Post your Shaving Cream Lathering Techniques

[mister_met]

1. Place bowl in the sink and fill the bowl/sink with incredibly hot water.
2. Let the brush soak in the bowl while I shower. The sink seems to slowly drain itself while I'm showering. I gotta fix that.
3. Empty bowl, refill sink.
4. Shake brush
5. Put a little more than an almonds worth of Proraso into the piping hot bowl.
6. now whip it
into shape
shape it up
get straight
go forward
move ahead
try to detect it
it's not too late
to whip it
whip it good

7. shave

 

[rudy812]

I have been blessed with a soft and easy beard that can be easily cut, and I have no issues with any skin problem or allergies.

For creams or soaps, any of the high quality or highly reputable products will work. So far, I have tried most of the common top and mid range brands and even though some will work better than others, I have been satisfied with all of them. For me, I do have my preference and I must admit, the top, long running, expensive European brands are consistently the best and the most enjoyable. They have been around the longest and they have class.

Technique (I also use this technique for soaps)

Before I begin, I make sure that my beard is fully saturated with water; don't wait to long because your beard will begin to dry up as soon as you get out of the shower or after a complete facial water splashes. For me, I always shave right after a shower. After a quick towel dry, I splash my whole face with the most comfortable, warm water temperature; until I feel that my beard is fully saturated and softened.

During this whole time, my brush has been in a bowl or a mug, and has been saturated in hot tap water for at least a minimum of two minutes; I find, with my silvertip, that soaking my brush for more than five minute will make no different in saturation. I then squeeze all the excess water and re-soak for another minute or two and again squeeze the excess water. I then take a small dab of quality shaving cream and place it in my 5 inch shaving dish. Now if I don't know what my cream/water ratio is, I just simply add a little water in the dish, just enough to make a watery paste; then I soaked up that water and cream with my squeezed out brush, in a circular motion, until the watery paste is completely absorbed. The objective is to find, in a step by step process, the most optimum water/cream ratio for lathering. I have a preference to lather that watery cream paste on my face and not in a bowl or dish. In the beginning of this process, you will feel a drying sensation, which is normal; it just means that there is not enough water in the ratio. When I have my beard all covered, I fill my dish with hot water and place just the tip of my brush in the dish and in a slow circular motion, I watch the water soak up. I then, in my preferred circular motion, begin to feel a warm and lathery sensation on my face. I continue and repeat the process until I feel I have the optimum water/cream ratio combinations. The sensation is simple, it feels right and your skin and beard will feel saturated, soften and well lubricated for the shave. If you have too much water, continue brushing until you feel it dried up to perfection. Once you feel you have your optimum lather, you must continue brushing for at least another 2 more minute; I personally feel 3-5 minutes is optimum. If you start getting a drying sensation, again add little more hot water in the brush.


Even with this technique and process, it will be unusual to get your personal optimum lather right the first time. In my experience, what I though was right, in time I found it wasn't. In time you automatically tweak your lather to your personal perfection and mood and gain a greater satisfaction and enjoyment in wet shaving. So far, my method for the optimum lather has been the least stressful, easiest and quickest way to take out the guesswork for that perfect water/ cream/ soap ratio. Before this method, for years I was unaware that I was wasting and using excess soaps or creams, and that the ratio I was using was also totally wrong. After learned this method and technique, through trial and error and implementing from other members, posting and the universe. Water/soaps/creams ratio can be completely different from one to the other. I began retrying shaving creams and soaps that in the past that I didn't like or didn't work for me. I found, through this method and process, that I had the wrong water/soap/cream ratio. Some of those soaps and creams have now become some of my favorites


Best regard
Rudy

 

[prolific]

My general routine.

1.) Fill Shaving bowl w/ hot water, soak brush.

2.) Hop in shower

3.) Hop out of shower, dry off, but keep the face wet.

4.) Pour water out of shaving bowl, give the brush a gentle squeeze to let some water out, but not too hard.

5.) Swirl brush on cream just for a couple of seconds until the tips have some cream on it.

6.) Run my hand over the water and let a few drips drop off my hand into the shaving bowl.

