Brush Recommendations for Hard Water

[NYer]

I use a Proraso/Omega boar brush for soaps and a Stirling Tuxedo synthetic brush for creams which work very well. However, a place where I spend time over the summer has very hard water and I am having issues with getting a good lather with these brushes, especially for soaps.

I would appreciate any recommendations on brushes I should try, which might lather well in hard water.

Most of my soaps are Stirling and my creams tend to be Proraso or TOBS.

Thank you.

 

[coolcanuc]

I'll let someone who deals with hard water chime in on this to refute anything I may say. I do live in Toronto and have fairly hard water where I live. It is probably not a brush issue, but rather not enough product issue. If you are using the same amount of soap/cream as you do at home and if your local mineral content is on the softer side you will likely need to use more soap/cream at your summer retreat to get the same result.

Out of curiosity where is the summer place located? There may be a member with local knowledge who can help.

All the best.

 

[Johnnynroy]

Generally, hard water causing poor lather won’t be improved by changing brushes. You have to fix the water issue. You have a few options:

Easiest is as the poster above commented and load more heavily. I used Stirling in my moderately hard water and I load very heavily. Never had any issues with it. Proraso has EDTA which is a chelator (binds up the minerals which make water hard). It should work well with more product. Increase the amount of EDTA by increasing product amount and that will help negate the minerals better.

You could try distilled water. That eliminates all of the water quality issues, and can help you determine if it is water quality or something else that is going on.

Finally, you could try citric acid (some gents have advocated for other products, but this is all I’ve tried personally). If you search for Cal’s thread on citric acid and hard water, he lists the ratio he uses. I believe it is a 1:10,000 ratio which, if memory serves, was 1/4 tsp per 5 L of water. I could be completely off though so double check that thread for the exact ratio.


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[dulac66]

I use a little baking soda in the water

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[TheLegalRazor]

I live in Miami and have hard water. I don't think your issues have to do with your brush. I've used the
Proraso/Omega brush many times to produce great lather. Normally, lathering issues with hard water are due to the soap, and not the brush. Some soap formulations just won't lather well in hard water. However, I'm surprised you're having problems lathering Proraso or TOBS creams in hard water. You may need to use more cream or otherwise work on your lathering technique. You may also want to try a synthetic brush, because they excel at creating lather.

 

[shaveSymptomatic]

I live in Miami as well, and don't have any problems with proraso soap using synthetic/boar brushes. I'd suggest maybe loading more soap on the brush that you usually do.

 

[NYer]

Thanks for your suggestions. I used Stirling MITA and modified how I wet the brush and loaded more soap and got a decent lather, not great, but decent. Yesterday I used Proraso, in the same manner, and all was fine, I got more than enough lather. I guess softer soaps are better with hard water and maybe I will stick with Proraso. I have not tried to use TOBS yet, but will next time I am at the house.

I have well water at the house and regularly need to take off the faucet screens and remove pebbles from them.

So, I guess the brush is not the issue at all. Thanks again for your thoughts, I appreciate the help.

 

[Mick]

Hard water is not good for brushes. You'll get more buildup in the knot.

Use an inexpensive almost disposable brush.

 

[shaveSymptomatic]

Thanks for your suggestions. I used Stirling MITA and modified how I wet the brush and loaded more soap and got a decent lather, not great, but decent. Yesterday I used Proraso, in the same manner, and all was fine, I got more than enough lather. I guess softer soaps are better with hard water and maybe I will stick with Proraso. I have not tried to use TOBS yet, but will next time I am at the house.

I have well water at the house and regularly need to take off the faucet screens and remove pebbles from them.

So, I guess the brush is not the issue at all. Thanks again for your thoughts, I appreciate the help.

Sure thing!
Other soaps that are amazing with very hard water are fine accouterments and Hasling. I'm sure there are more but those 2 are the ones I've tried.

 

[takisg]

Your hard water is causing your lather problems and will not be solved by getting a new brush. Instead use a small amount of backing soda in your tap water or buy a gallon of distilled water. Either two, will work miracles in your lather.

 

[wmblake]

Just me talkin, I'm new to using a brush (bout a year). Anyway, I am very interested in health and I have opinions based on extensive research.

