Thread: Vdh shave soap

So I'm far from veteran but do have about 25 shaves under my belt. My question is this:

Why the actual F does the vdh deluxe soap dry and become sticky so fast?

I have tried everything. Different water temps. Different quantities of water. Different swirling techniques in my mug. I get about 1/4 of my first pass and its like I'm dragging my razor through roofing tar.

I'm open to any suggestions.

I'm just going out on a limb here, but I'd say it probably needs more water or you are moving slower than the lather is.

THIS IS NOT TO SAY YOU NEED TO GO FASTER! Take your time and go at your own pace.

If you're moving slow, though, and your lather starts drying a bit, run the tips of your brush under water for a second and face lather over the drying lather to rehydrate it. Another tip is to add a few drops of glycerine to it, which will help keep it wet.

VDH soap can actually work quite well. It's what I started with (and still use rather frequently), and I've tried all the variants with good results.

Keep at it... you'll get it!

Thanks for the tip. Could be my speed but I'm leaning more toward amount of water. I'll keep trying.

Just an update. I applied a tad more water and pushed a little harder and voila rich lather that didn't dry out...

Now play with the lather and find the breaking point (many soaps lather will break when you add more water, yes like a hollandaise sauce,
but if you spend another minute mixing you will have something worth while)

And now for the fun stuff, find the balance between cushion and slick that you like, I actually adjust it between passes, thicker to start slicker to finish.

Originally Posted by pfries

Now play with the lather and find the breaking point (many soaps lather will break when you add more water, yes like a hollandaise sauce,
but if you spend another minute mixing you will have something worth while)

And now for the fun stuff, find the balance between cushion and slick that you like, I actually adjust it between passes, thicker to start slicker to finish.

Seems legit. I'll give her a try tomorrow. Thanks for the tip

I'm consistently getting a good lather now and can control the slick/cushion ratio. You guys are geniuses