Hyperlather...

[georgekyr]

After trying out many different products and techniques and getting inspired by the xxx-lather in another thread here I decided to try out something different.

Since I started using Kyle's prep my pre-shave oils stayed in the den. I have one full bottle and one at 20% AOS unscented and about 25% of a bottle of taylor of old bond street. So I thought how about using these in my lather.
First experiment was just with proraso shaving cream which is my favorite. Well it made it a lot slicker. I tried that for a few days just to be sure and then I added 5 drops of glycerin in the mix and oh my it was the best lather I had ever prepared.
I also tried mixing some shaving soap (again the green proraso - I just love the menthol/eucalyptus experience) and it gave it a bit of an extra edge.

And there you have it, the all new hyperlather

I don't think I am going back to using a lather without some oil in it. After finishing the pre-shave oils I have (which is going to take long since I am just using half a nickel of it daily) I will try brewing some home made based on some of the recipes found here.
Also glycerin from the pharmacy shop was dirt cheap (unbranded, 1.5 euros for 100 ml).
The addition of shaving soap to the mix as I also said gives an extra edge, but not something remarkable. I will just finish the soap I have left after deciding that the shaving cream suits me better than the soap.
Only consideration is the very small quantity of residue left on the blade because of the oil. It is much less than using the pre-shave oil normally, but still there is some. After putting the razor open top under running water I store it in a jar full of alcohol, so I don't see any sticky residue left the next day.
Try it and tell me what you think!

 

[cymric]

A lot of throwing stuff together for marginal returns. I doubt you'd be able to tell the difference in a blind test, to be honest.

Trying to mix all sorts of things together is something people new to wetshaving do all the time (I did it too once I got the hang of using soaps and creams) but after a while it turns out that most products don't need this sort of hobbying. And if they do, they are just thrown out or sold on. I've tried at least 50 products or so, and I only know of one or two where making a superlather helped in creating something I could shave with more easily. The rest—extra oil, glycerin, pre-shave stuff, ...—turned out to be a waste of time.

 

[Saturn]

And there you have it, the all new hyperlather

Excellent! Now all you need to do is pack it in an aerosol can, and it'll sell like hotcakes! Hyperlather will take over the wetshaving world!

Until one boring summer day in the year 2142, some lone adventurer and amateur historian will discover archival footage of a hero long since passed away. He was called, cryptically, mantic59. This young future wetshaver will look over at his can of hyperlather and 17-laser-bladed razor and wonder what it was like to whip up one's own lather purely with shaving soap and water. How archaic! How old-fashioned! And yet there was something undeniably elegant about it.

And thus will begin his journey towards a rediscovery of that long-forgotten masculine ritual...

 

[georgekyr]

Oh well...I really tried ingredient by ingredient to see if there are any differences.
I have very sensitive skin and I can understand the difference between adding glycerin and not. Also the oil thing started as a joke but the difference is really there and I shaved for some days just with shaving cream and shaving cream with preshave oil and it did get slicker. The soap was farfetched, tried it because it was in the den for the fun of it (you see the smiles after the silly name ).
But there is really a difference in using the oil in the mix. Try it and you will see on your own. It's very hard for my combination of skin and beard to get a close shave with no irritations. And if oil can work I am certainly going to use it (as easily as I dropped it from my preshave routine in favor of Kyle's prep which works better).

 

[cymric]

Newcomers stating they have (very) sensitive skin is also nothing new, to be honest... . Unless you have a known history for dermatitis or major acne or anything else which required a specialist to look at it, chances are fairly large you don't truly have sensitive skin. Instead your shaving technique is very likely to have simply, ... err... well, sucked.

To take myself as an example: the hair on my face and scalp is really thick, and goes from wet to dry (as in 'dry', not 'slightly wet still') in about 15 minutes without any need for blow drying. Having my hair cut is always a challenge for the barber, and if he doesn't get it right, painful for me. The thickness is a challenge for any blade. Before doing things The Right Way, I couldn't shave more often than once every three to four days, had ingrowns and irritated skin semi-permanently. Using alcoholic aftershave was not a pleasurable activity. Then I learned how to shave: I can now shave every other day, have about two ingrowns per year, and can tolerate alcohol-based aftershaves to the point where I don't even notice the sting of the alcohol. And I don't use extra glycerin or oil in my shaving products. Not convinced yet? Perhaps this will: I shave with a Mach3.

How many other products have you tried besides Proraso?

 

[IvanV]

DAMN MAN! WHY ARE YOU HATING ON THIS GUY FOR TRYIING SOMETHING NEW?

 

[Easttexasman]

This morning I mixed SMN & Bigelow together and added a drop of glycerin.I found it to be a wonderful combination.Yes,I would take a $10,000 wager that I could tell the difference.

Paul

 

[htownmmm]

Congrats on coming up with a mix that works for you!

There is nothing wrong w/ trying out different combinations of products we have on hand to improve our shaving experience. Getting one right that works and is repeatable is a success.

Pay no attention to the naysayers; if hyperlather works for you, fine. If others do not want to try it, that's fine too.

Basically it comes down to your face, your dime, your time. As gentlemen, we can disagree on the process, but there is never a need for bashing the more adventurous amongst us or being insulting about their findings.

Knowledge added to the collective is beneficial for all; if it helps one wetshaver, then the forum has done its job. Passing on that 'eureka' moment we have discovered is what we do.


marty

 

[cymric]

DAMN MAN! WHY ARE YOU HATING ON THIS GUY FOR TRYIING SOMETHING NEW?

Damn man! Why are you using an expression like 'hating on' for no good reason? And using all caps to drive the point home? Keep this discussion civilised, please. 'Disagreeing with and explaining why' is not in the same league the same as 'hating'—at least not in the English I've been taught when I was at school. If you have a problem with disagreement, I suggest you get off the Internet, now.

