VDH better than Mama Bear's, really?

[kevo]

So up to now my "soap" days were basically comprised of two things. An omega boar brush and VDH Deluxe. I am able to get significantly good and consistent results like this. However I decided I wanted to try some more soaps. I had tried Honeybee spa in the past, but it burned the heck out of my face. So I ordered some Mama Bear's soaps, based off of the great reviews that it gets on the forum. For some reason, I can't get nearly as good of a lather out of the Mama Bear's soaps and can't figure out why not. My routine consists of:

-soaking the brush in hot water while I shower
-1 or 2 light taps on the brush to get some of the water out (but not much)
-I then hit the puck for a good 30-45 seconds (just to the point where a good lather is just starting to form)
-Then to the face where I spend a significant time building lather on my face

Like I said, with this method, I get nice creamy, thick, slick lather out of my VDH deluxe which lasts me 3 passes...
but the lather with the same routine from the Mama bear soap isn't nearly as good, it isn't as thick, disappears much quicker than I would like, and after each pass I have to go back to the puck, inevitably making a bigger dent on the soap.....

Any suggestions?????????????
I really want to like these soaps

Thanks for the help

[OldSchoolYoungin]

I am going to get flamed for this, but, now that I think about it...yes. Don't get me wrong, Mama Bear makes some great soaps, but VDH is a jam-up value. I'm impressed with the lather and shave quality that I get out of this little $1.50 puck of soap. It also doesn't take very much soap at all to generate a great lather. With most glycerin based soaps, I have to load quite a bit more than I would with the VDH.

For the record, I'm talking about VDH Deluxe.

YMMV.

[Greyfox]

I have never had any trouble making great lather from Mama Bear's soap. It's all about the technique.:biggrin: YMMV.

[Sharp Blade]

For my two cents worth,Mama Bear is some super,super good shaving soap,period !! May not be for everyone but this everyone loves Mama Bear,soap that is,and right now I'm using bay rum and dragons tears. Super lather and slick,slick slick ! Gives me a very comfortable as close to BBS shave as you can get. !:biggrin:

Regards,
John

[bythbook]

wow... I'm able to get good lather with VDH... but with Mama Bear... jeeze, I have to hose down the b-room to keep the lather away from the kids & pets!

Maybe your brush is too wet when you first go at the soap - try squeezing it out more before you load it up. If you make your lather in a bowl, add a few drips of water at a time.

Keep a hose ready.

[MrGuy]

I'm going to second the idea that your brush is too wet. I start with an almost dry brush, I don't even put any water on top of the puck beforehand. When I load the brush, I make sure to get it nice and heavy with soap, but nothing that I would even say is close to lather at this point. Then move to a bowl and proceed to add water a little at a time until the lather is perfect.
If you are only comparing value, well I don't think anyone could argue that VDH takes it, but as far as quality I don't know. I'll vote Mama Bear every time.

[millertime150]

1) You sometimes have to vary your technique depending on the product.
2) I would try to squeeze out most of water and start with a drier brush
3) While showering let about 1-2 teaspoons of hot water soften your soap up.
4) You may have to adjust the water ratio
5) You probably can get a comparable or better lather with mamabears with a little work BUT imho VDH is easier to get the lather because it seems softer than mamabears.

[Gruder]

Try less water in your brush. Also, soak the soap with a bit of hot water while you're showering, as well. Finally, charge the brush with soap, then face or bowl lather -- don't try to create lather on the puck itself. Good luck!

[The National Razor]

So up to now my "soap" days were basically comprised of two things. An omega boar brush and VDH Deluxe. I am able to get significantly good and consistent results like this. However I decided I wanted to try some more soaps. I had tried Honeybee spa in the past, but it burned the heck out of my face. So I ordered some Mama Bear's soaps, based off of the great reviews that it gets on the forum. For some reason, I can't get nearly as good of a lather out of the Mama Bear's soaps and can't figure out why not. My routine consists of:

-soaking the brush in hot water while I shower
-1 or 2 light taps on the brush to get some of the water out (but not much)
-I then hit the puck for a good 30-45 seconds (just to the point where a good lather is just starting to form)
-Then to the face where I spend a significant time building lather on my face

Like I said, with this method, I get nice creamy, thick, slick lather out of my VDH deluxe which lasts me 3 passes...
but the lather with the same routine from the Mama bear soap isn't nearly as good, it isn't as thick, disappears much quicker than I would like, and after each pass I have to go back to the puck, inevitably making a bigger dent on the soap.....

Any suggestions?????????????
I really want to like these soaps

Thanks for the help

I let a couple of sprinkles of hot water sit on top of the puck while I'm showering, then I dump it off before I start hitting it with the brush. That's the only difference between my method and your method, and I get some pretty good lather.

