Thread: Lather or gel

Hi everyone,

After about a year of not touching my straight because I couldn't get the hang of it and didn't have much time to work on technique (newborn takes all of it), I picked it up again last week to shave a two week old beard (toddler takes all my time). Seeing as I always shave my head and beard at the same time, I used the straight for my face and a DE for my head.

Last night, annoyed by the thought of rinsing the DE over and over to get the hair out, I decided to do it all with the straight.

Everything went well and I'm clean shaven and cut free, but I did run into one situation I thought I'd try to get your opinion on: lather sometimes falls off the razor and onto the floor. This is a problem I have both with DEs and straights and I usually avoid it by using shaving gel, which sticks better and doesn't dry out as fast, but the gel didn't seem to "gel" (pun intended) with my straight.

What do you guys use on your head? Are there gels which you like better than others?

Cheers from (still) snowy Canada!

If you're using the canned goo - that doesn't surprise me, even the gel stuff.

Hadn't use the stuff in a long time, wen I had to grab a Bic shaver and a can of Barbasol Shave foam, the chunks of foam just fell off my face like little balls of cotton - garbage.

Try getting a tub of Proraso Red, Green or White, I prefer the Red Sandalwood, Green is nice Menthol, and the White is Green Tea, all good and around $10.00 Cdn at most Shoppers Drug Marts...bet you that will make a huge difference, using real, traditional soaps is one of the most enjoyable aspects of wet shaving IMO....

Thanks for the reply Phrank,

I'd like to clarify that what falls on the floor is lather worked up from a shaving soap and not the shaving gel, which seems to stick a bit better to my head and razor, but also seems to make the straight stick to my head. Seeing as I can't keep my head above the sink while shaving it, I'd been using gel with the DE out of convenience.

I usually face lather using Mama Bear's shave sticks.

I always use a soap or cream on my head, never a gel. I find that making the lather slightly less watery helps a bit with lather dropage. Also, don't go too long between rinsing or wiping your edge off, as if it builds up too much you end up wearing stubbly lather down your neck and back (or in your ears or wherever is underneath the area you are shaving - I often try to do the entire back of my head without rinsing, and that's when I get all the stubble-lather dropping down the back of my shirt... )

James.

I haven't used a can of gel or cream in several years. I tend to use whatever I face shave with to do my head too. On days that I'm rushed to get it done I use a head blade on my head shave. Fast an easy. Not the same as a straight but still good shave. Headblade company makes a cream called head slick. It's their version of cream/gel in a squeeze bottle. It's very slick. Doesn't take much an might work better for you. I like it but still prefer brush an soap. Just rinse blade more to keep the dropsy from happening.

I shave my face daily and head once or twice a week. For head shaves, I usually do the first pass with a straight and then clean up with a DE. Less messy and faster that way, at least for me. I use traditional creams and soaps most of the time. I also use Cremo (brushless cream) on my head occasionally. It's cheap and works well but it doesn't really lather. It has more of a lotion consistency. It is super slick and I just add water to keep it slick for a second pass. For me it works well, since I usually feel with one hand (which also keeps it wet) and shave with the other. It really gunks up a razor though, so it takes a little extra cleaning if I finish with a DE.
The soaps and creams are more luxurious but Cremo gets the job done and may be worth a try. I've recommended it to a few women for leg shaving and it seems to be a bit hit with them also.

I do not shave my head, (SWMbO) would Lorena Bobbit me. Lorena Bobbitt speaks out 21 years after she sliced off her husband's penis | Daily Mail Online if I did that, I always use a Shaving Soap. When I am traveling and I don't take a Shaving Brush and Mug set I use any good Gel shaving cream. I like Edge Shaving Gel for Sensitive Skin. Never get any razor burn.

I use a headblade but won't use anything out of a can anymore. I love the wet shaving game and really prefer soaps vs cremes but I do use Cremo as a pre-lather sometimes for the added slickness. If I have any "dings" that are healing it helps the razor glide over the rough spots. My problem w/Cremo is it gets too wet and runs into my eyes but putting a thin layer on and then applying lather minimizes it. Yes, this whole game does take a bit more time but it feels so good. How do you guys deal with the comments from sig others, "you take too long in the bathroom"? Happy shaving!
G
PS. Now I just want to go home and play with all my shave stuff!

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll give Cremo a shot.

The need to shave my head is what got me into wet shaving. I'd used two-blade cartriges since I was 14, but around 2006 they seemed to be disappearing from the market. I was already having problems with clogging and couldn't stand the idea of moving to a three-blade system, so I searched the Web to see if a one blade razor existed. I didn't even know straights could still be purchased. Heck, I didn't even know DE's existed.

Now that I've used the straight on my head, I don't think I'll go back to the DE for it, at least not to cut a week's worth of hair. Clogging's the worst. No, wait, cuts are the worst. No, wait, hitting the blade on the faucet's the worst.

Same as others... I've not used anything in a Can for years. I do Head Shave with DE First then Face Shave with SR Second. The two things I've found that help and that are not exactly surprising...

1) Make your Lather really shine by keeping up the swirling until you get that shiny 'meringue' type result and that stuff stays well covered over the skin and adheres to DE or SR impressively well.

2) Just rinse more... I lean back against the sink when doing the back of my head and I have Mirrors in Front and Behind then use a Handheld Mirror when I am doing the back of my head as well with a DE and so I just reach back and rinse as needed for that part.

One cool thing I've noticed with DE for Head Shaving is that I can hammer the Second/Final Pass (.. no need for a Third Pass on Head or Face for my preferences..) immediately without re-lathering... There is enough residual slickness with good Soaps/Creams (CB, WSP, TOBS, Soap Commander, Maca Root, etc) that I complete my First Pass then detail the area around the ears and afterward go right for my Second Pass and have had zero issues with irritation/burn.