Face Lathering Vs Bowl/Scuttle

[marranbarran]

I am surprised that there is so much contention on this issue. When I bowl lather I work the lather into my beard just as much as I do when I face lather with a shave stick.

I would say that the feeling from building the lather directly on your face compared with just applying it is the difference, it is impossible to work with the finished lather in the same way as with the thick soapy pre-lather. When I bowl lather the brush is filled when I am done in the bowl and when applying it is just slick and soft on the skin, when I apply the dry pre-lather I get more scritch and exfoliation from the brush which are part of the benefits using a brush, at least for me

 

[rushchairman]

face lather. skip the middle man.

 

[Strekoza]

I used to face lather all the time until I tried using a bowl and found it to be much easier.

 

[ackvil]

I have seen a few comments that the "advantage" of face lathering is you exfoliate your face. I wonder what kind of brush these folks are using. When I face lather I use a boar, badger, or synthetic brush and none of my brushes have the ability to exfoliate my face. I get more exfoliate action by using a wash cloth than any brush I own.

But maybe there's another brush perhaps made from porcupine quills!

 

[The Dean]

I have seen a few comments that the "advantage" of face lathering is you exfoliate your face. I wonder what kind of brush these folks are using. When I face lather I use a boar, badger, or synthetic brush and none of my brushes have the ability to exfoliate my face. I get more exfoliate action by using a wash cloth than any brush I own.

But maybe there's another brush perhaps made from porcupine quills!

Why do you doubt your brushes are exfoliating your face? Even spreading the lather on from the bowl will have some exfoliating effect. (I imagine even spreading lather on with your hand has some exfoliating effect.) It seems fairly safe to reason the longer your work the brush on your face the better your exfoliate. IMO of course.

 

[mrb7]

I face lather because I like it. I also like liver and Brussel sprouts, but don't like olives. None of those are "right" or "wrong" in any way. They're all my personal bias. Lots of people don't like liver or Brussel sprouts, and lots of people like olives. That's no skin off my razor burned face.

Clearly I'm in the majority with face lathering, but the minority with food choices. Big deal.

 

[Chaloney]

I face lather because I like it. I also like liver and Brussel sprouts, but don't like olives. None of those are "right" or "wrong" in any way. They're all my personal bias. Lots of people don't like liver or Brussel sprouts, and lots of people like olives. That's no skin off my razor burned face.

Clearly I'm in the majority with face lathering, but the minority with food choices. Big deal.

I agree with everything except the Brussels sprouts. They're definitely wrong. I'm sorry.

 

[ackvil]

Why do you doubt your brushes are exfoliating your face? Even spreading the lather on from the bowl will have some exfoliating effect. (I imagine even spreading lather on with your hand has some exfoliating effect.) It seems fairly safe to reason the longer your work the brush on your face the better your exfoliate. IMO of course.

So how does this differ if you bowl lather and spread the lather across your face? The exfoliating agents I have seen usually have an abrasive to them not a boar or badger brush. I fail to see how a brush removes much in the way of dead cells and how face lathering does a better job than bowl lathering and then rubbing your face with the same brush.

 

[The Dean]

So how does this differ if you bowl lather and spread the lather across your face? The exfoliating agents I have seen usually have an abrasive to them not a boar or badger brush. I fail to see how a brush removes much in the way of dead cells and how face lathering does a better job than bowl lathering and then rubbing your face with the same brush.

Exfoliation can come in more or less aggressive form. Certainly scrubs are more exfoliating than a soft soap. But both exfoliate to some degree. Face lathering isn't more exfoliating than bowl lathering unless you work the brush on your face for a longer time while face lathering, which I suspect most do. I rarely use a bowl, when I do I still work the lather on my face for quite a while (maybe not as long as when I don't use the bowl). But if, for instance, you watch the videos of guys shaving, most who bowl lather work the brush a bit on their face--but they don't spend 2-3-4 minutes facerbating. OTOH you have to do that to face lather.

I think the longer your facerbate the more you will exfoliate. In theory, this is independent from face vs bowl lathering. But in practice it probably isn't. IMO of course.

 

[texaninkc]

Exfoliation can come in more or less aggressive form. Certainly scrubs are more exfoliating than a soft soap. But both exfoliate to some degree. Face lathering isn't more exfoliating than bowl lathering unless you work the brush on your face for a longer time while face lathering, which I suspect most do. I rarely use a bowl, when I do I still work the lather on my face for quite a while (maybe not as long as when I don't use the bowl). But if, for instance, you watch the videos of guys shaving, most who bowl lather work the brush a bit on their face--but they don't spend 2-3-4 minutes facerbating. OTOH you have to do that to face lather.

I think the longer your facerbate the more you will exfoliate. In theory, this is independent from face vs bowl lathering. But in practice it probably isn't. IMO of course.