7.) Whip up lather, add a few more drops of water as needed to create the right consistency. Usually takes about 1-2 minutes.

8.) Wet face gently.

9.) Apply lather to face until I reach the right conistency, also lift the hairs up as much as possible, this usually takes 1 minute.

10.) Shave, rinse, lather, repeat.

 

[icon]

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.

It's exactly how I use shaving cream , no bowl to wash

 

[The_Pastor]

Here is my technique.
I will somehow leave out the soap entirely, though.
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l-522jNz6k[/YOUTUBE]

 

[hunter87597]

In east Texas, the water here is rock hard. My solution?? Primo water dispenser with hot/cold buttons.

Get brush and bowl, fill it up with 120+ degree water, and let it sit while im in the shower.

Get out of shower, place brush in mug with hot water from the dispenser, and also add more water to the bowl.

Splash the water out of the bowl, and add a peanut-sized amount of tube cream. Its enough

"Tap" excess water out of the brush. Here is the tricky part. Better to remove too much water than have too much still in the brush.

Swirl that gooey love butter around, until it looks like the sides of a calfs mouth when bottle feeding that booger. When the air bubbles are teeny-tiny, I know that that I am ready for some facial hair-deleting action.

 

[balaban9331]

i use a mini milk frother to make a beauty lather.although not traditional,it works nice

 

[bro-ham]

i use a mini milk frother to make a beauty lather.although not traditional,it works nice

I would like to see a video of that!

 

[jgkeegan]

I shave in the shower so......

1. I wash my face. Fairly warm water.

2. Apply a few drops of preshave-oil (currently Keihl's, pacific in the mail to me now) to my face and neck.

3. Thoroughly wet the brush by holding it under the shower head for a minute. Shake it once.

4. Apply cream with my fingertips to the brushhead.

5. Pass 1 down (with grain)

6. Relather. Pass 2 up (against)

7. Rinse.

8. Relather, Pass 3, up/down/sideways. Tro to get known rough spots.

9 Rinse. And done, unless I need to get a spot or two.

 

[redryder]

Hi guys, I'm still learning how to create lather. Tonight will be my 2nd attempt at DE shaving. When you whip up lather in the bowl, are you swirling the brush gently and slowly, or fast like beating an egg? Are you only using the brush tips, or the whole brush? If my brush is soaked before the whipping process, do I need to add water while whipping it up?

I'm using a boar brush and cream by the way.

 

[Rossmeister]

Insert new cartridge (every day)
Spray from can on my face
Distribute evenly
Shave
BBS every time








HAH!

- Fill sink and bowl with hot water
- Put brush in bowl
- Take shower (might use shampoo/balsam on my face, might not)
- Dry hair and body (not face, but might pat dry)
- Put on pre-shave oil
- Empty bowl and shake brush
- Make lather with cream or soap
- Apply and shave, watering my face between passes
- Apply aftershave. Sometimes when wet, sometimes patted dry.

 

[roosclan]

Hi guys, I'm still learning how to create lather. Tonight will be my 2nd attempt at DE shaving. When you whip up lather in the bowl, are you swirling the brush gently and slowly, or fast like beating an egg? Are you only using the brush tips, or the whole brush? If my brush is soaked before the whipping process, do I need to add water while whipping it up?

I'm using a boar brush and cream by the way.

It's a little bit of all of that. Gently, but fast, using the brush tips with an occasional whipping action using the entire brush (just like beating an egg). What you don't want to do is mash down on the brush.

 

[DaveNJ74]

Though I'm new to wet shaving, I've shaved in the shower for years, just using whatever cheap disposable razor and canned gel or cream (Barbasol!) was on sale at the grocery store. I wasn't really *happy* with my shave--lots of stubble, a few nicks from time to time, etc.--but didn't know that this was an option. . .

