Does The 2012 SOC SE Get Softer With More Use?

[Nick Danger]

I bought the 2012 SOC SE mixed boar / badger and the SOC boar within a week of each other. I've been alternating between them since they arrived.

The SOC boar is amazing. I'm surprised at how soft the tips feel on my face.

However, as great as the SOC SE is at lathering soaps or creams, I'm finding it a bit more scritchy / scrubby than the SOC boar. Even though I bowl lather, it's irritating my face more than I'd expect. I've noticed some redness and tenderness, more than when I use the SOC boar. I didn't think it was a problem at first, but it's starting to be more bothersome. It appears to be doing more exfoliating than my very sensitive skin can handle.

I do really like the style of the SOC SE, and I know many people love this brush.

So my question is: will it get softer with more use?

I've only had both brushes for a little over a month, so I'm guessing that neither have reached their full potential yet. I'm trying not to make any decisions about the SOC SE until its completed the break-in period.

Any thoughts on how long it will take for the SOC SE to fully break-in, assuming I use it every other day?

Nick

 

[MondoJ]

Wait the boar will split and soften up, but the badger is probably the scritch...hopefully the boar will make up for the badger scritch once broken in. You might try less pressure with brush on your face. I can only feel the scritch if I press the brush to my face instead of letting the tips do the work.

 

[Nick Danger]

It's funny. I used to have the impression that boar was going to be more scritchy than badger. My silvertip is super soft, but the badger in the SOC SE definitely seems like the source of the scritch. We'll see if it softens up a bit more as I use it. Still not sure about this brush, especially since the SOC boar was much cheaper and the bit of extra loft works really well for lathering in my bowl.

Nick

 

[Valerius]

I've had my SOC SE2012 since it was launched on the European market and it's slightly softer now, but still a little scritchy. I don't expect it to be as soft as my regular boar SOC.

 

[craig87c]

Oh yeah, it'll soften up. I've only used mine for about ten lathers total but already it is considerably softer than the first time. Just palm lather it every other day until it stops breaking in.