
Originally Posted by Havachat45
#1 on the Glycerine....until I really got good at lathering, I used 4-5 drops. I also uber-lathered with cake soap and proraso cream. Using this combo, Forest Gump could lather like a pro.
Lol! Nice! I like thatQuote:
Originally Posted by Wayne1963
Something weird happened to me a few days ago: All of a sudden my cream lathered! Amazing isn't it? I had previously had a problem with not getting enough lather to build even though I used enough product. One day it suddenly exploded (okay, not quite exploded but you catch my drift) with lather. I don't know what caused this. I will have to do some more experimentation to see how I can produce that poor lather again so I know what is making it lather so much all of a sudden. Could it be that my brush have become broken in? Or maybe I have prepped the brush in a different way, different water temperature/amount. It sure feels odd but I am not complaining ;)
Was it cream or soap? I think harder soaps sometimes are not consistent through out the entire thing! Like a home made popsicle ! It might have more or less ingredients at some parts! If its a cream then is possible that your water cream ration is different ... My razorock cream works better when i transfer to my big mug! I transfer the whole cream/soap and then lather there! My cella works anyware! Lol! My SRD one works well from the tub as well! Also... How you prep your face matters! How much water is in your face? If that is different from before... Your lather will vary slightly! This is all by my experience! No expert or scientific facts!:)
I only have two, one stick and one cream. I get consistent good results out of face lathering with the stick, it is the bowl lathering with the cream that has been the problem. I will have to experiment more with water/product ratio then. Both in the brush and on the face. I guess it's all about experience, trial and error.Quote:
Originally Posted by robert2286
I like to leave my bowl/mug in very hotwater with my brush while i get rdy and strop and all that... Then i drain all water from mug and shake about 3 times the brush ... Then i start the lather! I literally add drips at a time if more water is needed!Quote:
Originally Posted by Ludvig
That is what I have done the last few times and it is a good routine that works well :)Quote:
Originally Posted by robert2286
Yeah! Im all about routines and organization! Lol! Drives everyone around me crazy