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What's the point of lather?

Sounds like a dumb question, but hear me out...

I enjoy mixing up lather and getting the cream or soap or whatever into a lovely whipped consistency with nice peaks on it etc. It takes practice and improves in time.

Then I enjoy putting it on my face nice and thick with my brush.

I read terms here like 'cushion' and it makes me wonder....

When you put a metal razor to your face with a sharp blade, it doesn't bounce over this thick cushion of lather.. the blade goes straight to the skin and cuts as you move the razor.

I don't see how the consistency of the lather has any bearing at all on how the razor travel across the face, or how the blade cuts the whiskers. The razor just acts like a snowplough and no matter how thick or awesome the lather is, it just shifts it out of the way.

So it makes me think... it is actually the properties of the product which are important, not the lather? It is the ingredients which soften the whiskers and provide the slip for the razor so it glides over the skin without irritation.

It seems to me that the act of making the perfect lather is really just a bit of fun - it makes no difference to the shave whether lather is sloppy or firm. All that matters is the lubrication of the product on the skin.

For all I know, just rubbing the product on the face between passes would be just as effective.

However, I am fairly new to this and may be missing something, I look forward to hearing from the experts.
 
With a DE a fluffy thick lather works better... I find with straights a more "watery"lather does the trick...

Experiment with the method of applying your lather and find what works best.... The laws are not chipped in stone....
 
For me at least, the lather has to be thick enough to hold the stubble up. I have a dark beard, with thick hairs that like to lay against the skin (and grow back in if they can!) in several places. A stiff brush can stand those hairs up and somewhat thick lather can keep them up so a WTG pass will cut them down.
 
Whatever way you like your lather, be it thick or thin, is all up to you. What it does is take the stiffness out of the whiskers, makes then softer, and gets them ready for the razor. I for one find it a waste to look like Santa Claus, and prefer a thinner, slicker lather.

It is up to each though, and lather is another good example of YMMV. :wink2: :001_tongu
 
There really is no point in a lather (aside from personal enjoyment). Look at how many latherless creams are available...they perform as well (sometimes better) than any lather cream. In fact, you can still use lather cream latherless and get a great shave.
 
you could always shave with plain cold water...I talked to an old barber who during the depression didnt have enough cash for cream/soap..still shaved with cold water to this day..my physician commented.."he must have whiskers of steel" :001_unsur
 
I prefer a thick lather for the first pass, but thin it out for the second and third pass. For touch ups I like it thin enough that it runs.
 
Lather holds the alkili soap (which breaks down and softens the hairs) and a good amount of water (which gives you the cushion and glide) together against your skin.
How much of each and how thick/thin the lather is really comes down to personal preference, beard type, expectations, shaving style, water chemistry, etc.

As an experiment, try shaving with really dry lather, then with really wet. You'll probably find that either extreme leads to irritation, and that there's a sweet spot in the middle.
 
Before I knew about shaving brushes and DE's a student gave me some American Crew Shave cream and I didn't whip it up into lather, but just spread it on my face. It gave an amazing shave, however I wouldn't have used nearly as much product if I had known about making lather. An almond size rubbed straight into your skin is enough for maybe one pass, whip it up you get 3-5 passes worth and probably rinse some out at the end. Also, it is much more fun to make.
 
Lather holds the alkili soap (which breaks down and softens the hairs) and a good amount of water (which gives you the cushion and glide) together against your skin.
How much of each and how thick/thin the lather is really comes down to personal preference, beard type, expectations, shaving style, water chemistry, etc.

As an experiment, try shaving with really dry lather, then with really wet. You'll probably find that either extreme leads to irritation, and that there's a sweet spot in the middle.

I'm with Chris, here. As a long-time latherer, I assure you that different lather shaves differently. It is up to each of us to find out what works best for ourselves.
 

captp

Pretty Pink Fairy Princess.
To wet your whiskers and lubricate your skin. Cushoin? I still don't get it; I believe that cushion is provided by lubrication. You don't need a Santa Claus load of lather, and you don't want it so runny that it's running down your face onto your chest, hands and razor.
 
I went to bath and body works the other day to pick up a tube of bigelow for travel. They had bigelow on 2 for 1 so (of course) I bought 3. Then I figured out that with all the new product I have bought lately to try, it would take me forever to go through 3 tubes. So I gave one to my old man and told him to try it. He shaves with some cartridge razor and doesn't have a brush. When I asked him how he liked it, he said he couldn't figure out how to make it lather, but it shaved fine and he liked the way it felt. So maybe a "proper" lather really doesn't matter, but I enjoy the ritual and the journey personally.

On the other hand, I gave him my Tweezerman brush, which I have recently replaced with a Simpson 57. Then I showed him Mantic's video on making lather and told him to try it. Then I made him come to an art of shaving shop with me while we were on a road trip, which peaked his interest even more. So essentially, I am now teaching my own father how to shave! All that's left is to wait until he is vulnerable, and replace his cartridge with a DE. I WILL convert him muahahaha.
 
i think lather is for lubrication, whisker softening, and a slight bit of cushioning on the blade edge, some skin conditioning. shaving on water or dry is not as nice as with a great lather.
 
Although cushioning may be the least important aspect of lather, I think it is there, and it matters. The blade may be able to cut through it, but if the rest of the razor is floating over a film of lather it governs pressure on the blade.
 
I've heard it said that lather--especially the act of brushing it on your face with a brush--helps whiskers stand up so that they're easier to cut cleanly.
 
I agree with virtually all of the above posters and find lather to be a great lubricant in the contact between blade and skin. That said, after the traditional three passes, I use rinse my face and use an oil finish to get those last pesky bristles. It lubricates even better and allows repeated j-hooks and buffing without irritation.

It's all about the ritual for me, and the luxury of taking my time and enjoying the sensual tactile pleasures and scents as a daily routine. Lather is an integral part of that.
 
My face says that the thickness (depth?) of lather on the face (as opposed to the consistency of the lather) matters very little....if there's enough to cover and it doesn't run off before you can shave it off, then you have it applied in sufficient quantity. However the *consistency* of the lather you apply does change the way the "product" behaves on your face and like a few have already said I think the relative wetness (or dryness as the case may be) of the lather as it sits on your face is fairly important to getting the best protection/comfort from your chosen soap. I won't comment on the effect that it has on closeness though, since I'm not a BBS shaver, if it's close enough that I look decent and the GF doesn't complain it's a decent shave in my book (and even a single pass with a DE razor beats several passes with a cartridge shaver for closeness IMO).

With some soaps the "Santa beard" fluff of whipped up lather may well give the best performance, but with the brands I have been using it seems like wasted soap and effort.
 
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