Thread: Problems Making Lather

Hey guys,

Well, for a while now I've been Kent shave soap and brush and after reading some comments really improved the lather I was making. Yet, suddenly I've gone from making great lather to confusion.

The problem is that the soap is lathering in a way which looks like dishwasher suds and I have no idea what I'm doing wrong.

I start out pouring a bit of water on the soap and let it sit for a while. I then shake excess water from my brush which soaked in hot water. Gather some soap and begin whipping it. I then lightly dip my brush in a bit of water and add it to the lather. The soap now suds up and over flows the mug I'm using ... I have no idea what I've changed to cause this. Any ideas?

Try not dipping your brush in water before you start whipping up the lather. Sounds to me like too much water is involved. After you wet the soap, pour off any excess, also, shake out any excess from your brush before you begin. You can always add water but you can't take it away. Add water as you go, very small amounts at a time...and add it to the brush, I use a small dixie cup and pour it on the top of the bristles, near the handle..It works it's way down.... Also, check out Mantic59's videos on Youtbube. He has some cool lather making vids...

Rich

Thanks zib. I'll check out the videos and I'll make the changes you recommend.

It does sound like the proportions are wrong.
If I'm using AoS, which tends to need little water, I'll keep dipping my brush hand in the basin. As I whisk up the lather the water drips into the mix & gets incorporated nicely. It's a bit like making mayonnaise.
This can be pretty slow going if you do it right from the start, but if you're struggling with the balance, it's a useful way to fine tune the lather towards the end.

Fox,

I use the Kent soap everyday. Here's how I do it; Soak the brush in hot water. Pour hot water in the mug. I have a separate mug for my Kent soap. I keep it dry. Shake the excess off of your brush, until it's just wet enough for the bristles to stick together a bit, but not matted. Load the soap; swirl your brush in the Kent for about ten seconds. Transfer this load to your hot mug, empty of water. Start whipping.

I have found that I need to get the Kent pretty stiff in the mug, just like mayonaisse. Then....then I add a couple drops of water at a time to the bristles near the handle.

Like others, it sounds as though you may just have too much water in your equation. I have found that just 5 or 6 drops sometimes can make the difference between "whipped cream", and "meringue" with big air pockets.

Good luck. And Mantic's videos are cool....lathering in the hand is a great way too....then you have a tactile sense for what your suds are doing.

Maxi

Thanks guys. Just shaved and although it wasn't perfect it was quite an improvement. I still need more work on it, but it's getting there.

Originally Posted by zib

Try not dipping your brush in water before you start whipping up the lather. Sounds to me like too much water is involved. After you wet the soap, pour off any excess, also, shake out any excess from your brush before you begin. You can always add water but you can't take it away. Add water as you go, very small amounts at a time...and add it to the brush, I use a small dixie cup and pour it on the top of the bristles, near the handle..It works it's way down.... Also, check out Mantic59's videos on Youtbube. He has some cool lather making vids...

Rich

+1 on Rich's comments here about water...too much water will do this. Remember: it's easier to add water than take away.

I find that not only shaking my brush out but actually wrapping my fingers around it and actually squeezing as much water out of it as I can allows the brush to load up with soap much quicker and much better.

+1 on all the above comments on proportion likely being the issue. Keep in mind that, in addition to easing off on the addition of water, you can also regulate this by ensuring you have enough soap loaded into the brush before yous start to whip up your lather.

You'll know you have enough soap in the brush when:
1. you feel a good bit of drag when you glide the brush along the puck, and it leaves thick, gooey little trails of soap behind it
2. the ends of the bristles look like they've been dipped in soft butter (only it's white instead of yellow)



If you experience bubbles and suds staring to form on your puck as you load the brush then your brush is too wet and won't load fully or produce a thick lather when you move to a bowl. (The only way to save too wet of a brush load is to finish lathering on the puck where more soap can work up and get mixed in... or start over with less water in the brush.)

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I agree with the start with less water. I soak my brush and then shake it a couple of times. I use the water that's soaked into the hair or bristles to form the lather. Sometimes, the bubbles that form that you say looks like dish soap is the point before you get to the good cream. Just keep whipping it up past that point and let the little bit of water work the cream out of the puck. Maybe it's just 30 seconds or so away from what you need! Good luck

Originally Posted by zib

Try not dipping your brush in water before you start whipping up the lather. Sounds to me like too much water is involved. After you wet the soap, pour off any excess, also, shake out any excess from your brush before you begin. You can always add water but you can't take it away. Add water as you go, very small amounts at a time...and add it to the brush, I use a small dixie cup and pour it on the top of the bristles, near the handle..It works it's way down.... Also, check out Mantic59's videos on Youtbube. He has some cool lather making vids...

Rich

+1 on the amount of water, and on Mantic59's videos. Good guideline for lather making from these vids.