Good idea to let cream sit on face for a little while?
- Thread starter Septimus
- Start date
Yessir. As Matt indicates, 2 minutes should give you some nice results. Also, for an added treat, you can spend that time massaging the cream on your face with your fingers. 
I've found one of the best things when I'm not using the "Proraso/Shower" trick is similar to Kyle's approach, but with straight cream. In other words, rather than whipping up your lather, then applying it, and letting it have time to work on the whiskers, I usually just dip a very small amount of straight cream and rub it into my wet face and apply a hot towel for a coule minutes. This way, I can "towel" it for as long as I want and don't have to worry about my lather being less than fresh or getting to cool.
Has anyone experienced a dry lather from this?
Yes, my skin does dry out and I get quite a bad neck rash when I use this technique, even with Taylor's Avacado.
Ditto.
I find no benefit to leaving the lather sit. It just dries out that much quicker.
I worry about lather drying too.
This works best with creams. Soaps can be hit or miss with the drying out.
Not really. I do massage cream into my beard, then I load my brush with some soap and start building superlather on my face, adding water as necessary. I feel I have the same amount of control over the lather as I have when using a bowl.
At first, I sometimes did get rather dry lather, depending on the soaps/creams used. Adding the proper amount of water resulted in a lot of splashing. I then started to add water in rather small portions until the lather had the proper consistency throughout the beard area. Doing all this takes some time, but it surely helps prepare the beard.
Best - MM
I usually let it sit for a couple of minutes while I am getting ready. Right before I start to shave I just go one last round with the brush just to ensure it is nice and slick.
Yes. I think this technique works fine and it serves as a 'pre-shave' routine for me sometimes. When I do this, I'll spend extra time with the brush on my face maybe one or two minutes. Then stare out the window for a minute or two and let that lather really soak into the beard. Then hit it with the brush again for a little bit and continue with the shave. I have'nt had any dry out issues with this - but if you do, just use extra H2O.
I guess if you are doing a pre-shave oil or something of the like leaving lather on for extra time is not necessary.
I guess if you are doing a pre-shave oil or something of the like leaving lather on for extra time is not necessary.
OldSaw
The wife's investment
Put it on right before heading out the door to Block Buster, get a movie, return home, watch the movie with the wife and kiddies, then shave.
I've been using this technique lately as a way of using up all the cream that I don't really like shaving with.
Not if using straight cream and then rinsing before applying lather.
Ditto, with good results. Sure it dries up somewhat, but relather right on top of the old lather, and you are good to go.
In regards to the dry lather concern:
I can't speak for the rest of the gents here, but when using this routine, I don't use the same lather application to shave with. After the hot towel treatment, I wipe my face clean, splash with water, relather, and shave.
I can't speak for the rest of the gents here, but when using this routine, I don't use the same lather application to shave with. After the hot towel treatment, I wipe my face clean, splash with water, relather, and shave.
Yessir. As Matt indicates, 2 minutes should give you some nice results. Also, for an added treat, you can spend that time massaging the cream on your face with your fingers.
Fingers? Well, OK, but I do that with the brush, especially when I lather on my face. I figure that the bristles help to work the cream (or soap) into the pores better. Lathering on the face ensures that you gave the cream a couple of minutes to soften the beard.
