Lather in the container?

[esqking]

So I’m still quite new to wet shaving but I lucked out and found that Proraso white works really well for me. The soap comes in a “bowl” and I just lather right in it. Now that my technique is improving, my skin is a bit more tolerant, and I’ve done more research; I’m wanting to try some new products. As I’m looking at other soaps (soaps so far better than creams for me) do you lather them right in the container like I’m accustomed to? I’m thinking my first foray into some new products will be from Fine or PAA.

 

[carluchi]

I only load my brush up with soap from the container and then either lather in a separate bowl or face lather. However, if lathering in the soap container works for you, keep doing it.

Some soap containers may not be big enough to do that, but that can be addressed by moving the soap to another container.

Good luck

 

[Atlantic59]

Lathering in the container makes it difficult to control how much soap you load. The ratio of water:soap is important so you can make the best lather. It's better to just load the brush first and then face lather or bowl lather as a separate step.

 

[DaveHStone]

So I’m still quite new to wet shaving but I lucked out and found that Proraso white works really well for me. The soap comes in a “bowl” and I just lather right in it. Now that my technique is improving, my skin is a bit more tolerant, and I’ve done more research; I’m wanting to try some new products. As I’m looking at other soaps (soaps so far better than creams for me) do you lather them right in the container like I’m accustomed to? I’m thinking my first foray into some new products will be from Fine or PAA.

It will depend on the size of your rotation.

Some people have literally hundreds of soaps, others (like myself) keep just a handful. Conventional wisdom says you want to make sure your soap dries properly before closing the lid. That said, if you rotate that soap weekly, you don't have to worry about it.

A friendly note on soap choice - while Fine and PAA are alright, I'd go for Ariana & Evans, the pinnacle of modern shaving croap.

 

[musicman1951]

Whatever works is good. My question for using the puck as a bowl would be about constantly picking up more soap as you try and build lather. Most people either take the loaded brush to a bowl/scuttle or face lather. Some palm lather. But whatever makes you happy is good with me.

 

[sugardaddy]

I would not encourage building your whole lather in the container. There's a point where you want to build up the soap you've collected in the brush into a lather, and continually adding more soap will throw off your ratio.

Staying in the soap container, or using one of those lather bowls where the puck is at the bottom, prevents this.

However, if you are loading your soap into your brush, and then going to your face to work up the lather, that's fine.... And we call that "face lathering"

(Sent from mobile)

 

[Bengal Tiger]

It's great for hard soaps where you want to use more product. For soft soaps like Proraso, it depends on if you want to use more product or save it for longer.

If you want to save your soap, just load your brush in the container and then lather on your face or another bowl.

If you want to use more product, search for "Marco's method" on here and use a big boar brush and you'll go through your soft soaps fast so you can buy more.

 

[old_school]

Weather you make lather in a bowl or build lather on your face the objective is to only load your brush on the soap then create lather elsewhere.

A common exception is to scoop a thumbnail size chunk from your soap and smash it in the bottom of a bowl where you load the brush for lathering on your face or build the lather in the bowl and then apply it to your face.

 

[Ivo4u2]

In the container might overload your brush which ends up in gooey paste on your face and wet soap in the container which is no good either.

I prefer the sliver of soap in a bowl wet brush on top and build lather method.
Or clammy brush loading on top and add water in bowl until shiny lather.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I think lathering in the container would waste a lot of product and make it difficult to control the water ratio. I would not want to introduce too much water into a soap or cream if I had a large rotation and may not use it again for a few weeks. I do not like thick, yogurt style lather, and prefer a thin watery lather, especially on the final pass or if using a straight or AC razor. I suspect that would be hard to achieve lathering in the way you suggest. All that said, if your method works for you then keep doing it

 

[Racquet]

I face lather out of the container, I use a pretty wet brush and load and load some more. Whatever thin lather falls in the sink
is not a big waste, I'm not trying to save soap. This routine just makes for a simpler process to me. I've never had an issue with leftover water in a soap container.

 

[Atlantic59]

...It's better to just load the brush first and then face lather or bowl lather as a separate step...

I face lather out of the container...

Isn't that what we said? You're loading from the container. You're not lathering in the container, you're lathering on the face.

 

[esqking]

I guess looking back at my journey so far, I’m not really mixing a lather per se in the container but am heavily loading the brush then face lathering. I have some new PAA soaps on their way to try so I’m looking forward to seeing what they are all about.

 

[South Dakota Guy]

Weather you make lather in a bowl or build lather on your face the objective is to only load your brush on the soap then create lather elsewhere.

A common exception is to scoop a thumbnail size chunk from your soap and smash it in the bottom of a bowl where you load the brush for lathering on your face or build the lather in the bowl and then apply it to your face.

When I lather from a soap sample I use your method. Otherwise I load from the soap container and then build lather in my shave scuttle. I don’t stop there however. My final lather tweaking is done on my face. I know what lather consistency I am shooting for and if I keep working it on my face I will get it to where I want. It works for all soaps.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I don't load the brush in the container. With tub soaps, I serve up a sample sized portion into a pewter soap dish, and load the brush from that. When that serving is finished, I'll serve up something else, keeping only a few soaps in play for this dish. That way, the soap in the factory container, never comes into contact with water. This minimises my concerns over spoilage in storage.



I also have a second (slightly different) pewter dish which I use for Haslinger size mug soaps. I'll stick with that same soap in there till it's finished.



Creams and very soft soaps stay in their original containers, and I will serve up just enough for one shave into a lather bowl, and load the brush from there.

 

[Lad]

I usually scoop out the amount of soap I want and lather in a bowl. With Proraso however, I always lathered in the container.

 

[Racquet]

Isn't that what we said? You're loading from the container. You're not lathering in the container, you're lathering on the face.

I just try not to make a shave too much of an issue no matter how it's done.

 

[shavefan]

I load the soap on my (damp) brush, in the soap's container, and then face lather.

 

[DrStrange]

So I’m still quite new to wet shaving but I lucked out and found that Proraso white works really well for me. The soap comes in a “bowl” and I just lather right in it. Now that my technique is improving, my skin is a bit more tolerant, and I’ve done more research; I’m wanting to try some new products. As I’m looking at other soaps (soaps so far better than creams for me) do you lather them right in the container like I’m accustomed to? I’m thinking my first foray into some new products will be from Fine or PAA.

I lathered some Norway Viking shaving soap in its container this morning.

 

[Landro]

With the exceptions of Mitchell's Wool Fat and Tabac...which I have in their own containers, All my other soaps are in Apothecary Mugs. I lather in my Apothecary Mugs and go straight to my face with a very wet brush and face lather. This is my preferred way and it eliminates the need to lather in a seperate bowl. With Tabac and MWF though I always lather in a seperate bowl. I have a Bicrops bowl for that.