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Lather: Glycerin vs. Tripple Milled

Do people find that these 2 kinds of soaps lather differently? Should the lathering process differ?

I've been using Col. Conk's Almond pretty regularly and I get pretty good lather with it. The past 2 days, I've been using Tabac Soap and the lather comes out really think and dry.

Do I just need more water? Is there something different that I should be doing? Based on the thread "How long to fix tabac?", I've been hesitant to put water in the tabac as part of the prep.

Any ideas?

Thanks!!
 
Carlos,
Putting water on a puck of soap helps to soften it so it is somewhat easier to load your brush. Putting a little water on Tabac won't ruin it as long as you don't allow the soap to become saturated and too soft. I nearly ruined my Tabac once, but learned my lesson. After I'm done shaving, I rinse any lather from the soap and turn the soap bowl upside down while I eat breakfast to allow any water to drain out. When I return to the bathroom to brush my teeth, I turn the bowl rightside up again. I check the surface of the soap with a finger to see if it is overly soft. If it is, I leave the soap uncovered all day. If it feels about right, I cover it.

You may not be getting enough soap on your brush to begin with and not enough water to maintain a moist lather. Make some practice lathers without shaving. Try more soap, more water, etc. Tabac should not be difficult t lather.

-Clarke
 
Triple milled soaps will absorb water and soften and become easier and better-lathering the more often you use it. You can speed up the break-in process by putting a teaspoonfull of water on the puck at night and let it soak in overnight (only need to do this on a new puck). After that if you use it daily it will stay soft and perform optimally until it's gone.
 
Do people find that these 2 kinds of soaps lather differently? Should the lathering process differ?

I've been using Col. Conk's Almond pretty regularly and I get pretty good lather with it. The past 2 days, I've been using Tabac Soap and the lather comes out really think and dry.

Do I just need more water? Is there something different that I should be doing? Based on the thread "How long to fix tabac?", I've been hesitant to put water in the tabac as part of the prep.

Any ideas?

Thanks!!

Even when I get a thicker lather with Tabac, it dries out very quickly!
I just tried two of Mama Bear's glycerin based soaps and they lathered up easier and better than my Tabac.
 
Do people find that these 2 kinds of soaps lather differently? Should the lathering process differ?
They lather a bit differently, true. But the process should not really be different. Go at the puck with a moist brush, load it for a good while (3 seconds won't cut it unless you like shaving with water), then build where you prefer. You can easily see whether Tabac is okay: the 'lather' on the puck should be relatively thick, almost a thin cream of sorts. Then you need to add water to taste.

Putting water on Tabac to soften it is not necessary. Just make the brush a tad wetter, and load a bit longer, and you'll be fine. Don't follow the pictorial guide in this, therefore.

bbsupersport said:
Even when I get a thicker lather with Tabac, it dries out very quickly!
This is a sign of improperly formed Tabac lather, or better put, not something I recognise from my experience with this soap. I can make it so that it won't dissipate in 15 to 20 minutes at least, although it will gradually thicken of course. Presuming that you don't put it on a stove or near a hot air blower or something, my guess is that you have far less soap in the mix than I usually have. Try loading longer (see above for what the concentrated soap should look like).
 
Even when I get a thicker lather with Tabac, it dries out very quickly!
I just tried two of Mama Bear's glycerin based soaps and they lathered up easier and better than my Tabac.

I find that Tabac needs more water than your average glycerin soap. Tabac lather goes through stages. You want to start with a shaken-out, relatively dry brush. Once you start to work the lather up you want to dribble in a half teaspoon of water at a time. You'll soon get a thick lather that is stiff like whipped cream. This is not optimal Tabac lather. Add a little more water and keep whipping. You want to see a lather that is shiny with soft peaks not unlike a meringue. Note this is the opposite of whipping egg whites which look like meringue first and then stiffen into hard peaks like whipped cream. I found that this Tabac lather gives optimal slickness and cushion and puts all glycerin soaps and many triple-milled soaps to shame.:rolleyes:

Now as far as the OPs question, I don't think there is a difference in lathering technique between glycerin and triple milled soaps but I think triple-milled soaps can hold more water in the lather. Glycerin soap lather tends to "fall apart" and get runny if you put too much water in it. Triple-milled lather can do the same but I think you can get more water in there before that happens.

For example, I like to splash my face with water between passes. When using glycerin soaps this leads to a thinner lather that is sometimes a little runny by the third pass as the brush picks up the water on my face and incorporates it into the lather. It works out okay because I am just touching up by the third pass so I just need slickness. But when I do the same with Tabac or Irisch Moos the lather is as thick, cushiony, and slick on the third pass as it was on the first.
 
Thanks to all for the replies. It sounds like I just need a little more water in there, which seems to make sense considering how dry and thick it is coming out now. I make that change in tomorrow's shave and see how it differs.

Thanks again!
 
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