Can't seem to get the lather right

[Iceman0803]

Hey everyone! I want to start out by saying that I'm still VERY new to wet shaving. I actually only started 2-2.5 weeks ago. Anyway, on to my issue/question which, in a nutshell, is that I still can't seem to get the lather quite right. It's either slightly dry or has slightly too much water. I'm not sure whether it's my technique, my equipment, or a combination of the two. Here are my cream, brush, and mug. I start by soaking the brush in the mug, which is filled with warm (non softened) water, (unfortunately the "hot" tap water in my bathroom is only a few degrees above warm bath water) for 3-5 minutes. After that I empty the mug and hold the brush, bristles down, so the excess water can drain off then, I give the bristles 1-2 light squeezes. Next, I put an almond size amount of cream onto the brush and whip up the lather as normal. However, using the aforementioned method my lather always seems to come out dry. Even though it looks thick and creamy it has a tacky feel on the skin. Because of this I add a very small amount of water. The cream does then feel much better on the skin BUT it's noticeably thinner. Which will cause moderate to light razor burn depending on the blades I use (currently switching back and forth between Crystal and Feather).

I'm wondering if maybe my mug is too small which isn't allowing me to swirl the brush fast enough or if it just boils down to the water (i.e. not enough, barely hot, and/or no softening). I've also considered switching from a mug to a bowl to see if that would help. Then again maybe it's my brush, I've noticed that it still loses hair after 2 weeks of daily use. What do you guys think? Thanks in advance for the input!

 

[mblakele]

You can rule out any need for really hot water. Cold water works at least as well, and really hot water can destroy lather.

Your mug might be a little small. You could try a cereal bowl or a soup bowl, or face-lather.

But I suspect hard water is the culprit. Try lathering with distilled water, or try using twice as much cream.

 

[Iceman0803]

You can rule out any need for really hot water. Cold water works at least as well, and really hot water can destroy lather.

Your mug might be a little small. You could try a cereal bowl or a soup bowl, or face-lather.

But I suspect hard water is the culprit. Try lathering with distilled water, or try using twice as much cream.

OK, thank you for the suggestions. Also, with doubling the cream would I need to add more water or keep using the same amount?

 

[Niles]

Try not squeezing so much water from your brush. Also, using more product might help.

 

[California Cajun]

Hey everyone! I want to start out by saying that I'm still VERY new to wet shaving. I actually only started 2-2.5 weeks ago. Anyway, on to my issue/question which, in a nutshell, is that I still can't seem to get the lather quite right. It's either slightly dry or has slightly too much water. I'm not sure whether it's my technique, my equipment, or a combination of the two. Here are my cream, brush, and mug. I start by soaking the brush in the mug, which is filled with warm (non softened) water, (unfortunately the "hot" tap water in my bathroom is only a few degrees above warm bath water) for 3-5 minutes. After that I empty the mug and hold the brush, bristles down, so the excess water can drain off then, I give the bristles 1-2 light squeezes. Next, I put an almond size amount of cream onto the brush and whip up the lather as normal. However, using the aforementioned method my lather always seems to come out dry. Even though it looks thick and creamy it has a tacky feel on the skin. Because of this I add a very small amount of water. The cream does then feel much better on the skin BUT it's noticeably thinner. Which will cause moderate to light razor burn depending on the blades I use (currently switching back and forth between Crystal and Feather).

I'm wondering if maybe my mug is too small which isn't allowing me to swirl the brush fast enough or if it just boils down to the water (i.e. not enough, barely hot, and/or no softening). I've also considered switching from a mug to a bowl to see if that would help. Then again maybe it's my brush, I've noticed that it still loses hair after 2 weeks of daily use. What do you guys think? Thanks in advance for the input!

I had some of the same problems when I started and for that reason I found soaps easier to work with. One reason the lather got pasty was because it took longer to shave than it does now.

 

[Iceman0803]

Thanks for the advice guys! I'll give your suggestions a try.