Help with Proraso

[jojoc]

What is the trick to getting a good lather out of this stuff?

I face lather right after my shower. My brush is the AOS Pure Badger (came in their travel pack).

My process:
1. soak brush
2. keep face wet.
3. squeeze dry brush and give it one shake
4. load brush for about 30 seconds
5. lather on face for about 60 - 90 seconds in circular motion
6. Usually will add a little water to brush part way through this as it seems dry
7. use paint-brush stroke to sooth out.

The first lathering results is a decent lather, although a little thinner than what I was getting from my AOS cream and TOBS soap. The second pass I would re-wet my face and add a little water to the brush, resulting in an even thinner lather. Third pass was very thin and would dry out on my face well before finishing.

I have tried loading the brush longer and have played some with the amount of water, but get the same basic results.

Thank you in advance for any help or suggestions.


jojoc

 

[menghai]

It sounds to me like you are watering down your second and third passes way too much?

 

[Latherdude]

Yeah, sounds like too much water in the subsequent passes.
I rinse my face after my first pass like you do, but then wipe it with my hands. It leaves my face a little damp, but not dripping and also not towel-dry. Try that along with not re-wetting your brush.

OR, try making your initial lather in the palm of your hand instead of right on your face. There you can feel exactly how slick it is. Once it's good, wipe that hand on your face and use the brush to spread it around, building a bit and getting everything just right.

 

[twallis]

I learned to run the brush under water and tip it upside down to let excess water run out, while retaining as much water in the brush as it will hold. Don't squeeze or shake out the brush. Water IS the key. Load the saturated brush with soap using only the tips of brush. You should get an excellent lather without having to add water doing it this way. Hope this helps.

 

[coloradomonkey]

Yeah, sounds like too much water in the subsequent passes.
I rinse my face after my first pass like you do, but then wipe it with my hands. It leaves my face a little damp, but not dripping and also not towel-dry. Try that along with not re-wetting your brush.

+1

Also, I have had success face lathering by smearing the snurdle on my face first instead of bowl lathering.

 

[mharris127]

+1

Also, I have had success face lathering by smearing the snurdle on my face first instead of bowl lathering.

That works great for cream but I think considering where this is posted the OP is using the croap version.

I find that Proraso croap is best used for face lathering. Swirl a wet but not dripping brush on the soap for 30 seconds and then lather up on your face for at least 60 seconds. If the lather is too thick dribble a bit of water into your brush and lather up some more.

 

[Der_Kaiser]

I use the Marco method and it's superb. Pretty much the same as twallis's description I'd only add that I load my brush for 30-45 seconds, I was skeptical before I tried it but it's really the best way.

 

[Marco]

If the lather is thin you most probably need to use more product. Make a few more attempts and let us know, Proraso is one of the easiest soaps to lather up properly.

 

[attime6]

I use the Marco method and it's superb. Pretty much the same as twallis's description I'd only add that I load my brush for 30-45 seconds, I was skeptical before I tried it but it's really the best way.

+1 the only thing i change is that i start with a drier brush.

 

[jojoc]

I'm rotating between TOBS, D.R. Harris and the Proraso. Proraso's turn is coming back around. LOL.

Thank you for the feedback. I will give these tips a try.

 

[JFielder23]

Try loading the brush holding the soap bowl upside-down. Seems you can get more product into the brush by doing that. I haven't tried it with Proraso, but it works well with the other soaps I've tried.

Good luck!

 

[jojoc]

So the Proraso came back around in the rotation. Used Marco's method of loading with a very wet brush. And ............















finally got a really good lather!

However, I almost needed to take another shower before I was done. The process of face lathering with that much wet, sloppy lather was a bit messy. I had lather falling and flying all over the place. But it did build into a very nice lather. The second and third pass were wonderful.

Thank you again for your suggestions.

I guess now I will play with how much water I keep in the brush to tame the lather some on the first pass.

 

[RaiserLiebe]

Here's a fuller explanation of Marco's method
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...ith-Italian-soft-soaps?highlight=marco+lather
Cheers!

 

[kiwimike]

I have been experimenting with Proraso soap lately and I have found loading for 1 min with a lightly squeezed out brush and face lathering works well.
Just dip the tips in a few times to get the desired consistency.
The main problem for me was not using enough product.

 

[rxonmymind]

If the lather isn't flying, your not using enough!

 

[Neognosis]

4. load brush for about 30 seconds
5. lather on face for about 60 - 90 seconds in circular motion

That is an unbelievably long amount of time. Is that really an accurate time, or do you just FEEL like that's how long you are doing things?

I get perfect shaves almost every time with Proraso, and I load the brush for MAYBE 5-10 seconds, and lather on my face for perhaps 10 seconds.

This is not rocket science, mayhaps you are overthinking it?

 

[Griffo]

That works great for cream but I think considering where this is posted the OP is using the croap version.

I find that Proraso croap is best used for face lathering. Swirl a wet but not dripping brush on the soap for 30 seconds and then lather up on your face for at least 60 seconds. If the lather is too thick dribble a bit of water into your brush and lather up some more.

Spot on this is what I do. works a treat.

 

[jojoc]

used Proraso again this morning, with a little less water in the brush. worked great, and the lather was much more controlled this time around. I really like this stuff!

 

[andrestole]

if you get it right, the proraso will pay you back big time.