I recently got a stick of Arko and I feel like I haven't been using it right, but no matter how much water I slather onto the soap, brush, or my face or how much I agitate the resulting amount of soap, it barely gets above an "almost-gone beer foam" level of consistency. My facial hair isn't very dense, even with 2-4 days of growth, so might it be better if I were to lather it in a bowl and then apply it to my face?
Face lather with light/thin facial hair
- Thread starter FunkyFantasy
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"so might it be better if I were to lather it in a bowl and then apply it to my face?"
Nope. Just rub the stick more on your face. You can even lather your brush over the stick for additional soap pickup
Nope. Just rub the stick more on your face. You can even lather your brush over the stick for additional soap pickup
Arko almost lathers by itself. You may be using too much water and not enough product.
You could, but you would be missing all the advantages of face lathering. The key thing is getting enough soap loaded onto your brush at the start. This may take some trial-and-error.
You could try the "loading bowl" method first. Take a sharp knife and slice off three or four thin coin shaped pieces of soap from your stick. Moisten them and press them into the bottom of a bowl. Now, with your brush fairly damp, swirl over the soap pieces to load the brush. Once you have saturated the tips of the brush, then apply the resulting soap paste to your damp face. Now, add a small amount of water to the brush and build the lather directly on the face, for two or three stages. You should have enough lather built up in the brush to last you for two or three passes.
Once you have mastered the "loading bowl" method, try skipping the bowl and applying a layer of soap directly to the face from the stick. Moisten the face and dip the shave stick in water for 20-30 seconds. Apply the soap stick to the face until you see a thin translucent layer of soap on the skin. Now, build lather directly on the face with your damp brush.
You could try the "loading bowl" method first. Take a sharp knife and slice off three or four thin coin shaped pieces of soap from your stick. Moisten them and press them into the bottom of a bowl. Now, with your brush fairly damp, swirl over the soap pieces to load the brush. Once you have saturated the tips of the brush, then apply the resulting soap paste to your damp face. Now, add a small amount of water to the brush and build the lather directly on the face, for two or three stages. You should have enough lather built up in the brush to last you for two or three passes.
Once you have mastered the "loading bowl" method, try skipping the bowl and applying a layer of soap directly to the face from the stick. Moisten the face and dip the shave stick in water for 20-30 seconds. Apply the soap stick to the face until you see a thin translucent layer of soap on the skin. Now, build lather directly on the face with your damp brush.
Are you using a preshave oil? If yes, too much can be a real lather killer.
Try using the puck
To elaborate - use the bottom of the puck to load from, as it's already concave.
Take the puck directly to your face to get all the residual wet soap where you want it.
Add water sparingly as needed to your face
- Bob's your uncle
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I rub the stick liberally on my face then start the lathering then dip my brush in the sink and add water until I get the hydration I want which is usually a rather wet one. Maybe you are beginning with a brush that is too wet.
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Recently, I have been trying straight jojoba oil as a pre-shave with decent results, though I went without it and still had problems with building lather.
I have a PAA Phantom Aerolite, which is a synthetic brush, so that might be a problem. I guess finding out how much moisture the brush needs is more trial and error?
I can't imagine your brush is the issue. Start with less water in your brush. You can always add more, very gradually. Are you wetting the Arko! stick?
Are you happy with your shaves closeness and comfort? I ask thinking that if it is purely an aesthetic thing and one feeling awkward that you'll solve it in time and forget there was a learning curve. It'll come to you. I find some of these tiny skills accrete when they are ready, assuming one hasn't become impatient and forgotten that they are skills.
If it seems too watery too early in the process, I suspect it probably is. Good luck.
If it seems too watery too early in the process, I suspect it probably is. Good luck.
I concur with jmd's assessment, it sounds like you have too much water (upwards of 70% water) diluting the Purity Of Essence of your soap. You're not using Fluoridated water to make your lather are you? General Jack D. Ripper recommends staying away from using Fluoridated water in favor to using only distilled water or rainwater, and barring that; pure grain alcohol. He first became aware of the insidious danger of Fluoridated water during the physical act of lathering. He experienced a uh, a profound sense of fatigue... a feeling of emptiness that luckily he was able to interpret this as the soap's loss of essence/purity.
Thank you so much.I concur with jmd's assessment, it sounds like you have too much water (upwards of 70% water) diluting the Purity Of Essence of your soap. You're not using Fluoridated water to make your lather are you? General Jack D. Ripper recommends staying away from using Fluoridated water in favor to using only distilled water or rainwater, and barring that; pure grain alcohol. He first became aware of the insidious danger of Fluoridated water during the physical act of lathering. He experienced a uh, a profound sense of fatigue... a feeling of emptiness that luckily he was able to interpret this as the soap's loss of essence/purity.
I'd hoped someone would recognize Sterling Hayden from Kubrik's masterpiece in my avatar, and even wanted to change my username accordingly.
Best wishes, and continued good luck to the OP in pursuit of better lather.
"Well, Mr. Bat Guano, (if that really is your name)" I recognized the avatar right away; brings back fond memories of hearing the horn and wondering if you were going to have the chance to do the elephant walk...
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