I've now upgraded my products, and am using a brush and a M3T, but still am shaving while in the shower. I have a nice little suction shelf in the corner of the stall on which sits my small stainless steel mixing bowl, tub of Trumpers Sandalwood and Prorasso, and my small but mighty SR101 shave brush. I also have a no-fog suction cup mirror afixed to the side wall of the stall. Here's the routine:

•fill up my bowl with hot water, and let the brush soak while I shower

•shower and shampoo--rinse

•empty the bowl, leaving a few drips in the bottom

•put a small dollop of Trumpers cream in the bottom of the bowl, or in my hand--I/m still experimenting

•whip up my lather

•apply to face--return brush to bowl

•shave--1st pass with grain, 2nd sideways

•rinse brush under showerhead, rinse razor, rinse and empty bowl

•rinse face under showerhead

•towel off, splash ice cold water on face and apply A/S

This seems to work for me, and is a less cumbersome process than showering, then drying off, then shaving in the sink. The whole shaving process happens in a warm, moist environment, my "stuff" is all right there on the shelf, and it takes less time.

Am I missing something?http://badgerandblade.com/vb/images/smilies/confused.gif

I also shave in the shower.

1. Soak lather bowl in sink of hot water.

2. Soak brush in the water after it cools down a bit.

3. Empty out hot water, drain sink and wring out brush.

4. Load brush and whip up lather.

5. Apply pre shave oil and shave.

6. Warm water rinse, cold water rinse, witch hazel then aftershave.

 

[Telecaster52]

I generally smear the cream directly on my face and face lather away

 

[09Badger]

1. Set my Chef Choice Smart Kettle to 195ºF and fill with 2 cups (minimum) of water. The kettle is in my kitchen, next to the bathroom.
2. Add almond size dollop of Classic Shaving Cream unscented to my Original Dirty Bird scuttle.
3. Wash my face and neck with very warm (but not hot) water and uspa Awaken Foam Cleanser.
4. Fill sink partially with hot water and let my Rooney brush soak.
5. After temperature alarm goes off on the kettle I fill the scuttle.
6. Shake out excess water from the brush (3 light shakes) and spend about a minute vigorously working the cream into a good lather.
7. Splash warm water on my face and spend a good minute working the lather into my face and neck.

 

[linty1]

For me, I personally run a little hot under the hood (I wear t-shirts in the winter, open windows in the office in the winter etc), so I prefer cold water:
- wash my face with spectrogel/cold water, don't pat dry
- squeeze out about an almond size squeeze of product, rub on face
- run brush under tap, cold water
- very gently hold brush bristles to shed a little water
- start swirling on face to create lather
- fill mug with cold water (to wave razor in to clean it)
- start the first pass

 

[Speedwell68]

1. Put a small amount of cream in my bowl. Set it down on the counter with everything else I intend to use. I like it all lined up and ready to go.
2. Have a shower that is as hot as I dare have it.
3. Fill sink with really hot water. Soak brush.
4. Squeeze out the brush as much as possible.
5. Work the cream in my bowl, adding water to the tips of the brush as need.
6. Apply to my face in a painting fashion
7. Job done.

 

[lowcountry_sc]

I've read through most of the posts but they were getting a bit redundant, so I skipped to the end to put in my two cents. Forgive me if anyone else mentioned this one...I'm fairly new to the whole process, but have found what really works for me is this:
1.) Fill bowl with hot water and place silvertip brush in bowl.
2.) Dilly dally around setting everything up for about 30 secs or so.
3.) Give my brush a few firm shakes and put my T.O.B.S. in bowl and whip up a nice lather, adding maybe the slightest bit of water.
4.) Dip my brush in warm water and lather my face.
5.) Fill sink basin with hot water and place bowl of cream in sink.
6.) Shower, rinsing face with warm water at the very end.
7.) Drain sink and fill with hot water again.
8.) Lather (this time without dipping my brush in water) and shave

Obviously, the biggest difference in the way I do it involves the double lathering (and the addition of water to my brush when lather the first time. My skin thanks me.

 

[weenerdog3443]

Mines simple as could be. I hop out the shower get a fingertips worth of queen Charlotte soap and drop it in my bowl. Wet my brush, don't soak it or anything, and pound away at the soap for a minute. Then spread on face. Not too complicated

 

[kbee]

It's exactly how I use shaving cream , no bowl to wash

Yep, me too.