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Fact or Fiction - Lather related

Q1. Lather made on in a bowl will provide denser lather then lather made on face?



Q2 Its possible to over mix you lather. Stick to the same time every time.
 
Both are neither, but more a YMMV thing.

Some people will make a better, though not necessarily denser, lather in a bowl. Others, like me, find the surface of the face makes better lather than a bowl. Maybe it's a matter of materials and the amount of surface area. The one thing I think a bowl is better for is making a consistent lather for all passes. But consistency in each pass isn't necessarily something face lathering practitioners want, and lather in a bowl or scuttle can break down on its own.

Time isn't the important factor in making lather. The time to reach a particular lather might vary day to day, or by the water quality, choice of soap, or because we're not precisely measuring things. I bet most of us go by look & feel. I do believe if you keep mixing lather past that perfect spot you'll only succeed in messing it up, probably by adding more air than you need, or breaking it if you keep adding water.
 
IMHO time spent face lathering is also time spent soaking and softening the beard in preparation to a great shave.
 
A1. False. Some of us make better lather in a bowl, some of us on our face.

A2. I'm not sure if it is possible to over mix lather.

A3. Timing the lather mixing process is not a gauge of good lather. Too many variables.

Good luck with lathering!
 
Lather is like a lot of things: there are no universal truths. There are too many variables. For instance, some bowls lather better than others due to the way they're made and their respective textures. What works best for me is a "combination." I load my brush with soap from a mug, then begin building my lather in a heated bowl that I keep on an electric mug warmer, then I finish building my lather on my face.
 
Both are neither, but more a YMMV thing.

Some people will make a better, though not necessarily denser, lather in a bowl. Others, like me, find the surface of the face makes better lather than a bowl. Maybe it's a matter of materials and the amount of surface area. The one thing I think a bowl is better for is making a consistent lather for all passes. But consistency in each pass isn't necessarily something face lathering practitioners want, and lather in a bowl or scuttle can break down on its own.

Time isn't the important factor in making lather. The time to reach a particular lather might vary day to day, or by the water quality, choice of soap, or because we're not precisely measuring things. I bet most of us go by look & feel. I do believe if you keep mixing lather past that perfect spot you'll only succeed in messing it up, probably by adding more air than you need, or breaking it if you keep adding water.

What Steve said. I happen to like bowl lathering but when I travel I use a shave stick and face lather. Both work fine - it's just a matter of personal preference.

As Steve said, there are two many variables to put a time limit to make good lather. There are some soaps and creams that lather fast and easy. Then there are some that take more time and effort. Unfortunately, there are some products that can't seem to make a good lather at all.

Take a look at the wiki on lathers: : http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Lathers.
 
both are neither, but more a ymmv thing.

Some people will make a better, though not necessarily denser, lather in a bowl. Others, like me, find the surface of the face makes better lather than a bowl. Maybe it's a matter of materials and the amount of surface area. The one thing i think a bowl is better for is making a consistent lather for all passes. But consistency in each pass isn't necessarily something face lathering practitioners want, and lather in a bowl or scuttle can break down on its own.

Time isn't the important factor in making lather. The time to reach a particular lather might vary day to day, or by the water quality, choice of soap, or because we're not precisely measuring things. I bet most of us go by look & feel. I do believe if you keep mixing lather past that perfect spot you'll only succeed in messing it up, probably by adding more air than you need, or breaking it if you keep adding water.

+1
 
A1. False. Some of us make better lather in a bowl, some of us on our face.

+1

A2. I'm not sure if it is possible to over mix lather.

A3. Timing the lather mixing process is not a gauge of good lather. Too many variables.

Another +1

If it takes you 10 minutes to whip up a dry lather, it's still going to be a dry lather. If after 10 minutes you realize this and add water to make super awesome lather, then you will still have super awesome lather. Obviously I'm exaggerating the timing, but you get the idea. It may take 1 minute to do this for some, 3 minutes for others, and so on...
 
I would think that over-mixing lather (ie, adding more air) would be bad because you'll have less actual product on your face and more.. air. I try not to over-mix lather, I like it really hydrated, less like whipped cream. Extra centimeters of lather depth on your face does nothing except make a mess. Where it matters is where the lather actually touches your face..
 

Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
both are neither, but more a ymmv thing.

Some people will make a better, though not necessarily denser, lather in a bowl. Others, like me, find the surface of the face makes better lather than a bowl. Maybe it's a matter of materials and the amount of surface area. The one thing i think a bowl is better for is making a consistent lather for all passes. But consistency in each pass isn't necessarily something face lathering practitioners want, and lather in a bowl or scuttle can break down on its own.

Time isn't the important factor in making lather. The time to reach a particular lather might vary day to day, or by the water quality, choice of soap, or because we're not precisely measuring things. I bet most of us go by look & feel. I do believe if you keep mixing lather past that perfect spot you'll only succeed in messing it up, probably by adding more air than you need, or breaking it if you keep adding water.

+1
 
IMHO time spent face lathering is also time spent soaking and softening the beard in preparation to a great shave.

+1

I have found that I like face lathering better than bowl: the feel of the soap on my face is a pretty reliable gauge of 'readiness' (for me, YMMV).
 
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