Thread: Your Techniques (creme)

Originally Posted by Ryan82

However, this approach doesn't seem to work as well with the thicker creams like Castle Forbes and Caraceni, creams which are known water hogs that allow you to break the so-called rules. In this case it is beneficial to add some water to your dollop of cream beforehand, perhaps a teaspoon or so just to soften the cream while you have a shower or prep. I find if you don't your brush will be chasing that dab of cream around your lather bowl, resulting in a diluted lather that will not allow you to get the best performance out of your cream. Then just gradually add small portions of water as usual to attain your own perfect lather.

I agree with you on this one, chasing the cream around the bowl sounds familiar.
What I do to remedy this, is to treat them more as soaps.
I load my brush right in the container, just a couple of swirls, and then start swirling in my scuttle and add water bit by bit, just as you would do with a regular soap.
That releases the true potential of these to fantastic products. As always, YMMW

Ryan,
You are absolutely right , again ...Thicker cremes will require some moisture before whipping into a delicious lather.

Originally Posted by Ryan82

I understand what you're trying to say, but I don't necessarily agree....

Yes, conventional SRP shaving wisdom tells us if you over-soak a cream right from the start (or a soap for that matter) you will end up with a thin, watery lather. The only remedy here is to load the brush again until the ratio is correct. In general, creams are fairly soft and require very little water to begin lathering, usually no more water than what's in your brush initially so you can gradually add more to get that perfect lather.

However, this approach doesn't seem to work as well with the thicker creams like Castle Forbes and Caraceni, creams which are known water hogs that allow you to break the so-called rules. In this case it is beneficial to add some water to your dollop of cream beforehand, perhaps a teaspoon or so just to soften the cream while you have a shower or prep. I find if you don't your brush will be chasing that dab of cream around your lather bowl, resulting in a diluted lather that will not allow you to get the best performance out of your cream. Then just gradually add small portions of water as usual to attain your own perfect lather.

I'm a Polar Bear Shaver so no hot for me in the lathering process.

If I use my Palmolive Tube Cream I put a small almond size dollop in the bowl, half fill with water and soak my brush while showering.

After the shower I empty out the water leaving the bowl and cream moist, shake the excess off the brush and then build my lather in the bowl.

with your experimentation.