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Getting soap lather out of brush (and onto face)

Here is an annoying observation I have had:

When lathering with creams, I have no trouble getting a thick, luscious amount of lather onto my face. When using soaps, however, the dang lather wants to stay in the brush. Perhaps it is because the lather is lighter with the soap, it clings to the brush like no one's business. I can get a relatively thin layer on my face, but the rest just stays in the brush no matter how I try. Even if I squeeze some out of the brush and try it that way, it still hangs onto the brush once I start moving it around my face.

Has anyone else noticed this? It is frustrating when you can get tons of lather in the bowl/brush but you can't get enough of it on your face. I realize it probably makes no difference to the shave, but I like the feeling of having all that lather on my ugly mug.
 
Scotto,
Try varying your water to soap ratio and whip it a bit longer in the bowl... It varies soap by soap, but I have found some that require more water to get a good creamy lather onto the visage.
Scotto said:
Here is an annoying observation I have had:

When lathering with creams, I have no trouble getting a thick, luscious amount of lather onto my face. When using soaps, however, the dang lather wants to stay in the brush. Perhaps it is because the lather is lighter with the soap, it clings to the brush like no one's business. I can get a relatively thin layer on my face, but the rest just stays in the brush no matter how I try. Even if I squeeze some out of the brush and try it that way, it still hangs onto the brush once I start moving it around my face.

Has anyone else noticed this? It is frustrating when you can get tons of lather in the bowl/brush but you can't get enough of it on your face. I realize it probably makes no difference to the shave, but I like the feeling of having all that lather on my ugly mug.
 
LIke Ron, I too have noticed that some soaps take a little bit more water to get a nice creamy consistency required for a good shave. I've also noticed that for me it takes me a good 1-2 minutes of whipping the cream or cream from a soap in a bowl to get the nice meringue-like consistency. I have hard water though.
 
This was my solution as well...........not to steal your thread scotto but any one tell my why I cant receive a well lubricted shave with soap even with a nice amount of lather.
 
gage0921 said:
This was my solution as well...........not to steal your thread scotto but any one tell my why I cant receive a well lubricted shave with soap even with a nice amount of lather.
Any particular soaps you are using? If you want to try a really excellent vegetable-based soap that feels like it is a super-fatted cream or tallow-bassed soap, try L'Occitane CADE. Usually around $30 in an attractive covered metal bowl. I am not sure how much the soap refill is by itself. You can probalby find it locally, but if you need to try online at L'Occitane. Hit it with a good, hot, wet brush, take 6 to 12 (full) circular swipes (depending on your water hardness and temp) and whisk it in a bowl. Mmmm. Time for a shave break. :smile:
 
guenron said:
Any particular soaps you are using? If you want to try a really excellent vegetable-based soap that feels like it is a super-fatted cream or tallow-bassed soap, try L'Occitane CADE. Usually around $30 in an attractive covered metal bowl. I am not sure how much the soap refill is by itself. You can probalby find it locally, but if you need to try online at L'Occitane. Hit it with a good, hot, wet brush, take 6 to 12 (full) circular swipes (depending on your water hardness and temp) and whisk it in a bowl. Mmmm. Time for a shave break. :smile:

I have only had QED soaps. Ill keep these in mind...thanx
 
gage0921 said:
I have only had QED soaps. Ill keep these in mind...thanx

Okay, with the QED soaps:
First use the lathering bowl technique ala Ferman. Overload your freshly soaked brush with soap, i.e. get too much soap into the brush. Start whisking the soaped brush in your lathering bowl and see if you start getting a good lather. Now, add a dry vermouth in a martinis-worth of hot water and whisk some more. Then try lathering. If the lather does not feels slick, add another dry vermouth in a martinis-worth of hot water and whisk some more. One of two things is going to happen. You'll find the correct soap to water ratio that gives you a slick lather or you'll end up with soapy water in your bowl which means you started off with too little soap. When you whisk your brush in the bowl, Do It To It! One or two minutes is barely enough for this test.
Take two aspirins and call me in the morning. :smile:
 
guenron said:
Okay, with the QED soaps:
First use the lathering bowl technique ala Ferman. Overload your freshly soaked brush with soap, i.e. get too much soap into the brush. Start whisking i the soaped brush in your lathering bowl and see if you start getting a good lather. Now, add a dry vermouth in a martinis-worth of hot water and whisk so more. Then try lathering. If the lather does not feels slick, add another dry vermouth in a martinis-worth of hot water and whisk so more. One of two things is going to happen. You'll find the correct soap to water ration that gives you a slick lather or you'll end up with soapy water in your bowl which means you started off with too little soap. When you whish your brush in the bowl, Do It To It! One or two minutes is barely enough for this test.
Take two aspirins and call me in the morning. :smile:

LOL..........Will do doc
 
I hope you're in good shape sean! After all that work I'd hate to see you gouge yourself from a twitchy hand! :lol:
 
Going back to the original point of the thread, I had some good success today. I hit my anise & lavender soap for a few swirls with my wet brush, then into the lathering bowl. After about 30 seconds, I got decent looking lather which I would normally have applied to my face. Instead of doing that, I spent another solid minute whipping the lather up into some serious suds. This stuff stuck to my skin nearly as much as a good cream. Good show!

On another note, I am starting to think some of this is due to brush differences. I think the SMF brush may be hanging on to the lather a bit more than my Savile Row. I'll do some more testing and report back.
 
Scotto,

I appreciate you making your original post -- I was having the same problem, but could never find the time to get it articulated into a post on the forums.

After reading the replies, I too am having much better success. I'm retaining more water in my brush (no shaking) before soaping up the brush & whipping for longer in the bowl. Guenron's posts about "loads of lather" after multiple passes now makes sense & I can get it onto my face!
 
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