Thread: Lather Dries Out

I'm new to straight razor shaving. Been about 4 months. I'm really struggling to get a good lather. The videos I've watched make it seem so easy but the minute I try to do it for myself, it seems as difficult as understanding quantum physics (lame joke but I tried). In any case my problem is that once I get a little foam in my hand (I create the lather in my hand) and apply it to my face, within a minute or two it starts to dry and flake off. After just a couple minutes I have a bunch of white flakes floating around my bathroom. My equipment is fine (Castle Forbes shaving cream and Best Badger brush), it's me that's the problem.

I try to add more water but then it just becomes soapy and I don't get that foamy feel that I need. I know it's very difficult to diagnose exactly what I'm doing wrong but maybe you guys have had similar trouble before and could offer some advice. Any advice would be great. Thanks.

Ok. The obvious is add more water.

Castle Forbes is a great cream and a little goes a long way if you work it. Grab a ramakin or coffee mug from your kitchen. Soak your brush for a few minutes in hot water in the mug. Dump the water, shake out the brush and load in half an almond or less size amount of cream. Start working the brush in the mug. Pass the brush under a running tap to add a bit of water and keep working the lather. If you add too much soap, your brush will stay clumpy, too much water and you'll start getting soupy big bubbly lather. If it's not too wet you can keep moving the brush to whip the wet stuff into lather. It takes more than 30 seconds. Keep moving the brush.

I usually pass the brush under the tap at least three or four times to get enough water into the lather. Once you get the hang of the bowl try your face or hand again.

There are other issues that can effect lather, dirt and hard water just naming two.

Get a small cereal bowl, if you haven't got quick access to a bona fide lather bowl, and use that. If you leave a bit of water on the puck, let the bristles of the brush soak in another container, and do something, shower, whatever, for five minutes, it will give the puck time to soften a bit.

It is all about water to soap or cream ratio. I do 20 swirls one way, 20 swirls the other way to load the brush. I don't pour much of the water off of the top of the puck, but I do shake the brush out before I begin.

Experiment with the water/soap ratio, use the bowl, and you'll probably find your problem is improved, if not solved. Not everyone 'gets' lathering quickly. Took me forever to get it to the point where I felt my lather is satisfactory.

BTW, the only time I used Castle Forbes Cream it was more like a puck of soap. I'm giving this advice assuming that it still comes that way. I haven't had any in a few years.

Make sure you're adding a tiny bit of water at a time. From your description it sounds like you might be adding too much water and going from too dry to too wet in one shot.

Also, it's going to be easier with a bowl as there is more surface area.

Ok. The obvious is shave faster!
There is no shame in adding more water or soap!

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Get a small cereal bowl, if you haven't got quick access to a bona fide lather bowl, and use that. If you leave a bit of water on the puck, let the bristles of the brush soak in another container, and do something, shower, whatever, for five minutes, it will give the puck time to soften a bit.

It is all about water to soap or cream ratio. I do 20 swirls one way, 20 swirls the other way to load the brush. I don't pour much of the water off of the top of the puck, but I do shake the brush out before I begin.

Experiment with the water/soap ratio, use the bowl, and you'll probably find your problem is improved, if not solved. Not everyone 'gets' lathering quickly. Took me forever to get it to the point where I felt my lather is satisfactory.

BTW, the only time I used Castle Forbes Cream it was more like a puck of soap. I'm giving this advice assuming that it still comes that way. I haven't had any in a few years.

Thanks for the help. I'll use the bowl. The videos seem to suggest it makes no difference whether you use your hand or bowl but I guess for someone like me I should try the bowl. Thanks again.

Originally Posted by JTmke

Ok. The obvious is add more water.

Castle Forbes is a great cream and a little goes a long way if you work it. Grab a ramakin or coffee mug from your kitchen. Soak your brush for a few minutes in hot water in the mug. Dump the water, shake out the brush and load in half an almond or less size amount of cream. Start working the brush in the mug. Pass the brush under a running tap to add a bit of water and keep working the lather. If you add too much soap, your brush will stay clumpy, too much water and you'll start getting soupy big bubbly lather. If it's not too wet you can keep moving the brush to whip the wet stuff into lather. It takes more than 30 seconds. Keep moving the brush.

I usually pass the brush under the tap at least three or four times to get enough water into the lather. Once you get the hang of the bowl try your face or hand again.

There are other issues that can effect lather, dirt and hard water just naming two.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. Yeah, I have to use more water but finding that balance has been difficult. i really appreciate you mentioning specifically how many times you pass the brush under the tap. Really helps.

Originally Posted by coryschmidt

Make sure you're adding a tiny bit of water at a time. From your description it sounds like you might be adding too much water and going from too dry to too wet in one shot.

Also, it's going to be easier with a bowl as there is more surface area.

Definitely going to use the bowl. Seems like people are really recommending that. Thanks for taking the time out and responding. Really appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Scareface

Ok. The obvious is shave faster!
There is no shame in adding more water or soap!

Hahahahaha. I will complete my shave in 30 seconds or less!

I agree that the bowl is a great place to learn…later, you can branch into palm lathering or face lathering.

When you say that you'll add water but then it's like soapy water: that's not always bad. If it's soapy water w/ big bubbles, get your brush in an WORK that stuff, pumping & swirling. You may find that it starts to thicken into a whipped cream with tiny bubbles. It depends on the soap or cream, but lots of them will behave that way.

If you have time, practice on a non-shaving day. Takes the pressure off.