Edit: I went back and reread yours after reading some of the posts. One other difference between our methods is that I squeeze out almost all the water out of the brush before going to the puck. I get a nice proto-lather going there and then, after coating my face in water, begin to face-lather. Good luck!

[ctakim]

In my experience, the water to soap ratio vary greatly with different soaps. My tallow based triple-milled soaps seem to like less water than my glycerin based soaps.

[Leche]

Echoing, less water in the brush.

[TheGrooveking]

Mama Bear by a mile, easily. As much as VDH is a good soap and a great value, once you factor in the ounce versus price, Mama Bear is an equal value but better performer. VDH is $1.99 for 2.5 oz, Mama Bear is $7.99 for 4 oz, but physically the VDH is only 2-3/8" dia. x 3/4" tall approx. where as Mama Bear soaps are 3-1/4" dia. x 1-1/2" tall, so I agree with BythBook about the amount of lather Mama Bear's soap make. This results in VDH puck having 2.8 cubic inches of soap and Mama Bear's having 8.2 cubic inches of soap, thus Mama Bear is 2.95 times more soap, using this ratio on price the Mama Bear should be $5.89, but you need to add that Mama Bear comes in a resealable container that can be refilled with other soaps many times once it's used up and Mama Bear soap has much better scents available.

Now I know some will only look at the value of soap to dollars, and yes you need to pay shipping for Mama Bear soaps, but do the cost analysis on your time and gas, wear and tear on your car to go to the drug store or Walmart to buy VDH. I know some will say "Well I was going to that store anyways, so it's a freebie" in that case I suggest you try some Mama Bear soap, you too will concur that it is superior to VDH in performance.

[deshaveman]

I think it has been said already but try less water. Mama Bear's soaps don't need that much.

I have had the exact opposite experience. I have MB Lime EO and a puck of VDH deluxe side-by-side and the MB out-shines the VDH easily (although I still prefer my Tabac lather to either). It has gotten to the point that my VDH is used solely as a super-lather base for some of my mediocre creams.

[highball]

in my experience, the water to soap ratio vary greatly with different soaps. My tallow based triple-milled soaps seem to like less water than my glycerin based soaps.

+1

[Leche]

once you factor in the ounce versus price, Mama Bear is an equal value but better performer.

You also have to factor in that VDH, while it works fine, its just plain boring. With all the scents and different brands out there, spend a buck or two more and get something exciting. For me VDH is good for superlather, but that is it.

[Random Nerd]

I agree that VDH is a perfectly acceptable soap. It's my favorite that's available locally. and it's miles ahead of WMS. But I'd say Mama Bear's is better for both lather and scent.

[maj3289]

i just got myself a bar of VDH. it's within walking distance, can't beat that but i'd like to try some soaps from online.

[Kratos]

Let's not kid ourselves, here. At $1.50-$2 the VDH is a much better value. Mama costs 4x that, plus shipping, and you don't get 4x the product. But VDH being better? I don't know about that one.
I can see how it would be boring. I like the scent, and I don't flit from soap to soap to soap, but even I want a change, or some cool scent, every now and again.
How's this for an analogy: a Miata is a great value and a solid performer, but it ain't no Lotus Elise. And the price reflects that. Of course, if your driving skills are not up to the Elise, it might not seem that way.

[andrew98]

wow... I'm able to get good lather with VDH... but with Mama Bear... jeeze, I have to hose down the b-room to keep the lather away from the kids & pets!

Maybe your brush is too wet when you first go at the soap - try squeezing it out more before you load it up. If you make your lather in a bowl, add a few drips of water at a time.

Keep a hose ready.

This has been my experience too (minus the kids). I threw away my VDH Deluxe then bought Mama Bears. I've never regretted it.

-Andy

[TonyH]

Not to flagellate a perfectly dead horse, but I concur on the less water theory. I actually use very little water with my Mama Bear soaps and can come up with Cool Whip pretty quick.

[TheGrooveking]

Let's not kid ourselves, here. At $1.50-$2 the VDH is a much better value. Mama costs 4x that, plus shipping, and you don't get 4x the product. But VDH being better? I don't know about that one.
I can see how it would be boring. I like the scent, and I don't flit from soap to soap to soap, but even I want a change, or some cool scent, every now and again.
How's this for an analogy: a Miata is a great value and a solid performer, but it ain't no Lotus Elise. And the price reflects that. Of course, if your driving skills are not up to the Elise, it might not seem that way.

Kid ourselves, look at it again. The container is resealable and reuseable, secondly your missing your travel expenses to buy your VDH from your equation. You are telling me that your get in your car, drive to the store, buy the VDH, drive home for less than $2? The going government charge per mile is $0.55, so if the store is 2 miles away, that is $2.20 for the round trip. Now add in that you must provide a container, that you paid for somewhere in the past to put the VDH in? Let me guess you got that free....oh and your time is free, who is kidding who?

