I've just had a very nice shave with TOBS Coconut. However, I had a bit of trouble making my lather. First, I should mention that this was my first time using a cream. I scooped out about a cm's worth of cream and applied it to a well shaken brush. I discovered that I should've used at least double, but even after adding the same again, the lather never did that thing when I use a soap, where it just starts to grow and grow. Every small addition of water just seemed to thin the lather. Should I expect the same quality of lather from a cream as with a soap? In the end I shaved with a thin paste which was a very thin film for the second pass. I actually managed to get an above average shave but there was very little slickness throughout.
What methods do others have for using creams? Do I just need to use more product as with soap? How much would be too much? Is the classic almond sized blob the best?
Any and all contributions welcomed.
Shave 37
View attachment 1060759
Made in England Tech
New USA Personna Blue (Lab?)
Semogue 1438
TOBS Coconut
This was my first ever shave using a cream. After soaking my brush for a minute or two, I gave it a good shake, scooped out a small amount of the cream and applied it to the tips of the brush with my finger. After about 30 seconds of trying to get the lather going in my bowl, it became obvious that I was short of product. I scooped out the same again and carried on. A little better but it didn't look great. I wet my face with my left hand and got going anyway. The smell was very pleasant, quite sweet but nicely so. I dipped the tips and the lather thinned out, no slickness at all as I moved the brush around my face. I added a bit more cream, directly to my face this time. Each addition of water just thinned the lather out. I must have been face lathering for a good five minutes by this time but despite this, that slight irritation and tingling I've mentioned when using Cella, Proraso Red and Rasozero, was completely absent. I finally decided that I'd just have to make the best out of a bad job and picked up the razor.
First pass, WTG, right ear. Very little slickness, the feel was very different when I've used soap but, the blade cut through my stubble like a knife through butter. It didn't make any sense. I shaved all the way to the left side of my face, chin and lower lip included, on one side of the blade without dipping the razor in the sink. It didn't tug or struggle to get through the bristles once. The lather on my upper lip looked very dry. I shaved it anyway, and in complete comfort too. This blade is sharp. I did my neck and rinsed off.
Accepting that I'd already made a bodge job of lathering tonight, I made do with what I had in the brush for the second pass. I said that last shaves second pass was with thinnest layer I'd ever used. This one wasn't even a layer. It was a film, an extremely thin film of soap. Here goes, first stroke, XTG and no slickness but....no problemo. I winced as I changed the angle for the E-W stroke at the front of my chin but it shaved fine. No issues at all. The left side first stroke was slightly noisy but felt OK. However, there was no way I could shave my neck. It was dry as a bone. I contemplated leaving it but you learn nothing from giving up, so I dipped my brush in the sink, gave it a few shakes, applied a smear of cream on my neck and....got a watery mess. Deep breath. Don't get wound up. I rinsed my neck off, dipped my brush again, shook all the water out, but a small dab of cream on the tips, a few swirls in the bowl and I lathered my neck well enough to finish the shave. Phew.
After a cold water a rinse I had a check in the mirror. No redness or irritation. No even a smidgen. A very strange shave. Yes, it was rather frustrating, but it was also, generally speaking, enormously successful. The TOBS liked my skin fine. The scent was most agreeable, in fact, by the end of the shave, lovely. The Personna Blue (it doesn't say For Hospital Use on it, so I'm assuming it's a Lab rather than a Med prep) was great. The post shave is nothing short of remarkable. No dryness at all, not even that slightly tight feeling I often get with soaps. My skin feels supple, smooth and moisturised. It could have been closer, certainly, especially on my neck and jawline where I even have some stubble towards my ears but I'm not worried about that. Now, if I can just figure out how to lather a cream properly.....
What methods do others have for using creams? Do I just need to use more product as with soap? How much would be too much? Is the classic almond sized blob the best?
Any and all contributions welcomed.