My "ah ha" moment with glycerin soaps

[atison]

When I started DE shaving 2+ years ago, I gravitated to proraso and kmf creams for their mindless ability to give good shaves. I bought a few col conk soaps to give soaps a try, and in the beginning, the soaps got little use as I just had trouble consistently getting good lather.

Well fast forward to today and my conk soaps are my mainstays and produce my best shaves. It hasn't dawned on me until recently what they key difference in my lathering technique is till now.

I face lather primarily now, but this should apply to bowl lathering as well.

Here is where the difference is. I work the lather quite a bit longer now before adding any additional water (beyond what little is in the brush). Working it increases the density of the lather into almost a tooth paste like consistency. I make sure I work it well for about 1-2 minutes covering my whole shaving area. The lather never really builds volume beyond a certain point.

Then I slowly add water to build the volume up, and increase the slickness.

I used to think the dry lather I got in the beginning was due to not enough water, so I added more, which was counter productive. My lather would dry out before I got to the other side of my face.

Turns out, for me, that glycerin soaps are picky about when you add the water more so then how much. Now, the lather never drys out on me, and shaves are so much more comfortable.

Guess I am throwing a wrench in the whole thing with a big order of some tallow soaps, but I still got some glycerin soaps coming too.

 

[Jcof3474]

If you like glycerin soaps then the tallow soaps will really amaze you. To me the glycerin soaps are on the low end of performance for soaps, of course YMMV. The tallow soaps are at the top, and I also really enjoy the french soaps that are just plant oils.

Good luck.

J.

 

[mretzloff]

If you like glycerin soaps then the tallow soaps will really amaze you. To me the glycerin soaps are on the low end of performance for soaps, of course YMMV. The tallow soaps are at the top, and I also really enjoy the french soaps that are just plant oils.

Good luck.

J.

+1

In my opinion the only thing glycerin soap have on tallow soaps is strong scent. Otherwise, tallow soap are just better.

Of course, YMMV and all that stuff.

 

[Mike Schutz]

I find with glycerin soaps I have to load the brush for about twice as long as I do with a tallow to get the same results. It will vary with the soap being used. I find I have to load T&H longer than Pre de Provance. With tallows, MWF seems to need more time than Tabac or AoS. They're all good. You just have to take some time to get to know the soap's personality.