First time soap user and I tried it with Cella.

[The Shaver]

Title says it all. I tried Cella (red tub, not block) and the shave was pretty good. Granted, I let my facial hair grow way longer than normal just so I could use it as soon as I got it. Anyway, I had some issues with lathering Cella. As those who own the red tub know, it's a pretty small jar. I tried my two brushes for this seeing it was a soap. I tried my VDH Boar and my VDH Badger. This really is a good soap and was still slick even though my lather was horrible. The lather seem to be very thin and pathetic, obviously of my doing. I kept on adding water and the quality didn't change. I was quite confused. I tried to face lather and it didn't help either. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Help?

Thanks B&B

 

[FL shaver]

Load with a just damp brush and face lather. Provides loads of slick and dense lather for me.

 

[The Shaver]

Which brush should I use?

 

[Niles]

If you haven't seen this thread, it should help you immensely with Cella.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/199887-My-lathering-technique-with-Italian-soft-soaps

 

[Shantytownbrown]

Which brush should I use?

my Semogue 830 is the perfect size for the little red tub!

I use a modified Marcos method, after soaking my brush while i am in the shower, i swirl for about a minute on the tub (oh i put a splash of water on the tub while the brush soaks too, not sure this makes much difference), then build a lather in a bowl, beautiful billowy white merengue, great shave lather, looks a little thin at first but it works up nice and foamy

 

[FL shaver]

Which brush should I use?

I used a 16mm finest from TGN in a restored travel brush. Perfect!

 

[Mick]

Cella is a fantastic soft soap.

once you get the hang of it you will love it

 

[Cagliostro]

Waiting on Marco to stride in tip his hat and school the place, Cella as I hear is excellent soft soap from Italy and I am still looking forward to using it one day.

 

[The Shaver]

Wait, are you guys lathering in the tub or in a separate bowl? I always thought that lathering in the tub made the product run out faster..? Also, I live out in the country so I have pretty hard water. I was reading in the link that Dennard posted and it helped, but it seems to be a hit with those with soft water and a failure with those with hard water. Should I just load more onto the brush and spend more time lathering in another bowl?

 

[Alphonse]

the steps..
1. put some warm water in the red cella tub while the brush is soaking.
2. after soaking for 10 mins or whatever, dump the water out of the red cella tub.
3. take your very wet brush(filled with hot water in my world) and swirl in the red cella tub for 1 minute or longer.
4. apply the brush loaded with cella directly to your wet face and lather directly on your face. you can't mess this up.

it's that easy. If your new tub isn't lathering so great at the start just give it a couple uses to break in.
Cella is definitely a soap you will be face lathering. I like my cella sloppy wet for great slickness. I like it sloppy period.

 

[Niles]

Wait, are you guys lathering in the tub or in a separate bowl? I always thought that lathering in the tub made the product run out faster..? Also, I live out in the country so I have pretty hard water. I was reading in the link that Dennard posted and it helped, but it seems to be a hit with those with soft water and a failure with those with hard water. Should I just load more onto the brush and spend more time lathering in another bowl?

I load all my soaps in the tub. It works for me and I don't go through soaps especially fast. For me, Cella benefits from a lot of loading.

 

[takeshi]

The lather seem to be very thin and pathetic, obviously of my doing. I kept on adding water and the quality didn't change. I was quite confused. I tried to face lather and it didn't help either. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

Insufficient loading. How are you loading it? With a wet or dry brush? Try the opposite. Marco's method seems popular but I never had problem using my usual method with a dry-er brush.

Which brush should I use?

It really doesn't matter from a brush standpoint but you may have a preference one way or the other. You might need to adjust your technique slightly for boar versus badger but either will work.

Also, I live out in the country so I have pretty hard water. I was reading in the link that Dennard posted and it helped, but it seems to be a hit with those with soft water and a failure with those with hard water.

We have hard water here and I had no problems with Cella. You just have to load more with hard water.

I load all my soaps in the tub.

Isn't that a must? Unless you scoop some out of the tub...

 

[raccoonandbrush]

How I have been lathering:
1. Run the brush under the faucet until it is soaked.
2. Shake the brush out good until it doesn't drip any more.
3. Start swirling on the soap.
4. Add a tiny bit of water to the brush from the faucet.
5. Swirl brush on soap some more.
6. Keep going back and forth between adding a tiny amount of water and swirling on the soap until you get a good amount of soap on your brush.
7. Start face lathering.
8. If needed, add a tiny bit more of water to the brush until you get a good lather going.

 

[Marco]

Definitely use more soap. This hint is valid for any soap, both soft or hard triple-milled. Drops of water can be added to the brush afterwards only when and if needed. Also, a pic of your lather will certainly help for a better evaluation.

 

[ouch]

Cella is one of the best. I'll never be without it.

 

[CB1]

I will say that I enjoy Cella very much and find it lathers well with most any brush. It's one I will definitely reorder when I run out. One thing I will add to the post is I would enjoy a larger bowl or mug to load the brush with so next time I'm going to order the brick and put a nice chunk in an Old Spice mug which is one of my favorite containers of choice!

 

[Niles]

Isn't that a must? Unless you scoop some out of the tub...

Right.

 

[SteveWY]

If a person chooses a new thing, he might as well start at the top! Good choice on Cella as your first soap.

 

[mwhitcraft]

FWIW, I have MUCH better luck with Cella if I use my Semogue OC boar than if I use my Thater silvertip badger.

 

[demaro]

I will say that I enjoy Cella very much and find it lathers well with most any brush. It's one I will definitely reorder when I run out. One thing I will add to the post is I would enjoy a larger bowl or mug to load the brush with so next time I'm going to order the brick and put a nice chunk in an Old Spice mug which is one of my favorite containers of choice!

My Cella is right at home in one of my OS Mugs as well ..