Can't figure out how to use soaps,help?!

**ead** · 03-15-2007, 12:42 PM

Ok I have a problem
I usually use creams, and making a fine nice thick lather with them with out any problem

Buy, when it comes to soaps, I never had it, always seem to miss it, and have dry or to much water, or to much bubles in the final lather

I have read here a lot, but still can't make a very nice lather
Can someone please help me out here?

**Dennis** · 03-15-2007, 12:47 PM

Do you have the soap in a puck? Try wetting the puck, rub it all over your beard, rub it all over your wet badger brush, and then lather directly on your face. You will generate enough lather for over 4 passes.

If the soap is in a tub, soak your badger brush as normal and then stand on its base to drip. Take the tub and wet the top of it under running hot water. Hold the tub at an angle over your mixing bowl and then work your wet badger brush on the soap. The excess, soapy water will spill into the mixing bowl. After you have generated a good proto-lather (go longer than you might think), go to the bowl and start working it. If you like, you can go back to the tub again and lather off that again and go back to the bowl.

Some soaps lather well for me and some don't work well at all. YMMV and all that.

Dennis

**ead** · 03-15-2007, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by Dennis02

Do you have the soap in a puck? Try wetting the puck, rub it all over your beard, rub it all over your wet badger brush, and then lather directly on your face. You will generate enough lather for over 4 passes.

If the soap is in a tub, soak your badger brush as normal and then stand on its base to drip. Take the tub and wet the top of it under running hot water. Hold the tub at an angle over your mixing bowl and then work you wet badgar brush on the soap. The excess, soapy water will spill into the mixing bowl. After you have generated a good proto-lather (go longer than you might think), go to the bowl and start working it. If you like, you can go back to the tub again and lather off that again and go back to the bowl.

Some soaps lather well for me and some don't work well at all. YMMV and all that.

Dennis

Ok I have soaps in a bowl, not a puck
Also, I don't like making lather on my face, I prefer on my mug

Any way, I think you gave me some ideas, I will try them

**Dennis** · 03-15-2007, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by ead

Also, I don't like making lather on my face, I prefer on my mug

That is too bad then that you will never discover the joy of QED shave sticks.

Dennis

**galpman** · 03-15-2007, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by Dennis02

That is too bad then that you will never discover the joy of QED shave sticks.

Dennis

+1 QED's sticks are "off the hook" been doing some travel lately and been taking these along. Lather great, shave great.

**ouch** · 03-15-2007, 01:05 PM

There's your problem- you put your lather on your mug instead of your face.

**boboakalfb** · 03-15-2007, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by ead

Also, I don't like making lather on my face, I prefer on my mug

Isn't this the same thing?

**vincentl** · 03-15-2007, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by ouch

There's your problem- you put your lather on your mug instead of your face.

LOL!

**analog_kid** · 03-15-2007, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by galpman

+1 QED's sticks are "off the hook" been doing some travel lately and been taking these along. Lather great, shave great.

+2 The QED Shave sticks are great!

**Stauff** · 03-16-2007, 01:51 AM

I'd advise you to soften up the soap by pouring some hot water on top of it and letting that sit for about a minute. Then pour off and work it with moist brush.

**ead** · 03-16-2007, 03:15 AM

When using creams I am putting a lot of water in my brush (just let it fall a little bit and then use while if full of water) then I don't need to add more water when making the lather
Is it different with soaps? should the brush be more dry?

**Smedley** · 03-16-2007, 03:17 AM

Originally Posted by ead

When using creams I am putting a lot of water in my brush (just let it fall a little bit and then use while if full of water) then I don't need to add more water when making the lather
Is it different with soaps? should the brush be more dry?

I presoak my glycerine soaps for three minutes under very warm water. Then I just get my brush wet by running under the tap and lathering. This can make a dense lather, so I usually add dribbles of water in as I'm swirling it up to make it more easy to spread.

**Taz** · 03-16-2007, 04:01 AM

Originally Posted by Stauff

I'd advise you to soften up the soap by pouring some hot water on top of it and letting that sit for about a minute. Then pour off and work it with moist brush.

