This page is part of the Interactive Guide to Lathering. It was created in order to help any wetshaver with their lather to give then tips and tricks (and do's and don'ts) when making lather. If you need further help, please consult the Lather tutorials.

Many new wetshavers experience difficulties when it comes to build the lather [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]. Do not be alarmed, everyone went through this pattern. It could be because you never used a shaving brush or because you never made lather from a shaving soap or shaving cream. Keep in mind that this is here to help you. You might be doing something differently and it works. That's fine, YMMV!

• Practice you lather before your next shave or in between shaves. This is very important as when you need the lather is not the time to learn how the product works. [9] [10] [11]
• Charge your brush more than what you think is required and then reduce it. This will teach you how much product you actually need. [12] [13]
• Test your products, all products. Make some lather, apply it on your arm and wait a good 5 minutes. If it disappears, you will need to add more product. [14]
• You need a slick and thick lather that has a cushion. [15] [16] [17]

• Assume that a shaving cream will need the same amount of water than a shaving soap. Shave creams need less. [18] [19]
• Keep any issue to yourself. Share it with the forum. [20]
• Buy a product labeled as soap expecting that it will produce lather. Avoid any "back of a van" type of shaving soaps. Some can be wonderful but if you are trying to do lather for the first time, pick the right products (shaving soap or shaving cream). [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26]

• The most common issue is the quantity of product used. If you have a watery lather, double the amount of product and try again. [27] [28] [29]
• Shaving Sticks are not only for traveling, you can use them at home. [30] [31]
• Shaving Soap or Shaving Cream? They will both produce lather, pick the one you like. Keep in mind that shaving cream is easier to work with than shaving soap. [32] [33] [34] [35]
• You can build lather on the shave soap directly if you want, in a separate bowl, face lather or in your hand (as a bowl). Those methods are all good. Most wetshaver bowl lather (use a bowl) or face lather (build lather directly on their face). [36]
• It's easier to fix a dry lather than a wet lather. When building lather, hold the water and add it as you go. [37]
• Water is very important. Hard water makes it difficult to build lather but not impossible. [38] [39]
• Each shaving brush is different, so they absorb different quantities of water, they hold more or less lather. Some are stiffer than others, and some are naturally soft. A good shave brush is very important.

[40]

