Thread: How long do you let your lather sit?

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.

I've been trying the following recently with excellent results:

After prepping my face with hot water, I take an almond size dollop of un-lathered shave cream, and massage in into my face. Just enough pressure and time to work into the whiskers properly.

I then take my brush (heated under hot water and shaken out lightly) and lather up the shave cream I have just massaged into my face, without adding any additional shave cream.

For the first 10-20 seconds of lathering, almost nothing happens, but then....the bomb, it just starts exploding as I lather for another minute or so.

I then immediately shave.

This way, it solves the problem of working the lather into the skin, and gives a nice initial coating to my skin. It also acts like having lather on your face for a few minutes before shaving.

Works great for me, try it out.

Strop > shower > lather > shave.

Originally Posted by leadingedge

I've been trying the following recently with excellent results:

After prepping my face with hot water, I take an almond size dollop of un-lathered shave cream, and massage in into my face. Just enough pressure and time to work into the whiskers properly.

I then take my brush (heated under hot water and shaken out lightly) and lather up the shave cream I have just massaged into my face, without adding any additional shave cream.

For the first 10-20 seconds of lathering, almost nothing happens, but then....the bomb, it just starts exploding as I lather for another minute or so.

I then immediately shave.

This way, it solves the problem of working the lather into the skin, and gives a nice initial coating to my skin. It also acts like having lather on your face for a few minutes before shaving.

Works great for me, try it out.

i do this at times with c.o. bigelow.. kinda like a shave stick would work.. i find that i get a stronger initial eucalyptus kick when i do this.

I lather and shave right away, I do a good prep before lathering that is a hot shower then I apply Proraso preshave cream to my beard...no need to way, the anticipation will kill me. HOG

Turn on hot water in sink let it run until the hot water gets to the top floor in my house. (I should have put a hot water heater on third floor of house. Design error.)
While waiting, I strop the blade.
Once the water is hot I fill the sink and place whatever ceramic and oil I am going to use into the hot water.

Go Shower and do face prep in shower.

Return and let water out of sink. Fill the ceramics, which is now hot, with fresh hot water.
Place hot water than warm oil on face.
Strop again for a minute or two.
Lather in Bowl/face and shave.

Works for me!!

I have tried letting the lather sit on my face for a while and didn't notice a difference. It does make a difference if I shave after a shower so that is my only prep.

I always shave after a hot shower. I make sure to wash my face well in the shower. I have been using the Mitchell's Wool Fat bath soap and I love it. So moisturizing.

When I get out of the shower, I massage a pre-shave oil or cream into my beard for 30 seconds. Sometimes I skip this step and have seen no difference in my shave.

I then build lather in my scuttle. When I have a nice lather going, I transfer to my face and build lather for about 2 minutes on my face using circles and paint brush motions.

I then shave. I don't let it sit as I feel it will start to dry and the minute or two of face lathering should be sufficient to work the lather into the beard.