+1 and then make sure your brush is not to wet give it a good shake or two. Then really work it into the soap twisting and digging in a little you really want to get soap on the brush the less water stops it from over lathering enabling you to get more soap on the brush. If you did not use to much water at the point it starts to get messing then go to your mug add a little water at a time and work it up now works great. Had my QED lime the other day and had more lather then I new what to do with. Good Luck. Soap is cheap practice before you shave a few times to get the feel.

**rikrdo** · 03-16-2007, 04:32 AM

Smedley and Sir Stauff have given you some great tips.
I'll go ya one more:

*Pour hot water (2-3 oz) on top of soap for a cuppa minutes
*Pour hot soapy water into lather bowl
*Take DRY brush and load with soap
*Take loaded dry brush to hot soapy water in lather bowl
*GO TO TOWN !!

You'll have great lather and lots of it in no time.
Good luck.
(I also like to rub my fingers in the warm soap and then pre lather my face with my fingers.......feels so good)

**Taz** · 03-16-2007, 05:24 AM

Originally Posted by rikrdo

Smedley and Sir Stauff have given you some great tips.
I'll go ya one more:

*Pour hot water (2-3 oz) on top of soap for a cuppa minutes
*Pour hot soapy water into lather bowl
*Take DRY brush and load with soap
*Take loaded dry brush to hot soapy water in lather bowl
*GO TO TOWN !!

You'll have great lather and lots of it in no time.
Good luck.
(I also like to rub my fingers in the warm soap and then pre lather my face with my fingers.......feels so good)

I shake mine good (that does not sound good but you know what I mean) I need to try the brush dry

**Steerpike** · 03-16-2007, 08:54 AM

A coarser brush scrapes up soap sooner, so you get a thicker lather quicker. The finest silvertip takes a little longer to gather enough soap. However, it's worth it as it is so pleasant a feeling on the face! There are cheats for making richer lather faster, such as warming it with a bit of hot water, this softens up the top of the soap so it mixes up quicker. You can also add a few drops of Trumpers skin food or glycerin before you start swirling the brush, this makes a lather that more approximates that of a cream, and you use less soap. Overall though. I find that soaps never lather quite so rich as creams, but they last WAY longer and allow the closest shaves.

**michaelskar** · 03-16-2007, 11:40 AM

Like some others, I pour a little hot water on top and let it pool there (enough to cover the whole top of the soap). I let it sit there while my brush soaks and I take a shower (5 to 10 mins or so). When I get out of the shower I pour out the water (some people pour the water into the mixing bowl, but I've found this to be way too much water in the bowl), let the water drip out of my brush (with a few shakes) and just start circling the tips of the brush on the now softened soap. the idea of tilting it over the bowl as you swirl is good as it catches some nice amounts of dripping soap.

this always results in at least 4 passes worth of lather for me, but of course YMMV. I always use a badger brush, and I find that the hairs are stiff enough to work nicely (that is, I haven't found it necessary to use boar bristle or anything with hard soaps).

**DoubleE** · 03-16-2007, 03:35 PM

With a sizeable number of soaps in my rotation, mostly tripple milled but some glycerine thrown in for good measure, I've never felt the need to pour water over them to soften them up. I also don't give my brush a shake. I remove it from my cup of hot water, let it drain for a couple of seconds, then hold the soap container at an angle over my bowl as I begin to swirl the brush on the soap (as directed by the Lathermeister). The soapy water will run into the bowl as you continue to charge the brush with soap. After 30 seconds or so of swiriling on the soap, I move to the bowl and swirl there for another 30 to 60 seconds. It's rare that I get a lather I'm not pleased with. Some soaps will lather easier than others and experience will tell you the adjustments you need to make between them.

edit: I'll also mention I tend to use different brushes on my soaps than I do on my creams. I believe the shorter loft , more firm brushes work better with soaps than a flexible brush with a taller loft. Can I get good lather from both? Yes, but it takes more work with the latter.