DE shaving with shave foam

[simplifylife]

Hi

Almost everyone seems to be using traditional brushes and soaps with hot water for shaving with DE razors. I used to do it too earlier when I started with a Wilkinson butterfly razor using Godrej / Old Spice shave cream hot water and brush.

Later on all these went away in favour of cartridge razors and shave foam. I did not even use the brush, using my palm to lather my face instead.

Recently I switched back to a DE razor (Pearl SS-01 close comb) but I did NOT go back to using a brush and shave cream or soap. It hs given me brilliant results.

I feel that the foam produced by soaps / creams is too weak for clean shaving. My technique happens to be to push the foam between the hair and the skin thus forcing the hair to be at an angle rather than lying flat on the skin surface. And with its thicker consistency it does this better than a foam lather produced with a brush and soap cream.

How many of you can share a similar experience or am In the only person?

 

[VerbaVolant]

I don't. My experience is different than yours. Actually, quite the opposite.
The fact that you get brilliant results is the only thing that matters.
Enjoy.

 

[Ivo4u2]

For me the opposite
Went from foam/gel to shaving soap which made a much better shave
And then to de and se razors instead of carts to loose more irritation
I am happy and I trust you tooo

 

[santamariasteve]

Controversial. Foam is not that bad, but I do enjoy lathering with a badger brush and a slick soap.

 

[simplifylife]

The foam lather in a shave foam is much thicker than one produced by soap water and brush. I mean one can really feel it if rubbed between the fingers. I feel it helps separate the hair from the skin and prevent them from lying flat on the skin which makes cutting difficult.

 

[Ivo4u2]

Bear in mind that A lot of people switch for irritation reasons. Not because it does not shave.

I know I react on lubra strips.
And using a de you forced you to learn better technique which helps to use a more gentle hand.
It is quite possible those foam/gel cans contain something I do not like either.

 

[simplifylife]

Bear in mind that A lot of people switch for irritation reasons. Not because it does not shave.

I know I react on lubra strips.
And using a de you forced you to learn better technique which helps to use a more gentle hand.
It is quite possible those foam/gel cans contain something I do not like either.

I started shaving with a DE razon when I was in my teens. Shaved with it till 30s so something like 10 years. Then switch to cartridge for about 15 years. Now back to DE and I am 46. So it's not that I am learning new thing as far as technique goes. But there are some things which surprise you, even going against conventional wisdom and expert talk.

 

[sdimartino]

I have a can of Barbasol I use when I'm in a hurry, but I vastly prefer to take my time and use a good soap with a good brush.

 

[Ivo4u2]

For me it was
Electric two head Philips
Electric three head Philips
Electric foil head braun
Wet shave two/three etc gel/foam
And irritation
Reading shaving forums/learning
Switch to shaving soaps
Less irritation
Remove lubra strip
Less irritation
Switch to oneblade genesis
Relearn to shave with qshave de
Buy to much stuff
And now happy with a broman

In the end enjoy the trip

 

[Demolition]

I always use a brush and soap, now, but did use canned shave gel in the past. Even though it didn't lather up much, it still felt quite slick. Worked very well with cartridge razors.

 

[lurchbrian]

me im mainly a puck and brush shaver but one time I went to visit my dad I forgot id run out of soap so I just latherd some of his can soap up using my brush and I was quite shocked how good it came out .

 

[pokey074]

I've tried canned foam with a DE and for me, it gives much worse results. And, it sticks to my razor like crazy and leaves a film on it.

 

[shave326]

I did a week of shaving with foams. I used Cremo for years and got into using brush/soaps earlier this year. Had no problems with the foams at all. Some really nice ones out there too. I particularly liked Noxzema foam, Proraso Foam, and the Gillette Pure gel/foam. IMO, if you have a blade and a razor that you are successful with, any type of soap will do. Any deviation there forth is for scent, post shave feel, or long term skin health.

 

[allyourbasearebelongtous]

i always keep a bottle of ADP foam on deck for when im in a hurry, and i get good results. to be fair, i do also use their preshave oil.

 

[GaryTha]

I used to use Barbasol, but it started to burn my skin if I used it everyday. I liked Gillette Foamy, too. I'd probably still be using Foamy if they hadn't made the cans smaller.

 

[fhalden]

I get much better results with a soap or cream than I did with canned foam. My skin has improved as well.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Tomo]

I did the same when I first got a supermarket DE in university to save money. There was no other soap on the self so it seemed like the normal thing to do. Now I know better.

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

Nothing wrong with foam - I have a Conair hot lather cap that I use with Barbasol occasionally, which I apply with a brush. I prefer to whip up my own lather, but when you're pressed for time on a cold morning, the foam is a nice way to get a few (very few) extra seconds. No gel though, gotta draw the line somewhere.

Consistency is the main advantage of foam, I think. The lather you make can be too thick or too thin depending on how good you are at judging how much or little water is needed for a particular soap or cream to lather correctly, and the hardness or softness of your tap water also comes into play. My lather is pretty spot on always, and is as thick or thicker than what comes out of the can.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I do not like canned foam although canned gel can be excellent, you can even whip it up with a brush to give excellent results. I prefer traditional hard soaps and the occasional soft cream but whatever I am using, regardless of an improvement or even degradation of performance, a brush for me is essential simply because it feels great. Using a brush gives me a great deal of pleasure and I would sooner grow a beard than not use one!

 

[Badgerstate36]

Ive tried canned foam with a DE and its OK but theres just no slickness once the foam is gone. Ive also tried gel but I found that its too thick and gums up my razor.
IMO, modern canned foams and gels are made for DE razors because they arent slick enough. Think about it: most people use carts or disposables that have the lube strip, so why would you need to make foams/gels that are super slick.
I also find with the canned stuff that you get what you get and cant really add water to them to make them slicker. With a soap or cream, you can add water and make it as thin and slick as you want.