Thread: Am I going crazy here...

Alright here goes...
I recently got a couple pucks of Classic Brand shave soap and have gotten some...interesting...results. Nothing bad to say about soap at all, been getting good shaves with no irritation out of the shower, using hot towels, cold wash, hot wash...it's all good to varying degrees. What I have noticed is a HUGE difference in the consistency of the lather when I build it on my face as opposed to a bowl.
I've made lather both ways with different soaps with excellent results so I don't know that it's technique.
Seems whenever I make lather in a bowl from CB soap I get a rich creamy lather and ton of it to boot. But when i try going directly to my face with it I get a thinner lather and significantly less of it (enough for about a pass and a half).
What gives? Is there some special CB soap face lathering technique I'm missing? Has anyone else experienced this with this or any other soap? AM I GOING INSANE

Ive noticed with my soap that it lathers better in the bowl than on my face(or head). Maybe youve got more whipping action in the bowl than if you face lather.

I think your lathering on the face produces a dryer lather than in the bowl. Try to wet your brush more often when face-lathering.

Or keep it like this and be happy with the results .

That's really interesting...it seems kind of counter-intuitive. You learn something new everyday, especially when you know nothing to begin with.

Thanks,
Ben

I use the following trick to check if the lather isn't too dry:
When rinsing the razor, it should be cleaned by the running water. If lather or gunk remains, the lather was too dry.

I've also noticed that, when making lather in a bowl, the lather looks good but appears to be too dry. I need a lot more water than I expect(every time) to get it nice and creamy. I notice this with soaps mostly, creams seam to be more forgiving with less water.

But it is all personal preference.

There are a few effects that I have noticed between bowls, face and palm lathering. With the palm you can vary the size, depth and you have a lot of control with the pressure. A while back I noticed that I would use much more pressure and pumping action when I bowl lathered, even if I held the bowl. With face lathering I rarely pressed very much on the brush just utilizing the soap on the tip section of the brush. I don't know if any of this is prevalent in your case, but it might be another aspect to look at.

Originally Posted by BrickBag

I use the following trick to check if the lather isn't too dry:
When rinsing the razor, it should be cleaned by the running water. If lather or gunk remains, the lather was too dry.

I'm super paranoid about the whole sink/razor/water combo so i tend to wipe on a barber towel instead of rinsing should the same apply if I just get a little lather on my wrist and rinse it for a test???

To be honest, I cannot tell. You'll probably have to try it out. You will also know the lather is too dry when your razor starts to pull halfway down your pass and you have to relather.

And with regard to your paranoia: I was it too, as I am really clumsy(my nickname is "the breaker", I can break anything by just holding it) but my attention during shaving is such, that I've bumped the razor on anything.

I tried rinsing the blade while shaving last night (it was rough getting over the fear of damaging the blade). It turns out you were absolutely correct. I was not getting enough water in my lather...not by a long shot. So I found the amount of lather that would be required to create a nice creamy lather that is moist enough...Unfortunately I can't imagine making such a lather on my face without making a complete mess of the bathroom floor. I guess bowl it is. I also found that a bowl with a grooved surface makes a far superior lather to one with a smooth surface, which makes sense I suppose!

Thanks Again!

No...I don't think you're going crazy . Soap will vary widely in their latherability in a bowl or on the face. Then again, with some soaps, it won't matter. I, personally, enjoy bowl lathering...more control for me.