Thread: Can't get a lather

Weeeeell, you could not really "pump", but raise the brush when swirling and slowly lower back into the bottom without stopping. You will need some air in the mix to get the volume, but you don't have to "pump" up and down. Try what I just suggested without stopping the circles. You hand will look almost like a drill press going up and down and spinning. Do it once or twice, but I wouldn't continually do it or you will introduce too much "fluff" for lack of a better word.

It should not be that difficult to make lather. Try skipping the bowl and lather on your face, and see how it goes.

Originally Posted by tiddle

Weeeeell, you could not really "pump", but raise the brush when swirling and slowly lower back into the bottom without stopping. You will need some air in the mix to get the volume, but you don't have to "pump" up and down. Try what I just suggested without stopping the circles. You hand will look almost like a drill press going up and down and spinning. Do it once or twice, but I wouldn't continually do it or you will introduce too much "fluff" for lack of a better word.

Did that too! I feel like an idiot not being able to get a good lather.

It's puffy in the bowl but applies translucent to my face.

Originally Posted by IamSt8ght

It should not be that difficult to make lather. Try skipping the bowl and lather on your face, and see how it goes.

Yeah true but I'd really like to bowl lather.

Originally Posted by hedonist222

I think pumping too often would result in bubbles which is air which in turn will give me a puffy but empty,so to speak, lather because it won't be creamy and full (volume) it'll get built up based on excess air from pumping.

Well, lather is a mixture of soap, water, and air--so simple but so important. By your own admission, what you're doing currently isn't working, so try something different. I'd say if you confident that you're loading the brush adequately, then it seems to me it's either got to be the amount of water or the amount of air that's lacking. I doubt the brush itself has anything to do with the problems you're experiencing. I shaved for several years with a synthetic brush and it did fine. Then about 10 years ago I switched to the best badger brush by Edwin Jagger that Crabtree & Evelyn had--no problems.

Some soaps require a lot of water, some don't. I don't know anything about Truefitt and Hill. But maybe trying less or more water to start with? It's a place to start, anyhow, and you'll learn something useful. Good luck!

the ticket: start with little water, max it out, and add a little bit until it gives you the consistency you're looking for. Also, if your lathering container is too small (like a coffee mug) it won't produce good lather either. Really, the scuttles that keep the lather hot are the best route.

Lots of great suggestions above. Can you handle one more?

Go out and buy some cheap Williams soap at WallyWorld and practice making lather. By practicing when you are not planning to shave, you will at least eliminate the frustration of not being able to get a good lather with which to shave.

Practice, practice, practice . . . using all of the different suggestions, your different brushes, and techniques. Once you are able to make good lather with cheap soap, you should be able to eliminate the mistakes, discover what works, and get to a good shave with your quality soaps and creams.

Thanks guys.

Ill try to take a video too. It'll help.

Many thanks.

I had difficulties with T & H cream, but a couple of drops of glycerin really helped. Glycerin seems to give it a bit more body and makes it last longer before collapsing. Don't add too much or it'll go sticky and the glide is lost. YMMV etc.

There's a misunderstaning above:

. . . If your problem is "hard water", the cure is _distilled_ water, _not_ "spring water" or (even worse) "mineral water".

It's the dissolved minerals in the tap water that may be giving you trouble. "Distilled water" has all those minerals removed, completely. It's available in the "household goods" sections of most supermarkets. It's used for steam irons, auto batteries, and other places where dissolved minerals are bad news.

I recently got some Truefitt and Hill soap (hard soap, not cream), and it gave me the best lather I've ever had. My technique is simple:

. . . Get the brush soaking wet;

. . . Squeeze out most of the water;

. . . Swirl the brush on the soap for 10 - 20 seconds (it may be helpful to put a bit of water on top of the soap, a few minutes before you start loading the brush);

. . . Pump-and-swirl, either on your face or in a bowl, until you get what you want. If the mix is too dry, add drops of water until it isn't.

Maybe you're being too gentle? The soap has to be _whipped_ into lather, not _coaxed_ into lather.

. Charles

Hi Hedonist,

Your description sounds like too much water. Don't have water in your bowl, you don't have to towel dry it, but don't have a puddle in it. Use your brush, just damp. Shake out the water after a little soak until most of the loose water is out and the brush isn't loaded with loose water. Start that way in your bowl. When that starts to build, add water a few drops at a time with your fingers until it has built to an amount and consistency you like. Takes some practice and experimenting, but it'll happen. I suggest doing this with your cream and it doesn't take a huge amount. Get it down and then experiment with the soap. Also, here's a couple of videos by Lynn Abrams that I think will help also. Good Luck!!

Lynn's SRD Videos

Regards,
Howard