Natural Shave Brush Cleaning

[Possum092]

Hmmmm I'm not telling you how to look after your brushes, but for the ones who say the shaving soap cleans the brush are soooo wrong. Once you have shaved do you clean the sink out or not, if not the ring around the sink is the soap scum and you have the same in your brush.

That is the cause of brushes shedding hairs, when the brush is bone dry run your hand over the bristles and watch. As you will see a dust cloud that is the dry soap in the knot, once that builds up it starts to rot the hair at the glue bump because it turns into an acid. For this reason, I wash my brushes after every use with a makeup brush cleaner as it removes all the greasy fats in the base of the knot.

So think when you say you never wash your brush after using it, what is around your sink after a shave is also in your brush when it drys.

Then they say they have a defective brush when in fact it's your neglect for not cleaning it and taking care of it. and do you wash your razor because they suffer from the same scum on them over time? that cannot be rinsed off under the faucet.

It could also add to a poor lather as well just a thought.

I enjoy using tallow based soaps, which probably led to some build up in the core. I am that guy who rinses, shakes a few times, then stands the brush on its base to dry. I may end up adjusting my practices slightly to avoid any future problems. Seems I’ve take a liking to synthetic brushes until I recently acquired a boar which has about won me over.

 

[steveclarkus]

Anybody else shampooing and conditioning their natural shave brushes? I am a synthetic brush convert nowadays; however, I still have a couple older brushes that need maintained. I use ivory shampoo to remove the scent from previous shave soaps and the knot build up from tallow based soaps. What are you using and frequency?

Shave soap

 

[Phoenixkh]

Has anyone tried the PAA brush cleaning soap? Shaving Brush Cleaning Soap | Contains Sodium Borate & White Vinegar | 4 ozDefault Title - https://phoenixartisanaccoutrements.com/products/brush-cleaning-soap-contains-sodium-borate-white-vinegar-40z?variant=29786724109

 

[Ron R]

When ever I get a new brush I always put them through a good cleaning with hair shampoo and a good rinse and do it again depending if it natural or synthetic.
I have synthetics, badgers and boar brushes and really enjoy these brushes for the different face feels and don't regret buying any of them.
I have a large brush rotation so my brushes dry very well in Northern Alberta Canada mostly a dry climate. I suppose brush care is important in different climates and how often they get used. Rinsing a brush well is important also to avoid build up.
I think a person should have a minimum of 2 brushes so previous brush dry's properly IMO.
If a brush is not performing well I will shampoo it a few times and add a few drops of dish soap with the shampoo combined and bowl lather it with a good rinsing of warm water a few times.
Some shave soaps will leave a film on everything, I look at some razors the scum that has accumulated is mostly the same accumulation on a brush.
I don't worry to much soap deposits because of good brush razor practices I have used ever since I started tradional wet shaving.
I thought I would get out my USB microscope that I hardly use and check out a well used synthetic brush and a older(5yr) Omega boar bristle brush for soap build up.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

When ever I get a new brush I always put them through a good cleaning with hair shampoo and a good rinse and do it again depending if it natural or synthetic.
I have synthetics, badgers and boar brushes and really enjoy these brushes for the different face feels and don't regret buying any of them.
I have a large brush rotation so my brushes dry very well in Northern Alberta Canada mostly a dry climate. I suppose brush care is important in different climates and how often they get used. Rinsing a brush well is important also to avoid build up.
I think a person should have a minimum of 2 brushes so previous brush dry's properly IMO.
If a brush is not performing well I will shampoo it a few times and add a few drops of dish soap with the shampoo combined and bowl lather it with a good rinsing of warm water a few times.
Some shave soaps will leave a film on everything, I look at some razors the scum that has accumulated is mostly the same accumulation on a brush.
I don't worry to much soap deposits because of good brush razor practices I have used ever since I started tradional wet shaving.
I thought I would get out my USB microscope that I hardly use and check out a well used synthetic brush and a older(5yr) Omega boar bristle brush for soap build up.
View attachment 1440837 View attachment 1440840

View attachment 1440838 View attachment 1440839
Have some great shaves!

I love it when some of you do some science! And I also think its pretty freaking cool, that there are USB microscopes, that makes me want to get one of those. They would also be handy for checking the condition of razor blades, both when brand new, and after several uses, looking at blade edge retention and what have you. So cool!

I know in the mechanics world, we have these things got bore scopes, that lets us see down the bores into engine cylinders, so we can see the condition of the piston, and cylinder walls, without having the whole top end of an engine apart. I never did get one of those because I am old school, but I'd like to have one. Im not sure if I'd be able to make much use out of a USB microscope on an engine though.

I really love what you are doing, and I hope that you continue to have fun with your USB microscope, and share all the pretty pictures with us.

 

[Ron R]

I love it when some of you do some science! And I also think its pretty freaking cool, that there are USB microscopes, that makes me want to get one of those. They would also be handy for checking the condition of razor blades, both when brand new, and after several uses, looking at blade edge retention and what have you. So cool!

I know in the mechanics world, we have these things got bore scopes, that lets us see down the bores into engine cylinders, so we can see the condition of the piston, and cylinder walls, without having the whole top end of an engine apart. I never did get one of those because I am old school, but I'd like to have one. Im not sure if I'd be able to make much use out of a USB microscope on an engine though.

I really love what you are doing, and I hope that you continue to have fun with your USB microscope, and share all the pretty pictures with us.

Thanks for the kind words, I bought this USB microscope also for my other hobbies and it works amazing for these old tired eyes. It can make things interesting for different subjects that do come up, I'm the curious type & thought it would be interesting to see how my brushes have faired over the years. They where dry and hanging in the brush racks and nothing was done to them prior & just picked them because of use and ageing.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

Thanks for the kind words, I bought this USB microscope also for my other hobbies and it works amazing for these old tired eyes. It can make things interesting for different subjects that do come up, I'm the curious type & thought it would be interesting to see how my brushes have faired over the years. They where dry and hanging in the brush racks and nothing was done to them prior & just picked them because of use and ageing.

Well, it sure does work though! Cause I could clearly see those speckles of particles on there. Its interesting what dry bits of soap look like on hair folicles under microscope. It looks like a whole new world in there, like your in a forest of giant hairs. Which yes, does remind me of the classic movie, Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. LOL!