So I was wondering as I read some other posts.. What exactly does cushion and slickness do for the shave? Well ok.. I can understand slickness. You want the razor to lightly glide along the skin so you need it slick. What is the point of cushion? Why not just make a slick soupy lather? Obviously there is a reason so I am just curious as to what it is.
Lather: cushion vs slickness
- Thread starter ccrowder
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Try shaving with oil alone. That is the ultimate in slickness, isn't it?
Cushion is that protective quality that some lathers provide. With just slickness, such as oil you really feel the blade and with cushion it feels like there is a protective barrier, if that makes any sense.
I find the terminology differs with different people. It's getting so I want a different vocabulary so people don't get the wrong idea. Maybe lubrication, and after-feel, but I hate both of those.
There's something aside from slip or slickness that contributes to how my face feels after the shave is over. The blade might glide easy, but hurt afterwards. I wish I knew how to distinguish what factors go into these two different, but related things. Alas, I can't, so I fear we're stuck with the confusion.
There's something aside from slip or slickness that contributes to how my face feels after the shave is over. The blade might glide easy, but hurt afterwards. I wish I knew how to distinguish what factors go into these two different, but related things. Alas, I can't, so I fear we're stuck with the confusion.
Since I've been playing with soaps I am getting an education in this. I find slickness is what it sounds like, the glide. Somehow some creams and soaps allow the blade to be more forgiving. So cushion is just that. At least that's how I understand it.
If I had to guess, I'd say these were slip and some combination of viscosity and chemical properties that stuck to the skin.
What lather "cushioning" does is that it protects the skin from irritation, nicks and cuts. As a useful comparison, a cushioning lather can be likened to wearing gloves when gardening rather than wearing nothing on your hands. A good lather provides this protection, while a bad one is less effective.
