Thread: The Perfect Lather

I wasn't sure where to post this so hopefully this fits in alright. I think I've just perfected my lather routine which I wanted to share with others here, in the hope that others will benefit and that it may even be improved.

The recipe stems from an old post on the B&B forum.

1. Fill sink with very hot water (my hot tap does the job fine) and a few drops of EO (if you want a little luxury).
2. Submerge shaving brush and a clean (soapless) mug in the hot water. Leave these for at least 5 minutes.
3. I found a shaving soap gives better results than cream. I should also mention that results are better with soft water: swirl 1tsp of hot water over the surface of the shaving soap, and then allow to drain off and leave for at least 1 min.
4. Drain out the sink and replenish the hot water, empty the mug and sit it in the hot water.
5. Ensure there is no standing water on the surface of the soap.
6. Shake out all the water from the brush. It should be almost completely dry.
7. Load the shaving brush DRY. You should just see a slight patina of soap coating the bristles but certainly no lather.
8. Add 4 tsp of skin food to your shaving mug and start building lather. If you haven't got any skin food, you can use glycerine. Continue to build the lather with water until the consistency is right.
9. That's it - enjoy the finest lather you've ever experienced. If you keep the mug submerged in the hot water for a second pass, it might be worth adding a little more water as the foam will dry quite fast with all that heat around.

4 tsp of skin food seems like a lot to me.

It is! And you'd be surprised at how little soap is used too! YMMV but it seems to work for me, leaving me with a very light, slick lather.

I'll give it a try. Thanks.

Don't have any skin food to try, but when I experimented with adding more than a few drops of glycerin it gave me some crazy irritation.

I wouldn't use that much pure glycerine. Just a few drops.

This method seems really interesting and certainly novel to me, I admire your creativity.

I would advice not to use 4 tsp of glycerin to build your lather as your skin may dry out, moderation is key here. A few drops should be more than enough.

What is wrong with using a good soap/cream along with good lathering skill to build your lather? or if you like it, some uberlather? One thing you did not mention is what soap you use for your routine. A good soap/cream or uberlather would certainly not dry out on you during a shave. Perhaps you may want to check scuttles to keep the lather warm more efficiently. I like the way you load your brush, which I never soak for so long, but I would add the water you used to soften the soap to your bowl. You asked for improvements, right?


Al raz.

Originally Posted by rupert87

I wasn't sure where to post this so hopefully this fits in alright. I think I've just perfected my lather routine which I wanted to share with others here, in the hope that others will benefit and that it may even be improved.

The recipe stems from an old post on the B&B forum.

1. Fill sink with very hot water (my hot tap does the job fine) and a few drops of EO (if you want a little luxury).
2. Submerge shaving brush and a clean (soapless) mug in the hot water. Leave these for at least 5 minutes.
3. I found a shaving soap gives better results than cream. I should also mention that results are better with soft water: swirl 1tsp of hot water over the surface of the shaving soap, and then allow to drain off and leave for at least 1 min.
4. Drain out the sink and replenish the hot water, empty the mug and sit it in the hot water.
5. Ensure there is no standing water on the surface of the soap.
6. Shake out all the water from the brush. It should be almost completely dry.
7. Load the shaving brush DRY. You should just see a slight patina of soap coating the bristles but certainly no lather.
8. Add 4 tsp of skin food to your shaving mug and start building lather. If you haven't got any skin food, you can use glycerine. Continue to build the lather with water until the consistency is right.
9. That's it - enjoy the finest lather you've ever experienced. If you keep the mug submerged in the hot water for a second pass, it might be worth adding a little more water as the foam will dry quite fast with all that heat around.

My soap is TOBS lavender.

A question, what is Uberlather?

Originally Posted by rupert87

My soap is TOBS lavender.

A question, what is Uberlather?

Uberlather is a combination of both soap and cream, plus a few drops of glycerin.

This results in a really rich, thick lather that looks like whipped cream. Its also fun to make...!

Heres the Wiki link:

Making Überlather - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Uberlather is the combination of soap, cream and a few drops of glycerin to produce an enhanced lather. This combination is aimed at obtaining the better cushion of creams with the better glide of soaps. It is generally used to improve the quality of products (cream/soap) that have low to mid performance but it could be used with high performance products as well. This is a link from the wiki on how to make it:

Making Überlather - Straight Razor Place Wiki

With good lathering skills, the soap you are currently using should give you great performance alone.

Al raz.

Originally Posted by rupert87

My soap is TOBS lavender.

A question, what is Uberlather?