AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
It can, yes. Your method would need to be different to mine, to achieve the same lather. Citric acid can be used as a water softener though, or you could try distilled.
Advice needed. Do soaps matter?
- Thread starter Jack Goossen
- Start date
It can, yes. Your method would need to be different to mine, to achieve the same lather. Citric acid can be used as a water softener though, or you could try distilled.
Do you face lather? Or even build the lather with a brush, on your hand... I have a fairly tough skinned, yet incredibly handsome face, so I have no problem building a lather on my face.
Plus, and this is mostly it: I'm way ADHD, and could not be expected to try to make lather in a bowl. I'd probably walk away from it, think that I had made meringue, and then put some on one of my wife's awesome pies, then I'm talkin' to a lawyer... It just ain't worth it my friend!
So, you are a face latherer?
Just keep working at it and it will eventually become second nature.
I learned a lot by reading up on it and watching some YouTube videos(I don’t remember which) and then learning by trying. Take note of all the suggestions here as all these guys are wise, but also note that not all suggestions work for everyone.
lasta
Blade Biter
No, pre-shave is 90% about wetting the whiskers, 10% soap/cream.
Take your time to keep things hydrated, thereafter I get equal results from Saponificio Varesino as I do with Gillette Foamy.
SV smells better.
Take your time to keep things hydrated, thereafter I get equal results from Saponificio Varesino as I do with Gillette Foamy.
SV smells better.
99 percent of the time, if I kept track, lather right on the puck/mug all the rest of the time.
Lathering......."ain't nobody got time for that!"
Oh yeah Stirling is light years better than any RazoRock soap. You can't go wrong with them especially for the price.
- Thread starter
- #48
Luckily I suffer from adhd's little brother, ADD.
Meaning that I can hyperfocus on things I like.
Which happens to be the shaving ritual.
I used to lather in the soap containers, but use a nice bowl now.
- Thread starter
- #49
Interesting how advice differs.
I still wonder why the difference between the shaves was so huge.
Another challenge for me.
I can spend lightyears exploring all the variations
- Thread starter
- #50
Sound advice
- Thread starter
- #51
Thank you, that is exactly what I was thinking.
If i bowl lather i always use some sort of pre shave. For me it makes sense to have something on your face while you build the lather. As mentioned a brush less cream can be used with good results as a pre shave. I have used this one with good result:
I found it also worked good if i used it on the second pass instead of as a pre shave. I mainly shave with SR, so my use case might be different from yours. I also shave 7 days a week, so good lather and prep is important to me. If i skip a day i generally do less prep and a good soap is all it takes.
In my case it is 100% of the time.
Good advice above!
For me, the soap makes a huge difference! I prefer to face-lather and appreciate slickness more than the thick ‘yogurt’ consistency typically shown in photos and videos. My keys are:
1. ’Quality‘ soap.
2. ’Load it like you hate it.’
3. Plenty of water.
Also, I expect that it will take me a few lathers (or more) to figure out the optimal soap-to-water ratio.
Hope this helps!!
For me, the soap makes a huge difference! I prefer to face-lather and appreciate slickness more than the thick ‘yogurt’ consistency typically shown in photos and videos. My keys are:
1. ’Quality‘ soap.
2. ’Load it like you hate it.’
3. Plenty of water.
Also, I expect that it will take me a few lathers (or more) to figure out the optimal soap-to-water ratio.
Hope this helps!!
- Thread starter
- #55
As usual, it doesGood advice above!
For me, the soap makes a huge difference! I prefer to face-lather and appreciate slickness more than the thick ‘yogurt’ consistency typically shown in photos and videos. My keys are:
1. ’Quality‘ soap.
2. ’Load it like you hate it.’
3. Plenty of water.
Also, I expect that it will take me a few lathers (or more) to figure out the optimal soap-to-water ratio.
Hope this helps!!
Everything matters, it's just a question of degree.
The good thing about soaps: even the mediocre ones can get the job done.
I think lather is one of the easier things to get right, although there seems to be plenty of new shavers who disagree (and I've been wrong before). The thing is, soap is pretty cheap and you can do some practice lathers to get your technique closer to ideal.
Face lather, bowl lather, palm lather - it doesn't matter, you can get the same lather with any of them, but the process can vary a little. If you face lather I suggest you do your practice lathers on your palm (unless you're only going to do one). For some of us the face will become unhappy with repeated lather tries.
