I seem to be an oddity. I scoop a little onto a finger (or squeeze from a tube) then apply to my face in the shower. I take 1-2 minutes to lather it up all over my face, then proceed to shave. I used to use a brush, but ended up feeling it to be a bit wasteful, and my fingers seem to go a better job than the brush anyway. It's not as elegant, but I actually enjoy feeling the stubble with my fingers, it makes for a nice before-and-after when rinsing the soap off afterward.
Post your Shaving Cream Lathering Techniques
- Thread starter Scotto
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The foregoing posts are all great techniques. I guess I must be too lazy or hurried to boil water on the stove. What I have done instead is to use 2 bowls. I soften up the brush in a Corningware bowl of hot tap water while I shower (available from Gio at Tryphon for just a couple of bucks). When I am ready to pepare the lather, I use a Sierra Club style titanium cup. The "belt loop" handle makes it easy to grip with wet hands. Once I've whipped up a lather, and applied it to the face for a first go, I set the titanium cup into the Corningware bowl pre-filled with hot tap water. The metal cup nests into the bowl double-boiler style, and because the cup is metal, the heat from the water in the bowl is transferred efficiently, and keeps the lather warm throughout the shave.
Soak the brush in the sink whilst I deal with other bathroom duties... shake the brush lightly and squirt the "almond" of cream into the brush and lather on the face. Takes a little adjustment of the amount of shaking and almond size at first but so far 100% for me.
*after letting brush and bowl soak during a hot shower*
-Let brush drip until it stops, then give it several gentle downward shakes until nearly dry.
- Empty all the water out of the bowl
- Put generous amount of cream *about quarter-sized* in the bowl. So cheap on a per-shave basis, there's no use in skimping on product. Plus, you run out sooner so you can buy more
- Give it a few stirs, the lather will still be pretty dry at this point but it's just to get the cream associated with the brush.
- Add hot water a half teaspoon at a time, stirring (not whipping, a deliberate stirring motion) all the while until lather is no longer "pasty".
-Lather yo face.
Some of you may wonder why I just don't leave a decent amount of water in the brush, cut out the middle-man and go straight to stirring. I just prefer a more calculated approach, it's difficult to judge exactly how much water is in your brush and if I use too much it's not as thick, rich and dense as I'd like.
-Let brush drip until it stops, then give it several gentle downward shakes until nearly dry.
- Empty all the water out of the bowl
- Put generous amount of cream *about quarter-sized* in the bowl. So cheap on a per-shave basis, there's no use in skimping on product. Plus, you run out sooner so you can buy more
- Give it a few stirs, the lather will still be pretty dry at this point but it's just to get the cream associated with the brush.
- Add hot water a half teaspoon at a time, stirring (not whipping, a deliberate stirring motion) all the while until lather is no longer "pasty".
-Lather yo face.
Some of you may wonder why I just don't leave a decent amount of water in the brush, cut out the middle-man and go straight to stirring. I just prefer a more calculated approach, it's difficult to judge exactly how much water is in your brush and if I use too much it's not as thick, rich and dense as I'd like.
I do the same, but hand lather-- big hands and good, hot water from the tap reduce the gymnastics necessary. I quit with the hand lather when the lather isn't quite hydrated enough and then move to face lathering using the residual moisture from my pre-lather rinse to finish it off.
Man ya all forgot the most important part. The Coffee to have between each pass.
An alternative method (I was in an experimental mood earlier)... Wet your face, squirt half the required amount on your index finger tip. Apply it to the cheek of your choice. Squirt the other half on your index finger tip. Apply to the other cheek.
Pick up your damp brush and lather. If there wasn't enough water, dip in the sink and keep going. The excess lather will build in your brush and be ready for the next pass.
Pick up your damp brush and lather. If there wasn't enough water, dip in the sink and keep going. The excess lather will build in your brush and be ready for the next pass.
Run tap water until hot
Fill bowl/mug with hot water
take shower
go get cup of coffee ready so mirror defogs
return with java
dip brush in bowl and let soak for a few seconds
remove and shake out excess water
place needed amount of cream into bowl (I use tubes)
begin making lather
add few drops of hot tap water at a time as needed to get a nice lather
Fill bowl/mug with hot water
take shower
go get cup of coffee ready so mirror defogs
return with java
dip brush in bowl and let soak for a few seconds
remove and shake out excess water
place needed amount of cream into bowl (I use tubes)
begin making lather
add few drops of hot tap water at a time as needed to get a nice lather
1. Splash hot water on my face
2. Hold brush under hot running tap water
3. Gently shake out excess water from brush
4. Swirl brush in tub of cream
5. Apply brush to face and dip in sink of water as needed until lather is the way I want it.
2. Hold brush under hot running tap water
3. Gently shake out excess water from brush
4. Swirl brush in tub of cream
5. Apply brush to face and dip in sink of water as needed until lather is the way I want it.
most important step in my opinion is after you brush the cream on your face the first time put the brush down and massage the cream into your face with your fingers for about a good minute and then lather again with a brush
your face will get beast of the two worlds rich cream from the brush and face softening massage from your fingers
your face will get beast of the two worlds rich cream from the brush and face softening massage from your fingers
for you experienced wetshavers, what type of lathering motion do you use? circular? or do you just slap the lather on like paint?
I use a circular motion when first applying the lather to my face. People say this lifts the hair and scrubs the face, freeing up the dead skin cells... all I know is it feels good.
