how not to waste soap?

[dirtytony]

i am about to switch back to cheap van der hagen or williams shaving soaps if i cannot find a useful answer to this question.

i recently purchased a 5 oz tub of sandalwood soap from mama bear. it smells good and seems to lather well. i do not own a scuttle. i have a brush, a shavette, and soap. what do i need to add to the equation so i am not seeming to waste the soap? i get the soap wet in the container it comes in, which i assume is also the container it is to be used in. i add water to the brush, get a lather, but then if i don't rinse off the soap (!!?) and the container, and dry (also !!?) the soap and container before storing them again, i end up with a useless mushy soap that comes apart in layers.

i tried using one of these layers and it just turned even mushier, almost like it was a layer of one or more, but not all, of the soap ingredients. it just disappeared and did not lather barely at all.

i do not wish to dry off the soap and container that it resides in after use. i do not wish to waste the soap i have paid good money for by storing it in the container it came in.

please tell me what it is i am doing wrong, or if this is to be expected?

if so, i will be switching back to the 1.50 williams mug shaving soap because at least then i don't feel as though i am tossing money down the drain.

thanks for any and all replies.

 

[Planbee]

Easiest answer (for me, anyway) is not to lather in the tub. Load up your moist (not wet) brush with soap by swishing around and getting the soap into the brush in a circular fashion, but not a fast lathering movement.

Then lather the soap that you've loaded on your brush in a bowl / mug, adding some water a bit at a time to build the lather up.

Keeps the soap from getting waterlogged, since you're only touching it with a moist (not sopping wet) brush.

Derek

 

[Planbee]

Oh, and welcome!

 

[Attila]

Easiest answer (for me, anyway) is not to lather in the tub. Load up your moist (not wet) brush with soap by swishing around and getting the soap into the brush in a circular fashion, but not a fast lathering movement.

Then lather the soap that you've loaded on your brush in a bowl / mug, adding some water a bit at a time to build the lather up.

Keeps the soap from getting waterlogged, since you're only touching it with a moist (not sopping wet) brush.

Derek

This is good advice.

 

[tbress]

I haven't had the problem you are describing. I face lather, so I build up a thick "proto-lather" right on the puck with a damp brush, then apply it to my face. Then I wet the tips of the brush a bit more and build up the lather on my face. I leave the proto-lather on the puck, I don't rinse the puck or dry it. I don't get that layer effect you describe on either my tallow soaps or my two Mama Bear soaps. It sounds like you are putting too much water on the puck itself. Try adding the water in a lathering bowl or directly on your face.

In general, though, as long as you aren't getting that layering effect I wouldn't worry too much about wasting soap. Usually you get better results using more product anyway. Plus, the faster you go through your soaps the faster you can buy and try new soaps!

 

[viper16]

Easiest answer (for me, anyway) is not to lather in the tub. Load up your moist (not wet) brush with soap by swishing around and getting the soap into the brush in a circular fashion, but not a fast lathering movement.

Then lather the soap that you've loaded on your brush in a bowl / mug, adding some water a bit at a time to build the lather up.

Keeps the soap from getting waterlogged, since you're only touching it with a moist (not sopping wet) brush.

Derek

This is what I do. Load the brush with soap, then either lather in a bowl or on my face. This will also prevent you from picking up additional soap as you lather, making the soap last longer as well.

 

[Badgerfat]

I also load the brush and lather in a separate bowl. Walmart has the BnB famous salsa bowl for I believe less than 2 bucks. Or just find one in your cabinet...

 

[dirtytony]

thanks for the quick reply. i am a face latherer, and feel the extra bowl is an extra step and extra space i don't really have in my tiny bathroom.

i can see how a moist, not wet, brush would help, but if i go to make lather on my face i need to add water to the brush. if i then need more soap, in the absence of a bowl i need to use the soap in the container again, only with the added water to the brush. this seems to put me right back to where the thread started, and yes i am a stubborn face latherer, but it works for me and i like rubbing the brush on my face to make the lather, i cannot get the same consistency from a bowl for whatever reason, to say nothing of my quite limited space available in the bathroom of my 625 square foot living quarters.

it just seems like my being a cheap b*st*rd is counterproductive to spending 11 bucks on soap to get the same amount of use as i got from 1.50 williams soap. i do like the smell and consistency of these 'fancy' soaps, but i really cannot get past the seeming waste of product because of my (lack of? stubborn adherence to?) technique.

i appreciate the reply, and it makes perfect sense if i made lather in a bowl. it seems the face lathering technique i use now is prone to wasting product. just needed to confirm that so i know if i can go back to saving money on soap and not buying the 'fancy' stuff.

