YouTube barber's lather.why is it lacking?

I've been watching a ton of professional barber videos on YouTube. Mainly the videos are of a guy going to a barber (typically Turkish, Italian, and Indian master barbers) and getting a straight shave. These videos are very calming and illicit a great ASMR response (if you don't know what this is, look into it, it is fascinating and works). An example of these are the channel ASMR Barber, check it out.

Getting back on topic, what I've noticed in many of these videos that these very old-school, very professional barbers put a very thin, airy lather on their guests and still achieve great results. What do they know that we don't? Why does the lather consistently from barber to barber look so thin?

I've noticed the same and am curious too.

Jinx18 said:

I've noticed the same and am curious too.

Click to expand...

+1, Interested in the answer if there is one.

Probably that's all they need. Some of us here (me included) probably overdo the swirling and loading in an attempt to replicate the fluffy stuff we all grew up on from the can. Just a theory.

Maybe the airy lather is just much more 'watery' and improves slickness. I have found the same thing myself. The 'Lather Porn' pics of super thick lather look great, but doesn't always lead to a great shave. Just my 2¢

1) Really, if you think about it, anything beyond a thin layer of lather is wasteful and useless. What matters is the lather right on the skin where the blade is interacting. Everything beyond that thin layer just gets scooped up by the razor and serves no purpose.

2) The barber want efficiency. If he has to stop to clean his razor off after ever single stroke because of all of the lather, your shave is going to take longer, and be more messy. With just a thin layer, he can shave quite a bit, before he has to wipe lather from the blade.

3) (and probably a minor point) The barber needs to see where your skin is. If he has to put the blade through an inch of lather before reaching your skin, he might have a greater chance of misjudging where your skin is and nicking you.


I've never understood the need to build ultra thick lather, and build it up on your face. And when folks post pics of thin lather, other jump to tell them how to fix it. Thin lather is not broken. It does it's job. Once you build a great lather, it doesn't matter if you put it on thick or thin, it will shave the same. Try it and see.

BSAGuy and TheVez2 nailed it. While a 2" thick layer of ultra thick lather may be fun, it's a huge waste, but, hey, it's your lather and your fac, so waste away

BSAGuy said:

Probably that's all they need. Some of us here (me included) probably overdo the swirling and loading in an attempt to replicate the fluffy stuff we all grew up on from the can. Just a theory.

Click to expand...

I was thinking this too, being 32 my constant exposure to what "lather" is was my Dad's Barbasol or the gels I used prior to wetshaving.

froogle_jimmy said:

Maybe the airy lather is just much more 'watery' and improves slickness. I have found the same thing myself. The 'Lather Porn' pics of super thick lather look great, but doesn't always lead to a great shave. Just my 2¢

Click to expand...

I really think this is the debate I have going on in my head. Slickness vs cushion...is one better than the other or is is specific to hair type/ skin type?

TheVez2 said:

1) Really, if you think about it, anything beyond a thin layer of lather is wasteful and useless. What matters is the lather right on the skin where the blade is interacting. Everything beyond that thin layer just gets scooped up by the razor and serves no purpose.


I've never understood the need to build ultra thick lather, and build it up on your face. And when folks post pics of thin lather, other jump to tell them how to fix it. Thin lather is not broken. It does it's job. Once you build a great lather, it doesn't matter if you put it on thick or thin, it will shave the same. Try it and see.

Click to expand...

I'm all about function....are we all victims of "lather porn" or is there a function to all this?

BSAGuy said:

Probably that's all they need. Some of us here (me included) probably overdo the swirling and loading in an attempt to replicate the fluffy stuff we all grew up on from the can. Just a theory.

Click to expand...

+1 ... We want to duplicate the fluffy, meringue-tipped lather that is used to sell soaps and brushes, but its not really needed.

