What's new

Face lather vs. bowl lather

Just wondering all your thoughts on face lather vs. bowl lather. I'm still relatively new, but have been doing DE shaving for about a month and a half now. Been bowl shaving most of the that time, was getting very good lathers following the tutorials here. Then I face lathered with a shave stick and was amazed at the results! I couldnt believe how much better of a shave I got face lathering vs. bowl lathering.

My only possible theory for this would be that while spending all that time face lathering the brush is exfoliating your skin, and getting the soap really down in there, making it a much easier shave... but I really have no idea...

Your thoughts...?
 
I face lather. With soaps, I load the brush by working the brush into the soap while it's in whatever it's in. Pretty simple. With creams, I use a nice old bowl that was my late mother's. I put a dollop of cream in the bowl and start the swirl to get "most" of the cream onto the brush. Then I face lather. In both cases, I'm essentially working the lather into my face and really building it up there. That makes for a quality shave, which I always get. Either way, my brush is usually loaded sufficiently for a 3-pass shave, which is what I always do. Of course, the right mix of water is always crucial.

I've never really understood the "true" value of building lather in a bowl. I'm a little too rugged to insist on warm lather so a scuttle is of no interest to me. I live in south Louisiana so I'm always inclined to enjoy a more "cooling" effect from my lather no matter what kind or brand of soap/cream I'm using. That's just me. All in all, I think working and building the lather on your face will usually result in the best shave. However, many here seem to love bowl lathering. Sooo, I guess it's a case of YMMV, like most things in the wet shaving world.
 
My only possible theory for this would be that while spending all that time face lathering the brush is exfoliating your skin, and getting the soap really down in there, making it a much easier shave... but I really have no idea...

This is why. The brush is getting adequate time to do its job. You make a perfect lather in a bowl then you tend to get less brush time. I do bowl lather a few creams and leave it a bit dry and finish on the face, sort of a hybrid I guess.
 
I have been bowl lathering for almost two years. However, recently I noticed that I am gravitating toward face lathering. I load up my brush with soap and without clepping up rich & cushiony lather in my scuttle - just building enough potentially exploding lather in the brush - I begin to face lather.
 
I'm still working on my face lathering. I find it difficult to get the first pass wet enough without splashing myself, so I currently still prefer bowl lathering.
 
I started with a cream in a bowl but I quickly moved to face lathering soaps. I feels nicer and it is just less hassle. I just have a mug with soap a brush and a razor.
 
I use to lather in a bowl but now I only face lather. It makes for a better shave in my opinion and less cleanup. I find a boar brush is better for face lathering.
 
Have a bowl, stopped using it about a month ago. I now use face lathering - I find it creates just as good a lather, I can get exactly the right mix of water, cream or soap, and o2 I desire. Added benefit - raises the whiskers nicely.
 
started out bowl lathering, but why? face lathering gets the same result, but you spend the whole time massaging your face, lifting and prepping your beard....face lathering just makes sense! Just start it out a bit dry and add water as you go!
 

Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
I used a bowl for a few months, drop a few bowls, broke them, tried to face lather and didn't go back. I don't need to wash a bowl anymore...
 
I kinda do both, I guess. I build up a lot of lather in the bowl when I use soaps, because it just seems easier to do so. With creams, I'd describe myself more as a face latherer. I know a lot of people say that bowl lathering soap eats it up unnecessarily, but I've been using the same puck of C&E Nomad for literally over a year. I've had it so long that I'm tired of it and want to try something new... but it won't go away!
 
I started with a bowl. I think it is easier to see what happens to the lather when you use more or less water, or more brush loading, etc.

Recently I have started face lathering and do so ~90% of the time now. Once you really get lathering down pat, to me it is just easier to go ahead and get-er-done on your face. I will break out the bowl to try something new or if I just feel like it. I do still use the bowl to soak my brush while I shower, I just don't have to wash it out when I'm done now.
 
I face lather. I feel that I waste less of the cream by building it directly on my face, I think it works both the brush and the lather into the beard better, and there's nothing extra to clean afterwards.
 
started out bowl lathering, but why? Face lathering gets the same result, but you spend the whole time massaging your face, lifting and prepping your beard....face lathering just makes sense! Just start it out a bit dry and add water as you go!
+1
 
Top Bottom