This is my thought exactly. Cushioning or the idea of it makes you feel good but actually doesn’t exist. And its actually provable scientifically. Every time I shave I prove it.I don’t know what cushion means when applying it to a shave, truth be told. I think of the lather as softening the whiskers and providing a slick slide. I use a lather on the wet side, I guess. The razor head glides and doesn’t interfere with the blade doing the work.
But whipping up lather and experimenting with different soaps is part of the fun but so be it, just that beard softening and slickness is really the only thing that matters in the end.