Does anybody else use a syringe or similar measuring device to add exact amounts of water to their soap? Lately I've been adding exactly 7 ml of water to my Mike's natural coconut soap as I whip it up in a lathering bowl and I've been getting the pasty, slick consistency that I prefer. If I add too much water, it becomes too foamy and I don't like it.
Using a syringe to add water to soap
- Thread starter raiden
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I get my brush full of water and let water drip from it to make a pool on the soap not quite the diameter of a US fifty cent piece. If I find there is too much water when I am whipping up a lather in the lathering bowl, I let a little run over the side of the bowl. It is more likely I need to add a little water. I turn on the tap so it is little more than a drip. Then I pass one side of the bowl under the faucet very quickly so I catch only a drop or two.
I find that the amount of water I must add also is dependent on the brush I am using.
I transfer some water by dipping my razor head in the sink if I need just a little. Sometimes the brush if I need a lot.
Using Marco's sopping-wet brush method and a lighter load (10-15 seconds) with quality soaps like Tabac, D.R. Harris and TOBS hard soaps, I don't need to add any water. Just a little time working it on my face gives me a nice slippery protective amount of lather in little time. I find that if I have to add water, I never seem to add quite enough until it's drowned out, then have to add more soap. Do whatever works for you though!
Perhaps not an actual syringe with needle, but I've considered using one of those dental irrigators.
An eyedropper is fine.
Ive seen some Youtube wet shavers use the syringe method but that just seems like overthinking it to me. If the lather is a bit dry, dip the tips of the brush in water. It doesnt need to be so complicated.
What @Badgerstate36 said... I just dip the tips or drizzle some water on the brush with my hand. Sometimes I overload and it takes a bit more water. Just figure it out as I go. But heck, if your method works, than rock on!
The concept of knowing an exact amount of water to add to a soap/brush combination appeals to me. Sounds like a B&B science experiment. We've tested distilled water, hard water from A,B,C, and soft water from F,G,H, using brush L,M, and N, and using animal and vegan soaps from W, X, Y, and Z, to measure the quality of a shave using an objective measure of ... rats. Concept fail. Still love the idea for anyone to experiment for themselves. Especially to create a working lather quickly with no guesswork per soap/brush. I sense a spreadsheet being created in my house in 3, 2, ...
I have used a spritzer/spray bottle to add water to my lather bowl. I even added some VG to the water although the effect of it seems to be very little.
I use a 1oz. Plastic medicine measuring cup to add the exact amount of water to my shaving soap.
Since I started doing this my lather has remained consistently the same. Makes the morning ritual even more enjoyable.
Since I started doing this my lather has remained consistently the same. Makes the morning ritual even more enjoyable.
I've been using a 10 mL/2 teaspoon child medicine syringe for a while now and I really enjoy it.
* I like the way it lets me add a teaspoon at a time (a.k.a. larger quantities) as I build up the lather in my bowl.
* I also like the way it let's me easily switch to small quantities like a few drips to the brush as I'm fine-tuning the lather on my face.
* And I like the way it lets me track how much I use , which I note down , and it helps me to shortcut to a quicker lather with that soap the next time.
I don't keep a sink full of water while I shave because there's no telling what my son has used the sink for! Otherwise I would probably do the dip-the-brush-tips-in-the-water for small amounts technique.
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* I like the way it lets me add a teaspoon at a time (a.k.a. larger quantities) as I build up the lather in my bowl.
* I also like the way it let's me easily switch to small quantities like a few drips to the brush as I'm fine-tuning the lather on my face.
* And I like the way it lets me track how much I use , which I note down , and it helps me to shortcut to a quicker lather with that soap the next time.
I don't keep a sink full of water while I shave because there's no telling what my son has used the sink for! Otherwise I would probably do the dip-the-brush-tips-in-the-water for small amounts technique.
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Nope, I just dip my fingers in some water and drip the water off them into my bowl.
Never thought of measuring the water.
Never thought of measuring the water.
I only use whatever water is still in or on the brush bristles. I lather off the puck or in the soap tub and face lather. The only time that I add water is when I am whipping up a shaving cream in a lather bowl. I then do what @cleanshaved does and dribble some off my fingers into the bowl.
I do the same as @cleanshaved and @ajkel64. If I need more water, I dip my fingers in the cup that I use to soak my brush, then dribble a bit on the brush.
Repeat as necessary until the lather is the desired consistency.
Repeat as necessary until the lather is the desired consistency.
I just quickly run the brush under a small stream of water. You guys are making this way too complicated!
I had not thought about it I just add the water from my brush or run a few drips from the faucet.. I guess you could use an empty eye drop bottle and add water that way though also....
I bowl lather and I have so many soaps that I do not worry about making more lather than I need. I start off with 1 Tablespoon of water (15 ml) and about 1.5 grams of soap (10:1 ratio). For hard soaps, I dump the water on top of the puck and bloom the puck for a minute or two. For softer soaps, I bloom for about 10-15 seconds. For very soft soaps, croaps and creams, I just scoop out about 1/4 teaspoon of soap into my bowl. I always soak my brush but squeeze and shake out any excess water. Sometimes I will have to add another few drops of water to my lather, but I normally get pretty close to start with.
Generally, I end up with enough lather for about five passes. I do a three pass shave, a cleanup pass and then apply the remaining lather to my face and leave it on for about a minute for extra conditioning. However, I only do that with soaps that have excellent post-shave properties.
Generally, I end up with enough lather for about five passes. I do a three pass shave, a cleanup pass and then apply the remaining lather to my face and leave it on for about a minute for extra conditioning. However, I only do that with soaps that have excellent post-shave properties.
As a nurse, I completely could not figure out why anyone would inject water into a puck of soap!
Unless it was rude to you.
Just kidding. I always followed the docs orders.
Unless it was rude to you.
Just kidding. I always followed the docs orders.
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