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

[CamberwellCarrot]

I shower before shaving, and face lather 99% of the time. I can actually detect the change in my beard as I shower, as the whiskers break down a bit and plump up with water. So, by the time I've lathered, the whiskers are full of as much water as they can handle, so I don't wait at all, as I don't think the lather is going to really affect the whisker at this point.

This absorption of water is probably the whole point of prep, as the hair is both a bit softer and the extra water makes it physically bigger, and causes it to stand proud ready for cutting.

I always assume that this is why my shave gets just a tiny bit better a half hour or so afterwards as the hair loses that extra water and becomes less prominent.

Here's a very interesting post I found: Water Penetration in Keratin: Revisiting the Scientific Data on Shaving

 

[Slick&Smooth]

I take a good 2 minutes to face lather on purpose that way the beard is nice and prepped.

 

[Badgerstate36]

I wait maybe 5-10 seconds, basically just long enough to grab my razor and wet the blade. IMO, thats all you need. Once you wet your face and either face lather or mix up your lather and put it on your face, the hairs are plenty hydrated.

 

[G-Dogg]

I get a lot of hot water on my beard before the shower, to the point that I can feel the beard begin to soften. After the shower, I have a long and indulgent face lather, so it's sitting on the face for a couple of minutes anyway. I have a particularly tough patch of beard under the jaw and can tell when lathering whether it's softened: once it is, I don't hang about any more and get going with the shave.

 

[GlennConti]

I shower before shaving, and face lather 99% of the time. I can actually detect the change in my beard as I shower, as the whiskers break down a bit and plump up with water. So, by the time I've lathered, the whiskers are full of as much water as they can handle, so I don't wait at all, as I don't think the lather is going to really affect the whisker at this point.

This absorption of water is probably the whole point of prep, as the hair is both a bit softer and the extra water makes it physically bigger, and causes it to stand proud ready for cutting.

I always assume that this is why my shave gets just a tiny bit better a half hour or so afterwards as the hair loses that extra water and becomes less prominent.

Here's a very interesting post I found: Water Penetration in Keratin: Revisiting the Scientific Data on Shaving

Thanks for your link. He doesn't seem to know about different people's propensity, based on genetics, to have a different hair porosity which would cause different water penetration rates for different people. It seems water (and less so hotter water and lather) does all the heavy lifting when it comes to a reduction in cutting force necessary to shear the hair. He also doesn't mention the amount of time need to achieve maximal absorption which also varies by individual. Check that. I seemed to think he said there was no more benefit after 2 to 3 minutes of soaking or that that was the minimum time necessary (not quite sure.)

I think each person measuring their own individual absorption time via the sinking hair test is the key.

 

[SiBurning]

You have to try and see what works.

Skin & hair are made of the same basic stuff, so anything that happens to your beard also happens to your face. Maybe leaving shaving cream/soap on for a while lets it soak up more water, but your skin will also bloat. Which is more important depends on so many things that us mere humans can't wrap our beards around it. So just try and see what works.

 

[Brutus]

...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?

That depends entirely on your beard prep.

If you use a safety razor, and you are one of those shavers who try to get away with close to none prep, I would wait about 2 minutes after applying the lather.
(For me this was easy; as incidentally this was the time it took me to brush my teeth in-between with an electric toothbrush with timer.)

But for the last few years I have been almost exclusively a straight shaver where a good shave depends on a good prep.
As I first run water across my face and moist it with a wet sponge to allow skin and beard to absorb some water and soften up, I can start shaving straight away once I have applied the lather with a brush. (I don't remember enough about the stuff that comes out of the can to comment on that error in ways. )

So either way, once about two minutes have passed since I the face made contact with water, I'm good to go and start shaving.


B.

 

[stook2001]

I start shaving as soon as I've lathered up.

Likewise but i also often shave in the shower or certainly after showering and my experience has been that the steam and moisture in terms of face prep pre lather is very helpful.

 

[BigJ]

I face lather. After I get my lather just right, then I start shaving. KISS!