Confused about lathering process

[Drax100]

Hi guys,

So I've read about face lathering and bowl lathering and what I can gather is that face lathering gives you the extra time to exfoliate the skin when applying the lather from the brush.

But I've seen videos where guys will bowl lather for a minute or two, then take 1-2 minutes (in some cases even longer) to apply the lather to the face which presumably would also exfoliate the skin.

So bowl lathering doesn't skip this step as far as I know. So then what is the upside of face lathering or what is the downside of bowl lathering? Beyond requiring a bowl.

 

[Dave-the-rave]

There isn't any really. Just personal preference.

 

[Atlantic59]

Face lathering is overall faster; while you build the lather on the face, that gives the soap time to soften the beard so you kill two birds with one stone. Face lathering means less cleanup and clutter. Face lathering with a shaving stick is great for traveling or at the gym. Some soaps seem to be much easier to work with when face lathering, such as Cella or MWF. Bowl lathering works well when you need a lot of lather or when shaving someone else. Some say bowl lathering gives you more control over the water content in the lather. However, face lathering becomes routine after awhile so you know how much water and product to use without thinking about it.

Exfoliation is not the purpose of a shaving brush. You can exfoliate when you wash your face. You don't need to exfoliate every day, though you may need to shave every day.

 

[Tommy Tutone]

Generally we apply lather to the medium we are about to shave. If shaving your bowl is your thing then have at it. I kid. Did some bowl lathering getting started, but now find face lathering to be more beneficial/enjoyable. Also agree with D-T-R and atlantic59 above..

 

[Drax100]

Face lathering is overall faster; while you build the lather on the face, that gives the soap time to soften the beard so you kill two birds with one stone. Face lathering means less cleanup and clutter. Face lathering with a shaving stick is great for traveling or at the gym. Some soaps seem to be much easier to work with when face lathering, such as Cella or MWF. Bowl lathering works well when you need a lot of lather or when shaving someone else. Some say bowl lathering gives you more control over the water content in the lather. However, face lathering becomes routine after awhile so you know how much water and product to use without thinking about it.

Exfoliation is not the purpose of a shaving brush. You can exfoliate when you wash your face. You don't need to exfoliate every day, though you may need to shave every day.

Many articles that discuss the benefits of using a brush is that it exfoliates the skin and the benefits that brings especially when applying the lather.

I have a safety razor and have been using it carefully, or have been trying my best but EVERY time I shave, I get razor burn. Every time.

My blades are feather - these are the only blades I've ever used since making the move to a safety razor.

What I'm missing from my routine is a brush - I've been applying the cream directly to my face using my hands to create a lather. Not ideal.

- I also don't use any pre-shave oil or cream. And what I've read is that the brush exfoliating the skin and massaging the lather on the skin is what can prevent razor burn as it can properly prepare the face for shaving.

I'm using the Maco Root cream.

I'm hoping getting a brush, even a synthetic will improve the shaving experience over what it is now. I don't know if pre-shave oil or cream will work or if it's an extra unnecessary step.

 

[Chevyguy]

For me it depends on how easy the soap is to lather. Example modern William's is easier to get a thick protective lather when I bowl lather it. On the other hand if I use a soap like Stirling I can get the same type of lather if I facelather it. When I use creams I always bowl lather them as it allows me to use less product and have more control on how much water needs to be added.

Clayton

Sent from my SM-A705U using Tapatalk

 

[fhalden]

One subset of bowl lathering is using a scuttle. Although I usually face lather, I sometimes enjoy using a scuttle. The warm brush and lather it affords is very pleasurable.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[cryhavoc]

There isn't any really. Just personal preference.

I agree with @Dave-the-rave , which ever method gets you the best results. Try a bowl lather, a palm later, a face lather or any combination thereof until you find the one that works for you.

FWIW I face lather as I found that works best for me.

 

[Ice-Man]

The only time I bowl lather is when its cold and I want a warm lather, otherwise I face lather all the time but it does not matter how you lather.

 

[BigJ]

Great question!!

IMO you should try face lathering, bowl lathering, a scuttle, palm lathering, etc. You do not need to purchase any equipment for this ’experiment.’ Try a bowl or two from the kitchen. You can easily use two bowls to make a rudimentary ’scuttle’ to see if that is for you. Definitely worth a try!!

