Thread: problem with lather! where did it go?

I don't fancy adding to the confusion but IMO, it sounds like you don't have enough water. For one thing, the symptoms you describe are consistent with not having enough water: The dry bowl, the fast drying of what lather you manage to get on your beard. Secondly, in your account of your lathering process you don't mention adding water to the bowl bit by bit until the lather is properly hydrated. Here is a procedure that I posted on another forum which will remain nameless. When practiced correctly, it will give you the range of hydration your soap will take before it "breaks":

Start with the brush soaked in warm water and take the brush out and shake it once. Now, swirl the brush into the soap puck by palming the base of the brush and extending your fingertips down along the bristles to have the effect of stiffening the brush as you swirl it. No need to go on for more than a minute. Next, as you take the brush and begin to work it to make the lather in your bowl, keep adding water using your finger tips in small amounts little by little. As you work into a lather, pump the brush up and down alternately as well as swirling. Keep doing this until the lather "breaks", or becomes bubbles instead of lather. Now you know how much water your soap will tolerate. Each type of soap will have a different saturation point. It's a good idea to make a practice of getting your lather pretty near the saturation point to get it properly hydrated.

Hope this helps.

Well, this is embarrassing. If I had bothered to notice zib's video post, I would have referenced it. That's a really good video showing the proper technique for bowl lathering. Can't vouch for the others- never tried them. The only thing I would change would be to show the process from the perspective of the beginner, the majority of whom would start out with a too-dry brush. Obviously, mantic59 knew almost precisely what amount of shake of the brush would yield optimum water retention. He only had to add a little dribble to have it right on target. The technique, however, is the same. Just know that it's a YMMV kind of thing, but most have the tendency to start out dry IMO. Sorry if I'm beating a dead horse.