Does anyone soak the brush and soap in the same mug before shaving? I have been using two mugs: one to soak the brush and the other that contains the soap. Would the soap become expended too quickly? Just Curious
Soaking the brush and the soap before shaving
- Thread starter DonLafontaine
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I did this for awhile with my brush and mug of Van Der Hagen. The shea butter started to separate. I don't know if this would happen to triple-milled soaps though.
I soak my brush, but never soak the soap, even ones that have a reputation for being hard to lather. Some people do this, but I've never found it to be necessary.
I think the primary reason for not doing this, is that you would be pouring quite a bit of soap down the drain over time.
It's also unnecessary to soak soap to this level, as a few drops to a tablespoon will more than suffice (depending of course, on who you talk too).
It's also unnecessary to soak soap to this level, as a few drops to a tablespoon will more than suffice (depending of course, on who you talk too).
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First, you have to define "soak." When I use Williams, I place my brush into the mug, which holds the soap, then run hot water over the brush. Next, I pour out the water, using the brush to insure that the soap puck does not fall out. Then, I squeeze out the brush and proceed to load the brush and lather a little bit on the puck. Following that, I face lather.
The brush "soaking" only lasts for as long as it takes to fill the mug with hot water and warm the soap/mug.
- Thread starter
- #6
I'm using the EJ buckthorn soap right now and the EJ apothicary mug and wanted to consolidate to get rid of the extra, "soaking" mug. Thanks for the responses.
- Thread starter
- #7
In my case, when I mean "soaking," I mean that I leave the brush in the in the mug (in water) while I'm brushing my teeth and showering (so, about 15 to 20 minutes).
+1
Try not soaking your soap at all. You might ask yourself "why did I soak it in the first place?"
I am of the belief that soaking the soap is of no value and in fact may be harmful to the soap. I have seen that some members recommend soaking some soaps like MWF but others have found that it causes the soap to crack and offers little or no benefit. I use MWF and it lathers beautifully with no soaking.
I think that this notion of soaking is borne out of frustration with being unable to get the desired lather that others describe. I think that most of the problems can be traced to hard water or perhaps technique.
Happy shaving,
Doug
I think that this notion of soaking is borne out of frustration with being unable to get the desired lather that others describe. I think that most of the problems can be traced to hard water or perhaps technique.
Happy shaving,
Doug
- Thread starter
- #12
These are good points and will probably forgo the soap soaking in the future, thanks again.
I do soak my brush in a tumbler/glass and I take the soaked brush and drip just a shake of water onto the soap in its mug/bowl and re-soak the brush. After I brush my teeth I shake out the soaking brush almost to the point I would hang to dry, then swirl the brush on the soap, picking up the little water used to soak the soap. Then I face lather and add some water to the brush tips and add to lather as needed to make optimal lather.
And then you squeeze and shake all that water right out of the brush anyways.
Seriously, all most brushes need is about 10 seconds to get damp and you're good to go.
+1
I also don't think you need to stick the whole brush in the water. Just the hairs or bristles.
i soak my brush, and put a couple of drops on top of the soap to soften it up a little.
soaking a puck can lead to all the good bits leaking out, so I wouldnt do it
soaking a puck can lead to all the good bits leaking out, so I wouldnt do it
That's what I do. I then drain the remaining drops of water, if any, into my shaving bowl and use that plus cream and glycerin to make my lather. I am adverse to waste!
Ehh, sometimes I soak 'em together, sometimes I just wet my brush under hot running water. Life is short and I'm a childless bachelor. I can indulge myself and still spoil my niece and nephews.
I never soak the soap. The soaked brush does a great job of lathering on my unsoaked Nomad soap.
I might soak the soap if I think about it, but usually I forget. I have found that if I do I don't have to spend as much time loading the brush (we're talking a savings of maybe 2-3 seconds), as the top layer is already very soft. As far as the brush goes, I put it in the bowl and under the tap as the sink fills up, but that's it. Boar brushes may get a longer soak, as unlike badger it absorbs more than just holds.