I think what Jim's trying to say is that if you're using an exfoliating agent prior to lather building, like I do, the 2 or three extra minutes that you have your brush on your face isn't going to provide much more exfoliating, if any, than what your scrub's already done to make a difference.

I'm a facelather but not because it's better, requires more skill, or because it does something better to my face. We've all read the threads about shave prep. A good shave prep, a good lathering agent, a good razor and blade is all you need for a good shave.

The brush only affects one thing only IMO: lather building. Whether it's on the face or in a bowl. My shave will ultimately be the same regardless of where I build the lather. If my brush stinks at building a good lather, it doesn't matter if it's on my face or in a bowl, the lather is going to stink and I'm not going to get a good shave.

I face lather because I enjoy it, plain and simple. It's certainly not because I have superior shaving skills, as the OP seems be believe, than my bowl-lathering brothers.

 

[The Dean]

I think what Jim's trying to say is that if you're using an exfoliating agent prior to lather building, like I do, the 2 or three extra minutes that you have your brush on your face isn't going to provide much more exfoliating, if any, than what your scrub's already done to make a difference.

I'm a facelather but not because it's better, requires more skill, or because it does something better to my face. We've all read the threads about shave prep. A good shave prep, a good lathering agent, a good razor and blade is all you need for a good shave.

The brush only affects one thing only IMO: lather building. Whether it's on the face or in a bowl. My shave will ultimately be the same regardless of where I build the lather. If my brush stinks at building a good lather, it doesn't matter if it's on my face or in a bowl, the lather is going to stink and I'm not going to get a good shave.

I face lather because I enjoy it, plain and simple. It's certainly not because I have superior shaving skills, as the OP seems be believe, than my bowl-lathering brothers.

Well, I'd have to agree, if you already have exfoliated with a scrub or something, the extra exfoliation of the brush may be superfluous. But some guys don't use scrubs or harsher exfoliation every day. From what I read here, some do that once or twice a week. YMMV and all--some people's skin can't take harsh exfoliation very often.

For me, the exfoliation is probably not a big reason as I use a soft scrub before every shave (my skin can take it). But for some, I imagine the exfoliation of a good facerbate session is seen as an advantage.

Like you, I face lather because I like it--but also because I simply find it easier. It came much more naturally to me than did bowl lathering. I can bowl lather now, but on one or two occasions I had a small issue with the lather in the bowl (which I corrected later)--but the same product right on my face and BAM--lather.

 

[merkur59]

I face lather because I prefer lathering on my face, instead of face painting.
One pass with my R41 probably takes off more "skin" than 10 passes with my stiffest boar
And I do the usual 3 passes shave. With buffing. Loaded with feather blade.
So I don't understand the need to exfoliating with a brush...honest.
I use a wash cloth for the purpose - which also helps to 'exfoliate' the forehead, the nose, behind the neck, etc - areas that, as carefully and patiently explained by my psychiatrist to me,need not be lathered during a shave.

 

[ackvil]

In summary, IMO do what pleases you. They both work. Now for those guys who make lather in the palm of their hands-----------

 

[Red_Oak]

I think that building lather in a bowl is like cooking without tasting the food. Only when you're ready to serve/use it do you find out exactly what it's like.

Good point. However, I like the warm lather from a scuttle....guess you could use a brush scuttle with the face lather?

 

[ChromedomeXXX]

So far I have only created my lather in a bowl but have enjoyed it due to having the extra ready for quick application for a 2nd or 3rd pass. I would think that even applying to a brush and then face lathering you still got brush clean up and were are you going to put the brush while shaving, in the bowl.

 

[Face Bannon]

I like a bowl because it seems to pay off when there's 3 passes. Being able to go right back to that pile of cream seems easy. I suppose the brush carries a lot of lather after face lathering, but it seems like easier to get a consistent lather for all three passes by looking at in the bowl.

 

[gus1942]

So far I have only created my lather in a bowl but have enjoyed it due to having the extra ready for quick application for a 2nd or 3rd pass. I would think that even applying to a brush and then face lathering you still got brush clean up and were are you going to put the brush while shaving, in the bowl.

On the vanity next to my shaving stick, handle down. What's the problem?

 

[shakin_jake]

I like a bowl because it seems to pay off when there's 3 passes. Being able to go right back to that pile of cream seems easy. I suppose the brush carries a lot of lather after face lathering, but it seems like easier to get a consistent lather for all three passes by looking at in the bowl.

~~~speaking strictly for myself...two passes and a few touch ups, and face lathering all the way. I'll bring the brush back to the puck if the lather fades...no biggie

Oh!, I'll build a lather in the scuttle (cream) once in a great while. I have a 1.5 dirty bird and could never sell it, even though it's seldom used. Just nice to use it when the mood hits me



Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.

 

[mo_zo]

I enjoy both, so I divided very simple:
- if cream: bowl lathering
- if soap: face lathering