 

[SteveWY]

Try just loading the brush on the soap (in whatever container it is in) and face-lathering. If you feel you want to bowl-lather, use a simple bowl from the kitchen or a $2.00 salsa bowl from Wal-Mart. Either way, don't worry about wasting the soap. You will get loading & lathering down so you will have enough lather for your shave and then just rinse away the penny or so worth of lather that is in the brush. Consider what you send down the drain to be a "thank you" to your sink and drain! Soap is cheap on a per shave basis. But, it's OK to keep some of the "cheaper" soaps in rotation if that helps. I still use Williams (OK soap) and VDH which I find to be a high-performer for the price!

 

[Klos Shave]

I also load the brush and lather in a separate bowl. Walmart has the BnB famous salsa bowl for I believe less than 2 bucks. Or just find one in your cabinet...

+1

 

[celestino]

i don't think i understand what you describing as Mama Bear's soap should dry and NOT crack or layer. i have never heard of this happening.
If you start with a damp brush and load the soap for 30-45 seconds and then face-lather, you should have no issues, as far as i am concerned.
Are you saying that the soap stays wet and then it cracks some how?
Here is a video that may help. Good luck. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ8OTEqq2ao

 

[Taborcarn]

I hold the soap sideways or even upside-down when loading it. I start with a very wet brush and this allows any excess water to run off immediately.

 

[thatsilverguy]

i can see how a moist, not wet, brush would help, but if i go to make lather on my face i need to add water to the brush. if i then need more soap, in the absence of a bowl i need to use the soap in the container again, only with the added water to the brush. this seems to put me right back to where the thread started...

I don't think so, but I don't know how VdH or Williams lather I guess. When I face-lather IK or PS/GT I simply place my brush back in the soap bowl. On subsequent passes I use the lather that is already loaded on the brush (no additional swirling).

Make sense?

 

[zethreal]

If you are keeping the soap in a hard container ( like the wood tubs she sells ), you may find it better to leave the top off the soap for a few hours to let it dry. I had the issue where my soap got "mushy". I don't remember what brand it was, but it wasn't Mama Bears. Leaving it open for a few hours took care of the problem.

Also, if you could take a picture of the soap ( where it looks like it's layered ) and maybe someone will have an "ah ha!" moment.

 

[lowjax]

One thing not mentioned yet (that I have seen) was to leave the cover off the soap for a few hours to dry out. I puck lather about 1/2 the time and I usually make my lather, rinse off everything, leave off the cover while I'm at work, and cover and store it when I get back home. This allows for the top layer to dry out but not the entire puck to get hard and cracked.

 

[lowjax]

Dang, zethreal just beat me to it.

 

[Elder Scrolls]

Sorry I dont quite get the wastage part......first load the brush from the tub then move on to face to lather. If you've load enough soap, it will last you 3 passes. If you need more water along the way, then dip the tip of the brush into water and go to work on your face. I face lather exclusively too.

 

[goby]

For God's Sake, don't use Williams!!!!

Try Tabac or something else, but for God's Sake, don't use Williams!!!!

For God's Sake!!!!!!

 

[zethreal]

For God's Sake, don't use Williams!!!!

Try Tabac or something else, but for God's Sake, don't use Williams!!!!

For God's Sake!!!!!!

I use williams almost every day! I swap it out now & then to use something different, but that's my daily go-to soap.

 

[BlackBard]

Welcome aboard B&B. One might think that making lather with a brush would be easier because it looks simple when you see someone do it correctly. You are correct about the problem being not knowing how much water is too much. The only way to learn this is to practice.

What I do:

1. I re-wet my face after showering. Then, I swish my badger brush through the water as I fill the sink with warm tap water to wet and warm the brush. This takes about 30 seconds.


2. Squeeze out excess water with one good squeeze. I do not try to remove all the water, just most of it. The brush should be wet, but not dripping.


3. Swirl the tips of the brush over the puck long enough to pick up sufficient product. How much is enough? It varies with each soap and water conditions. Hard water requires more soap, soft water less. I do not plunge or mash the brush into the puck. I am not making lather at this point, just getting soap on my brush. This takes about 15 to 30 seconds. I do not soak the puck. The puck should be moist to nearly dry, at this point.


4. Next, I bring the loaded brush to my face and begin by lightly swirling and painting the soap over the entire area to be shaved. I do this to evenly spread the soap before really getting the lather going. After this I go over the whole area again and again, increasing the pressure of the brush as I go until the initial soap becomes usable lather. If I press too hard too soon, the water in the brush that is not in contact with the soap on the tips might drip out. I want that water to be added to the lather as it is made. That's why I start out soft and increase pressure as the lather builds.


If the lather is too dry, I simply dip the tip of the brush into the sink water to pick up just a little more water and continue lathering. This part of the process probably takes 1 to 2 minutes, depending on the soap, etc.


5. Re-lather for subsequent passes. Re-lathering takes much less time because the lather is already made and is on my brush. If the lather on the brush has dried out while shaving, I just dip for a little more water and lather as usual.


That's it. It works for me every time.