my face is drying out before I'm done

I've shaved twice and my face is drying out.

I have Art of Shaving lavendar cream and pre shave oil and I use a pre shave scrub in the shower before I shave.

I'm making a good lather and I'm rubbing the oil against the grain. Pretty much my right side is ok, I still am working on technique. By the time I start the left side the blade everything gets tough. I'm not taking any longer than with a safety or Gillete fusion. I don't have this problem with those.

I finished honing the blade, new at that too and stropped it on an old belt ( that may be the problem). It passes the HHT test down the blade, some areas cut faster than others

Is the blade not sharp enough yet? What am I doing wrong? this hurts. I do nick my self but it's more of an irritation on my neck :confused:

Thanks

Mark

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Originally Posted by markjm223

I'm making a good lather and I'm rubbing the oil against the grain. Pretty much my right side is ok, I still am working on technique. By the time I start the left side the blade everything gets tough. I'm not taking any longer than with a safety or Gillete fusion. I don't have this problem with those.

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You probably are taking a little bit longer without realizing it, just enough for the left side of your face to dry out a bit. Just dip the brush back in the water and relather that side before shaving it.

No, you are not doing anything wrong, sir. There's a pretty obvious sign when you do... but then again, I'm not allowed in the emergency room anymore.

You have two issues, one is, your face is not soft wet enough! Check out how to prepare a hot towel, or check out how to moisten your face prior to the shave. It's definitely something that can help. I usually lather up twice, and let the first two sets soak in while I prepare the rest of my shaving equipment.

Problem number two is the belt. I ruined the shave ready edge on a brand new TI by stropping it on a belt, but was able to repair it with a well pasted strop. I have an 18" Jemico, personal milage may vary.

Now, also note that just because a razor passes the HHT, does not mean that it is shave ready. Neither of my daily rotaters pass, except on the weekends due to extra time to strop well, but still manage to deliver an incredible shave. The shave is really the last word.

The other thing I'd say is, technique and and length of time shaving. Without seeing your technique, I bet the razor is at the wrong angle; not REALLY wrong, but just a little off. Also, with more time shaving, your face will slowly but surely get used to the lather.

I am by no means an expert, but this is personal experience. Again, personal milage may vary!

I wish you the best!

Karl

This could be due to a number of things. Probably using too much pressure when you shave, especially on the side of the face that dries more. Because it happens mostly on one side, I would think that it has little to do with the sharpness of the blade or stropping technique. I used to have lots of problems with my face drying out as a result of shaving. One thing that helped me out was to apply the lather only in the areas that I was shaving. If your skin is sensitive, this could be a real issue. Also, I prevented this problem by using aloe vera after my shave.

Al raz.

i also had the same problem when i started. i was taking quite a while to shave so the soap had time to dry out. i dont use cream but if my soap starts to dry out i add a little water to my brush and re-wet

I bowl lather so all I do is add about 5 drops of water and rehydrate the lather. It is common to run creams a little to dry anyway because they do tend to make a lot of lather because there is a tendency to put to much cream on the brush. Try making the lather a little wetter. Just turn on the faucet till it is dripping slowly and put you brush under it and lather and repeat till the lather is pretty moist. It is a balancing act. Sometimes between passes if the lather is getting a little dry I rinse my face then leave it wet and then face lather.

Take Care,
Richard

I don't understand....you say the problem is that your lather is drying out, but talk about your razor...

Lather drying out is pretty much one problem--not enough water in your lather. add a couple of drops more than you are now as you build it, and make sure it is well mixed. Should be fine!

Try spending more time building the lather - even if you think you don't need to! I find that after a point in time you don't get more lather, but what lather you have lasts longer. Don't whip the lather up, stir it and pump the brush occasionally.

If it dries out on the face - just apply more! It happens to the best of us sometimes. :gl:

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Originally Posted by JimR

I don't understand....you say the problem is that your lather is drying out, but talk about your razor...

Lather drying out is pretty much one problem--not enough water in your lather. add a couple of drops more than you are now as you build it, and make sure it is well mixed. Should be fine!

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I don't understand....you say the problem is that your lather is drying out, but talk about your razor...

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I guess it was problem with 2 elements. The 1st is the drying lather and the 2nd was the blade. I didn't know if the lather was the problem or the blade or a combination of the 2.

I think the cream not having enough water might be a big one I need to look at. About the oil though... do you rub it in with your face damp or dripping or what? I'm just thinking about the ol' water and oil don't mix law.

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. :) My first straight razor shaves took so much longer that I too suffered from my lather drying out on one side before I was done with the other. If that is the issue, or contributing to it, as you develop your technique the drying lather will soon be a thing of the past. :gl:

Is your lather disappearing when it dries out, or is it becoming dry, hard, and brittle. I found that more often than not I make my lather too dry. Looks nice and thick, but by the time I get to the left side of my face it is flaking off in little chunks that float away on the whatever breeze is in the bathroom. Adding water to my lather has made the shaves better.

Also, one other thing: when you shave and then dip the razor into water, is there still residue on the edge? That's a sign that the lather is too thick and doesn't have enough water.

Karl

There is no rule against re-applying more lather to your face if it dries out before you get to that side!


As said, try adding a smidge more water to your lather (you don't want tit to get "bubbly" though-that's too much water, and the lather will simply dissappear off your face instead of drying out). Add water until the foam gets "peaks" that stand up in the lather bowl when you take the brush out.

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Originally Posted by midgho

Also, one other thing: when you shave and then dip the razor into water, is there still residue on the edge? That's a sign that the lather is too thick and doesn't have enough water.

Karl

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You just solved a problem I've had. :tu

I had the same problem with drying lather for the past two years and finally solved it completely. My water is hard at my home. As a result I would rarely get a lather that wouldn't dry out some what during the shave whether cream or soap. I now use 5 drops of glycerine in my mug before I start to make my lather. My problem was solved, maybe this will help you too. Cheers

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Originally Posted by G Q

I had the same problem with drying lather for the past two years and finally solved it completely. My water is hard at my home. As a result I would rarely get a lather that wouldn't dry out some what during the shave whether cream or soap. I now use 5 drops of glycerine in my mug before I start to make my lather. My problem was solved, maybe this will help you too. Cheers

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GQ, you may want to get some distilled water and use that for shaving, it will save on glycerine.

Markjm223, everything said above is good, its okay to relather, just check and see if its too watery, invest in a proper strop when you can.

It's nice to know we are not alone...I've just shaved with a straight the past two days and had the same problem...either my lather wasn't wet enough or I was taking so much time that the left side of my face just dried and needed to be re-lathered. My mantra is "Patience, grasshopper, patience."

Nathan

So am I the only one still applying lather in sections to my face? Right side of neck... shave... left side of neck... shave.... right side of neck and right cheek.... shave.... etc. etc.

I also enjoy a tossing a tiny bit of glycerine into my soap mug every so often.

Firstly,, It does not sound to me like you have a particularly good edge on your sword. Stick to it, you'll get better, and rapidly.
Now as to technique..
I apply my preshave oil onto my WET face. I don't towel dry my face at all until all is done.
I shave my left sideburn, then my right, then left cheek, right cheek, left neck, right neck, center neck.
I also don't rinse my brush until the shave is complete, often reapplying lather during the shave.
I get my blade as hot as I can with hot tap water before the shave begins. (by setting it ((closed) into a old shaving mug and letting hot water dribble into it while I am busy with my preshave oil and lathering up)
I also strop, 25 laps, both before and after the shave.

Hope that helps.