Thread: Why do you like to face lather instead of using a bowl?

I like to face lather, and have come to prefer shaving sticks over pucks for that reason. (There's a recent thread, "All shaving sticks all the time.") I like the simplicity, saving space on my narrow sink ledge, and having more of the prep happening on my face. And since I'm a cool-water shaver, I don't need any system for keeping water & brush warm.

I guess when it comes right down to it I do it now because I think working up a lather on my face is better for my beard than working it up in a bowl or scuttle and then working it into my face. Almost like saving a step, while hydrating the beard more. I still silently thank BobH and others who recommended it (and cold water) every time I do it, which is most of the time. I find Arko sticks work well, as do DR Harris creams, Proraso creams and soaps and Cella.

It's easier and more luxurious feeling to me with a cream than it is with soap.

I face lather now. When I started wet shaving all the equipment was needed lol.... It just depends on what you like to do and how much time you want to spend at the sink.
A hot towel, warm lather in a scuttle, pre-shave oil, a good soap and cream can make for a very relaxing shave. But the reality is you have to clean all that up and that takes up a lot of time.
So I settled on face lathering, it's simple, effective, and minimizes the mess and time it takes. I would suggest maybe once in a while taking the time to indulge yourself and use a hot towel, warm lather in the scuttle and just take your time, it's like kicking back and relaxing by the pool, the beach or mountains - it's a break from the everyday grind.

I like the feedback face lathering gives me

Originally Posted by Jack0458

Can I get some tips for face lathering as well as the why you like face lathering from you face latherer's? I'm going to try to find some videos of face lathering but I'd like as much info as I can get. Thanks in advance for any help.

Just watched Lynn Abrams face lather. He wore his shirt for the demo. I tried face lathering once a few months ago and had soap and water everywher. On me, counter, sink, I think some go on the walls. Just kidding. Looks pretty simple. I was considering face lathering because I'm taking a trip in a few days and was considering not taking my scuttle. But, Lynn used a scuttle, or he said he normally does for keeping the brush warm. There goes my reason to learn face lathering. Maybe I can get away without it while I'm gone.

Lynn said he was using a cream. Are creams or soaps better for face lathering or does it matter?

I've always been a face latherer. From Day One, I could not see any rhyme or reason to add an additional step to the process (and a preparatory one, at that). What's more, I realized that in either case I was going to use a shaving brush, so why interrupt the loading-to-lathering procedure? Not that I didn't try bowl/mug lathering -- it just never felt more than a waste of my time. On the positive side of the coin, I enjoy the feel of brush-on-beard, and the time I spend generating the lather in situ increases my enjoyment that much more. As for "how-to" tips, I have several:

• Use a damp brush, not a dripping one.
• Don't over-load the brush with soap or cream -- you can always add more.
• Add water from the tap, in very small amounts -- drops, really.
• Take time to develop the initial lather, and then rub it in with your fingertips.

With regard to soaps vs. creams, I find that creams generally universally produce a much better lather than soaps. Insofar as type of cream, I much prefer a "hard" cream (Castle Forbes and Cyril R. Salter, for example) to a "soft" cream (Simpsons), but this is solely due to my propensity to over-load the brush -- easy to do, with a "soft" cream, much more difficult (but not impossible) to do, with a "hard" cream.

Smooth shaving!

WRT to using soft creams, there are at least two ways of doing it. You can put a dollop/snurdle, call it what you will, on the tip of your damp brush and lather. You can also scoop out the same peanut sized amount on your finger and spread it around your face and then start to lather.

Bob

Interesting video....I guess I'm in between the two methods. I start with a moist brush, load, but not nearly as much as in the video, and face lather using cold water until I get a nice thick cushion. I lather in between each pass and usually only need to add a bit of water to the tip of the brush, and very seldom will I have to actually go back to reload the brush.

Occasionally, with a new soap, takes a few times to get it right. For instance, I found the Barrister and Mann to be a bit thirsty, and the creams in the bowls like T&H, a few taps in the cream with the end of the brush is more than enough...but face lather is the only way for me to get a nice scritchy scrub on my face, which to me, is a lot of the point of using a brush to begin with.

Originally Posted by Phrank

Occasionally, with a new soap, takes a few times to get it right. For instance, I found the Barrister and Mann to be a bit thirsty, and the creams in the bowls like T&H, a few taps in the cream with the end of the brush is more than enough...but face lather is the only way for me to get a nice scritchy scrub on my face, which to me, is a lot of the point of using a brush to begin with.

Phrank hits a couple of points:

• Even with years of experience - a change in soap/cream/brush/local water and you are going to have to adjust. The years of experience will help shorten the curve but there is a "dial it in" phase - hang in there
• Scritchy Scrub - would be interesting to see if the Face vs Bowl crowd is tilted to Badger or Boar...I'm a Scitchy-Piggy fan myself

My change came when I started using a Palmolive Stick on the road. No bowl with me, stick to the beard and then wet travel Boar and in a few minutes I'm thinking I need to change...

Smooth Shaving..

I have never used a scuttle but I face lather as a means of a pre shave face scrub. for my first lather I don't worry too much about perfection and just work the brush around until I have made a nice mess of things, then I reinvent with cold water and proceed to lather again until I am satisfied with the consistency and then shave. I find if I don't prewash I get less that desirable results.. I am using proraso green right now and love it. the menthol is just right and it seems to help wake me up