Hello everyone. I was told in another thread to apply VDH to my face before shaving and then face lather with a brush. I tried it and guess what.....the Neutrogena brushless shave cream gave me a better shave. I am still not sure what I am doing wrong. I had a slick coating and it was not dripping wet and I also was not painting my face. It is the strangest thing. I can take something like that Nuetrogena or Real Shave Co. and apply it by hand with no brush and I get a great shave. I used the same 57 Gillette SS and Derby blade. The only change was the soap. I am just not getting the hang of this lathering.
VDH Deluxe Applied to face
- Thread starter s1mp13m4n
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It takes some time. Each cream and soap has it's own quirks that you have to learn. For example, I've found that with Tabac, I can shake my brush almost dry then add water to it later for a great lather. However, with Mitchell's Wool Fat, I had to leave my brush with more water in it, otherwise the lather comes out inferior. And if you use a different brush, you have to figure it out all over again. Also, if you are at a different house, the quality of the water may change, so that'll change your lather as well!
I've actually taken to keeping a notebook with the quirks of the different creams and soaps to use as a reference.
VDH ain't exactly the cadillac of shaving creams whether its the deluxe or not. I know its cheap but so is the performance. Do yourself a favor and get a quality soap. No matter how you fiddle with the stuff you will never get a truly good result. I know, I've used it.
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- #4
What would you recommend other than VDH? I am on a fixed income becuase I am legally blind. I use VDH because it is $1.50 a puck and I can get it @ Walmart. I am open to ideas. I am really enjoying this great hobby.
Bah! That's ridiculous.
[Note this guy's user id
]It is possible to get a very good lather with it, and, from the picture you posted last week, it looked like you were doing pretty well. That being said, if the Neutrogena brushless works for you, maybe you want to stay with that for a while.
- Chris
I think VDH is good performer. Its just a soft soap and therfore requires more soap to be applied than a talo soap.
I have gotten the best lather from VDH by putting the puck in a mug and building the lather in the mug. I get good shaves from VDH, however, I only go for 2 (maybe 3) shaves from a blade, on that 3rd shave I start getting some irritation. I shave every 2 or 3 days so if you shave more often you may get more shaves from a blade without irritation...YMMV
VDH scuffed on the face does a nice job used as a shave stick. Scuff a generous coating of soap on face, then use a brush to build a lather directly on the beard. Work the lather for a couple of minutes (which is longer than usual) and you'll have a great lather. Lubes well, softens whiskers too.
Can you tell that I've done this myself?
Enjoy.
-- John Gehman
Can you tell that I've done this myself?
Enjoy.
-- John Gehman
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- #9
Thanks for the help guys. I am going to practice my VDH lathering and I will get it right over time. I like the brushless cream for day to day because it simply works. I may keep using brushless cream for day to day while learning my lather and once it is better...then shave with it. 
This place rocks.
This place rocks.
Bah! That's ridiculous.
[Note this guy's user id
It is possible to get a very good lather with it, and, from the picture you posted last week, it looked like you were doing pretty well. That being said, if the Neutrogena brushless works for you, maybe you want to stay with that for a while.
- Chris
+1
I can get a wonderful lather out of VDH, and I think it's performance is great.
I think most people say not so nice things about VDH due to it's price point, if it cost more, people would be singing it's praises.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with VDH, and many of us use it frequently, even thought we have supposed superior products in our possession.
Here is what I do when I use VDH
1) I place about a tablespoon of water on top of the puck, while my brush soaks.
2) I pour the water that has not soaked into the puck into my lathering bowl.
3) I take my brush, and give it a good squeeze, and then a couple of good shakes. I like to start off with a fairly dry brush, as it is easy to add water, but much harder to compensate for a product that is already too wet.
4) I proceed to load my brush on the puck, at least for a good minute. I want the bristles of the brush to be very white with soap.
5) I take my brush to the bowl, and proceed to start working the soap, just until a lather starts to form.
6) I add a decent amount of water to the bowl, probably about a tablespoon. I continue to work the lather, swirling the brush, and pushing the brush up, and down, and pushing any lather that is pushed onto the sides of the bowl back into the bottom of the bowl. I work the lather for about 30-40 seconds.
7) I add about another teaspoon/ tablespoon of water, and repeat step 6.
8) I check the consistency of the lather, it should be like yogurt. At this point, I may add a tad more water, and repeat step 6.
9) VDH will soak up a lot of water before reaching the ruined point, which makes it a great soap for a new wet shaver to learn with.
10) I wet my face. I use the brush to scoop up some lather from the bowl, and then swirl it onto my face for about 30 seconds. I then do a painting motion to smooth out the lather.
~John~
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- Thread starter
- #11
Couple of Minutes? Hmmm, I have not tried to make a lather for that long on my face yet. Ok it is worth a shot for me...after all it is only soap and time.
If you get superior shaves from a brushless cream, then use it. Don't feel obligated to use a soap and brush because everyone else does; use what works best for you.
If you want to check out a higher-end but still inexpensive soap, try Colonel Conk's. I just got some recently and so far I like it. I got mine at West Coast Shaving for around $3.50.
I'd say if you're determined to use a brush and soap, shave without them during the work week and experiment/practice with the soap and brush during the weekend.
If you want to check out a higher-end but still inexpensive soap, try Colonel Conk's. I just got some recently and so far I like it. I got mine at West Coast Shaving for around $3.50.
I'd say if you're determined to use a brush and soap, shave without them during the work week and experiment/practice with the soap and brush during the weekend.
Shhhhhhhhhh....if word gets out they will rename it, rebrand it, put some sandalwood scent in it, put it in a ceramic/wood bowl and charge us $14.50
......On that note....I do sometimes put a splash of some bay rum or old spice aftershave in the mug before I make a lather to give it some scent.
yep, the one thing that VDH is lacking is scent. It is a great inexpensive soap that gives me a slick, cushiony lather. I just got a very DFS using VDH.
I prefer to face lather it. I don't use the puck like a shave stick though, like mentioned above. I fully load my brush and then build the lather on my face.
I prefer to face lather it. I don't use the puck like a shave stick though, like mentioned above. I fully load my brush and then build the lather on my face.
My $0.02 worth: VDH is probably the best of the drug store soaps out there. I think it is pretty good, its just that I've gotten into tallows and they dust VDH.
If you follow this you cannot fail. S1 I used VDH and the same tweezerman brush you have like this every day and got great results.
Notebooks about soap quirks? BRILLIANT!
Why thank you kind sir! I just figured that I wouldn't remember, so I got to keeping notes, and it evolved from there.
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- #19
Hello again. OK here is the deal, I was just PIF'd a wonderful gift of Irish Moos shave stick. You know what...I like it. For the first time I was able to build a decnt lather and my wife agreed with me. I rubbed the stick on my wet face and kept adding water when the stick stopped sliding. I then used a drip free Tweezerman brush and did something I had not done up to this point.....I kept rubbing the brush on my face. I was told to go two minutes, so I did. I added water when things started to feel dry and I ended up with a lather on my face. I could not waste the lather so I did a WTG pass, just one pass and all is well. I could hear the blade cutting and I could feel the blade but no irritation or redness. I think all this learning is paying off. Now, how do I make a VDH shave stick? I can see where the shave stick will help me over loading the brush from a puck (remember eyesight).
He did do a really nice job for his first run with a stick!!!
