Do you like a little lather layer?

[Ron Scott]

I know we all like to build up a rich head of leather on our favorite brushes. But what ends up on the face for shaving?

Do you pile it on an inch thick, or do you like a nice and thin layer?

 

[The Dean]

I'm in-between a thin layer and Santa Claus.

Before I started using a brush (and before taking up the DE), I would hand lather a quality cream like AOS. I only needed a very thin layer of that slick rich cream for the Fusion to work its magic. When I got the brush, I began laying it down a bit thicker. And I probably use a bit thicker layer now that I use a DE razor.

Honestly, I'm relatively certain I use more lather than I need. But since I like to build the lather on my face, and really do a bit of facerbation, the lather tends to get a bit thicker than is absolutely necessary. Nothing wrong with that, though.

 

[Mandina]

Nice, thin, wet but dense layer for the first two passes, but for the final pass I squeeze lather from the brush and end up with a luxuriously thick (but not super thick) lather. Doing so is a real treat and I don't waste lather.

 

[Thaumaturge]

I'm still working on perfecting my lather. I think a lot of it is due to my water, but I'm still working at it...

 

[mdc]

Best of both worlds, for my usual two-pass routine. I don't load a ton of soap from the beginning. For the first pass I go for a nice even layer with the focus on scrubbing. I face lather, so if it's a bit thin at first, I keep working my brush until the lather is thicker. For the second pass, the layer goes on pretty thin but then I squeeze the dense lather from the brush and then get silly and apply as much lather by hand as will adhere to my face and neck.

 

[Mick]

I like more water in my lather when I straight shave (thinner wet lather) as I take more time with the shave and more water keeps the lather damp/moist for the time it takes me to complete each pass..... but for DE or SE or Injectors I like to look like Santa for all 4 passes.

 

[NCStateFan12]

I generally lather it thick 1/4- 1/2 inch thick. Thick enough to offer great cushion and protection yet thin enough so I can still see facial features.

 

[Omp]

I would say I tend to lather on the thicker side. It just feels more luxurious. However, my 1st latherings of Palmolive SS, MWF and Lait d'Anesse produced such a thick lather that I couldn't shave more than an inch or so without huge gobs of lather falling off the razor mid-stroke. A bit off-putting.

 

[Reevers]

At the moment I always lather thick, but this has raised an interesting question... I might try thin, slick & dense next!

 

[Haggises]

Thinner layer, with low viscosity.
I can never get a Santa claus look, but also fail to see how it would help the shave any.....

 

[blzrfn]

I think some of the characteristics of the lather depends on which soap or cream I am using. This morning I used P160 and ended up with a very thick yet still very well hydrated and slick lather. Last week, while using DR Harris soap, the lather wasn't as dense but just as slick and provided plenty of cushion. I'm not sure I could get the P160 to the same state as the DR Harris without watering it down too much. So rather than shoot for a certain thickness of lather I target the hydration sweet spot so that I get a great balance between cushion and glide.

 

[Useless shaver]

I'm in-between a thin layer and Santa Claus.

Before I started using a brush (and before taking up the DE), I would hand lather a quality cream like AOS. I only needed a very thin layer of that slick rich cream for the Fusion to work its magic. When I got the brush, I began laying it down a bit thicker. And I probably use a bit thicker layer now that I use a DE razor.

Honestly, I'm relatively certain I use more lather than I need. But since I like to build the lather on my face, and really do a bit of facerbation, the lather tends to get a bit thicker than is absolutely necessary. Nothing wrong with that, though.

This.

 

[Lmarkow]

Slick yogurt for me. Too pillowy and the straight won't glide right.

 

[TonyJoe]

Thinner layer, with low viscosity.
I can never get a Santa claus look, but also fail to see how it would help the shave any.....

I agree that I don't see how it helps. I like a thinner slick layer that still has enough body to it that it doesn't dissipate quickly. It's easier to see what I'm doing in the trickier areas.

 

[rushchairman]

Nice, thin, wet but dense layer for the first two passes, but for the final pass I squeeze lather from the brush and end up with a luxuriously thick (but not super thick) lather. Doing so is a real treat and I don't waste lather.

+1 to a T!

 

[parapaul]

As thick as I can get it to go on with the brush

However, it's all mostly pointless. The only lather you need is the microscopic layer actually in contact with your skin that protects you from the blade.

 

[rand77]

but for DE or SE or Injectors I like to look like Santa for all 4 passes.

+1

That's how I do it as well. Although as mentioned above, I probably don't need anything close to that amount of lather.

 

[edgerunner]

Nice, thin, wet but dense layer for the first two passes, but for the final pass I squeeze lather from the brush and end up with a luxuriously thick (but not super thick) lather. Doing so is a real treat and I don't waste lather.

+1
I like soaps and creams which create slick lather with proper viscosity without the requirement of thick layer and much cushion to make it so. This way I get a better feedback from the blade, especially for the first pass. I don't mind a little ticker lather layer for the last pass though.

 

[John Von Wuggz]

I prefer the thinnest layer I can get without seeing my skin below it.

 

[DrumZalot]

In between for me too (neither too thin or thick).