Whooaa.... just tried bowl lathering again!

[jhclare]

Hi all,

I started DE shaving with a bowl - then slowly decided I preferred face lathering. I liked the extended massage and "brush time" for my face! Less to clean up too.

However, lately I've been noticing that my lather hasn't been up to scratch. Whether this happened as a result of a new brush, my use of a scuttle, or new soap, I don't think I'll ever know.

This morning I shaved with SCS Aspect soap. I face lathered as usual.

I noticed during the shave that the lather was literally disappearing before my eyes! I've never had that happen before.

I kept returning the brush to my face to whip up some more (there still seemed to be plenty of soap in the brush, just not in lather form!).

I had a very nice shave. But... surely this isn't normal? I've heard such good things about SCS soaps that I had to try an experiment.

I got a cereal bowl from the kitchen and whipped up some lather....with my Taylors Vulfix. WOW. Loads and loads of thick, slick, shiny meringue-like lather! It was lovely. Too bad I'd shaved that morning. I tried again with my Rooney 3/1... same result!

So.....

The bowl lathering produced a much higher quality of lather, better than I've seen in a long time, and good enough to rival some of the pics I see posted here.

Not only that, but there seemed to be MORE lather. Loads of it. I could have shaved (4-5 passes) twice if I'd wanted!

Now... is it that SCS soaps just work better with a bowl? I'm going to try again with all my soaps and see what happens. Heck, I may even rescue my MWF from the shower and try again with that!

I know that creams are easily face lathered - in fact I think in general creams are easily to lather. I never have trouble with my TOBS creams lathering on the face.

I'm interested in what you guys make of this and if you have had similar experiences?

Do you have some soaps or creams that lather much better in a bowl?

I'd like to hear your theories as to why it's so much better. Maybe the face doesn't allow the lather/air/water to be whipped up and mixed as thoroughly as it does in a bowl?

Maybe some products are just less fussy, more forgiving, and easier to mix?

John

 

[SRock]

I find myself going back and forth. For weeks I am strictly a face latherer and then all of a sudden I'm a bowl latherer for weeks on end. I think it depends on the soap/cream and my mood more than anything. I get great results with either.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Chimensch]

There's no question in my mind that bowl lathering gives you more control over the lather and produces more of it. Face lathering is just quicker and involves less clean-up. I'll face lather when I'm in hurry but that's almost never.

 

[norman931]

I am also back to the lather bowl after about a year of face-lathering. It's good to know that I could do without the bowl in a pinch.

 

[Dharion]

The water/soap ratio might be different with bowl lathering. Have to revisit that great myself, too. Thanks for reminding me

 

[thirdeye]

I've gone from bowl to face and back again. For me I simply enjoy building a lather in a bowl as it does seem to be a much better/quality lather. Like Norm, I like the idea that I can face lather in a pinch.
As for as the ease between soap and cream, I found creams to be easier when I first came back to wet shaving but once I switched to soaps there was no turning back as fine soap lather to be far superior to cream lather.

 

[kingfisher]

I haven't bowl lathered in a while. Some days I face lather, but most days I hand lather.

Seems like a nice halfway house between the two; control like in a bowl, but less clean-up, like with face lathering.

 

[moonshine44]

I generally face-lather, because, as mentioned, it's faster, which helps when I'm shaving before work. Now you've got me thinking that I might need to try a bowl on one of my weekend shaves. Hmmm...

 

[FiXXXer]

The only time I face lather exclusively is when I use a shave stick. Any other time, I make my lather in the bowl, and then continue to work it on the face for at least a minute or two. I find that with this technique I get a better lather than I would if I only face lathered, while retaining the benefits of face lathering, such as softening and lifting the whiskers.

 

[mretzloff]

I also prefer bowl lathering. I can get more lather and a better quality.

