Thread: How quickly should cream dry?

So if I make a lather and apply it to my face, how long should it take until it dries and I need to put more on? Mine seems to dry out in about a minute, and I need to grab more from the bowl. Is that normal?

No, definitely not. I'm not sure how long mine lasts because I shave fast, so I can't give you a maximum, but I apply lather, then strop and shave and I have no need to re-apply lather after stropping. It varies according to the specific product, how you made it (amount of water and air in it), hardness of your water, and probably a few other factors, but a decent lather should last significantly longer than that.

I also imagine it matters quite a bit on where you live. New Mexico is dry like it's going out of style right now (12% humidity at the moment). A hot shower before hand should take care of the humidity problem for the space of a shave though. My lather lasts longer than a minute, but frequently enough, I don't manage to get a full pass done.

what type of soap are you using? my lather typically lasts at least a good 10 - 15 minutes, about how long it takes me to shave. i use omega soap and proraso cream. i've been wet shaving for a few months and what i've learned about lathering is that you have to use more water than you think and work the lather for an extra minute or two. it'll be worth it in the end.

Originally Posted by hcintineo

what type of soap are you using? my lather typically lasts at least a good 10 - 15 minutes, about how long it takes me to shave. i use omega soap and proraso cream. i've been wet shaving for a few months and what i've learned about lathering is that you have to use more water than you think and work the lather for an extra minute or two. it'll be worth it in the end.

I'm using C.O. Bigelow and sometimes Col. Conk soap.

I guess I need some more water. I kind of just leave a small puddle at the bottom of my bowl and swirl until I have a lather (it lathers up pretty quickly; it builds in the center where the brush is not touching, and nothing "overflows" over the sides.) When I added more water this morning, suds overflowed over the sides, but the lather didn't seem to dry out as fast.

Originally Posted by THG

I'm using C.O. Bigelow and sometimes Col. Conk soap.

I guess I need some more water. I kind of just leave a small puddle at the bottom of my bowl and swirl until I have a lather (it lathers up pretty quickly; it builds in the center where the brush is not touching, and nothing "overflows" over the sides.) When I added more water this morning, suds overflowed over the sides, but the lather didn't seem to dry out as fast.

the co bigelow should be pretty easy to get a good lather. just use about an almond size and just let the water drip out of brush, then lather it up for a minute. col conk might take a little more water, but still it is a pretty good soap and not to hard to get a good, long lasting lather, IME.

Shoot, my cream/bomb from al's shaving lasts 45 minutes if I want it to.

Yup, There are lots of variables, Water, Climate, Materials used, So YMMV. I assume that most people have AC or some type of climate control in their homes, especially if you can afford this hobby. In any case, your probably using too little water, try adding a bit more. When I "lather" up. I strop. When I get back to the mirror, Sometimes the cream or soap does appear dry, especially if I'm using soaps. (This is also how I judge a good soap or cream)
I call it "Staying Power". I know based on my conditions what it should look like when I get back from the strop. At this point, It doesn't matter, I apply a hot towel for 30 seconds, then re lather. You may need to add a few drops of water to your scuttle or shaving vessel, and throughout the shave, especially if your using a heated scuttle....

Also, if your using Soap, Try the uber recipe in the Wiki...It may help you...

Though I never had a drying issue, my perusing around different sites led me to the following advice once upon a time (paraphrasing):

 When you think you’ve loaded enough, load some more
 When you think you’ve added enough water, add some more
 When you think you’ve swirl the brush enough, swirl some more (in the bowl or on the face)

It’s a little over-simplistic, and YMMV, but every time I’ve sort of abided by the above, I’ve created a great lather.

What ended up working is leaving a really thin puddle of water at the bottom of the bowl, loosely shaking the water out of the brush, and then going to work. I also realized that the lather has to be INSIDE the brush/bristles as well.

Thanks, guys.