1. USE MORE PRODUCT - I can't stress this enough. Don't get caught up in the "I can make lather with 5 swirls or in 10 sec" hype. Load you brush until it looks like there is enough product in it, then load it up even more. If you are scooping a cream, scoop more then you think you need. If you are lathering on a puck, load more then you think. You can always buy more soap/cream, you can't take back a bad shave. Remember, it's not a race. You choose DE shaving to enjoy it and relax, it's not speed shaving. You will know the lather is ready when you see it, not by counting or timing yourself.
2. FACE LATHER - It is much easier to tell the consistency of a product if you face lather it. I find it also helps the "too much water" issue. If you face lather with a too wet brush, the water will run off your face instead of staying in the bowl and making lather soup which ultimately results in weak, runny lather or scrapping it all together.
3. DON'T BRUSH MASH - Don't mash your brush during the soap application phase or when applying to your face. Gentle pressure is all that is needed for both processes, you don't need to touch the puck or your face to the base of the knot. It picks up product better this way and will not give you brush burn when you are applying to your face with gently pressure. I find when applying to my face, circular strokes to start off and get the lather all over my face, then paint/slapping strokes to thicken it up to how I like it.
4. USE LESS WATER - Whether bowl lathering of face lathering, start with a drier brush in general. This is not to say that I use a drier brush for all my product, but until you have a soap/cream dialled in, it is easier to add water then take away. I always soak my brush in hot water when in the shower, then give it a gentle squeeze at the base of the knot to get the majority of the water out, but still leaves the bristles and ends damp. Dipping the brush during the lather process is a simple process to add water to your lather or dropping a bit in with your finger tips. You can always add water but it's impossible to take it away.
5. GO BACK TO THE PUCK - If you are using a soap, or cream for that matter, there is absolutely no harm in reapplying soap for pass 2 or 3 or both if your lather is getting a bit thin. Until you get the lather process down, you may need to swirl a few times for subsequent passes so don't feel bad if you are going back to your soap/cream for each pass.
6. TRY A SHAVE STICK - Shave sticks are lather making machines and great for distributing the lather all over your face. If you don't have a stick but use a puck, pick up the puck and rub it all over your face and neck then face lather it. This aids in getting raw product all over your shaving area and the damp brush will distribute it when you lather it. If you find the soap is clogging up your razor or you are seeing bits and pieces of unlathered soap on your face, it usually means you did not use enough water or lather long enough.
7. LOAD OVER SOMETHING - If you are using a soap and swirling on the puck, load over a mug or bowl to catch all the drippings. All those drippings will aid in pass 2 and 3 and 4 (if you do that many) so you don't have to go back to the puck for more product. I find if I am using a soap and lathering it, I start by lathering it horizontal then switch to a 45* over my mug/bowl to catch the drippings. I then make sure to get soap into the base of my brush by lathering it almost on the sides of the bristles. Others find lathering the puck upside down with the brush under the soap, aids to get product into the base of the brush bristles. Both ways will work just fine if you decide to try either.
8. USE ROOM TEMP WATER - When in doubt, use warm/room temp water. Often soaps will break down in heat and is the cause of "evaporating lather" on your face or in your bowl/brush. Experiment and see if the product is "heat friendly", as some are and some aren't. I prefer warm lathe from my bowl or brush scuttle, but some of my favourite product are not "heat friendly", so I just use them with room temp water and they lather up perfectly and do not break down.
9. TEST LATHER - There is no harm in doing some dry runs with a soap/cream to get it right before a shave. I often do a few test lathers with a new product to make sure I don't hack myself up on the first shave and/or have a lather I'm not happy with.
10. DON'T GO FOR A LATHER LOOK - This is #10, but could easily be the #1 piece of advise along with using more product. If it shaves well, that's all that matters. It does not have to look like yogurt, mayo, whipped cream or cool whip. If it works for you, who cares what it looks like or what others say about it.

• Interactive Guide to Lathering
• Lathering Tutorials
• Shave Soaps
• Shave Creams

1. ^Help on creating a Proper lather with brush and soap
2. ^Need Lather help
3. ^Scuttle lather help
4. ^Softsoap Lather Help
5. ^Help- Lather tips.
6. ^Face Lather Help
7. ^Help - Lather Problems
8. ^Need help with soap lather technique.
9. ^Do you ever practice lather?
10. ^So I just made a practice lather...
11. ^Practice lather/ How's my lather?
12. ^Lather advice for newbie
13. ^loading a brush for a minute?
14. ^Disappearing lather
15. ^What exactly is lather cushion?
16. ^Lather "slickness" problem.......
17. ^Benifit of "Cushion"
18. ^Does Proraso Cream Need More Water Than Other Creams?
19. ^Soap VS Cream?
20. ^Observations re face lathering
21. ^What do you do when you purchase a shaving soap that turns out to a be a "dud"?
22. ^Turning Bath Soap Into Shaving Soap?
23. ^Are there any grocery store bar soaps that cab be used well as shaving soap?
24. ^Shaving soap as bath soap?
25. ^Shave with a hand soap- bathe with a shaving soap?
26. ^can regular bath soap be used for lather?
27. ^My lather's too watery....Now what?
28. ^Lather breaking down very quickly
29. ^Shave cream dries out before done shaving..
30. ^Great appreciation for shaving sticks
31. ^YOUR experience with shaving sticks...
32. ^Face Lather Brush - Cream? Soap?
33. ^Some tips for soap please
34. ^Easier to Lather with Shave Cream v. Triple-Milled Soap?
35. ^Newbie with a question about shaving cream vs. shaving soap
36. ^Lathering on the puck?
37. ^Lather too dry?
38. ^The Baking Soda Trick
39. ^hard water shaving cream? Soft water system recommendations?
40. ^http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/347454-My-top-10-General-Lathering-Tips