Big trouble on little Jermyn Street

[Saxmoore]

Hi all, need a little advice, please. I've been using Proraso for a couple of months while trying to work out the kinks in my regimen. My lather with it is great; sick, cushiony and lasts forever.

Thinking that the menthol may be hiding poor technique (too much pressure) causing me to get red dots a couple days after shaving, I decided to try TOBS Jermyn from my sample pack to see if the cream might improve my results. I just haven't been able to get a lather as nice as the Proraso, though! I know that TOBS should be super easy to lather, but I seem to be having trouble.

Is there something about Jermyn street being a sensitive recipe that makes things different from the other creams?

I soak brush (fine badger) and bowl while showering then shake out most of the water in the brush. I scoop about an almond sized dollop out of the sampler with my finger, putting that into the bowl. Then I start whipping and add a little water at a time.

I get a lot of lather, But it seems airy. I keep adding a little water, but it seems to go from airy to thin with no in-between. I can't get it thick and slick like the Proraso.

Any advice, gents? Am I missing something easy? Thanks!

Sax

 

[opliko]

I had endless trouble with creams and soaps until I started face lathering. I haven't had a problem since, and haven't bowl lathered since either.

 

[galopede]

I'd not heard of the Jermyn Street from TOBS so I looked it up on their site. It says:
Jermyn St. Collection Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin
Our new fresh fougère fragranced Jermyn Street Collection Shaving Cream is allergen-free and has been specially formulated for Sensitive Skin.

So it would seem to be a new formulation. Maybe it doesn't lather as well as the regular TOBS creams?

Be interested to hear from anyone else that's used it?

Gareth

 

[Hughies_online]

It does lather slightly less than maybe say the avocado. But the difference to me was barely noticeable. You may have a bad batch perhaps. Your technique seems fine. Mind you, I do face-lather which could affect the latherability. An almond size amount is actually much more than I would typically use for any TOBS cream. There should be a lot of lather with that quantity.

 

[Torcams]

I have had nothing but trouble creating a nice lather with TOBS products. Maybe it's my hard water, maybe something else - but I don't have any trouble with Trumper or Castle Forbes (my favorite creams) so I've given up on their entire line.

 

[Saxmoore]

Thanks for the responses. Still no luck with it. I tried a little less product today and I just got, well...less lather, hehe. I've tried several times to very the water and just can't get it close to the nice lather I got with Proraso. I'm going to try some of the other TOBS from the sample pack and see if there's ay difference.

 

[Kevan]

I have Jermyn Street and it explodes with lather as much as any other TOBS cream I've tried.

I face-lather as well. I get better results than I ever did with bowl-lathering and haven't looked back.

 

[BROWNS]

I bowl lather, and haven't noticed any problems lathering the Jermyn Street TOBS. I soak my brush, and instead of shaking it I apply some pressure to the bristles with my hand until the flow of water stops, without really shaking it. I put the almond-sized portion of cream directly into the brush as opposed to the bowl. I like to add 1/2-1 teaspoon of HOT water to the bottom of my bowl then start lathering. Normally whips up very quickly for me, so give that a try!

 

[jwhite]

I've been using TOBS creams for quite a while and only ever had a problem once when I added too much water, then my lather was as you described thin, airy, no richness to it at all. Maybe that is it, try with less water. I took my sandalwood last time I visited my father, who has hard water, and had no problem at all. I also use Poraso, both work well for me. Come to think of it maybe that's why so many like to face lather with it the face wont hold the quantity of water that your using. I just give my brush a shake and rub it around the tub and get a lather started in my bowl. I only ever add a little water, maybe 1/3 tsp to half I'm guessing, I don't really measure.

 

[Saxmoore]

Thanks jwhite and Browns. I'll give it another shot tonight. I tried lathering Eton College last night and had the same results as with Jermyn. I never thought it was the cream, but something that I need to do differently then with Proraso.

In fact, I was about to throw out all of the TOBS samples last night when I couldn't get either Eton College or Jermyn St. right. Just to make sure I wasn't going crazy, I tried a squeeze of AOS unscented cream and got the nice lather that I was getting from Proraso. I just need to figure out the trick with TOBS, I guess.

Thanks!

 

[opliko]

For non face lathering with TOBS try using MUCH less water. I never got as good in the bowl as on the face anyway with it, but I'm sure its doable.

 

[slickster514]

Hard water can be partly to blame. When I'm in London lathering is more of a challenge than say back in Montreal, Canada.