Thread: Soap and pre-shave questions

It's embarrassing almost to have been into SR shaving for over a year before thinking to ask this. Does anyone have trouble with Van-Der-Hagen drying on their face super fast?
I have always thought it's because I have super thirsty wiskers (almost sponge like). For example after I shower I dry my hair and then the rest of my body (never touching my face) and I still cannot get to hanging my towel up and my wiskers are dry. To beat it all before cutting off the water I stand under shower head face soaking for like 2-3 min.

Anyway after I hot towel the face a time or 4 I'll ring the last one out on my face. After all of that I have to rush through each pass or I'll have to rinse my face off and larger up again before finishing my pass. I even have tried that Gillette pre shave face wash and no improvement. I also make shure when IM starting my lather I will start it a little too wet and dab the excess wetness out with my brush and then take my brush across the back of my finger to get the perfect consistency.

Anyone else have these type problems?

Try some glycerin in the soap or try another soap. You may also lather portions of your face and time it so you wont get dry lather. I don't have that trouble, but you aren't alone. I also have used regular hairconditioner as a preshave, I don't use preshaves at all anymore. I love tabac, tobs, T&H as well as AOS. There are many many and it seems the end result ith them all for me including Williams is a great shave. You can buy glycerin in a pharmacy, 2 drops in the lather or on the brush will fluff your lather and result in more water in the lather IME.

Have you tried a shave oil? Sometimes I apply first before I lather, and I often use the oil only for my 2nd or 3rd pass.

I use Black soap right before I get out of the shower. Does a good job for me. Look for real Black soap not the perfume stuff.

Is black soap a visual description or a name? Also is it a regular soap or a shave / special (as in high glycerin for example) soap?

Hello Swerve,

I don't know what brush you use. If the Van der Hagen boar brush, it's time to retire it. If I may suggest, retired the soap, as well, and move on to a quality badger brush and soap.

Make sure you load your brush well. Wet your face again and start lathering. Lather your face completely, because while you're shaving one portion, the other continues to soften by the lather. If you need to touch up the lather, dip the tip of your brush lightly in water and re-lather.

Stay well.

I will say that I was having the same problem and completely by accident found out something interesting...now please bear with me.
I bowl lather after loading my brush instead of face lathering.
One morning I was not in the right frame of mind after my normal process of lathering my face, which was simply swirl the lather on to cover the beard. So I kept lathering much longer than normal, put a touch more water on the brush and went to town swirling and painting. Another dip under the faucet and more face lathering...best shave ever and no premature drying.
Since then I've tried adding more water to the bowl and the results are VERY different from the same amount of water added while face lathering.
Is it possible the soap holds more moisture depending on how it's built? I'd like to think so.

Like you, I'm amazed at how I continue to question and learn with this gentlemanly art.
Oh, by the way, I use D.R. Harris soap, and the reason my head wasn't in the game was the AWESOME music I was listening to that morning...but that's a whole other thread.
Don't know if any of this helps, but I do hope so.

I have a tweezerman pure badger and a frank shaving Silvertip badger that I use in my rotation. I only use vanderhagen soap but I have their premium soap (which is very little to no scent and is a pinkish color) and their luxury soap ( scented and white in color). all of my soaps wer grated on a grater and packed in my mugs. then heated in my microwave for 15 seconds at a time untill completely melted. Then i stir for about 1 min and place in freezer for 30 min to an hour. After that i place in fridge for same ammount of time. After all of that i leave out in open room for 2 days before i use it.

Before I shower I get my tap water as hot as possible and fill my sink. Then I take a mug and dip up some water to soak my brush in. I place my soap mug and brush mug in the water in the sink until mugs and sink warms up. I make a lather that's too wet and leave suds on top of soap. Then I rinse brush clean and run fresh HOT water and hop in the shower.

Do U guys think I need to move to a different soap? Also is there a soap that takes longer for the lather to "dry" out? Or maybe a scuttle might help? I don't know about the scuttle I've always used mugs. I just haven't decided if I could spend that much on a scuttle scuttle (when compared to a mug).

Originally Posted by Swerve

Do U guys think I need to move to a different soap? Also is there a soap that takes longer for the lather to "dry" out? Or maybe a scuttle might help? I don't know about the scuttle I've always used mugs. I just haven't decided if I could spend that much on a scuttle scuttle (when compared to a mug).

Swerve, you've got some VERY heavy hitters suggesting a new soap...far be it from me to suggest otherwise, BUT before you do, try the technique I described above, adding even more water to your lather while face lathering...extend your lather routine and see what you come up with.
Best part of my suggestion is you can do it right now, no cost..use the clock to see if the 'dry out time' was extended.
I wouldn't mind being told my suggestion stinks if it gets you closer to solving your issue.

Good luck.

Groovy thanx I'll try that n post my results but it's gonna b in a couple hours. I gotta start my kids bath and bed routine. So if it interested in results of said experiment check back in let's say 3 hrs (just to be safe). And I'll try n see if there's a difference in the 2 types of VDH I have.