Looking at comparisons with a bias, doesn't equate to honest results.

[cfriend]

As said above, brush is too wet, methinks.

[Random Nerd]

Let's not kid ourselves, here. At $1.50-$2 the VDH is a much better value. Mama costs 4x that, plus shipping, and you don't get 4x the product. But VDH being better? I don't know about that one.
I can see how it would be boring. I like the scent, and I don't flit from soap to soap to soap, but even I want a change, or some cool scent, every now and again.
How's this for an analogy: a Miata is a great value and a solid performer, but it ain't no Lotus Elise. And the price reflects that. Of course, if your driving skills are not up to the Elise, it might not seem that way.

I would agree that it's a better value. Really, VDH is about the best quality to cost ratio of any soap I've tried.

But Mama Bear is pretty clearly the better soap, and in truth it's nearly as good a value. Sure, it's a bit more, but it's still at a quite reasonable price, and the quality is worth a buck a month or so. Really, I'd call it a no-brainer for anyone who's a fan of glycerin soap.

[andrewinman]

I have to give the to VDH personally. It's cheap and its gentle and it works great. Doesnt smell great but again its easy on my super sensitive skin.

[Kratos]

Kid ourselves, look at it again. The container is resealable and reuseable, secondly your missing your travel expenses to buy your VDH from your equation. You are telling me that your get in your car, drive to the store, buy the VDH, drive home for less than $2? The going government charge per mile is $0.55, so if the store is 2 miles away, that is $2.20 for the round trip. Now add in that you must provide a container, that you paid for somewhere in the past to put the VDH in? Let me guess you got that free....oh and your time is free, who is kidding who?

Looking at comparisons with a bias, doesn't equate to honest results.

I have never gone out of my way to go get shave soap. I get it while I'm buying groceries, or anything else at the time. If I walk the extra fifty yards or so to the HBA section from the grocery side, it's not going to cost me anything. Shipping pretty much evens out what you get from the container. I have always lathered my VDH from that cheap lil plastic job. I see no need to put it in something else. At exactly $1.63 plus tax, I could buy 4 VDH soaps for 1 Mama Bear. And I'd have them in hand immediately, not 2 or 3 days later, for an extra cost. I agree Mama Bears is a better product, but I don't think my judgement is the one tainted by bias, especially if I like what I'm supposed to be biased against better than what I'm supposedly biased for.

[tg16]

Its all about what works for you and what you like. Some have problems with MWF, but I get great lather with it. I don't like the glycerin based soaps. As for technique, you've read a few in this thread and still YMMV.

[Cutter]

wow... I'm able to get good lather with vdh... But with mama bear... Jeeze, i have to hose down the b-room to keep the lather away from the kids & pets!

Maybe your brush is too wet when you first go at the soap - try squeezing it out more before you load it up. If you make your lather in a bowl, add a few drips of water at a time.

Keep a hose ready.

+1

[heirkb]

wow... I'm able to get good lather with VDH... but with Mama Bear... jeeze, I have to hose down the b-room to keep the lather away from the kids & pets!

Maybe your brush is too wet when you first go at the soap - try squeezing it out more before you load it up. If you make your lather in a bowl, add a few drips of water at a time.

Keep a hose ready.

I was gonna suggest drying your brush more. A squeeze and a few shakes. Then take it to the puck for 10 or so swirls (until the sound and feel changes). Then take it to your wet face. There's a soap lathering guide somewhere on B&B that tells you to do this and that's what I do with all soaps now. Works great

[grimlad]

I have to agree on the "just a little water" at least to start the lather. I have been using a sample of the Basil and Lime soap and it explodes into lather rather easily.

I soak my brush in hot water while I shower and add a little bit (about a 1/2 a teaspoon, I guess) of hot water on my soap as well. After the shower I shake out the brush and pour the soap's water into my lather bowl. I proceed to load the brush real well (actually start to get lather here) then move to the bowl. Great lather ensues!

I like the sample so well I am putting together an official order now:001_smile!

[Chuckaluck]

Not to flagellate a perfectly dead horse, but I concur on the less water theory. I actually use very little water with my Mama Bear soaps and can come up with Cool Whip pretty quick.

+1.:lol::lol::lol. I love Mama Bears!

[Uncle Shakey]

I use VDH and like it. I put it in my mug and add a few drops of lavender oil. Then I microwave about 8 seconds. Stir with a toothpick and chill.
Warm your brush and squeeze water out. Put vert small amount of water on soap. Swirl about 10-15 times pushing lightly. Wet face very heavily with hot water and build lather on face. This makes a very nice lather and uses very little product.

[maj3289]

I've used VDH Select. it wasn't thick enough lather for me. appears to be but isn't:tongue_sm YMMV i guess