I’m the kind of person that if I don’t like the way something works out, or if I feel like it’s okay but it could be better, I’ll research and experiment until I either find a better way or prove to myself that I’m already doing it a better way and it’s just not perfect.
Since I started wet shaving I’ve noticed that there’s an incongruity in lather between passes. The first pass lather, for me, is at peak quality. With each successive pass, the quality of lather drops from that first pass. If I’m good and have enough product loaded, it remains constant for the second and third pass. But if I didn’t get enough (this happens to me a lot with cream in a tube for some reason), all I have left for the third pass and clean up is thin, dissipating lather that’s not really as protective as it should be.
In reflecting on why this might be, it occurred to me that the surface area of the beard is approximately double the surface area of the lather on my brush. When I face lather for that first pass, I get perhaps 10% of the surface area of the lather wet each time I add water. And when I stop, the lather is perfect. Then I rinse my face. Now my face is coated with water, about 2 full dunks of the brush worth. Taking the brush back to my face, I’m incidentally adding a lot of unnecessary water, to the detriment of the lather.
This gave me the idea to blot the water off my face after rinsing between passes. I’ve tried it a few times now and it’s gone very well. So now for the sake of comparison and measurement, I’m going to document a day-by-day comparison, alternating between the “old method” and “new method”.
First I’ll establish some assumptions and some variables which I’ll hold constant. The assumptions
Since I started wet shaving I’ve noticed that there’s an incongruity in lather between passes. The first pass lather, for me, is at peak quality. With each successive pass, the quality of lather drops from that first pass. If I’m good and have enough product loaded, it remains constant for the second and third pass. But if I didn’t get enough (this happens to me a lot with cream in a tube for some reason), all I have left for the third pass and clean up is thin, dissipating lather that’s not really as protective as it should be.
In reflecting on why this might be, it occurred to me that the surface area of the beard is approximately double the surface area of the lather on my brush. When I face lather for that first pass, I get perhaps 10% of the surface area of the lather wet each time I add water. And when I stop, the lather is perfect. Then I rinse my face. Now my face is coated with water, about 2 full dunks of the brush worth. Taking the brush back to my face, I’m incidentally adding a lot of unnecessary water, to the detriment of the lather.
This gave me the idea to blot the water off my face after rinsing between passes. I’ve tried it a few times now and it’s gone very well. So now for the sake of comparison and measurement, I’m going to document a day-by-day comparison, alternating between the “old method” and “new method”.
First I’ll establish some assumptions and some variables which I’ll hold constant. The assumptions
- In order for an experiment to have any sort of credibility, it requires 1000s of participants, each conducting 100s of “experiments” (shaves). Therefore, this is not scientific, it’s purely for the sake of anecdotal comparison.
- The only part of my method that will change from day to day will be the use or nonuse of a towel to dry my face between passes.
- I will shave every day, the same time of day, in the same step of my morning preparations, in order to maintain approximately the same experience from day to day.
- Stress level, amount of sleep, diet, blood sugar and other factors likely impact the shave experience. Those will not be factored.
- Razor: For this test I’ll use the iKon OSS with 85mm Bulldog handle. The blade I’ll use for the test is not ideal for my face, but the mildness and comfort of the OSS head will help offset the mismatch.
- Passes: Because this is an asymmetrical head, I’ll note that I’ll do the first two passes (WTG, ATG) using the OC side. Third pass, ATG, SB side, and clean up, SB side.
- Passes: Because this is an asymmetrical head, I’ll note that I’ll do the first two passes (WTG, ATG) using the OC side. Third pass, ATG, SB side, and clean up, SB side.
- Blade: Personna Lab Blue- This is a blade I find to be too mild for my face no matter what razor I put it in. It’s a bit of an uncomfortable shave. But I believe the fact that it’s a bit uncomfortable will lend to assessing the quality of the lather.
- I’ll perform 7 shaves per blade. If I find I can’t get the full 7 out of a blade, whatever number I stop on, I’ll carry forward for every blade after.
- I’ll perform 7 shaves per blade. If I find I can’t get the full 7 out of a blade, whatever number I stop on, I’ll carry forward for every blade after.
- Soap: Arko shave stick- I find this to be a very consistent product that’s relatively bulletproof as far as lathering goes. It’s hard to screw it up. Not to mention I have a lot of it, so this will give me occasion to use some of it up.
- Pre-shave: Warm water rinse; glycerin soap wash; then warm water rinse again
- Lathering: Face lather only
- Passes: WTG, ATG, ATG, and cleanup under the chin and jaw
- Post-shave: Warm water rinse; cold water rinse; WH splash