For me the ’answer’ is that I prefer to face lather soaps and bowl lather creams!

 

[kingfisher]

Allow me to present the other side.

1) Shaving is by it's very nature exfoliating, much more so than face lathering is.
2)The benefits of "lifting the stubble" have been greatly overstated.
3) Some people actually get irritation from face lathering, so-called brush burn.
4) "Clean-up" or "doing dishes" after shaving is a non-issue. You have to clean the lather out of your brush anyway; I use the sides of the bowl to help me get the brush clean.

You've probably guessed by now, but I am a dedicated bowl latherer.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

If you've got a cool looking bowl....then bowl lather. If you don't have a cool looking bowl...face lather.

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

You can do it anyway you want to!

If you’re a minimalist, you can just rub a shave stick on your face and lather it right there. No bowls and minimal cleanup. You can get great lather this way.

Or you can go all out with a scuttle or bowl and build your lather there exactly how you want and then paint it on.

Or like you mentioned, you can do a hybrid of the two or whatever else you can dream up!

It really all depends on how you want to do it, that’s all.

 

[RayClem]

As long as you get a properly hydrated lather applied to your face, it does not really matter how you go about doing it. Some people love to face lather.

Some people like to produce a proto lather in a bowl or mug and then complete the process on the face. If you check out some of the videos from Michael Freedberg, that is what he does. Michael calls his shaving bowl a loading bowl rather than a lathering bowl because he does not achieve his final lather in the bowl.

I have sensitive skin and want to minimize the contact time of the brush on my face to eliminate brush burn. Thus, I produce a full blown lather in the bowl and then paint it on my face.

However, you decide to go about it, be sure you get the ratio of water to soap correct for the soap or cream. Generally, adding more water makes a lather slicker, but if you add too much, the lather can break down and you will lose the cushioning effect. If you do not add enough water, the lather won't be slick enough. As you are learning, it is best to add water a few drops at a time until you get the lather properly hydrated. Every soap is slightly different in the amount of water needed, although a generally find that a 10:1 ratio of water to soap will get you close.

 

[Atlantic59]

Many articles that discuss the benefits of using a brush is that it exfoliates the skin and the benefits that brings especially when applying the lather...

My point is the real purpose of a shaving brush is to build lather and apply it to the beard. For true exfoliation, wouldn't you want to do the entire face instead of just the beard area?

There are products designed to exfoliate the entire face using apricot hulls, etc., but you would not want to use them every day because that would be too much for the skin.

 

[shave/brush]

I find using a soap stick the best. Fastest and easy.

 

[Finick]

I’ve tried bowl lathering, palm lathering, and face lathering.

Face lathering makes the most sense for me. While I enjoy shaving, I can’t stand clutter, and I don’t enjoy keeping an elaborate set up to go with it. The simplicity of one razor and one brush is very appealing to me.

It takes maybe a few seconds to rinse a bowl or scuttle out, but saving that time is really not my main goal. I just don’t want it on my counter, under the sink, or to really have to deal with it in general.

I use Arko shave soap, and I rub it on my face and lather it up. If you want to load your brush up you can smash it down into container, and load up your brush that way.

I think what everyone else above has said is pretty much dead on. Whichever method you enjoy the most is the one you should use. Most important is the end result, and how well the lather you’ve built shaves.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[godek]

Get a brush.

Any shaving brush will give you better lather than using none.

HTH
godek

 

[razorhead63]

As others have said I think you should experiment and see what works for you. Personally I alway face lather.... see no need for a bowl. I am more of a minimalist and don’t like that extra step in the process that a bowl requires. Building the lather on the face softens the whiskers really well and I don’t do it for exfoliating the skin though a scrubby stiffer brush happens to do that anyways. However as always YMMV.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I believe the supposed exfoliating effect of face lathering is very over stated and a bit of a red herring. The act of running a blade over your skin will have a far more exfoliating effect than any brush could ever do. I face lather because it feels fantastic and I love it, bowl lathering is somehow utilitarian, functional, and really rather joyless for me. Just do whatever feels good to you.