Lather Blather

[Octohank]

I've watched my fair share of YouTube shaving demos.

One one thing that always mystified me was lathering tutorials. Watching someone load a brush for half a minute or more seemed like overkill to me. After all, you just need enough lather to cover your face, not the whole bathroom. 5-10 brush swirls in the soap and I could generate more than enough face lather for a solid 2 pass shave.

Then my water softener went out.

Suddenly, my soap ceased to perform. I had to load the brush for at least a half minute to get any kind of lather at all. Then it would quickly disintegrate on my face and I'd have to load the brush for another half minute or more before regenerating any usable measure of slickness. HOLY COW, I had no idea what a difference soft water made! I am SO sorry I scoffed at the amount of time and effort it takes folks to create a decent lather.

Also, for those who endure hard water conditions, I might suggest that you pick up a jug of distilled water to use in your lathering ritual and see how magical water is when it isn't loaded with minerals. I apologize for harshly judging the good folks who make lathering tutorials. I've learned my lesson!

 

[scribble]

I have hard water and it does a decent amount of time to get a good lasting lather but I also shave at a location that has soft water and I don't notice a difference at all.

 

[dotKomo]

I have a water softener. I have made lather with hard water and soft water, and it's WAY easier with soft water.

@BobbyB uses rain water. He posts in the daily shave thread.

 

[86-foxtrot]

I've watched my fair share of YouTube shaving demos.

One one thing that always mystified me was lathering tutorials. Watching someone load a brush for half a minute or more seemed like overkill to me. After all, you just need enough lather to cover your face, not the whole bathroom. 5-10 brush swirls in the soap and I could generate more than enough face lather for a solid 2 pass shave.

Then my water softener went out.

Suddenly, my soap ceased to perform. I had to load the brush for at least a half minute to get any kind of lather at all. Then it would quickly disintegrate on my face and I'd have to load the brush for another half minute or more before regenerating any usable measure of slickness. HOLY COW, I had no idea what a difference soft water made! I am SO sorry I scoffed at the amount of time and effort it takes folks to create a decent lather.

Also, for those who endure hard water conditions, I might suggest that you pick up a jug of distilled water to use in your lathering ritual and see how magical water is when it isn't loaded with minerals. I apologize for harshly judging the good folks who make lathering tutorials. I've learned my lesson!

Getting a whole house water filtration system and reverse osmosis drinking water is a dream of mine. It'll happen one day.

 

[nav]

I use RO water...just a 12 second load for 4 passes worth of rich, creamy lather + another down the drain.

 

[Sideburns]

We have hard water where I live and I can't get enough lather for more than 1.5 passes at best and I have to keep putting more on and usually make more for each of three, but it's not just the hard water because I had to keep adding more to my face because I had to add more and more as I shaved even when I used canned foam. No, it's because I live at about 6100' above sea level and water evaporates faster up here just like it boils at a lower temperature and for the same reason. Yet more proof, if such is needed, that you can't win against the laws of physics.

 

[Wgg2017]

My water isn't too bad but I notice a big difference between the amount of soap needed for a natural hair brush vs a synthetic. The natural hair brushes seem to need almost twice as much soap. Natural brush plus hard water...I can't imagine.

 

[brucered]

What numbers are you guys considering "hard water" in terms of mg/L or ppm numbers?

We aversge 83 mg/L or 82 ppm, depending on test year and it ranges from 70-98.8 depending on location.

No issues lathering any soaps. Our city water is concerned Moderately Hard.

 

[Brutus]

Many shavers seem to underestimate the importance of water hardness.

When someone complains about difficulties creating an acceptable lather with a shaving soap and then someone else responds that he has no problems to whip up a dense lather, I often wonder what the difference in water hardness between the two locations might be.

Having travelled extensively for work, I know that the differences can be substantial.


B.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

What numbers are you guys considering "hard water" in terms of mg/L or ppm numbers?

We aversge 83 mg/L or 82 ppm, depending on test year and it ranges from 70-98.8 depending on location.

No issues lathering any soaps. Our city water is concerned Moderately Hard.

Apparently I live in a 'slightly hard' water area in North Cardiff, Wales. I looked it up on the website of my water supplier by entering my post code and recieved the confusing set of numbers shown below. I have no problem lathering any soap but sometimes have to return to the puck for the final pass.

