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Hard vs. Soft Water and Lather

Hi all, I noticed on another thread that 'hard water' was mentioned in reference to developing a good lather. I wasn't aware that it made a big difference but it does make sense that it may.:confused1

Was wondering if someone could please explain the difference hard water has on lather vs. soft water lather.

Thanks!
 
For me it seems that hard water requires more soap to make the lather, and it makes the lather break up sooner. The effect varies in severity from soap to soap. I usually add a few drops of glycerin to counteract the effect.
 
The minerals in hard water interact with the fats in the soap and "binds" those fats. The higher the mineral content, the more product needs to be used to overcome it. Think about the amount of soap needed to suds up your hands when they are really dirty...the fats in the soap bind with the dirt and suspends it so it can be washed away. When the amount of dirt (and in the case of hard water, minerals) overcomes the amount of soap used, lathering up will be more difficult because the fats needed to build the lather are bound. It is often necessary to use more product and greater agitation to obtain a lather, or use softened or distilled water. If you have whipped up a nice lather and add hard water to it, you may end up destroying the lather. Soft water on the other hand will allow you to build a lather quickly as it is low in mineral content. Soft water seems to make you skin feel "slick" when rinsing compared to hard water. I just installed a water softener this past weekend and oh boy, did it make a difference. I suspect I won't need to purchase my soaps and creams as often now.
 
from the wikipedia page on hard water:

With hard water, soap solutions form a white precipitate (soap scum) instead of producing lather. This effect arises because the 2+ ions destroy the surfactant properties of the soap by forming a solid precipitate (the soap scum). A major component of such scum is calcium stearate, which arises from sodium stearate, the main component of soap:
2 C[SUB]17[/SUB]H[SUB]35[/SUB]COO[SUP]-[/SUP] + Ca[SUP]2+[/SUP] → (C[SUB]17[/SUB]H[SUB]35[/SUB]COO)[SUB]2[/SUB]CaHardness can thus be defined as the soap-consuming capacity of a water sample, or the capacity of precipitation of soap as a characteristic property of water that prevents the lathering of soap. Synthetic detergents do not form such scums.


basically divalent cations, magnesium, calcium, etc. with outcompete the monovalent sodium or potassium in soap and these complexes are much less soluble in water so fall out of solution instead of forming lather.
 
We have a water filter over here, which makes our water extremely 'soft'. I can make a great lather with it. I'm moving soon, so I'll be noticing the difference then, probably.
 
Wow, great info all around! Thanks! I have hard water but use cream instead if soap and I'm able to get a pretty good lather going, is the reaction different with creams or the same?
 
In my experience it makes a huge difference. My water at home is soft (snow melt) and I can pretty much load and lather almost anything in about a minute. When traveling to hard water areas it’s a lot more work. Some soaps do okay and some really struggle in hard water. And it takes me many times longer and a lot more product.
 
Recently I began using rainwater for my daily shave. It seems to yield a very creamy lather using Proraso Green and Red, and Van der Hagen soaps. With all the recent rain(s) storms here in Wylie, Texas, I have a sizable supply to draw from.
 
If your water is too hard, distilled water should work well. :)
People try all kinds of complicated procedures to get a better lather. Some complain about poor performance of soaps that others absolutely love - the main culprit is the water.
Distilled water is the easiest & cheapest solution, as is DI water. I have really hard tap water & can get a gallon of Distilled water at Walmart for 80¢. The local Water & Ice shop has DI water for 30¢ per gallon and works equally well. I keep a water bottle filled with DI water on the counter top next to soap, brush and bowl, so it's really simple to get a great lather.
 
This last summer my family and I drove cross country. From east coast to west coast and back again. We stayed in hotels every night and I shaved every morning. The only soap I brought was Mitchell’s Wool Fat. It was eye opening to see how different it lathered in different parts of the country. I brought one brush and one razor. The water was the only variable. MWF went from hero to zero and back again a few times. So I think water type makes a big difference.
 

Luc

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People try all kinds of complicated procedures to get a better lather. Some complain about poor performance of soaps that others absolutely love - the main culprit is the water.
Distilled water is the easiest & cheapest solution, as is DI water. I have really hard tap water & can get a gallon of Distilled water at Walmart for 80¢. The local Water & Ice shop has DI water for 30¢ per gallon and works equally well. I keep a water bottle filled with DI water on the counter top next to soap, brush and bowl, so it's really simple to get a great lather.

This is correct.

however, I’m lazy. Why would I keep distilled water when another product works very well with the water coming out of my tap?

I know that my local water is hard. I know what to expect when I lather a soap. If it doesn’t lather well, I can use more product. In most cases, it works. In some cases, it doesn’t.

at the moment, distilled water is fairly difficult to obtain around here. I mainly use it in my coffee machine. It’s a game changer for me.
 
found this thread on a search for hard water tips. ive tried distilled (bottled water) before and it does indeed give a better lather, but..... its cold (hot water better yes?) and i dont have enough to fill a sink with it to soak my brush. i hear a soaking brush is better for lather yep?
so my question is...... is there any mileage in filling a cup with distilled water, and just leaving the brush in it all the time so its always soaking, and im not just trying to get a lather from dipping a dry brush into a dollop of cream and a bit of distilled water?
thanks
 
...... is there any mileage in filling a cup with distilled water, and just leaving the brush in it all the time so its always soaking, and im not just trying to get a lather from dipping a dry brush into a dollop of cream and a bit of distilled water?
thanks
Probably not good for the knot so not advisable. You could warm up some distilled water in a bowl in the microwave and then soak your brush, using the water to also make the lather. I have very hard water and just use tap water and more soap; it works just fine and the extra cost of soap is not significant in the overall cost.
If you can store rainwater it would be just as good and readily available.
 
Fortunately, our local tap water is just fine!

However, I have had trouble lathering some of my favorite soaps while traveling. My ‘solution’ is to travel with a stick of La Toja which seems to lather great with most any water! :thumbup: :thumbup:

I would likely go the distilled water route if I had hard water at home.
 
thanks. i tried distilled water before reading your replies, wasnt the best shave ever and i certainly didnt enjoy a cold shave. i was using an old arko stick tho, i need some more cream really.

just one thought, the distilled water in the microwave trick..... would a boiled kettle give the same result?

thanks
 
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I’ve noticed with hard water, the lather takes more effort to build and residue on the brush and razor tends to build up quicker. I also notice the shave can be a little rougher as opposed to when the water is soft.
 
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