The hardness or softness of the water is a biggie.
When I was a kid living in Southern California the water was hard and my folks maintained a water softener. They would buy big bags of salt and fill this tank monthly. I liked the water hard because when I rinsed the soap off in the shower the slickness was definitely gone. I didn't like it soft because I never had that complete assurance that it had completely rinsed off.
Now I live in South Louisiana where the water is naturally soft. The slickness I didn't like while showering in hard water is what I need to protect my face during shaving.
If I still have trouble lathering orhave to work too hard to achieve a good lather I can do one of the following:
- Add a few drops of glycerin to the shave soap before lathering.
- Grate the soap with a cheese grater, put in a sauce pan, add water, and boil. I squirt some glycerin in the mix. Stir. When it cools off to the extent you can touch the soap, pour it into a mug or shaving bowl. Your soap will work like a premium shave soap. (Hint: if you have a pure essential oil, you can add a few drops and change the scent. If you want to duplicate the Williams Mug Soap smell, add some citronella essential oil.)