T&H lather begins drying on face before pass is finished

[mistervee123]

Hey guys. Any suggestions on this?

I have tubs of Truefitt & Hill 1805 and Sandalwood. In the bowl, the lather doesn't seem to have much sheen, and when I am shaving, the lather is showing signs of drying (dull looking, slightly crumbly texture) before I can finish each pass. I'm not taking that long to shave, and this wasn't happening before. Is it a summer thing? Am I mixing in too much water? I'm getting nice peaks in the lather. Do I need to add some glycerin or oil?

This is not happening with my Trumpers, TOBS, or Proraso. I'm not ready to give up two $30 tubs of cream. I humbly await any tips or suggestions you may offer. Thanks so much.

 

[edgerunner]

I think you need to mix it with more water. I find T&H more thirsty than the others you mentioned.

 

[DFSDAILY]

Truefitt creams have a great sheen to them and don't dry out, so I'd say you aren't using enough water.

 

[Go West Young Man]

More product, more water.

 

[ThePatrician]

I agree with the other commenters, more water. I tried a T&H cream once, don't recall which one, and found it to be very, very thirsty.

 

[Oblique Human]

Try less product, more water.

 

[Wildalaska]

Stop bowl lathering...build your lather on your face.

 

[Marco]

I think you need to mix it with more water. I find T&H more thirsty than the others you mentioned.

+1 Try to add drops of water to the lather slowly and gradually until you get the right consistency.

 

[ryno2292]

More product, more water.

+1 This is what works for me with my 1805 anyway.

 

[SEnSE]

Dryness can be remedied by wetness.

 

[mistervee123]

Thanks to all for the quick responses. Adding a little more H2O it is then.

I tried adding quite a bit of water a couple times in the past, but though the lather formed stiff peaks, it seemed overly thin and much less protective. Perhaps, as indicated here, the T&H is more finicky than most other creams, and I need to be more careful to compensate by adding just enough water to slake its thirst without drowning it.

If anyone is interested, I will try your suggestions (even face lathering though I do not prefer it) and report back after a couple days. I have a really tough time creating a good water/cream balance when face lathering. Always too much product and too thick.

 

[edgerunner]

T&H is not finicky at all. If by adding water your lather gets too thin before you're satisfied with the amount you have, then as others already pointed out, you don't use enough product to start with.

 

[Predict]

I'm still new but one thing I've learned is if my lather doesn't have a sheen to it it needs more water. Sometimes just a few drops is all you need. Do lots of practice lathers to see how much water you need.

 

[Dirk-Lerxst-Pratt]

Haven't had this problem with T&H samples I've used. It's got to be the water.

 

[mistervee123]

Well, the weird thing is that I've been using T&H for quite a while and never had this problem before. The T&H creams may not be "finicky," but it seems as if the temperature change (warmer) around here has made them require more precise amounts of water than I was putting in before.

It took some extra time, following Marco's and others' advice, and put in a few drops at a time. I mixed it in thoroughly, then added a few more drops until I got the wonderful sheen and slick feel that I was looking for.After I had just lathered up for a second pass, I received a call from one of my sisters-in-law, who proceeded to go into a long winded explanation of problem with her front porch. Afterward, I went back in to finish the shave. There was a slight amount of drying near the corners of my mouth where the the cream was less thick, but for the most part, the cream was still moist, and I finished the shave from there. It was a great lather and a great shave.​

Another victory for B&B members!
Great advice.
​

 

[Marco]

Some questions that I often get asked about from new wet shavers are these: "Marco, how do I know if my lather is good? If it has the right consistency? If there's too much or too little water? How much product should I use?". My answer is simple: A good lather has to be shiny, thick, with a dense/creamy consistency. Only when it has this look and these properties it will be truly effective for shaving. And to get the right consistency, with proper ratio water/product I always suggest my trusted formula: A lot of swirls + a lot of soap + a lot of water. And continue swirling until the lather becomes nice, thick and creamy. A few drops of water can always be applied afterwards if needed, slowly and progressively. Obviously IMHO.

 

[Alum of Potash]

I've been doing a lot of bowl-lathering lately, and agree with the above, especially Marco's comments about adding drips of water. With different brush-hair types, I generally soak the knot for a few minutes while I set up other things, then add around an almond-sized amount of cream to the bowl. Taking the brush from the water, I let it drain until nothing is running freely, then I lightly begin trying to create lather. Normally, this is too dry at this point (but in the rare instance where there is too much water, it initially separates from the soap and I can drain it off before later blending). Then, I add one or two fingers' worth of drops of water, lightly swish the mixture, and see where I am at. Continue with this until the lather reaches a consistency that is creamy and full, but without too many air-bubbles. The Portuguese cream, Veleiro, has been my constant choice of late. It's very subtly scented.