Thread: Disappearing lather

I've always used a cream directly onto the brush tips from the container then face lathered. Never used a scuttle. Never had a problem. Try more cream on the brush.

Originally Posted by Razorrookie01

Are you soaking the brush long enough?

You know I never soak my brushes, boar, badger or synthetic, just swirl in the sink water, shake and load the brush. Everyone has a different way of loading a brush and building a lather. That is what makes it hard to advise someone having trouble lathering. I can be a little confusing for the person having trouble too. It's all good though and you have to just try different things to see what works for you.

I have to agree with the posters that think maybe not enough product is being loaded before lathering.

As you build the lather and add water as you go you get to the point where the lather on your face gets a sort of sheen to it. That is where I stop as it seems to indicate there is enough water in the lather not to dry out too quickly. Got to get the right balance of enough product and enough water which can be tricky to do.

Bob

I had the exact same problem. I kept having a nice lather for 40 seconds. Unfortunately with inexperience it took way longer then 40 seconds to shave my whole face. Still does because I don't rush it. First thing I noticed is you need to add water or nothing will lather. Second thing is the brush but you've already said you've got more then 1. I had a $2 boar that shed like a dog so after I upgraded so did my shaves. Third thing is how many times you swirl it around in the bowl or on your face. I was blown away with how long it actually took the first time I watched a video. Like anything in the sport you just gotta keep at it until you get it. I got faith in you brother.

P.S. It took me 3 months and an AHA! Moment to get a decent lather

Thank you for the video, BobH. Haven't tried that dry brush method. I'm gonna give that a try today. Maybe I've been using too much water and not enough soap. He did seem to load the brush with soap a lot longer in the video than I have. I've used Van der Hagen, Col Conk, and Mystic Water soap and TOBS and Coates cream. I should mention that I can manage to build a creamy, long lasting lather with the Coates cream, but it just doesn't feel right. Instead of slick and lubricating, it has that squeaky, soap scummy feel. Would adding some glycerin help with that? Thank you for all the advice everyone. The consensus seems to be that I'm not using enough product, so I'll load the brush up more and see what happens. Maybe I'll also try a softer soap.

Keep us posted on how you make out.

Bob

Take a look at the this Lather | Library Section. Four or five drops of Glycerin makes the Überlather.

I am also wondering about the water in your area. If you have hard water, you may try making your lather with distilled water instead of tap water.

Starting off with wet shaving in general, there's a lot to consider. I found myself with all this new kit, in front of the sink, looking into the mirror and thinking to myself "okay, I think I know what to do... now what do I do"?

Just a suggestion, from one newbie to another, which shuffled me past that first hurdle... keep things simple. Forget about faces and bowls, and focus on what happens in the soap tub.

Too dry a brush going into the tub will grind the soap into the brush, without any payoff. Try getting the brush thoroughly wet, and shake once just enough to stop the water from running off of it. Then, with bristles at the edge of drippng, take it straight to the tub. Doing so seems to remove the "not enough soap" angle from the lathering equation. Use just enough pressure on the brush to rub into the surface of the soap. Keeping contact, circle the tub for about 30 seconds. If you have a light, bubbly foam, keep going at it. If you have a thicker, soapy slurry that doesn't appear to be doing much, add a few drops (3-5) of water to the tub with your fingertips or make a quick pass of the brush under a light stream of tap water. Back to the tub for more of the same. I've noticed that it's wet bubbly foam before it's thick cushiony meringue-like lather. If you got foam, keep going.

You'll probably make a mess, sure, but learning how the soap reacts to agitation, and the gradual addition of water really helps. Then moving to bowl or face lathering seems more straightforward.

Just keep after it. Add more soap, or more water, or more mix time or more shaves....eventually, you will figure out what works best for you. I think that's the most important thing (and one a lot of people seem to lose sight of) is that this is all for you, the shaver. Enjoy the process and the questions at least as much as the destinations and answers and you will expand your enjoyment of this hobby/necessity all the more

It almost sounds like there is not enough soap getting loaded from a soap (since the cream seems to make lather). I put water on my soap puck while the brush is soaking. This makes a layer of thick watery soap by the time I am ready to use it and it loads on the brush fast and fully. Try this and see if you get more soap lather.

It certainly sounds like a case of not loading enough soap. Here are some things to try:

1) Load your brush until you think you have enough loaded, then load it for 30 s more.

2) If your brush is too dry, you will not be able to pick up enough soap. Add a few drops of water to the top of the soap while loading.

3) Conversely, if you have too much water you'll generate a lot of airy lather that is no good, so if your brush is too wet, you should shake it dry a bit.

4) Once your brush is properly loaded, build your lather by the addition of a little water at a time until you see the sheen of a properly hydrated lather.

Hope this helps.