 

[sffone]

Trying to mix all sorts of things together is something people new to wetshaving do all the time (I did it too once I got the hang of using soaps and creams) but after a while it turns out that most products don't need this sort of hobbying.

Well, I've been wet-shaving for 40-plus years and I still enjoy mixing things up and trying different combinations. In fact, it is rare that I shave with a single product. One of my favorite lather ingredients is a glycerin-menthol additive that I concocted myself. I freely admit that, realistically, none of my lather mixes probably shave any better than straight shaving soap or cream; but, hey, I enjoy playing with my shaving stuff, and isn't having fun what it's supposed to be about? I'm in my mid-60s and have always been a wet-shaver and I'm still enjoying my morning shave -- probably more than ever.

 

[cymric]

Basically it comes down to your face, your dime, your time. As gentlemen, we can disagree on the process, but there is never a need for bashing the more adventurous amongst us or being insulting about their findings.

Weee... and another person who has trouble with 'disagreeing with and explaining why', inserting the words 'bashing' and 'being insulting' on his own. Mymymy. English sure has changed since I was a kid.

Look people: the OP invited comments on his technique of creating a lather. If all we are then to do is 'yeahyeahgreatman, whatever works for you', then the discussion is pretty much moot. I am not at all denying I was/am quite critical/sceptical about spiking soaps and creams, but in no way was I 'hating on', 'bashing', or 'insulting'. I explained the process how it turned out with me, using myself as a prime example of a shaver who started out with the idea he had sensitive skin and needed all sorts of extras to get a decent shave; whereas the solution simply turned out to be 'learn to shave better'.

It may turn out that the OP had already tried dozens of different products, blades, and razors; and was still not satisfied despite all his efforts—but that wasn't in his original contribution, hence my last question to him about how many products he had tried besides his favourite Proraso. Once again taking myself as an example: I started out with De Vergulde Hand shaving soap, basically the Dutch shaving staple. Lathers like a charm, shaves pretty well too... But dessicates my skin quicker than the Atacama desert. It wasn't until I tried a lot of different other products that I discovered that soaps and creams were rather different, and did not necessarily all turn out to be as drying as DVH. Something similar may be happening with the OP.

Either way, don't shoot the messenger.

 

[georgekyr]

Up to some months ago, before I joined the army, even though I had sensitive skin I did not have a problem because I shaved usually once every three days. After joining the army as is expected I had to shave everyday. First days were akward and even though I tried to be as cautious as possible I had major irritation. I even went back to my fusion razor (the one I used prior to the fatboy I am using now). Even the army doctor said my skin was very sensitive and first he gave me a 3 day pass on shaving and he told me to just do one pass only for at least a week even if my appearance was not great. He also suggested that maybe I should consider an electric shaver. Well I got a transfer and now I am able to sleep most of the time in my home and just go to the camp very early in the morning. That is when I started using again the fatboy with full 15-20 minutes shaves.
I have been wet shaving for the past 12 years (though with a sensor, sensor excel,mach3, mach3 turbo and fusion). I used an omega boar brush (back then I did not even know that badger brushes existed) and tried all the shaving creams that were available in Greece:
- Gillette sensitive
- Prosar
- Kolynos
- Kapus
- Nivea
Also there are 2 more from 2 companies that offer organic products (Kores and Apivita) which I tried but the price premium did not match the better performance in comparison with the gillette sensitive I mainly used. After those I tried the AOS shaving cream and Proraso, which I liked a lot and sticked to it (9 in total). I had bought the proraso shaving soap qlso but I prefered the cream and so the soap stayed in the den.
Also most experiments I have tried to make is by changing only one factor, while keeping the rest the shame. I don't claim I have the best technique there is, but I believe my technique is at least average and is getting better by experience. For a very long time I just used the proraso shaving cream and made the lather with a pure badger brush by Omega. I always have a shave routine that is the basis of my experimentation. Also the combination I have been using lately is pre-shave oil/proraso shaving cream/pharmaceutical glycerin and for me it does make a difference and it works better than the rest I have tried and so I decided to share it.
Since with the pre and post shave routine I have right now with a Derby blade in my fatboy (3 setting) I can get a 3 pass BBS almost irritation free I have started experimenting with blades. The past 2 weeks have been gillette platinums...when I finish the little marathon I will post a topic with my findings.
Since I do not think this is the topic for a shave routine I will make a new post with it to discuss it there.
Also I think many did not get the humourous way I used in the first post when I added the soap to the mix. It is an overkill and I do not think that addition changes something a lot. But as I said before just try it on your own before you comment it...

 

[georgekyr]

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?p=2381396

The post with the base shave routine I use lately.

 

[Shavely Manden]

Unless you have a known history for dermatitis or major acne or anything else which required a specialist to look at it, chances are fairly large you don't truly have sensitive skin

It's not impossible. I never had acne or dermatitis, but some soaps & creams just aren't OK. Coates *burns* something awful!

 

[Marciano]

looks cool !
I’m using vegetable glycerin only few drops in my bowl and lather up
Works amazing and my my skin lubricant

 

[Visage77]

Well, I've been wet-shaving for 40-plus years and I still enjoy mixing things up and trying different combinations. In fact, it is rare that I shave with a single product. One of my favorite lather ingredients is a glycerin-menthol additive that I concocted myself. I freely admit that, realistically, none of my lather mixes probably shave any better than straight shaving soap or cream; but, hey, I enjoy playing with my shaving stuff, and isn't having fun what it's supposed to be about? I'm in my mid-60s and have always been a wet-shaver and I'm still enjoying my morning shave -- probably more than ever.

Pm incoming