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Science behind beard softening?

Gave this a try after reading this thread and the modernmechanix article. Leaving the lather on my face for an extra minute before shaving did help soften up those tough whiskers on the chin.


Would you think that face lathering would take care of this by default? I build up the later over a period of a couple of minutes. Guess it can't hurt to let it sit there a bit longer. Something to try this weekend when i have more time to see if it makes any discernable difference
 
To get water into the hair, however, you must first remove the oil that coats the hair shaft.

I believe this to be incorrect. Keratin is composed of a water-resistant "microfibril" embedded in a water penetrable matrix. Water easily enters into the space between the fibers, even if it isn't easily absorbed by the fibers themselves.

Here's my original post on this: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...rt-Survey-of-Scientific-Literature-on-Shaving

BTW, I also have issues with that comparison to copper, which is a half truth, and quite irrelevant to cutting hair--the actual cutting mechanisms are very different--push vs fracture.

Is there any hard evidence that it is effective? Is it just a personal preference and YMMV? Just wondering because it seems that my beard doesn't know if I splash my face before the shave or spend 20 minutes with shampoo and conditioner. Could it be that your face is more receptive to the blade when it has been washed, as in no longer dirty, not softer? I can go with that. Just wondering if anyone else could go without the "beard softening" step due to a lack of a perceived or actual benefit.

It's been established by nearly every study and confirmed by nearly everybody's observations that a period of soaking in water of 2-3 minutes (or other method that allows free water absorption) makes it easier to cut the hair. While there's some variance in time and temperature and other factors, they're rather small, and there's also just a miniscule benefit in going beyond that 2-3 minute period. It's much harder to come up with any relationship to the effect of soap or conditioners. Finally, the effects that shaving cream, washing, etc have on the blade is probably best left to the imagination. I've never seen any science or even believable marketing hype that did the subject justice as regards shaving.
 
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