thanks guys :) i started tweaking the water with my cream but it just seems to make it a little sloppy lol. im trying to tweak as hard as i can, without putting goggles on and placing the lather bowl under a microscope and dropping minute droplets in the lather. the glycerine helps a lot. im thinking that it might be the water quality from the tap (too hard or something), as i hear that it might affect the lathers. so i think i might just stick to using the glycerine for now. actually i received my vostok cream today, so im in a hurry to go pick it up from the post office. im so excited! gonna come back and shave then i'll let you guys know what its like.