Printable View
Okay now that I know what tier one Castle Forbes is like! What do I do with all of the Artisan soap I have (I have a lot), I love the scents of them and they lather up well.....but they dry out fast and have a lack of slickness? I read somewhere to add something like Cremo (I think)? or glycerin or something else I am all ears???
I face lather most of the time, I do have a scuttle.
All of my substandard shave soaps have been great shower soaps.
Many lathers tend to dry out, especially if you live in an area of low humidity. You may not have that problem in the SF Bay area, but some of us do, especially in winter.
Glycerin is a humectant, which means that it lessens the loss of moisture by absorbing moisture from the air. Thus, adding glycerin to your lather might help prevent it drying out. However, if the humidity is low, even glycerin will have difficulty remaining hydrated.
The most obvious solution for dry lather is to add more water. Your lather might be too dry to start with. Even if your initial lather has enough water initially, you may still need to add water before lathering for subsequent passes.
If adding more water does not solve the issue, use the product to wash your hands or body.
Thank you for this. So usually I have as of late started with a thick sheening lather then add a good amount of water to the lather right before I begin to shave (the lather is a bit soupy at that point) as soon as I have done this the lather is already beginning to dry. After that with each patch that I shave I have to add water right before hand this is a PTA! I will try adding glycerin and see how it goes.Quote:
Originally Posted by RayClem
Wow thats fast drying! Cant help ya besides to say that if you dont care for all the extras that dont work well for ya, you could always find a gathering/meeting in your area of wet sha ers and donate. Or make it shower soap as i plan on doing with most of mine. Not all, but most.
When I bought them I was safety razor shaving then got bit by the straight razor bug. With a safety there is always extra water present so I never noticed these issues. I have heard of a term "residual slickness" none of my soaps have it except B&M and Castle Forbes Lime. Does Martin De Candre have this residual slickness for you? (I read a post that you received some recently)Quote:
Originally Posted by Gasman
I do have CF in my rotation but I also have lots of others that are not considered top tier on this forum. If I do not get the soap to water ratio right any soap will dry out quickly for me. Every soap is just a little bit different in how they like to be lathered. I really don't like thin soupy lather or thick dry lather to shave with. It is hard to hit the middle sweet spot every time though.
Bob
if I have to add something to my soap to make it acceptable, then its in the shower or the trash can. ill buy what works without crutches. and yes the MDC will treat you every bit as good. TC
Like Bob and TC say.
The slickness happens when the water amount is right. Now some soap you just cant get it. MDC has it but if you add too much water then its no longer slick afterwards. As Bob said, its a mater of gett8ng the soap to water amount just right. I find it easy with MDC as i like to have a lather and not thin runny stuff but if it is too dry, i notice this with the first stroke of the blade as the lather dont rince off the blade clean and easy, then i add a touch more water.
Practice lathering your soaps as all soaps are different. But if its too much or you just give up on a soap then use it in the shower. No waist in my mind that way.
When you go and look at the cost of mdc with shipping you will find its a bit spendy. But its a hard soap, you dont need to use as much to get a lather and i bet the two jars i bought would last me a year even if its the only soap i use.
Okay, I will try not adding too much water, perhaps I am adding too much water breaking down the slickness. I will be shaving tonight with three test blades...
You hit that one right. Breaking down the sl8ckness too much is what happens. There is a happy medium to reach. Good luck and remember it takes time. Its not like we can shave 5 times a day. Lol.
When making your lather try putting a little bit on your finger and swirling it in some warm water, if it dissipates quickly your spot on, if it stays on you need to add more water to your lather or if it just slides off you've added too much water.
That is quite possibly the best tip I have read for knowing when lather is dialed in! I will have to try this.Quote:
Originally Posted by markbignosekelly
Yes. This sounds enteresting. I too will have to give it a try.
I tried the warm water dissipation test and the shave did work out better, however ever the Maggard razors London barbershop which smells amazing! I will keep practicing with this test, I won’t put all my eggs in one basket on the first try! Thank Markbignoeskelly!
After more practice I will try adding some glycerin to see that would help...
Are you loading enough soap onto your brush? If you aren't and you are adding too much water, then this would be the issue why the soap is breaking down.
Once you have enough soap loading onto your brush, you should be able to add enough water to have a well-hydrated lather.
Out of curiosity, which artisan soaps do you have?
Yeah I am loading the bologna out the soap... The brands I am using with water retaining issues are Maggard razors London Barbershop (love the scent), blackship grooming or beaver woodwright, sometimes Phoenix artisan accouterments.Quote:
Originally Posted by celestino
My lather is such that I can pinch the soap and pull apart over an inch before it breaks apart, high peaks too.
I haven't used any of the soaps you have listed. If they are veggie-based, then the coconut oil and insufficient adding of water might be contributing to the drying of the soap.
Best of luck.
Update... So for what I thought would be humor (because I thought I have been shaving with a straight for over 3 years and I know what I am doing lathering a soap or creme right???) I watched a tips and tricks video made by Ruds Shaves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnoD9jL0Tbs
After watching his suggestions as many here is SRP have made in this post I realized I don't do what he and others are doing. So tried his suggestions step by step with a soap and a creme at different SOTDs and as if it were magic everything worked wonderfully!!! My lather had plenty of moisture and lasted way longer than I have ever had a lather last. The slickness had also greatly increased making for an excellent first shave of the year with one of my Koraat razors.
I linked the video because perhaps I am not the only one who thought they knew what they were doing in the soaps and creme lathering dept only to find out I was way off. Nothing wrong with going back to the basics and trying something new it may improve the end result and I couldn't be happier in being wrong about something lol!
I learn something new or a better way of doing something I thought I had mastered on this site every week.
You are never too old or too knowledgeable to learn.
Get yourself a younger brother, like I have.
Then unload all the crap you don't want on him, he will be grateful :)