Face lathering

[desmoface]

I tried face lathering (soaps) for the first time this past week. I'm hooked: Shaving time is cut way down, and lathering on my face seems to soften the whiskers a bit more than when I bowl lather. Has anyone else noticed this?

Steve

[Norbert Sykes]

Not me. My best shaves are when I take the time to make a lather in a mug, adding water when needed and spending time whipping until a lather is made that is slick and luxurious enough to pass my QC test. My super-lathers are awesome!

[BatNastard]

I'm with you desmoface - I figure I will always have to swirl the brush on the face anyway to get the lather all over and get the beard lifted, so why not face lather? What I do now is keep a sink of hot water to dip the brush in as needed; allows for great control.

[burningdarkness]

I recently (couple weeks ago) starting trying to face lather. So far, it hasn't been more successful than lathering in a mug. I always seem to get a better lather in a mug.

[The Seeker]

I've found face lathering the way to go with soaps (specifically Kent) and bowl lathering the way to go with creams.

[Groundhog]

I'm with you Steve.....face lathering (with shave sticks) is my standard M.O.

[Rughi]

I probably get better lather from using a bowl, but face lathering gives me a better shave.

Working the soap into my pores with a brush and then aerating / hydrating the soap into a good lather ensures that any goodness the soap has is fully doing it's job on my face, not just making an impressive photo op in the mug.

Roger

[mankini]

I have face lathered for the last 7 months and although the lather is difficult to get as thick and fluffy as if I had lathered in a bowl/mug, I do get great shaves. For my money face lathering gives me a chance to really work the soap into my beard and time to soften the whiskers and allow enough dwell time for the smells to fully develop while I inhale the glorious scents from my ogallala bay rum shave soaps.

[JDE]

I probably get better lather from using a bowl, but face lathering gives me a better shave.


+1. The classic "ideal lather" (soft peaks and all that) doesn't give me as good a shave as when i make my thinner, slightly wet face lather. I face lather 99% of the time now.

[merwtje]

I'm with you Steve.....face lathering (with shave sticks) is my standard M.O.

So do I, discovered last week the shave stick (old Erasmic) and this will going
to be my standard too (shave sticks and face lathering).

[Rival]

I always face lather with soaps but I like to take my time and build a good lather with creams.

[infotech]

I tried face lathering (soaps) for the first time this past week. i'm hooked: Shaving time is cut way down, and lathering on my face seems to soften the whiskers a bit more than when I bowl lather. Has anyone else noticed this?

Steve

Yes, I finally discovered this about three months ago and haven't looked back to a bowl/mug since for creams and soaps.

[Shane]

Face lathering, for me, has a tendency to produce a lather that is much more lubricious and slick than when using a mug/bowl. It's not gobs of meringue that you'd get from bowl lathering, but that lather is more aerated than what you've loaded your brush with. For a richer, denser lather, face lathering has worked out well for me.

[desmoface]

Lastnight I shave with my recently acquired AOS Sandalwood. Used my SR 3824 and face lathered. This stuff didn't lather quite as well as my Tabac, but I got a great shave. It just seems like my whiskers cut easier with face lathering.

Steve

[Nick75]

Face lathering, for me, has a tendency to produce a lather that is much more lubricious and slick than when using a mug/bowl. It's not gobs of meringue that you'd get from bowl lathering, but that lather is more aerated than what you've loaded your brush with. For a richer, denser lather, face lathering has worked out well for me.

+1

Have to agree. I've started face lathering now all the time. I find it's easier to judge exactly how much water you need to add when you're building the lather onto your face. I was constantly misjudging the amount of water I needed to add when creating lather in a bowl, usually adding too much. Now I can get that perfect glossy lather with the pointy peaks in it more-or-less every time when face lathering, with better quality shaves to boot.

I've learnt from face lathering that you really don't need to add much extra water to the lather (maybe dip it very quickly once or twice under the hot trickling tap), as most of the water you need is already soaked up in the brush (that is, after letting the water drain off after removing from the mug and gently shaking it twice. Obviously with different size/density brushes ymmv).

[blade08]

I started out as a bowl latherer but along the way, I soon found that face lathering is the way to go for me. Love it, I won't ever go back to the bowl.

[whiskerlips]

I tried bowl lathering with soaps initially and did not like the shaves. I was just used to lathering creams in a bowl so I assumed I had to bowl lather soaps too. Then after reading a thread about shaving with MWF, someone suggested face lathering. Now my creams don't see much use and I love face lathering with soaps. To think I almost sold my MWF. :eek: