Thread: Face and lather dryout

I'm a straight razor noob

I live in a very dry climate and I'm having trouble keeping my face and lather wet while shaving. I go slow using the SR, and need to keep adding lather to keep things wet. Eventually I need to add water and just start over with the hot towel.
The cold season is approaching and it gets worse because the hot air from the furnace has no humidity in it.
Are there any pre-shave oils or balms that will prevent this dryout? Just adding more water to my face doesn't seem to cause the lather to relubricate. Going faster is out.

Do you lather in a bowl or on the face?
You might try to experiment a little with how much water you are adding to the soap/cream to achieve optimal moisture.

What kind of soap/cream are you using?

I used to have the same situation when I started. By the time I was done with one side the lather was dry on the other and I had to rinse and relather. As I got more experience and picked up speed the problem went away.

Lathering in a bowl was also a help. I had been a face latherer and I found that lathering in a bowl and adding drops of water as needed generated a lot more lather and the consistency was a lot better for straight razor shaving.

Maybe, spend $3.50 at Walmart for their Shave Secret shave oil and experiment. Maybe, apply the oil first, and then the lather on top of the oil. I have shaved before with just the shave oil, and that worked also.

If you try with just the shave oil, the shave oil dries out also with time. But, oddly, dashing water on the oil returns your face to its original oiliness. Try oiling your face, and when it dries, dip your brush in hot water and run the brush over the spot you are about to shave.

Experiment. Shave oil might help. Or, not...

You can shave after a shower and keep the shower generated humidity in the room if possible.

Another option would be to put a couple of drops of glycerin into your lather as you are making it, which should help to keep it fully formed for a bit longer.

In fairness, my lather dries out while I`m shaving as well. So what I do is run a dash of hot water onto the brush and then churn things up in the mug again. This gives me plenty of lather to finish up..!

Obelisk,

How long does it take you to complete a shave? It seems one of two things is happening: 1. you're lather is fine but your just taking too much time or 2. you haven't quite found the appropriate water/soap mix.

If case 1 is what's going on, try lathering only the spot you're shaving. If case 2, try a wetter initial mix and whip it past your usual stopping point.

As always, YMMV and more details help us get a better picture of how to help you.

Cheers and Good Luck!

Thanks for ideas and the push to experiment.
First, I started with my lathering to see if that made a difference. I used the ColConksAlmond and made a lather in my bowl, hand, and on my face. The face just didn't work - my noobie skills, not the soap. The bowl was what I was using before, and it just doesn't seem to stay wet on my face - a very light beard but grows in many directions. The lathering in my hand was the eye opener. I can feel in my hand what will be on my face and this also imitates my shaving in the shower for 20+ years (cartridge razor). When I shaved in the shower I didn't even use a mirror. I applied soap all over my beard and then proceeded to shave where my left hand made sure everything was wet and lubed before the blade touched it. So, when I tried this at the sink, I used my lathered up left hand to apply the lather AND check to make sure everything was wet before I use the SR; everything is great. I'm still just shaving one side of my face, so I don't need my left hand to shave yet. Next I tried several different different soaps and found out that the Proraso makes a much better wetting lather. Next I will try different gels, oils, and creams to see if they help as well. I think most of this frustration will go away though just by using my left hand to make sure everything is wet and lubed.