Thread: Porrasso.... what am I doing wrong?

I've tried Proraso several times now... used it for a couple years with a multi-blade disposable by lathering it on my face with my fingers.... it worked well in that job.

Fast forward to straight razor use...
I find it dries way to fast and becomes "tacky" on the face.... obviously that's bad. Led to the most bloody shave I've ever experienced.

I've tried it four times total... same result every time.

I tried lathering with my fingers on my face.
I tried lathering with very wet hands/fingers on my face.
I tried lathering with a wet brush on my face.
I tried lathering with a brush in a mug...

Any of the above build a good lather... but even when I put just one cheeks worth of lather on the face... it's dried to a tacky consistancy before I can do the four strokes necessary to clear the cheek. (And no... I'm not that slow... a full shave with SRD soaps take less than 15 min for two passes) Also, the blade I'm using is sharp... it shaves fine with standard soap.

The only way I've found I can shave with it is to lather about a blade-width at a time.... so put it on and shave it off within seconds. Not acceptable to me for a cream to dry this quickly.... Help!

What am I missing or doing wrong with Proraso?

I would suggest using twice as much cream as you are currently using and probably a little less water. I get best results from Proraso when I am generous with the serving size - maybe two or three raw almonds worth.

It's a fun shaving cream but it's not the best, but you shouldn't be having it dry up on you.

I use the Bigelow cream every now and then. Today I used it. Just a little bit of that stuff in my lather bowl and I could have probably shaved my entire body.

Originally Posted by AnarchoPhil

I use the Bigelow cream every now and then. Today I used it. Just a little bit of that stuff in my lather bowl and I could have probably shaved my entire body.

same here, that stuff is extra extra fluffy

sounds like you need a drop or two more water

i too use the bigelow.. i had resorted to using super small amounts.. i'm a single pass guy.. but i use a small pea size.. the stuff is very fluffy..

I have great luck with Proraso.
I place a small dab of Nivia shaving cream (about the amount of toothpaste you would place on a brush) into a warm bowl. I then put hot water into my tub of proraso for about 20 seconds then dump it out. Next I swirl my pre soaked and squeeze dried brush into the proraso and swirl it around until i get the desired amount onto the brush and mix it with the cream in a warm bowl. It turns out great after you get the water ratio perfected.

I have read thru all of the recommendations here and all are pretty good...but lets talk about your shave prep. Are you shaving right after the shower/bath or using a nice hot towel on the face to hydrate your face & soften the beard? If not, your face is "drinking" the moisture right out of the shave soap. I ask because Proraso is a great middle of the road shave soap & until you master building a lather with JUST it (don't add anything until you get this down), you need to keep on working until you do. Second, is your water/lather hot or warm? I use a candle warmer under my lather bowl and have to turn it off when I get ready for my second pass or it will get too hot and evaporate the moisture out of the lather. It's not uncommon for me to have to add 6-8 drops of warm water to my lather when I get ready for a second pass anyway. If you have a air-conditioning vent or fan nearby, it could be adding to the evaporation process as well. You should be able to make a full shave off Proraso without having to re-lather.

Recap:
Shave prep, warm lather (not hot), plenty water, air circulation.

Shave on...
Scott

+1 to shooter74743 and his shave prep. He got to it before I did. If your facial hair is dry you're going to get dry lather.

Although, if you have a dry face you're liable to not have a slick shave...so maybe this isn't the case.

Anyways, next time you go to lather add more water than you think it needs. Keep adding it slowly until it either crests or goes to the "breaking point" (turns from perfect whipped cream to imperfect egg whites). From that point you'll know how much water the cream can take and you can add the perfect amount of water.

As an update...

Thanks for all the advice. I believe my prep is fine... I shave directly after a nice hot shower. (I take HOT showers... usually end up nice and pink from the heat.)
I made a lather that FINALLY lasted the entire shave with Proraso... it only took about twice the water necessary as to build the same lather from a cake soap. Not at all what I had expected from a cream product... I would have assumed cream products would require a bit less water for the same lather.

I did get a good clean shave, an entire pass was just about done before I had to relather the soulpatch area as it had started to dry there... so greatly improved.

I can see why Proraso is liked, but I'm not 100% that it's right for me... I'll give it a few more shaves before I decide.