Distilled water (water with no minerals in it) has a ph of 7. Seven is neutral, neither acid or alkaline. Hard water is caused by minerals, calcium and or magnesium. Water is considered "hard" when it reaches 8.5. Water softeners "soften" water by using sodium chloride (salt) or potassium chloride to bind these minerals to a filter.

Your skins sebum has a ph of between 5 and 5.5 (Or so if you are white, slightly lower if black).

So if you want to lower ph, you can add acid. Sounds scary but I mean Apple cider vinegar with a ph of 5 or citric acid (in the canning isle).

Baking soda with a ph of 9 will do absolutely nothing to soften hard water. Soap has a ph of between 9 and 10 btw.

Soooo, in answer to your question "how do I get a better lather?" I add 4 drops of vegetable glycerin to my shaving mug each time I shave and get a wonderful creamy lather. Vegetable glycerin has a a ph of 7 btw. You can find it at Satan's Super Store.

So there's one old hippy's opinion. I welcome additions and corrections from any chemists in the brotherhood.

 

[BigJ]

Generally, hard water causing poor lather won’t be improved by changing brushes. You have to fix the water issue. You have a few options:

Easiest is as the poster above commented and load more heavily. I used Stirling in my moderately hard water and I load very heavily. Never had any issues with it. Proraso has EDTA which is a chelator (binds up the minerals which make water hard). It should work well with more product. Increase the amount of EDTA by increasing product amount and that will help negate the minerals better.

You could try distilled water. That eliminates all of the water quality issues, and can help you determine if it is water quality or something else that is going on.

Finally, you could try citric acid (some gents have advocated for other products, but this is all I’ve tried personally). If you search for Cal’s thread on citric acid and hard water, he lists the ratio he uses. I believe it is a 1:10,000 ratio which, if memory serves, was 1/4 tsp per 5 L of water. I could be completely off though so double check that thread for the exact ratio.


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+1! Great suggestions!!

 

[njpaddy]

My house has well water. Once I finally figured out how to face-lather with my well water, I can lather anywhere I go.

Brushes:
8 of my 9 brushes are badgers, Thater (2 & 3 band), Rooney & Simpson. I never had much success with boars, but I do have a ($20) 24mm RazoRock chrome synthetic which, when drunk, I might admit lathers as good as my $150+ badgers. It pains me to say that.

Soaps:
I must have 25-30 soaps, including Stirling. Stirling soaps (when bloomed) lather great with my well water. However, when I vacation I keep it simple and take my smallest 3-band badger (not normally my choice for most soaps) and Captain's Choice North or Bay Rum soap. CC soaps seem to lather great in any water with any brush.

 

[KW Driver]

I’ve got a hard well too, and I’ve found regularly filtered/processed bottled water wouks better than distilled.

 

[Ice-Man]

You can add Lemon juice into your water to lower the ph as I live in very hard water area but ours is due to limestone

 

[wmblake]

I’ve got a hard well too, and I’ve found regularly filtered/processed bottled water wouks better than distilled.

This is interesting. I'm going to have to do a side by side.

 

[les24preludes]

I'm another struggling with hard water. I've ordered a 24mm synthetic brush to see of that helps. I have a 26mm/50mm very dense Silvertip brush with a largish handle, and for face lathering in a bowl this is pretty hopeless - keeps bumping the sides and no fine control. So that's something I've learned at least.

 

[Villalobos]

I use this faucet filter from amazon. Have hard water that goes through a softener but still has minerals. Used to cause rust stains and leave film on razor that had to be wiped off after each shave. Since using these, no problems. When changing the filter, you can see the rust and sediment in the filter. Have 2 sinks in the bathroom and the one without faucet filter still he rust stains.

 

[Villalobos]

I guess you could take my word for it, but I had to change filter anyway, so here is some photographic evidence. The difference in 2 sinks and new and old filter.

 

[Merkuryrising]

Filter your water or buy bottled water strictly for shaving. I have this problem too when I’m in Ocean City but we keep a Brita pitcher in our condo so this I what I use. Sorry if someone already suggested this I’m on my out and didn’t have time to read all the replies.