Face-Lathering Revelation

[The National Razor]

I'm not sure what took so long to click. I have been face-lathering for many a moon cycle already. Just the other day I realized that if I vigoriously shimmy the brush to-and-fro across my face, I would have infinitely more lathery goodness.

Hitherto I had been far too genteel in my approach. I would just languidly move the brush around on my face, but without any true infusion of energy. I gotgood results-but what I thought were good results have been revealed to be lackluster in comparison with the progeny of the new technique.

Like I said, I'm not sure what took me so long to get it. But I'm glad I did. I write this in the hopes that there are others out there who think they are doing it right, but for whom there is so much more lather to discover.

 

[moonshine44]

Gotta work that brush, that's where the good stuff comes from...

 

[No Pressure]

I face-lathered for the first time this morning since I started DE shaving a couple of months ago....and with EXCELLENT results! The quality and slickness of the lather seemed much better to me than what I had been creating in the bowl, and this was with VDH Deluxe to boot!

Maybe my lathering skills are improving on top of it, but it was really a nice experience (and my hand/arm didn't get tired either, so that was a plus). Fingers in the knot of the brush, nice circular motions, then painting the lather on the face...it works. I'm a believer!

 

[closer]

This is what I've been doing since day 1, almost 2 months ago. I never quite got past the concept of bowl lathering, since I saw my grandfather and father always rub some cream on their face and lather it up on the face. It just seems intuitively that face lathering would result in better application of lather/moisture to face (proponents of bowl lathering, please don't jump on me for this comment). The one advantage with bowl lathering may be using a scuttle or some such device to keep the lather warm. Does anybody have a recommendation for how to keep the lather on brush warm, when face lathering?

 

[markb]

Face lathering IMHO is the ONLY way to go whether using soaps or creams!

 

[Monkeydad]

How do you face lather with a soap?

Don't you HAVE to lather the soap up in a bowl?

 

[Seraphim]

This yet another reason I prefer a small knot brush (20mm). With a small brush it gives you some room on your old puss to work up a good back and forth lather. A 28mm, or even a floppy 24mm brush is just too cumbersome to effectively work up the good suds.

 

[GoldenMonkey]

How do you face lather with a soap?

Don't you HAVE to lather the soap up in a bowl?

No sir, you work the soap with the wet brush to get a good amount built up on the tips, and then move to the face...check these:
Soap Lathering
Face Lathering

 

[markb]

How do you face lather with a soap?

Don't you HAVE to lather the soap up in a bowl?

Here's how I do it.

• Soak brush in hot water (usually while I'm showering)
• Place a little water on soap (though depending on the soap this may not always be necessary)
• Squeeze excess water from brush (I use very little water to start with)
• Swirl brush on soap building a paste into the hair
• Move to face and begin working up lather, adding water as needed a little at a time

I usually get enough lather for three good passes per shave this way.

 

[82R100]

Does anybody have a recommendation for how to keep the lather on brush warm, when face lathering?

Have a relatively small cup or bowl being kept warm (either by floating in a hot sink of water or some sort of scuttle arrangement) to hold the lathered brush while you're doing each pass. I have one of my soap pucks in relatively small mug that serves the purpose well and that I can sit on a prewarmed candle warmer.

Note: The candle warmer is too hot to leave on for this configuration, so I'll turn it on for a pass then off for the rest of the time.

- Chris

 

[HoratioCaine]

Just the other day I realized that if I vigoriously shimmy the brush to-and-fro across my face, I would have infinitely more lathery goodness.

My breakthrough with face lathering came when I used vigorous, circular strokes, but I imagine the effect is similar to what you experienced. That was over three years ago. Since then I have returned to a bowl no more times than I can count on one hand, and have always found it lacking in comparison to a proper face lather.

 

[Dennis]

How do you face lather with a soap?

Don't you HAVE to lather the soap up in a bowl?

Heck no you don't have to use a bowl. I haven't used a bowl in a couple years now. As for keeping the brush warm, that is why they invented scuttles. Something like the Moss Scuttle is used to park your brush in between passes.

 

[Monkeydad]

Here's how I do it.

• Soak brush in hot water (usually while I'm showering)
• Place a little water on soap (though depending on the soap this may not always be necessary)
• Squeeze excess water from brush (I use very little water to start with)
• Swirl brush on soap building a paste into the hair
• Move to face and begin working up lather, adding water as needed a little at a time

I usually get enough lather for three good passes per shave this way.

That's exactly how I do it also.

I thought it was bowl lathering since I build up the lather on the soap in the bowl and move it to my face. It's really the only way I'd see that it would work with a soap puck.

I was picturing him rubbing soap on his face and lathering up on his face when he mentioned "face lathering" with soap.

 

[Monkeydad]

Heck no you don't have to use a bowl. I haven't used a bowl in a couple years now. As for keeping the brush warm, that is why they invented scuttles. Something like the Moss Scuttle is used to park your brush in between passes.

With a soap...don't you have to put the puck in a bowl or something?

 

[MichaelG]

As others have noted, you just charge up your brush on the soap in the bowl, then lather up on your face.

The other great option is using a shaving stick. Just rub the stick on your whiskers then use a damp brush to lather directly on your face. My favorite shave sticks are the Wilkinsons, Speick, Irisch Moos and the old Erasmic with tallow.

How do you face lather with a soap?

Don't you HAVE to lather the soap up in a bowl?

 

[Dennis]

With a soap...don't you have to put the puck in a bowl or something?

I keep my soap in a covered soap bowl like the one from CS, or in the tin or bowl the soap came in (or is a Ziploc bowl for that matter for some of my soaps). I don't have a scuttle, but you were asking how to keep lather warm. I would fill the scuttle with hot water in both chambers, soak the brush, take a shower, shake the water out, swirl it on the soap, face lather, and park the brush in the scuttle between passes.

 

[GoldenMonkey]

I keep my soap in a covered soap bowl like the one from CS, or in the tin or bowl the soap came in (or is a Ziploc bowl for that matter for some of my soaps). I don't have a scuttle, but you were asking how to keep lather warm. I would fill the scuttle with hot water in both chambers, soak the brush, take a shower, shake the water out, swirl it on the soap, face lather, and park the brush in the scuttle between passes.

I keep my lather warm by using a narrower tea cup with high sides (not this particular set, but same company, and same basic cup) to keep my brush in while I'm shaving, and I keep this mug in the sink of hot water. It works quite well, unless it tips over, lol. Eventually I'm all about getting a Dirty Bird brush scuttle...

 

[closer]

Have a relatively small cup or bowl being kept warm (either by floating in a hot sink of water or some sort of scuttle arrangement) to hold the lathered brush while you're doing each pass.
- Chris

I'll give this a try, but have a hard time imagining how this would work. I guess the brush handle will sit on the mug, but since the lather will only be in contact with (warm) air, will it be sufficient to keep it warm?

 

[markb]

That's exactly how I do it also.

I thought it was bowl lathering since I build up the lather on the soap in the bowl and move it to my face. It's really the only way I'd see that it would work with a soap puck.

I was picturing him rubbing soap on his face and lathering up on his face when he mentioned "face lathering" with soap.

No, I don't build the lather on the soap, I swirl it a little until it's the consistency of paste. When the brush hairs begin to clump together is when I move it to my face to begin building the actual lather I shave with. I apologize for not being clear enough on that.

 

[kingfisher]

....I was picturing him rubbing soap on his face and lathering up on his face when he mentioned "face lathering" with soap.

You can do this, too. That's what shave sticks are for. You can also just grab a puck of soap, rub it onto your face, and then lather on your face. It works pretty well.