Thread: Lather on face

As a result of reading several posts, I decided to try to build up a lather on my face instead of in my soap mug.

I was having a lot of problem getting the lather in my soap mug thick enough to not have soap drops flying all over the place, and yet thin enough to work with. (I am presently using Colonel Conk's Bay Rum soap.)

Anyway, I tried loading my brush with soap, but not to a point where is starts lathering, and let the lather build on my face.

The result: It works great!

Thanks to those that posted this method to the forums.

pete_bogg
"Expecting my first straight razor next week"

This became my favored method about 6 months ago.

After doing a complete scrub of my entire face from the soap
puck, I start adding HOT water a bit at a time by dipping the tips
of the brush. By doing so, I slowly build the lather, and it stays
hot the entire time, instead of cooling off in the first 10-15 seconds.
Strop, and then do 'da dip again before commencing the shave.
Pure comfort!

The thing I like about it is that I spend about 2-3 minutes in lathering
up, and have warm lather the whole time. Then, after the 1st pass,
I just dip the tips of the brush slightly, and it's warm all over again.

Pete,

It sounds to me like you don't have enough soap in the mixture yet. I think the Col. Conk is a glycerin-based soap, which makes for a richer lather.

Don't be shy about loading the brush up with soap. Swirl the brush around until you have a frothy mixture with bubbles about the size of what you'd get doing dishes in the sink.

I've had good success with starting with a lot of soap, so the lather is on the dry side, and then dipping just the tips of my brush into the sink several times while I lather on my face. You're starting out with less water so it's not so messy, then once the soap is covering your face, adding some water allows it to get nice and creamy without flying everywhere.

As the lather builds it can hold more water.

Let us know how it goes,
Josh

Thanks guys!

I guess I forgot to mention that after the initial application of soap to my face, I do dip the brush into hot water and continue to work the soap to what I consider 'creamy'. It seems less effort than 'wisk-ing' the soap in the mug.

I was talking to a buddy that uses a brush and learned that he puts a hot towel on his face after the first application of soap (instead of before) and lets it sit for awhile, before applying more soap. I may try that.

pete_bogg

Hey all

I came across a nice technique on the net, which shows 'shaving method'.

It talks about the 'breach' in the brush, which is the area that opens up when you wet the brush and turn it to face you. The breech can be loaded with cream, then you close the breech, by gently squeezing the tips of the brush together. Then the lather can be built up either in a mug of straight on to the face. I like to use a mug, and have only tried it once, but it was a lather explosion, and GOOD quality lather too! I was using a boar brush. Gonna try straight on the face in a bit, but i"m sure it'll work well also.

pea

(i also added a little trumpers skin food into the breech for a nice luxurious lather)

many old master barber/shavers esp in europe use the palm of their hand to create the lather that works best with a beard...then rinsing off their hand and applying the lathered brush to their face...they then work the lather into their beard with a couple of fingers because fingers have no resistance against your beard as a brush does works great ...you can control the thickness of the lather...using your face to build lather creates too heavy of a base kind of like using the old burma shave arosols...mugs or bowls create air bubbles which you dont want...plus when you travel you dont have to pack a mug or bowl just your razors and strop

I use the hand method often myself when I don't feel like trying to heat up a bowl to get it ready to create lather. Since my hand is already warm it saves time too.

The heavy lather bit seems to be true, I think you need to work it a bit for a couple of minutes first to get it nice in the hand, before applying to face. Off to try it now!........

I was thinking last night about the mug that I have my soap in. Since I am pretty much creating the lather on my face, instead of the mug, I question the need for the mug.

I probably could have left the soap in the little container it came in, and load the soap onto the brush from there. (Marcus83 stated previously that he rubs his face with the soap puck, instead of picking up soap on his brush). Since I load my brush into the hot water in the sink, I really don't need to go back to the mug when creating lather on my face. I really don't need all the 'room' that the mug has to offer, since I don't use it.

Like I said, I was just thinking...

pete_bogg

I still use a mug or scuttle as a place to put my brush between passes. The scuttle keeps it nice and warm. A mug placed in a sink full of hot water serves the same purpose.

Josh