Thread: How rich should a lather be?

I'm giving my skin a bit of a rest for a few days as the neck area had become a bit irritated from learning to use a straight razor, so instead iv decided to practice building a lather as i'v recently bought a badger hair brush and some tabac shave soap (i used to use a basic omega boar hair brush and fauldings shave cream out of the tube). I figured the lather would help remove any dirt from the skin and help it heal as well.

I first had a hot shower as if i was going to actually have a shave, then filled the basin with medium hot water and soaked the brush until it was thoroughly wet. I'm never too sure about how much water to keep in the brush to load up on soap but i usually lift the brush out of the water and let it drain then give a little shake. Then i give the brush about 8 swirls in the ceramic bowl of tabac and start lathering up on my face with a circular motion. I do this for a few minutes until i have created quite a large amount of lather which seems to be quite firm and cushioning with more than enough for at least three passes. Then i paint the foam around my face so it is even over all areas. Then i would normally commence the shave.

The reason i ask the question of how rich a lather needs to be is because i have been watching videos on youtube about how to use a straight razor and the lather that they apply seems to be much thinner than the one i am creating and it appears so be "thicker" possibly more like a cream and i am wondering if my lather should look more like this?

I think it's personal preference.

A lot of guys here refer to their "perfect" lather as having the consistency of cool whip or whipped cream

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Dd7Aj9vwrtc

This video on YouTube by mantic59 should help you out a lot.

Originally Posted by Nuntits

A lot of guys here refer to their "perfect" lather as having the consistency of cool whip or whipped cream

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Dd7Aj9vwrtc

This video on YouTube by mantic59 should help you out a lot.

I'm in that group as well, I prefer it to have peaks when I pull it out of my shaving mug. I've tied it a little more runny like some people do and didn't like my bathroom looking like I lathered with C4.

Since you are having irritation, if you are face lathering it may be because you are agitating the skin by working in your lather too much trying to build it on your face. I have gotten a rather severe reaction on my face when I worked my shave soap( it was Williams) into my face too much, it left me with what looked like a chemical burn

I've found out that less water always makes for thicker lather. The only brand that never seemed to get thick enough for me was col conks. Mama bears does really well as so does speick.

Originally Posted by Neolithium

I'm in that group as well, I prefer it to have peaks when I pull it out of my shaving mug. I've tied it a little more runny like some people do and didn't like my bathroom looking like I lathered with C4.

Yeah I'm with you, once my lather starts to stick really good and begins to shine, that's the way I like it.

I agree that its a personal thing. Lather consistency is really hard to describe or quatify, but I prefer a thicker lather, just shy of the whipped cream consistency mentioned above.

Its possible to have both a thick lather and one that still has enough water in it to keep your face wet, but for me the more important thing is the cushioning and lubrication the soap provides. At the two extremes, water is too watery and whipped cream lather is too thick.

I would suggest trying different mixtures and seeing how your skin reacts. Start off with one side of your face with a thin lather and do the other side with a thicker lather. That way you've eliminated the razor variable and will see what feels better.

This is one of the fun parts of wet shaving, you can experiment with stuff like that.

Thanks for the replies and advice!

Nuntits that's a good suggestion but i'm quite sure the irritation is due to my lack of experience with a straight razor and the awkward way in which the hair on my neck grows. When i use a DE i have always lathered up on my face in the same way i described and it has worked fine with no irritation.

The Lather i'v got is similar to what you are describing as it holds its shape and is not runny so it seems to be okay i just thought it might not be as viscous as it should be, but the replies are reassuring me that it is okay!

My face feels great and only a few hours after this lather test, the irritation on my neck is looking better, its soothing! There are certainly a lot of blokes out there missing out on knowing what it feels like to have a proper face preparation and shave, i cant imagine using a cartridge razor and canned foam ever again. I'm having a hard time convincing my dad to switch to start using a proper soap or foam and throw away his Bic disposables.

How does the lather feel on your face toward the end of a pass? Is it drying out? When I was first learning to shave with a straight razor, I was not using enough water. Rather than face lather, try this: load your brush after it's had a good soak & a shake like you're doing now. Then take a second bowl (warmed in the sink while soaking your brush) and start building your lather in the bowl. Periodically, dribble some more hot water from the tap into your brush and continue building lather in the bowl. Experiment to see how much additional water gives you a good feel on your face while shaving. I was surprised at how much additional water it takes to give me the lather I want.

What is important is the result you receive -- not what you see others doing on Youtube. Their beard and skin is not your beard and skin.

One of the members posted this video