• My 3 rules of lather:
• Judge lather by its QUALITY, not QUANTITY.
• Any lather that doesn't make direct contact with your whiskers is a moot point.
• If it gives you a good shave, then its good lather.

Thanks for the tip about ASMR Barber, I'll have to check it out tonight. A friend at work has been recommending ASMR videos, I'll have to let him know about this one. I've been a fan for decades of Steven Halpern, who uses subliminal messages in his mood music, and lately I've been listening to Binaural Beats, which does the same thing.

Also barbers often use a preshave lotion or preshave oil which deflates the lather but it's still very slick and comfortable.

I'm impressed. A two pass shave in well under 10 minutes and he looked pretty calm under that alum bar. http://youtu.be/eEyolL79770

weizemanner said:

Also barbers often use a preshave lotion or preshave oil which deflates the lather but it's still very slick and comfortable.

I'm impressed. A two pass shave in well under 10 minutes and he looked pretty calm under that alum bar. http://youtu.be/eEyolL79770

Click to expand...

Looks like a cream no?

There's a difference between a GOOD thin lather and a bubbly mess of poor lather. Two soaps that many enjoy using don't work for me. Not because I couldn't make lather pr0n with them, but because I couldn't get past the airy, bubbly mess. Thin is quite ok... my second and third passes are typically quite thin, my first pass is only as thick as it is, because I face lather, and I've never figured out how to take soap off once it's there.

BSAGuy said:

Probably that's all they need. Some of us here (me included) probably overdo the swirling and loading in an attempt to replicate the fluffy stuff we all grew up on from the can. Just a theory.

Click to expand...

TheVez2 said:

Thin lather is not broken. It does it's job.

Click to expand...

When I started, I thought I had to have a whole bowl of crazy foamy lather because I'd been used to canned Barbasol for so long (still love Barbasol). When I started using soaps I realized that I can get an even SLICKER and way more effective lather if I ditched trying to make it look like it came from a can.

Don't get me wrong, I still like looking at the huge bowls of lather you guys post pictures of. It's just not what I need for a good shave.

Back in the old days, my dad's barber shop (my dad and one other barber) never used any kind of pre-shave oil or cream, but, as described above, gave great straightedge shaves. +1 that a good, thin lather is all that's required. Sure, a thick creamy lather can be fun and enjoyable, but it's practically unnecessary.

Well, this has been a big eye opener today. I just did my evening shave, face and head and went with the full Proraso line-up. I applied the pre shave lotion and then just rinsed my omega pro for a few seconds, shook it a bit, swirled a bit in the green tub and scrubbed my face. The lather was thinner than the usual lather porn but very slick. I did a two pass with my DE and finished with some Proraso splash. The results were fantastic. I am now a firm believer that good lather doesn't have a look, but a FEEL and I've just found a simpler, or enjoyable, and possibly more professional style of wetshaving for myself. I encourage you guys to give it a shot.

There you go!

theturducken said:

These videos are very calming and illicit a great ASMR response (if you don't know what this is, look into it, it is fascinating and works).

Click to expand...

I've been digging on these videos for a while! I thought it was weird that they worked so well, but sometimes I'll watch some of them when I'm stressed out from school. Some of the videos from thenomadbarber have a similar effect.

I watch them at night when I'm trying to fall asleep they are that relaxing!

This question appears over on the Straight Razor Forum on a regular basis and the response is always the same, a thinner and slicker lather gives a smoother and more comfortable shave with a straight razor. What you see in these videos is simply what works best with a straight razor.

flyz51 said:

This question appears over on the Straight Razor Forum on a regular basis and the response is always the same, a thinner and slicker lather gives a smoother and more comfortable shave with a straight razor. What you see in these videos is simply what works best with a straight razor.

Click to expand...

What strikes me as a bit of a "myth" is that a thin/slick lather would only work best with a straight. A blade touching your face is a blade touching your face. I don't see how a thick/puffy lather would work better for a DE...seems like what would be best for one blade would be best for all.