Cella sticky?

[BigJ]

Cella works great for me! No residue or stickiness.

But our water is not hard, so cannot help with that part of your question. Sorry!

 

[BigJ]

Shark Week Shave #1

Blade: Shark SS
Razor: Wolfman WR1, my ‘daily driver’ to be a safe as possible
Brush: Simpsons tulip 2 super
Soap: MWF ‘tallow’ with extra soap + extra water resulting in tons of slick, protective lather
Splash: Fine American blend

Comment: Gobs of great lather and ’no’ pressure resulted in a surprisingly good shave (9.5/10)!!
So far, so good. NO BLOOD in the water!!

 

[Buttercup]

The film comes from the reaction. Yes, I could soak my brush in distilled, but I still spash from the (hot water in the) sink. I guess I could try not filling the sink, and rinsing from the tap, but I think I would still get a film. Thanks for your response! I am going to try citric acid in my water today. I have also found a few brands which are supposed to work better in hard water, like Proraso, B&M and....Arko, so I will try them.

Don't give up the fight, @filedog...you can figure this out!

I second the comments above by @NorthernSoul and @Eshebert. When I do bowl lather I use a syringe that I bought at Walmart and add water slowly, 1/4 teaspoon at a time and work it in well before adding the next bit. I had previously realized that I wasn't hydrating my lather enough because my razor would clog up the razor. I watched a guy on YT (IACDB), he has a couple of lather tutorials and he believes in a well hydrated lather much like many of the straight razor guys like.

 

[nemo]

More water needed (as previously suggested).
No need for those stiff peaks either.

Read up on Marco's Method.

 

[Cal]

This old thread of mine might be of some help:

Citric Acid for Hard Water Suffering Brits (It applies to non-Brits too. )

 

[Mitzie]

Some people just don't like tallow based soaps. because they leave the skin moisturized/sticky

 

[Galibier_Numero_Un]

More water needed (as previously suggested).
No need for those stiff peaks either.

Read up on Marco's Method.

Yup, stiff peaks covers quite a broad range of hydration. I'm finding that it's only a general indicator which can easily steer you wrong if you don't pay attention.

... Thom

 

[filedog]

So I'm a noob at this, and with Cella, I'm finding an optimum level of lather density. From all of the YouTube videos I watched, my lather target was stiff peaks, with the lather glistening.

Well, this covers a range of densities (water content) and I found that I was either taking it too far, or alternatively not adding enough water. I was still getting a glistening surface but the lather was too dense.

My razor (a Henson +) was hydroplaning on the lather. I had to press too hard in order to make contact, and you know what happens when you use too much pressure.

I didn't notice any stickiness, as my focus was on the poor quality of my shave.

Once I dialed in my lathering protocol , life was slick and smooth. It only took one or two tries.

I don't know if this relates in any way to your situation, but playing with water content can't hurt.

Have you read @Marco's lathering tutorial?

Another thought ... I'm reading that some cap profiles can create a bit of suction. I wonder if that's what you're interpreting as being sticky?

... Thom

I don't have a problem making lather with Cella, my water combines with the soap to make "soap scum" which stick to the razor, brush, sink, and my face. No bueno. If you don't have hard water, count your blessings!

 

[filedog]

Some people just don't like tallow based soaps. because they leave the skin moisturized/sticky

I like my skin feeling moisturized, the stickiness from soap scum is different.

 

[filedog]

I'd try adding more water to your Cella lather, but do it gradually, with a brush. The resulting lather should be almost, but not quite runny, if you want to make it as slick as it can be. When using Cella, I always face lather it, that seems the easiest and simplest way to use it. There's also the Cella Extra Extra Bio in the green tub. I've switched over to that one.

I don't have a problem getting the Cella to lather, it's that the lather leaves a residue of soap scum, which makes my face sticky, and the razor drag. Adding citric acid to the water helped - a lot.

 

[filedog]

I'm also not convinced that this is a hard water problem. I would definitely experiment with hydrating the lather. I would then return to first principles and purchase a gallon of distilled water.

If (after experimenting with hydration doesn't work) the distilled water fixes the problem, this might not be be a long term solution (cost, convenience, work flow), but you will have confirmed the nature of the problem.

If it doesn't correct the problem, then you also have a valuable piece of information.

At that point, you can develop a solution which might involve moving to another soap.

... Thom

My lather is fine. It's the soap scum. If you don't have to deal with hard water, count your blessings! Today I added citric acid (reduces hardness) to the water, and it was amazing. No film, no drag, no mess on the razor, brush, sink, or my face!

 

[filedog]

This old thread of mine might be of some help:

Citric Acid for Hard Water Suffering Brits (It applies to non-Brits too. )

YES! I read that post in my research! I had initially tried borax, which made some improvement, but the citric acid was a HUGE improvement!

 

[filedog]

So now I'm looking for soaps that have EDTA, NTA, EDDS or IDS. They are known to reduce water hardness. I know Arko has EDTA, and it's one reason the soap has a reputation for working well in hard water. Barrister & Mann uses Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, which is another "chelator" (removes minerals). I have samples of both on the way. Hopefully they will reduce the problem even further. EDTA apparently is not environmentally friendly, so that's not great.

But, it looks like I can also use citric acid to use most of the soaps I want! When I got a good shave with Cella this morning, I wanted to sing an Italian song!

 

[Cal]

So now I'm looking for soaps that have EDTA, NTA, EDDS or IDS. They are known to reduce water hardness. I know Arko has EDTA, and it's one reason the soap has a reputation for working well in hard water. Barrister & Mann uses Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, which is another "chelator" (removes minerals). I have samples of both on the way. Hopefully they will reduce the problem even further. EDTA apparently is not environmentally friendly, so that's not great.

But, it looks like I can also use citric acid to use most of the soaps I want! When I got a good shave with Cella this morning, I wanted to sing an Italian song!

 

[filedog]

Regarding your preference for Cremo, I think you might explore other cream-based options like Barrister & Mann. Trying citric acid could also help lather. Stay open to experimentation, and feel free to consult shaving communities for more tailored advice.

I've made some improvements since I posted that. I have a rotation of Barrister & Mann, Ariana and Evans and Stirling soaps. I use citric acid in my rinse water (helps quite a bit to reduce soap scum), and I use distilled water to soak my brush and make lather. I no longer get a sticky, or dragging sensation on my face or equipment after the shave.