I'm vacationing on the coast of Maine next week, and this will be my first time there since starting to wetshave. The water there is perfectly drinkable and useable to shower/shave with, however it has an extremely high iron content, so much so that we all come out of the showers smelling like metal and use bottled water to drink/cook with because of the taste. My question is, how will this affect my lathers during the week? The last time I was there I used a cartridge razor.
High iron content
- Thread starter eleuther0s
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Well, there's knowledge, and then there's science... experimenting is fun! I'd try a splash of vinegar in the basin water, and then a pinch of scraped alum powder -- IF the lather is affected. My understanding that lather destruction and the creation of soap scum are the same reaction of glycerine and positive ions, so iron could well be worse than the usual calcium. I think sulfur is supposed to be the worst, though.
If it was me I'd boil a kettle of bottled water. If you have to use the iron water try avoiding triethanolamine and tetrasodium EDTA, etc.
Just lather it up, and shave with it.. Don't over think it. Either add more soap/cream or add more water. Problem solved.
Amen. Enjoy the trip. Remember, this is only shaving! Gents in Maine have been doing this successfully for decades and you can, too!
Take a 75-cent stick of Arko with you. That stuff will lather with anything. (Although in Maine, it's pronounced "Ahko.")
If you have issues just pick up a jug of distilled for shaving with.
+1. Distilled water is cheap and effective.
Try Arko with just vinegar. You know, in th e interest of science.
+2. Load up the brush with more product if you run into any issues!
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