Thread: Hard water? Slickness killer?

I've got hard water, so have gravitated to soaps that work well in hard water. I'd buy a soap that everybody loves (MWF) and it just wouldn't work for me. I spent 3 years DE shaving and finding my hard water soaps.

When I moved to SRs, I posted this questions about soaps for DEs vs SRs. LINK The consensus was that it didn't matter.

However, I am more in agreement of those on this thread that say it does or might. One aspect mentioned above that parallels my experience, is lather duration. It takes me 30+ min to shave as a new guy. Many of my soaps won't make it or will dry out too fast. Sure I can add water, but I'd rather not have to constantly.

I have shaved two times since I posted this. Using another type of preshave oil and also the other time using wipped shea butter. Both again allowed me to have a stupendous shave, and again with razors that were deemed dull and not shave ready.

I never knew how much the actual skin needs to hold moisture even with lather on it. During and after shaving for a while the lather still does stay wet and slick but at skin level the moisture is gone, I have no idea how this can be (maybe the heat of my skin is vaporizing the moisture out of my pores drying the moisture barrier in between the lather and the skin?) but I have proven with the barrier of oil or butter that the skin now retains the slickness and cushion for the razor.

I tried pre shave jelly and cream but they didn't have the staying power as the oil and butter did. Just thought I would through that in there.

I also wanted to point out if someone is have a rough shave it may not be the razor is could be the shave prep as I have found out. Hope this may help someone who may stumble upon this thread.

Thank you to all who posted, and I am thankful I don't have water as hard as Arizona lol...

Originally Posted by MrHouston

I've got hard water, so have gravitated to soaps that work well in hard water. I'd buy a soap that everybody loves (MWF) and it just wouldn't work for me. I spent 3 years DE shaving and finding my hard water soaps.

When I moved to SRs, I posted this questions about soaps for DEs vs SRs. LINK The consensus was that it didn't matter.

However, I am more in agreement of those on this thread that say it does or might. One aspect mentioned above that parallels my experience, is lather duration. It takes me 30+ min to shave as a new guy. Many of my soaps won't make it or will dry out too fast. Sure I can add water, but I'd rather not have to constantly.

Any soap that doesn't last is a defective product. Whether you DE or Straight Shave all the same qualities you need for one you need for the other. I don't buy the notion DE shaving takes less time so it doesn't matter if the soap barely lasts for the shave while a straight soap needs to last longer.

Honestly I know of no soap that truly lasts 30 minutes. Maybe shaving in a steamy bath but where I am with single digit humidity even the best soaps are taxed to not start to dry on the face after around 10-15 minutes.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I don't buy the notion DE shaving takes less time so it doesn't matter if the soap barely lasts for the shave while a straight soap needs to last longer.

This is good to hear. I think our differences come from expert vs. novice, honorable senior moderator with 12 years on this site.

I've mastered the DE, but have not hit my 100 shaves yet. I look forward to the time when I can choose DE or SR without having to choose DE because of lack of time. In the mean time, I need lather that is stable and slick for 8-10 minutes, for each of 3 passes.

Originally Posted by MrHouston

This is good to hear. I think our differences come from expert vs. novice, honorable senior moderator with 12 years on this site.

I've mastered the DE, but have not hit my 100 shaves yet. I look forward to the time when I can choose DE or SR without having to choose DE because of lack of time. In the mean time, I need lather that is stable and slick for 8-10 minutes, for each of 3 passes.

A very large contingent here (myself included) use a DE when we are in a hurry or are not in a concentrating mood. Very few can shave with a straight in the same time you can shave with most DEs and come out unscathed.

Originally Posted by MrHouston

Snip.....In the mean time, I need lather that is stable and slick for 8-10 minutes, for each of 3 passes.

Why not try only lathering 1/2 of you face, or each cheek and then you neck separately and then shave that area. Then you will always have good lather

Originally Posted by Dieseld

Why not try only lathering 1/2 of you face, or each cheek and then you neck separately and then shave that area. Then you will always have good lather

I like to think when you lather up the lather helps condition your whiskers so you start with the easier areas and progress to the harder ones giving the lather more time to work.

if you do it in quadrants then the rest of your skin dries and you lose the conditioning action and your basically starting from scratch with each area.

Word, I lather up my entire face at once, granted I don't take that long to shave

I let the lather sit / work the longest on the "hardest" parts, being my mustache area, I shave both sides of my face first and the goatee area last; I notice a difference if I shave it last or not, the lather does a great job softening things up, it's not necessary but it helps and I think it'll be a little easier on the edge as well.

I usually lather up entirely, shave one side, and then when going to the other side, put some water on my brush still filled with later and give the other side a watery lathery stroke over the existing lather, and do the same for the goatee area, works well for me.

Hard water is still a PITA though (: