After hearing all the good about mama bear soaps I went and got myself a couple of tubs from a member on here. I don't have a ton of experience with different soaps and creams but.... So far I've gotten good lather with: Provence Sante Green tea soap a few Geo F creams, C.O. Bigelo, and VDH soap. All have produced great lather for me with either my Omega pure and my Shavemac brushes. Today I tried lathering up my newly acquired Mama Bear and could not get a decent lather for the life of me. It got to the point on my 3rd pass I opted to put a dab of C.O. in it and make a nice lather for my final pass. It was just loaded with bubbles and seemed like as it sat between passes it got worse. I'm going to play with a few more practice lather but is there something I should know about their soap? Is it a water hog? Does it take a lot of work to lather it up? This is the first time I've made a lather that wasn't even close to good.
can't lather with Mama Bear :(
- Thread starter Fletch
- Start date
I dont think its harder to use than any other soap. At least not for me. The Mama Bear web page suggests you load up your brush for a LONG LONG time though, maybe you can try doing this so you get more product into your brush. If I had to guess it sounds like you have to little product and too much water. You can try leaving a couple drops of water on the puck for a couple minuets prior to loading your brush so that it comes off easier.
***Edit***
I just lathered some up and it does take more water, and load time. I have been using MWF so long, I had lost touch. Forgive my "from the hip" response about it being the same.
Also, Turkish Mocha is yummy beyond words!
***Edit***
I just lathered some up and it does take more water, and load time. I have been using MWF so long, I had lost touch. Forgive my "from the hip" response about it being the same.
Also, Turkish Mocha is yummy beyond words!
Last edited:
It's a glycerin soap, glycerin require more charging than tallow or triple milled. Try charging the brush more, spend twice the time and see how you go.
Try to make a few bowls of lather before your next shave.
Try to make a few bowls of lather before your next shave.
I face lather it and am able to get good lather very quickly. In my experience, it doesn't require any more lathering than other soaps I've used, glycerin or tallow. However, I do put a skim of hot water on the puck and let it sit a minute or so before beginning. Then, I load the brush by swirling on the puck upside down to harness the power of gravity to get it into my brush. I have also found that it requires LESS water than other soaps. I squeeze my brush gently then flick it lightly 2-3 times before loading.
My mama bear's never lathered as good as my lowly VDH ..... until I loaded the brush quit a bit longer than I did with VDH, and Conks.
Sounds like you need more product.
- Thread starter
- #7
Yeah I did another practice run tonight and I loaded the bejeezus out of the brush. I almost had a lather going right in the bowl. From there I was able to build a respectable lather. With my Provence Sante I can get a great lather with about 20 or so swirls on the puck. And with any soap I use I always "soak" the puck a bit before I use it with a skim coat of warm water. More load time was the key, thanks guys.
I'm with Luc. I don't think that Mama Bear's soap is any better or any worse than any other glycerin soap that I've used. Pile on more product and go to town.
Mmmmm... strange.
I found Mama Bear a very easy to lather soap.
And some of the scents are exceptional!
I hope the 'use more product' approach works out fine.
What I also do with a new jar is add some water to the puck before starting.
Sometimes that just seems to soften up and make lathering a tad easier.
Maybe that could help?
I found Mama Bear a very easy to lather soap.
And some of the scents are exceptional!
I hope the 'use more product' approach works out fine.
What I also do with a new jar is add some water to the puck before starting.
Sometimes that just seems to soften up and make lathering a tad easier.
Maybe that could help?
I read those tutorials here and found that applying water to it to soften it up while I'm in the shower works very well. I allow my brush to soak to soften it up as well during this time. Squeeze all water out of brush flick it super dry, dump excess water on soap into my mug then load the brush. Depending on how much water you add; the top of the soap will be soft and load onto the brush rather easy.
I find the amount of water to add is the trickiest part. I often get a large amount of the soap in a gooey slick which saturates my brush. The water I dump off is often all I need for lather. I do agree that Mama Bears is a bit harder to get right than my Proraso but not impossible. I even found that it face lathers pretty well and skip the mug sometimes.
I find the amount of water to add is the trickiest part. I often get a large amount of the soap in a gooey slick which saturates my brush. The water I dump off is often all I need for lather. I do agree that Mama Bears is a bit harder to get right than my Proraso but not impossible. I even found that it face lathers pretty well and skip the mug sometimes.
interesting.
It must be your water, because MB is one of the easier ones for me.
It must be your water, because MB is one of the easier ones for me.
I usually get a better lather from Mama Bear than from Provence Sante. The PS lather has a real tendency to get bubbly, and it's hard to control that. My MB soaps, in contrast, always lather up nice and dense.
All soaps react differently to the pH of your water supply.
Soak the puk for 5 minutes before use and that's as good as it's gonna get.
Soak the puk for 5 minutes before use and that's as good as it's gonna get.
This helped with col conks.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=437
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=439
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=437
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=439
Ya know, we ordered several MB soaps, and neither my husband or I were huge fans.. We just got another brand of soap and it is wonderful so far, and the lather gets nice and thick w/o a lot of work. I was pretty excited.
I've found Mama Bear soaps rather easy to lather up.
I put a teaspoon of warm water on the soap and let it soak for one minute. Then I put a little bit of that water in my shaving mug. Next I use my brush which has been soaking in warm water for a while. First, I wring out the water and then I swirl it around the soap about 10 times and then when there is plenty of product on the brush I go to my mug to make lather. I add a few drops at a time and in no time I have a nice lather.
The wiki at http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Lathers is a great guide for lather and I would read it. Mantic59 also has a good video on youtube dealing with this subject. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd7Aj9vwrtc
I put a teaspoon of warm water on the soap and let it soak for one minute. Then I put a little bit of that water in my shaving mug. Next I use my brush which has been soaking in warm water for a while. First, I wring out the water and then I swirl it around the soap about 10 times and then when there is plenty of product on the brush I go to my mug to make lather. I add a few drops at a time and in no time I have a nice lather.
The wiki at http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Lathers is a great guide for lather and I would read it. Mantic59 also has a good video on youtube dealing with this subject. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd7Aj9vwrtc
MB is the easiest soap I have ever lathered, as well as the most consistent.
20-30 'swirls' and I am ready for 3 passes.
We do have soft water and I use a dense and firm badger brush. I also put a few drops of hot water onto the soap before I get into the shower... and shave after I get out.
20-30 'swirls' and I am ready for 3 passes.
We do have soft water and I use a dense and firm badger brush. I also put a few drops of hot water onto the soap before I get into the shower... and shave after I get out.
I have no problem lathering MB soaps. Make sure you:
Put a little hot water on top of the puck while showering
Charge, charge, charge, I do this with all my soaps
Build lather and add water slowly to get your desired consistency
Also, artisan glycerin soaps can develop a "skin" on top of them as part of the curing process. This will reduce the latherability initially, but not long term. You could try scraping just a millimeter or so off the top of the puck, and then give it a go. This could likely be the problem.
Put a little hot water on top of the puck while showering
Charge, charge, charge, I do this with all my soaps
Build lather and add water slowly to get your desired consistency
Also, artisan glycerin soaps can develop a "skin" on top of them as part of the curing process. This will reduce the latherability initially, but not long term. You could try scraping just a millimeter or so off the top of the puck, and then give it a go. This could likely be the problem.
