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How Long a Wait After You Get Shaving Cream On...

...till you begin shaving? Is there an optimum time? Should you wait a minute and let it soak in and soften? or ok to get right at it and shave? or just doesn't matter?
 

captp

Pretty Pink Fairy Princess.
Try it both ways to sees what works best for you. I like to apply lather early, wet my hand and rub over lather, then go to working up more lather in my scuttle.
 
If I've prep'd properly and I've face lathered, I'm pretty much ready to shave. Might take a minute to get the razor ready, my hands dry, and whatever, but I'm ready when the face lather is complete.

If I've bowl lathered, I might let it sit a little while on my face, softening the stubble.
 
If I don't shower, I splash my face with real warm water & lather up the soap. I then splash more warm water & lather up & shave. If I am just out of the shower, I lather up & start shaving. This works for me.
 
Most mornings once the lather is on I pick up the razor and just go. I shave right after my shower, so my face and whiskers should be well hydrated for the shave.
 
After fully lathering your face. Wait about a minute and a half. Too long and the lather starts to dry. Not long enough and your whiskers are not/moistened/soften enough. Whiskers will cut easier with less pull/drag if they have been properly moistened. I have read Gillette razor blade patents and they explain why they developed coated blades - it was people rush to shave without letting their whiskers properly moisten - hence the need for coated blades. With coated blades, prep can be poorer and blade will still cut the whisker without pulling the hair. But for maximum comfort I suggest letting the lather do its job - especially ATG.

PS - definitely wet your face completely with warm or hot water before applying lather too.
 
After fully lathering your face. Wait about a minute and a half. Too long and the lather starts to dry. Not long enough and your whiskers are not/moistened/soften enough. Whiskers will cut easier with less pull/drag if they have been properly moistened. I have read Gillette razor blade patents and they explain why they developed coated blades - it was people rush to shave without letting their whiskers properly moisten - hence the need for coated blades. With coated blades, prep can be poorer and blade will still cut the whisker without pulling the hair. But for maximum comfort I suggest letting the lather do its job - especially ATG.

PS - definitely wet your face completely with warm or hot water before applying lather too.

^^This^^
 
I get best results lathering then waiting for a minute. I notice the difference when I forget to wait. This is first pass only. Later passes are lather and go.
 
I give my beard a good hot washcloth soak, at least a minute. then face lather, then shave. As long as my beard is well hydrated and the lather is slick, I'm ready to shave
 
...till you begin shaving? Is there an optimum time? Should you wait a minute and let it soak in and soften? or ok to get right at it and shave? or just doesn't matter?

I start shaving as soon as I lather up. Of course, I shave in the shower, so I'm already well hydrated. I've tried shaving at the sink afterward, but it just seems to work better in the shower.
 
or just doesn't matter?

If you shave right after a hot shower where you have also washed your face it really does not,make sure you brush/rub your shaving cream/shaving foam thoroughly into your stubble before shaving THOUGH ,don't just paint/paste it on.THIS makes a HUGE difference.
 
So all you guys that don't wait after the lather, why don't you try a test? Wait 30 to 45 seconds after your lather before your shave to see if it will make a difference in the comfort of your shave? Easy test and it may be the best 30 seconds you ever spent!
 
A Professor of Dermatology and Medical doctor's take:

"The success of a shave is based on the ratio of hair removal to skin removal. A well-designed blade accompanied by a well-formulated shaving cream will increase this ratio. Shaving cream increases the amount of water that enters the hair shaft, thus softening the hair shaft and allowing the razor to cut the hair cleanly with less force. Post-foaming shaving gels are better at softening the hair than regular shaving creams due to more water absorption."

http://dermatologytimes.modernmedic...ow/best-shaving-practices-reduce-occurrence-p

So maybe a few moments of time will improve the experience?????
 
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