 

[Eben Stone]

What numbers are you guys considering "hard water" in terms of mg/L or ppm numbers?

We aversge 83 mg/L or 82 ppm, depending on test year and it ranges from 70-98.8 depending on location.

No issues lathering any soaps. Our city water is concerned Moderately Hard.

I don't have any familiarity with what those values mean. The water in my area is 267.8 "AVG Hardness PPM / mg/L." That's in the upper range for cities in California.

 

[brucered]

I don't have any familiarity with what those values mean. The water in my area is 267.8 "AVG Hardness PPM / mg/L." That's in the upper range for cities in California.

By the looks of it, all of California has some Hard water.

I don't know the numbers either but they are based on a hardness scale. All the online scales are differ slightly.

 

[Octohank]

The water hardness in my city in Arizona is about 200 ppm (mg/L) but it varies by season. Also, the hardness is 330 ppm (mg/L) in the city next door, so I wonder how accurate the measurements I read really are.

 

[KW Driver]

My well went hard. A good rain softens it for a few days. I started using distilled, and found regular bottled water was actually easier. I got tired of it and just learned to work with my hard water. More soap, water… it works. Go somewhere soft? Super easy, but I’m annoyed that soap won’t wash off in the shower.

 

[Brutus]

I don't have any familiarity with what those values mean. The water in my area is 267.8 "AVG Hardness PPM / mg/L." That's in the upper range for cities in California.

It’s not difficult to convert one into the other, also keeping in mind that as mg/l and ppm are for all practical purposes the same (267.8 mg/l = 268.1 ppm).

I have googled it for you: Water Hardness Conversion Calculator - Easily Convert Between Degrees of Hardness - Calculator Pack - https://calculatorpack.com/water-hardness-conversion-calculator/

The hardness or softness of water is determined by the mineral content of both calcium and magnesium.

• Soft water has less than 17 parts per million
• Slightly hard water has 17 to 60 parts per million
• Moderately hard water has 60 to 120 parts per million
• Hard water has 120 to 180 parts per million‌
• Very hard water has greater than 180 parts per million

B.

 

[jnk1841]

Getting a whole house water filtration system and reverse osmosis drinking water is a dream of mine. It'll happen one day.

I share your dream! One day!

 

[dan86]

Apparently I live in a 'slightly hard' water area in North Cardiff, Wales. I looked it up on the website of my water supplier by entering my post code and recieved the confusing set of numbers shown below. I have no problem lathering any soap but sometimes have to return to the puck for the final pass.

View attachment 1820852

You’re not millions of miles away from me. One thing that stuck with me from GCSE Chemistry teacher was him saying we lived in a soft water area. He also had a knack of really emphasising the “ates” and “ides” e.g. would really stress Calcium CarbonATE!

Compared to when we would visit my Grandfather, who lived in South East England and very much a hard water area, the water at home (Rhoose at the time) seemed softer. However, one thing I remember from working in North Cardiff was the kettle at work needs descaling a lot. In fact it used to look evil a lot of the time!

No issues lathering soap this neck of the woods though.

 

[4pointOh]

I know if I'm in a hotel in most any of the larger NM cities the the hardness level is 330+/- mg/l there's exceptions of coarse. But I find it is harder than whipping up lather @ home with well water that i believe is nearer 200.

Also I can smell and taste whatever is used to treat some of that hotel and city water in ABQ, Santa Fe, etc and I'd assume that can likely have an effect on the quality of lather?

 

[Quaznoid]

I’ve shaved with “hard water” for more than 50 years. I wouldn’t know of the difference soft water makes, if any. I don’t overthink it. Lather obsession is yet another annoyance.

Slickness is what you’re looking for in lather. Billowing clouds of whipped cream is not. So long as you’re making slick lather you’re doing fine. Then again, I don’t have a YouTube channel.

 

[Andris83]

to each their own. we have soft water here, yet a "couple of swirls" does not load enough on my soaps to create a thin layer of something(not lather) on my face. it depends on many factors, the soap, the brush, the water, how wet the brush is, bloom, wetness of the puck, the list could continue 2 pages.
bottom line, create the lather the way you like it. me, I like to load until the brush is loaded to the base of the knot, I rather have more lather then to run out mid shave.