Thread: Creating the perfect lather

FWIW, I would start with a large coffee (e.g. cappuccino) mug and good, inexpensive (Nivea, some swear by Proraso) cream in the tube.

- Squeeze a dollop* of cream into the mug and start soaking the wet but not dripping brush with cream.
- If the brush doesn't take enough cream, add a small amount of water.
- The brush should absorb most of the cream but it's o.k. to have some cream left in the mug, you pick that cream up later when you dip the brush in the mug for the second and third pass.
- Add some more water to the brush and start face lathering.
- If you don't get enough lather add a small amount of water.
- Dip the brush into the mug as needed to pick up the remaining cream for subsequent passes.

The trick is to increase the amount of water by small amounts until you strike the right balance between water and cream.
This works for creams and soaps, but it is generally accepted that with creams it is easier to get it right.
And what matters here is that you become familiar with the principle, so you might as well stick to creams in the beginning.

Also water quality is often overlooked, and I just came from a part of the country where the water is extremely soft and I barely could wash the soap off my face, to a part of a country where the water is of normal hardness. The difference in lather is noticeable.
* Water quality largely dictates how much cream you need to squeeze into the mug at the start.

It's all trial and error; and remember the whole DE or straight razor wet-shaving thing is based on the assumption that you can't expect perfect results right from the start and need constant practice to reach the perfect shave.



One last comment: Someone suggested Williams soap.
Williams is a love or hate affair and IMHO it is not easy to get a good, long-lasting lather from Williams (I am sure some Williams lover will contradict me; hence the "IMHO"). Williams seems to be particular dependent on the right water/soap ratio and that is exactly where you appear to be struggling with.
If you want to taste the sweet fruit of success earlier, stick to creams like Nivea, Proraso and the like.

Some people may even suggest that for that very reason you should start with Williams. "If you can lather with Williams you can pretty much lather with anything."
If that concept was true, driving schools would all have Ferraris, wouldn't they?
"If you can drive a Ferrari, you can drive a Civic, no?"



B.