Face just doesn’t stay hydrated

[Macduff]

Hi folks,

Was hoping for some advice, I have tried various methods of face lathering using creams, soaps, pre shaves but always end up with the same problem. A minute or so after lathering my face starts to dry up and the slickness goes. Is there something that I could use that would assist in keeping the face hydrated for longer? Thanks


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This may seem to be an odd question but where do you live? I live in New England and in the winter it is DRY. Like desert dry. How dry you ask? Proraso from a can dries on my face dry. My Haslinger soap looks like this dry:

My point being, perhaps it’s more the weather than your lather. The way i combat it is simply touching up the lather. Usually mine dries out on my face right at the very end of a pass so if i see a spot it just go back to the bowl or brush (or can) and slap on some more. My total shave from whipping up the lather to cleaning and putting away my shaving stuff is about 25 minutes so not out of line with normal here. Sometimes it’s just dry!

 

[gwsmallwood]

I vote more soap. I noticed the biggest difference when I started loading 4x longer than most people recommend. I also saw a huge improvement when I switched to synthetic brushes.

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

I have been using Proraso shave cream but also use Arko soap, the later seems to work a bit better at retaining the moisture in my face.

Which "color" of cream?

I've haven't found Proraso or Arko particularly slick, even when hydrated, but mixed together for a superlather might help retain moisture better. So would jumping up to the next tier of soaps and creams...the quality tier, I mean.

 

[mumB_L_E]

You probably need more water or more product + water, but only you can determine this by experimentation. One of the drawbacks to learning how to shave with traditional implements is that you are limited to practicing once a day; however, this is not true when it comes to lathering. Your off hand / wrist can be a good substitute for your face when experimenting.

A couple tricks that work for me, a fellow face latherer:
-- I add water to my lather by dipping the tips of my brush into mug of distilled water. Some prefer the control of adding drops to the brush, but this is not my experience. There are threads on the benefits of using distilled water, particularly for those with hard tap water.
-- I know my lather is hydrated enough when I pull my brush away from my face and do not feel it sticking / pulling lather with it.

 

[TinyT]

Hi folks,

Was hoping for some advice, I have tried various methods of face lathering using creams, soaps, pre shaves but always end up with the same problem. A minute or so after lathering my face starts to dry up and the slickness goes. Is there something that I could use that would assist in keeping the face hydrated for longer? Thanks


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I would suggest you give Marco's Method a try, if you haven't already. Here's a link.

My lathering technique with Italian soft soaps - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/my-lathering-technique-with-italian-soft-soaps.199887/

 

[RigelDust]

Too much water does ruin a lather.


I don’t know why you’re saying “Moisturizing the skin and hydration of the lather so it doesn't dry out on the face are two different things.”? That’s understood.
It sounds to me the OP has dry skin. When he goes to lather his face his face takes the moisture up thus drying out the lather after a few minutes. No amount of water in the lather will help unless you try to put too much water in it to compensate for the loss when it drys on his face. A good moisturizer and protectant to retain the moisture would help.
Also stay out of the sun and drink plenty of water yourself.

 

[musicman1951]

It could be your water. (you could try distilled water)
It could be not enough product.
It could be lather that's too dry - my first guess.

Try loading longer (a lot longer for a try or two) with a little more moisture left in the brush (or a lot more - the Marco Method). Before you go to your face to make lather put as much water on your face as it will hold without dripping all over your chest. Then keep adding water to your brush every 10 seconds or so until you're drowning in delightful lather.

 

[samhain666]

Most likely problem is your lather isn't hydrated enough, I'm sure someone said that before me. I actually leave my lather on the more of a dry side intentionally ( I face lather). I just make sure the bubbles are gone before I start shaving
When I'm about to shave an area I do 2 things.
1st I "refresh" my lather with my brush that I just dipped a bit in water.
2nd I rinse the razor before I put it to face but I don't shake it. Water get's trapped in the head and when applied to the face it "escapes" and runs down my face and hydrates lather even further.

I found this to give best results. Any other way left me with lather that was too dry by the time I shaved 1st half of my face or the lather was too thin to be protective enough

 

[Homervanderlay]

How did this turn out?
More water? Face moisturizer?
I don’t see a reason to ruin the lather with more water if you need to moisturize your face.

Tried a lot more water but the lather became too runny.. so I have been experimenting with more water but not too much.

When I get to the chin area I also am splashing water on it and starting the lather from scratch almost, seems to work well in keeping the area hydrated and slick for the razor.


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[Homervanderlay]

This may seem to be an odd question but where do you live? I live in New England and in the winter it is DRY. Like desert dry. How dry you ask? Proraso from a can dries on my face dry. My Haslinger soap looks like this dry:View attachment 1067254

My point being, perhaps it’s more the weather than your lather. The way i combat it is simply touching up the lather. Usually mine dries out on my face right at the very end of a pass so if i see a spot it just go back to the bowl or brush (or can) and slap on some more. My total shave from whipping up the lather to cleaning and putting away my shaving stuff is about 25 minutes so not out of line with normal here. Sometimes it’s just dry!

Interesting point, I am in the UK and it’s winter and freezing just now. As a result the heating is normally on which doesn’t help as it adds to the lather drying out am sure.


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[Homervanderlay]

Which "color" of cream?

I've haven't found Proraso or Arko particularly slick, even when hydrated, but mixed together for a superlather might help retain moisture better. So would jumping up to the next tier of soaps and creams...the quality tier, I mean.

It’s the white one for anti irritation, thanks for the advice. Will try some other products as suggested, any recommendations?


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[Dog Whiskerer]

It’s the white one for anti irritation, thanks for the advice. Will try some other products as suggested, any recommendations?

From the ones I have and can recommend: Tabac, Taylor of Old Bond Street creams, The Body Shop Macca Root shave cream, Art of Shaving creams. I'm sure others could chime in with their recommendations.

 

[MntnMan62]

It’s the white one for anti irritation, thanks for the advice. Will try some other products as suggested, any recommendations?


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As for creams, I'm a big fan of Taylor of Old Bond Street, Art of Shaving and Musgo Real. I find Proraso (the four original scents) to be over rated. I have not tried their newer scents so can't comment on those. But no matter what brand you use, it is essential that you strike the right balance between product and water. For creams, an almond sized dollop is what I use. Then I slowly add water until I get the right consistency as described in one of my earlier posts. Even the best cream (or soap) in the world won't do what it's supposed to do unless it's properly hydrated. Not too much nor too little water. Yogurt. Soft peaks. Sheen.