Thread: How long do you let your lather sit?

I strop my razor first, then take a hot shower. Afterwards, I craft my lather, apply it and massage it into my beard, rinse and apply some bay rum to my beard, then relather.

Originally Posted by janivar123

I have noticed that if you skip on other prep letting the lather sit for 5 minutes really help
Not sure how much it helps if the beard is already soaked

I agree -- letting the lather "marinate" on my face for 4 or 5 minutes is quite helpful, especially if I haven't shaved for a few days. It can help make up for shaving without first showering.

Originally Posted by markevens

I usually shave after my shower, so I just lather up and go to town. I do my stropping before the shower btw.

I do the same I strop up prior to getting in the shower. Take a real hot shower let the water run over my face for a 1 or 2 min prior to getting out, dry up use the hot water my brush was soaking in rub that into my face with the brush make lather, put it on and shave right away.

I lather at night, and then use the straight to scrape off my pillow!!!

hehe!

Not!

I lather, strop, re-lather, then shave.

I shower, lather, strop, freshen up the lather with a few more drops of water and another pass of the brush, then shave.

I suspect though, that since the primary purpose of the lather is to hold moisture against the skin so the hairs can absorb it and soften, that if you wash and wet your face down really well in the shower and shave immediately afterward, there probably isn't much gained by having it on while stropping...

On the other hand, if you're shaving without showering first (e.g. such is the case in a barber shop), then letting it do its moisturizing work on the hairs while stropping - or, better yet, preceeding it with a steaming towel - is no doubt of immense benefit.

Originally Posted by gull

Right now, I lather my face, then go stropping and then add some more lather afterwords before I shave.

I'm wondering if you all do the same and let your lather sit on your face, or if you all can just lather and then shave right away.

Well, IMO, it depends on how you make your lather:

1. If you make it in your hand, or in a bowl / scuttle, then I would say let it sit on your face for a while, because you really did not soften the beard that much by just applying the pre-made lather to your face.

2. If you make your lather directly on your face, then it is probably not that critical to let it stand too long, because you have already softened your beard and effectively had the lather "stand" on your face for the entire process of making the lather. If you then let it stand too long, it just starts drying out on your skin.

3. I have also found huge differences with the type of cream / soap you use. Some needs to sit a bit on the face, and others seem to work right off the bat. Some also dry out too quickly when you let it stand on your face, and you then have to lather a bit more before shaving.

In general, IMHO, if you make the lather directly on your face, then it does not need to stand before shaving.

Just my 2c!

If I shower before I shave, it really doesn't matter much what I do first. If I don't, I'll splash hot water on my beard, then work up my lather, apply it and strop. It seems to me the 2 minutes of water makes a significant difference.

Wet face - 15 seconds, lather - 30 to 45 seconds, shave - about 3 to 5 minutes.

I build up a thick lather on my face and keep "painting" until my inner-shaver tells me it's ready. Seriously. For all of the science and precision that I usually try to cram into the art of straight razor shaving, this is always the part that I oddly let my whims decide.

I have been stropping first then hot towel, lather, hot towel, lather. I usually shave before I shower. That has been working well for me.