Practice lather: Start with more soap than you think you need - load that brush or put a generous dollop in the bowl (either way, doesn't matter). If it's too much soap you end up with too much lather (easy to fix next time). If it's too little soap you end up with poor lather, and nobody wants that.
Begin by getting most of the water out of the brush (easy to add water, really hard to extract it). Begin building lather and add a little water (I like to roll it off my fingers for control, but whatever makes you happy works). Swirl for 10-15 seconds and add more water. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Pay attention! What does it look like? What does it look like after adding water.
When you like the lather you've created add more water. Did it get better or worse? Add more water. You're going to eventually make some terrible, thin lather. Pay attention. What did you learn? Probably that when it looks really thick you can add more water than usual so you're not swirling a brush all day. How much water is enough? Well, you've got a pretty good idea what too much water looks like, so stop short of that.
You'll get much quicker at the process after just a few days. Every soap is different. You don't have to start this whole process over with every new soap, but I always experiment for the first handful of days. Pretty good, but will I like the lather a little thicker? Thinner? You won't know until you try.
A couple of bowls (palms, faces) of soap is a cheap price to pay for all the education it provides. Pay attention!
The good thing about soaps: even the mediocre ones can get the job done.
I think lather is one of the easier things to get right, although there seems to be plenty of new shavers who disagree (and I've been wrong before). The thing is, soap is pretty cheap and you can do some practice lathers to get your technique closer to ideal.
Face lather, bowl lather, palm lather - it doesn't matter, you can get the same lather with any of them, but the process can vary a little. If you face lather I suggest you do your practice lathers on your palm (unless you're only going to do one). For some of us the face will become unhappy with repeated lather tries.
Practice lather: Start with more soap than you think you need - load that brush or put a generous dollop in the bowl (either way, doesn't matter). If it's too much soap you end up with too much lather (easy to fix next time). If it's too little soap you end up with poor lather, and nobody wants that.
Begin by getting most of the water out of the brush (easy to add water, really hard to extract it). Begin building lather and add a little water (I like to roll it off my fingers for control, but whatever makes you happy works). Swirl for 10-15 seconds and add more water. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Pay attention! What does it look like? What does it look like after adding water.
When you like the lather you've created add more water. Did it get better or worse? Add more water. You're going to eventually make some terrible, thin lather. Pay attention. What did you learn? Probably that when it looks really thick you can add more water than usual so you're not swirling a brush all day. How much water is enough? Well, you've got a pretty good idea what too much water looks like, so stop short of that.
You'll get much quicker at the process after just a few days. Every soap is different. You don't have to start this whole process over with every new soap, but I always experiment for the first handful of days. Pretty good, but will I like the lather a little thicker? Thinner? You won't know until you try.
A couple of bowls (palms, faces) of soap is a cheap price to pay for all the education it provides. Pay attention!
- Thread starter
- #57
Will do
Excellent advice!
- Thread starter
- #59
Well, I can report back.
I used demineralised water and added more water while lathering.
I must say the Razorock xXx performed better, but I had to make the razor harder than when using my usual soap.
For the head shave I added a few drops of Argan oil, because I didnt dare using the soap as it was for my head.
It performed better, but not as good as my usual soap.
After the shave my skin was a little dry and agitated, so I applied some Aloe Vera gel.
As far as I am concerned this soap is better than I thought, but not nearly as good als my Fine Accoutrements Snake Bite.
I will report back if the soap proves me wrong in the future.
Thank you all for the sound advice
I used demineralised water and added more water while lathering.
I must say the Razorock xXx performed better, but I had to make the razor harder than when using my usual soap.
For the head shave I added a few drops of Argan oil, because I didnt dare using the soap as it was for my head.
It performed better, but not as good as my usual soap.
After the shave my skin was a little dry and agitated, so I applied some Aloe Vera gel.
As far as I am concerned this soap is better than I thought, but not nearly as good als my Fine Accoutrements Snake Bite.
I will report back if the soap proves me wrong in the future.
Thank you all for the sound advice
OldSaw
The wife's investment
Then explain Caswell Massey. I’ve never met anyone who liked it, yet it still exists and presumably serves a never ending sea of first time users but few repeat customers.
