Inpsired by laziness some days, I have realized that my shaves with tube gels (i.e., Jack Black Beard Lube, Neutrogena) are just as close as when I use bowl lathered creams. Perhaps I am not building a good lather but what got me thinking is that I am wasting so much water when I clean up my brush and the mess created with traditional lathering, which living in drought stricken Southern California really makes me question my purpose. I am thinking of giving up my brushes and fancy Sandalwood creams and just going the gel route. Am I missing something, what do the cream lathers provide that a modern thin gel does not?