After my first pass with the razor, I use a 'side to side' or 'up and down' motion with the lather filled brush until I am done shaving. It seems to apply more lather than the circular technique but everyone is different.
Put hot tap water into my mug, put brush in to soak.
Take a shower.
After the shower, rinse face again with warm-hot water.
Dump out mug, shake brush a couple of times.
Put cream in mug.
Swirl with brush--about 20 times clockwise, then 20 times counterclockwise, then random motions until the lather is how I like it. Add water if needed
Apply lather to face with brush, continuing to lather with a circular motion.
Use paint-strokes to get an even layer of lather.
Shave.
Warm water rinse.
Cold water rinse.
Pat dry.
Apply witchhazel/aloe gel/peppermint oil mixture and allow it to dry.
Finally, moisturizer with sunscreen.
Take a shower.
After the shower, rinse face again with warm-hot water.
Dump out mug, shake brush a couple of times.
Put cream in mug.
Swirl with brush--about 20 times clockwise, then 20 times counterclockwise, then random motions until the lather is how I like it. Add water if needed
Apply lather to face with brush, continuing to lather with a circular motion.
Use paint-strokes to get an even layer of lather.
Shave.
Warm water rinse.
Cold water rinse.
Pat dry.
Apply witchhazel/aloe gel/peppermint oil mixture and allow it to dry.
Finally, moisturizer with sunscreen.
I soak my brush in a hot sinkful of water while I shower. Upon drying my face, I flick all water out of my brush and whip up a lather that consists of roughly 2 parts proraso cream, 2 parts aloe vera gel and 1 part vegitable glycerine. I work that into a regular fluffy and moist lather. I think that these additives offer more slickness, protection and moisturizing properties than the cream alone. Splash with whichazel and proraso balm. Done.
H
HEADSMOOTH
first of all you gotta take a hot shower getting your face nice and wet and then lather up with you favorite shaving cream. i use the Aveeno for sensitive skin
1. Fill hot pot with water.
2. Gather shave ingredients/tools.
3. Get scuttle and lather bowl.
4. fill top half of scuttle,insert brush.
5. Fill lather bowl.
6. pour remaining hot water into sink, place lather bowl in sink.
7. refill hot pot.
8. take shower.
9. remove brush, empty top half of scuttle, empty lather bowl.
10. fill double walled prtion of scuttle.
11. shake brush out.
12. twist and poke into cream
13. whip it good!
marty
2. Gather shave ingredients/tools.
3. Get scuttle and lather bowl.
4. fill top half of scuttle,insert brush.
5. Fill lather bowl.
6. pour remaining hot water into sink, place lather bowl in sink.
7. refill hot pot.
8. take shower.
9. remove brush, empty top half of scuttle, empty lather bowl.
10. fill double walled prtion of scuttle.
11. shake brush out.
12. twist and poke into cream
13. whip it good!
marty
1.microwave 2cups water the fill mustashe stein as necessary.
2.take shower.
3.submerge brush and dry self off.
4drain mug,hang brush till slow drip.
5.rub brush in mug for water.(that'll be enuf)
6.squeeze out a 1/4 inch cream in bowl,add a squirt of glycerin.
7.shake brush 3 or 4 times and swirl soap 20 times 10 each way.
8.pump and swirl for about 1 min.
9.ready to go.
2.take shower.
3.submerge brush and dry self off.
4drain mug,hang brush till slow drip.
5.rub brush in mug for water.(that'll be enuf)
6.squeeze out a 1/4 inch cream in bowl,add a squirt of glycerin.
7.shake brush 3 or 4 times and swirl soap 20 times 10 each way.
8.pump and swirl for about 1 min.
9.ready to go.
1. Fill sink with VERY HOT water
2. Fill shaving bowl/mug with VERY HOT water and place in the sink
3. Place shaving brush in the bowl/mug to soak in the water
4. Take shower
5. Empty bowl/mug of water, drain then shake out shaving brush
6. Place a small amount of cream into the bowl/mug and begin swirling the brush around on
the cream
7. Add small amounts of water (approx 1/2 tablespoon) to the cream in increments as
necessary and continue stirring for around a minute or so with the brush until I have a
generous amount of foamy hydrated goodness
2. Fill shaving bowl/mug with VERY HOT water and place in the sink
3. Place shaving brush in the bowl/mug to soak in the water
4. Take shower
5. Empty bowl/mug of water, drain then shake out shaving brush
6. Place a small amount of cream into the bowl/mug and begin swirling the brush around on
the cream
7. Add small amounts of water (approx 1/2 tablespoon) to the cream in increments as
necessary and continue stirring for around a minute or so with the brush until I have a
generous amount of foamy hydrated goodness
-Fill Lathering Bowl with Hot Water from tap and add brush to soak
-Shower and leave face and head wet
-Add more water to wet face and head at sink
-Add hot water to sink and dump water from bowl into sink
-Shake brush
-Load Brush by swirling in tub
-Whip lather, adding a little water at a time as necessary to build a nice lather
-Apply to face and head, and begin shaving, relathering and adding water as neccessary
-Shower and leave face and head wet
-Add more water to wet face and head at sink
-Add hot water to sink and dump water from bowl into sink
-Shake brush
-Load Brush by swirling in tub
-Whip lather, adding a little water at a time as necessary to build a nice lather
-Apply to face and head, and begin shaving, relathering and adding water as neccessary
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