 

[waterbear]

I prefer face lathering whether it's with a cream or soap simply because the longer contact time of the lather with the hair softens the hair better and leads to a smoother shave with less irritation. I have never had a problem with face lathering but I find that I need to use less water than when bowl lathering. In fact, I have a few 'shave soaps' that I bought at a crafts fair (great scent but they are just M&P with some clay in them) that don't lather very well at all unless I face lather them.
As far as bowl lathering goes, I don't think my technique is an issue. I am a Barber and have been bowl lathering for more years than I care to remember.

 

[dpmtherrien]

I enjoy lathering in a bowl. I currently use the Georgetown scuttle. While I am able to face lather with good results, I find the bowl/scuttle give me a much greater amount of lather. Using the scuttle doesn't take me any longer than lathering on the face. Whatever works for you is the way to go, but for me just give me my scuttle.:tongue

Paul

 

[md86]

After you built lather on your face did you put the brush in a scuttle? Im asking because i have had the same thing happen to me with soaps (mainly glycerin based). I would face lather and put my brush in a scuttle and it would be all gone by the time i went to relather. I did a little experimenting and found that the heat from the scuttle would speed up the evaporation of the lather. That may have been what happened to you?

 

[waterbear]

when I face lather I float my mug in a sink of hot water and put the brush in that. Keeps the lather warm and I've never had a problem of not being able to relather on my face for subsequent passes. Sometimes I do need to give the brush a quick dip in the sink to rewet it a bit on subsequent passes, but I have to do the same with bowl lathering at times too.

 

[adonnellyr]

I'm 100% a bowl latherer.

I really think you should rescue the MWF and give it a whirl. It can't hurt right? I'd be interested in hearing how that works out for you, because so many people say that they can work up a good lather on their face with it. It would be interesting if you were the opposite...

 

[beaverboy]

I enjoy lathering in a bowl. I currently use the Georgetown scuttle. While I am able to face lather with good results, I find the bowl/scuttle give me a much greater amount of lather. Using the scuttle doesn't take me any longer than lathering on the face. Whatever works for you is the way to go, but for me just give me my scuttle.:tongue

Paul

+1 to everything you say, right down to the brand of scutle. In fact, are you me?

 

[mammoo]

The reason for the problem you experienced when face lathering is that the SCS products need to be treated a bit differently to other shaving soaps and creams. Because they are not mass produced like most other brands they behave slightly differently.

You have already seen this in that it does not need nearly as much water as other brands.

One of the other differences is that it really needs a good amount of whipping to get it to its proper lathering state. I don't think you can do that sort of whipping on the face so I would expect to get better results with a bowl.

 

[kzoo1]

I like to lather in the bowl during the colder months. That way I get a warm lather first thing in the morning. Lately though, I've strictly been a face latherer. I agree with "waterbear" about the longer time the brush and soap is on your face, helping to soften the whiskers further.

 

[jhclare]

I like to lather in the bowl during the colder months. That way I get a warm lather first thing in the morning. Lately though, I've strictly been a face latherer. I agree with "waterbear" about the longer time the brush and soap is on your face, helping to soften the whiskers further.

Yes, this is one of the reasons I enjoyed the experience of face lathering so much!

However, if I can whip up a higher quality of lather in a bowl, then I will. I'll just make sure I massage into the face for at least 2-3 minutes before I start shaving, best of both worlds!

It'll take longer, but hey, I'm not in a rush. If I was, I'd be using a Mach 3!

 

[jhclare]

One of the other differences is that it really needs a good amount of whipping to get it to its proper lathering state. I don't think you can do that sort of whipping on the face so I would expect to get better results with a bowl.

Yes, definitely noticed this! Wonderful lather though. I'm glad I tried the bowl.

I think my problem of late is that I purchased a new brush, scuttle and soap at the same time. Too many variables.

In the future I'm going to change just one thing at a time, so if it doesn't work, I know what the problem is.

I'm now more sure of my brushes, although I still think I want a brush in between the density of my Taylors Vulfix, and my Rooney 3/1. And I'm still not sure about my scuttle....

John