Thread: Liquid Lanolin

Finally nailed down how to get an incredible lather with the liquid lanolin that I bought from Whole Foods. Added 5-6 drops to my bowl with the water, charged my wet brush in my Proraso tub for about 15 seconds, then pumped and whipped my brush around in the bowl with the lanolin for about 45 seconds (it took more work than usual). The consistency was denser and creamier than ever before, but the protection to my face was absolutely amazing. I got as good a shave as I've ever had, with zero nicks and absolutely no irritation. When I applied my alum block, the sting was MUCH milder than any previous shave. Will never use Proraso without lanolin again. HUGE, HUGE improvement to my lather quality.

Originally Posted by zappbrannigan

I got the idea (from member Lazarus in another post - thanks Lazarus!) to add some liquid lanolin to my lather. Went and picked some up today and used it in place of glycerin. Great stuff. Lather wasn't much to look at (pretty "soupy") but it still gave for a great, slick shave. I assume once I correct the soupyness issue it'll only get better. I've only started using glycerin fairly recently, but at this point I'd say I much prefer the lanolin.

Only downside is it overpowers the smell of my lather, which isn't all that strong to begin with, but still this wasn't a plus. Then lanolin smell isn't offensive, but it also isn't pleasant.

As others have already mentioned less is more here. A drop or two of lanolin will get you all of the benefit with none of the drawbacks you mention.

I'm going to pick some up. Of course...I could just use MWF full time

I have heard MWF is hard to lather up..... How do you get good lathers out of it?

I have started adding a drop of liquid lanolin to my shave bowl before I add my soap. Just one drop. I like the smell and it does seem to add some skin protection. The lather tends to be foamier, e.g. bigger bubbles, and so I find it takes more whisking with the brush to get a thick lather.

I find MWF one of the easiest soaps to get a good lather with. I'm pretty generous with the water when building the lather up though. Add a few drops, then whisk, add a few more drops, etc.... MWF is probably my favorite soap to date.

Originally Posted by mcgyver74

I have heard MWF is hard to lather up..... How do you get good lathers out of it?

A boar hair brush and lots of water.

Practice. A lot.

I use a lot of water and build slowly. With boar brushes, I tend to let a fair amount of water run into the bowl with the soap puck, then pour it into my scuttle. If I'm face lathering, I'll also do that, but with a bit less water, building the lather on my face. With badger brushes, I keep them fairly wet and load lightly with the tips. I also prime the puck with some water ahead of time to soften the surface. I have done a lot of practice lathering with MWF to help break in my brushes, so it is getting a lot easier for me to lather and I'm finding what works for me. It still doesn't go right every time and I still have a lot to learn about lathering, but it's getting there. The soap is very durable. I had a sample that I got and it still wasn't finished when I got my order of the ceramic bowl and an extra puck, so I'm likely set for MWF for a few years

Thanks! I am in the process of trying different soaps/creams now, Had an order of Tabac soap that got lost from Amazon so I need to replace it with something else. MWF may be worth a shot

I just had a sheep shearer (NSW Australia) contact me for some shaving gear, he hates lanolin and his skin complaints are related to being exposed to the lanolin all day long, He can't understand why someone would make shaving cream from it! He laughed at MWF and thought I was joking!

Sam

Time to give this lanolin a try. My first experience with lanolin soap (Classic Shaving Wool Fat) was not stellar...I find it hard to get a good lather. So I thought I'd use regular soap and a drop or two of lanolin. Will report back...