Thread: Lather with each pass - does it change?

I have always noticed that my best lather seems to come with that very first application of the lather when I have whiskers. Then as I shave, each pass, the lather seems to dry much faster. I haven't changed the lather in my bowl. My final pass, I cannot lather the entire face without it drying and I have to apply the lather in sections.

Is it drying out in the bowl over time or is this a common occurrence as the whiskers get shaven down?

Depending on the soap, I may drop in a little water between passes and build the lather back up. Not unusual, I find glycerin soaps do it more for me.

Mine does not dry out like yours but I always wet my face before re lathering any way. You can just wet the tips a bit. That should help. Soap for me goes drier than cream does..for me at least. But I don't have trouble with it drying out any more...it does not take me an hour to shave any more.lol
Good to sees you back on the forum egg..

I am the opposite of Jack of Diamonds, glycerin soaps dry out very quickly on my face, I love their aromas and even added extra glycerin to the soap but it still drys out. In my case tallow base soaps stay hydrated through out my shave.
I think it has to do with my skin accepting the kinds of soaps.

If the humidity is low, water will evaporate from the lather more quickly. Just wet the brush a little and whip it up again. If you add too much water, add more product. Nothing says you can only build your lather once and can't touch it again. Never settle for bad lather.

When you apply lather for your 2nd, 3rd pass it will seem to dry out because you may be drying your face off after the first pass?? If you are then that could be the problem. The reason for that is because on your first lather application your face is probably moist from the shower or washing your face. do you use a scuttle or anything like that?

Originally Posted by aespo

Good to sees you back on the forum egg..

Thanks! Truth is, I have been using nothing but a straight since I started posting and well I guess I'm starting to figure this out and I ask alot less questions But I do still read here very often and I don't like to give advice too much because I don't feel like I have the experience yet...

Yeah, I wet my face between every pass. It's more like without whiskers to "grab" the soap, it just goes on so smoothly and the lather doesn't "stick". My brush is lathery and I wet my face but after rubbing it on, it's like the lather just stays on the brush for the most part lol.

It's not really interrupting my shave and it's not a problem per se. Just something I have always noticed (even with my DE over the past years) and always wanted to ask others. I don't know anyone else personally that uses a straight

I would just add more water as appropriate.

I noticed the same. I face lather and before the first pass, I only need just a couple of swirls on the soap (MWF) with a fairly soaked brush and there I go, nice lather builds. But on the second pass, it deteriorates. And on the third pass, no matter what I do - more water/more product/wet the face/wet the brush and all the possible combinations - I can't build the same quality lather (on the face or in the scuttle) that I could before the first pass.

I'm experimenting with face lathering (with MWF only since it is the only soap that I have) because I just hate when I build too much or too little in the scuttle.