Thread: Lather goes on strong but then wimps out

I have been using a DE for about 6 weeks and a shavette for about 3 and I think I got the lather building down fairly quickly and have been experimenting with different soaps and creams. The problem with that is that you don't get to know any one of them real well and that may be my problem but I have been experimenting with Mama Bear's Canadian Spruce Needle soap and it lathers so well I can stand my brush up in the bowl but it doesn't hold up well. When I lather for the second pass there are more visible bubbles in the lather and it doesn't cover my face as well. By the third pass it is about useless! I also use Omega, Proraso, and Taylor of Old Bond Street and don't have much problem with these. Is the Mama Bear soap more difficult to deal with or is there something different you must do to get a better lathe with it? Anyone have experience with the Mama Bear soaps that can set me straight?

Jim

I have been using a DE for about 6 weeks and a shavette for about 3 and I think I got the lather building down fairly quickly and have been experimenting with different soaps and creams. The problem with that is that you don't get to know any one of them real well and that may be my problem but I have been experimenting with Mama Bear's Canadian Spruce Needle soap and it lathers so well I can stand my brush up in the bowl but it doesn't hold up well. When I lather for the second pass there are more visible bubbles in the lather and it doesn't cover my face as well. By the third pass it is about useless! I also use Omega, Proraso, and Taylor of Old Bond Street and don't have much problem with these. Is the Mama Bear soap more difficult to deal with or is there something different you must do to get a better lathe with it? Anyone have experience with the Mama Bear soaps that can set me straight?

Jim

jgthomas11,

Not a solution, but when this sort of thing happens to me, I add a small pea-sized dollop (US - snurdle) of a neutral aroma'd shaving cream ( I use Palmolive ) to the mix. This seems to stabilize the lather, whilst not over-powering your main soap.

Good luck !

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

My initial though would be that you don't get the brush loaded enough.

I leave about a teaspoon of warm water on top of the soap while in the shower to soften it, makes is much easier to load, then I load the brush for ~30 sec. I have found this to be more crucial with MB than any of my other soaps.

I do the same as zephyr. I usually run the hot tap for my brush bowl and put some in the mama bear container and let that sit with the lid on it while showering. Drain and load the brush until lather is coming out of the mamma bear tub (30-40 seconds). After that it's ready for either face lathering on a wet face or into the empty brush bowl to be worked up.

I generally make my lather in bowls thick until thick like whipped cream, perhaps almost dry. Then when I apply to a wet face (hot water), the little bit of water on my face and the almost dry lather combine to perfection well, at least I think so lol.

I've got about 7 mamma bear soaps, love them all.

Jim,

Spend a little more time loading your brush with Mama Bear. The large bubbles indicate you have not whipped the lather enough. Spend more time creating that lather. Watch your water ratio and try not to make the water too hot. Properly whipped and with the right amount of water you'll have plenty of lather, because Mama Bear is a quality soap.

Larger bubbles can be a sign that the brush requires more soap. Try just adding some soap for the second and third pass.

Like has been said, I find very, very hot water in the soap/creams is counter productive. I use very warm water now, not hot water and things work fine.

Are you wetting your face inbetween passes

Originally Posted by Castel33

Are you wetting your face inbetween passes

Big +1.

I learned early on that when you bowl lather you already have a good water to soap ratio, so if you wet your face between passes you end up diluting your lather over and over causing weak lather near the end. Something else you can try is giving your brush a few swirls on the puck (literally only 3-4) which will give you plenty more soap to finish the shave. Remember, there's no rule that says you can only use the initial lather made in the bowl; if you find you need a bit more lather just make a little more.