Is it me or is it the Proraso Shaving Soap ?

[GeeQue]

I have used Proraso shaving cream green tube for a while now and am satisfied with the product. So today I used their soap for the first time. It comes in a small "shoepolish" type tub. I figured it was too small to wisk up a lather in there so I dabbed some of the soft soap onto a hot moist brush and transfered it into a ceramic bowl. There I battled wisking the brush trying different combinations of water to soap ratio - I was just getting a few bubbles here and there. After a few minutes I realized I wasn't really getting anywheres close to producing a useable lather. So I quit. I went for the Kiss My Face, dabbed it on and finished my shave.
Is this a bad batch of soap or is Proraso soap used differently than what I'm used to. I can produce a serious rich lather in a bowl from bath soap if I had to. So what's the deal with this soap ?

[JMT]

I occasionally have the same experience. I can't explain it but sometime I just can not get a good lather from the soap. Then the next time I use it, it works just fine. I just assume the shave gods are telling me to use a different product.

This actually goes for all of my soaps. I generally have no problem getting good lather from a cream, I tend to struggle every now and again with the soaps.

[Steelforge]

I bought a tub of the soap, and was a little unimpressed at how tricky it was to load the brush up. I had to scrub away at the tub for ages and make loads of mess to get just enough on the brush to build a decent lather. A week later I bought the tube of the cream, and haven't touched the tub since. The cream in the tube seems a lot easier to use.

[Dinder1]

I really like the soap more than the creme, and I always get great lather from the soap. Try skimming off a thin piece of soap with a butter knife..then just plunk it in your lather bowl and go to work.
Cheers, DJ.

[GeeQue]

I really like the soap more than the creme, and I always get great lather from the soap. Try skimming off a thin piece of soap with a butter knife..then just plunk it in your lather bowl and go to work.
Cheers, DJ.

Yes, I'll try that. For the money compared to the amount of soap in that tiny container, your better off buying the cream hands down.

[ratcheer]

I have a tub of Proraso soap, but I haven't tried it, yet. I guess tonight's the night. :wink:

Tim

[Stauff]

The soap is actually better than the tube IMO. I start by pouring hot water on top, leave that sit for a minute or so while I soak my brush. Then pour off water and swirl on soap. Transfer brush to bowl and continue swirling. Remember that proraso's lather is rather slick than thick. The soap gives more of an oily lather than the cream. Shaves are awesome, my face is better protected from the blade than with any other product. Keep experimenting.

[Steelforge]

Ah that's an idea, I'll give it another go tomorrow morning (too late today) either by warming it with hot water or by shaving some thin slivers out. Thanks. :smile:

[Jimmy Gee]

Great idea - Why didn't I think of that?

[Suzuki]

I like the soap better than the cream (which I also like very much). The top layer can be a little thick if the tub is new or been sitting for a while.

I use the hot water on top of the soap trick with glycerine soaps as well - just be careful to use a small amount of water. I often pour the water from the top into the bowl if that's what I'm using to build my lather.

[Stauff]

That is a very good idea, since that same water will be very 'soapy'. On the other hand: a larger amount of water will retain heat better and thus soften up the soap (melt it in a way) a great deal quicker.

[Steelforge]

I just tried it, letting a layer of hot water on top of the soap while my scuttle is warming. It softened just enough to get a decent amount on the brush, and I got copious amounts of rich shiny lather.

In fact the lather looked so good I broke out my Bismarck and did 3 passes. :biggrin:

Much happerier with this now. :smile:

[Stauff]

I'm glad things have worked out. Enjoy!

[catatonic]

I just load the brush up, and use my bottle to pour hot water into the mug to make lather.

I found it takes a LOT of water to get the soap to lather up nicely. It's also a thin lather. If you have a beard, you cannot bury it in this lather....the creme is capable of that though.

[Skyguy]

I use Proraso soap nearly every day and have never experienced what you describe. Maybe the stuff just doesn't like you. Have you tried speaking nicely to it? (Well, you never know . . . !):smile:

[GeeQue]

@ Stauff - Thanks for the primer on the soap. I will try that in the morning.
@ Skyguy - my dialogue with the soap was a bit brash...I will whisper sweet nothings to it tomorrow :biggrin:

[ratcheer]

I have a tub of Proraso soap, but I haven't tried it, yet. I guess tonight's the night. :wink:

Tim

I did try it, last night, and it lathered up very nicely. I didn't get quite enough for three good passes, but that was my own fault. I ended up with a very good shave.

Tim

[GeeQue]

I guess I must have a bad batch. I tried again today :frown: I would probably be able to drum up more lather from soda pop than with this soap.

[Edcculus]

I just picked up some of the soap and tried giving a lather a go. It took a few tries, but I ended up getting a great lather. I put a small amount of water on the top to soften it up while I was wetting my brush.

I got the best results by leaving a good bit of water in the brush. Note that I have an Omega boar brush, so a good bit of water for me might be a heavy shake for someone with a nicer badger brush.

Then I swirled the brush on the top a little, then mashed the brush on the tub to get some soap up in the brush. After getting some bubbles formed, I transfered to the bowl, where I added more water as I went until I got that shiny Proraso lather.

[JohnP]

When I use Proraso soap, the trick (are you using the Omega boar brush?) is to keep scrubbing that wet brush right on the soap, at least for me, until I see some suds. Then I transfer it to my face or the bowl to lather, but not before the brush is full of suds.
Works for me, anyway.
John P.

[Edcculus]

yep, thats what worked for me.

[MasonM]

I wasn't happy with the soap either. After reading all of this I think I'll give it another go tomorrow.

[SilverKarn]

I bought a container of this soap the other day, pictures ive seen of it made it look big, but when i saw it, its so tiny.

its almost as if its MADE so that you have to hold the container sideways above your lather bowl, while you charge your brush.

at least thats what i do, and all of the "mess" falls into my lather bowl.

The soap is basicaly concentrated Proraso Green

[galpman]

I really like the soap more than the creme, and I always get great lather from the soap. Try skimming off a thin piece of soap with a butter knife..then just plunk it in your lather bowl and go to work.
Cheers, DJ.

+1

[DanSmith]

The soap is about like the cream except drier and not in a tube so...you have to load up your brush from the tub. It takes a while but not very long. Swirl that brush around in the soap for maybe 10 or 12 turns around the tub.

It also takes more water than you may be used to.

More water and more swirls in the tub.

Then go to the lather bowl or mug and whisk up some lather.

It may be that your soap has been sitting on the shelf for quite a while before you bought it. Mine looked like semi-hard cream instead of a hard soap. If yours was dried out when you got it it's going to take even more water and effort to load the brush.

[_JP_]

I'm probably agreeing with what others have posted here. My impression is that you didn't load up the brush with enough soap.

I consider the Proraso in the tub as a soap that gets lathered on my face, not in a bowl. So that's where I do it.

[KenS]

I echo the part about making the lather on my face. Load the brush with soap and start on the face with a circular motion. I occasionally barely dip the ends of the brush into hot water to make a wetter lather. After I have lots of lather working with the circular motion I start with an up and down stroke such as would be used while painting.This is what works for me.
Happy Lathering, Ken.