I've taken to face lathering. Scrub it in to develop a creamy lather then end with painting strokes to smoothly pile it on.
Why do people lather with only "painting" strokes?
- Thread starter walkthewalk
- Start date
I use paint strokes with my horse hair brushes to prevent tangling.
I used to work as a house painter to earn $ during my summer vacations.
I guess this is why using painting strokes to make lather just ‘works’ for me!!
I guess this is why using painting strokes to make lather just ‘works’ for me!!
I use both techniques, but paint more with synthetic brushes. In any case, I never want thick lather - if by thick you mean big and fluffy type of lather. I do want to end up with "low structure" wet paint type of lather that stays close to my face. The lather can be quite dense actually, just not fluffy. I really dislike that.
Thick lather is easily achieved with paint strokes. Brush tips can be harsh on some faces, particularly those with sensitive skin.
Thick lather is not always desirable or necessary for a good shave. Each man uses different equipment and products on distinct faces. There is no wrong answer if it works.
Thick lather is not always desirable or necessary for a good shave. Each man uses different equipment and products on distinct faces. There is no wrong answer if it works.
Lather is something I avoid as much as I possibly can. It's an emulsion of water, soap and air.
There are a number of viewpoints concerning the lubricating qualities of air, but my experience is that air is not a particularly good lubricant. I use painting strokes to minimize the air I incorporate into the lather.
I keep the lather pretty thin, because as far as I can tell only the .5mm film on the skin is actually relevant to the shave. My experience is that if the lather isn't translucent, and I can't see a bit of skin through it, I've left a ton of slickness on the table and my shave suffers. I paint in as much water as it takes to keep the lather translucent. I find that water and soap lubricate surprisingly well. "Cushion" is the most baffling idea that I've ever heard, and I think a lot of newbies suffer for it. YMMV.
Having said all that, I think that if you're getting irritation free shaves, the lather is being done "right" regardless of what it looks like.
There are a number of viewpoints concerning the lubricating qualities of air, but my experience is that air is not a particularly good lubricant. I use painting strokes to minimize the air I incorporate into the lather.
I keep the lather pretty thin, because as far as I can tell only the .5mm film on the skin is actually relevant to the shave. My experience is that if the lather isn't translucent, and I can't see a bit of skin through it, I've left a ton of slickness on the table and my shave suffers. I paint in as much water as it takes to keep the lather translucent. I find that water and soap lubricate surprisingly well. "Cushion" is the most baffling idea that I've ever heard, and I think a lot of newbies suffer for it. YMMV.
Having said all that, I think that if you're getting irritation free shaves, the lather is being done "right" regardless of what it looks like.
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EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
I face lather with vigorous circular strokes without excessively mashing the knot and I do so because it feels great. I do not care about the lather quality as long as I can shave with it, it is the enjoyment of the face lathering process that is paramount, and that tends incidentally to produce a good lather. Mark from Simpsons has confirmed right here on this forum that the recommendation to only use back and forth strokes is simply advisory and that circular brush strokes are fine as long the brush is not excessively splayed.
www.badgerandblade.com
Badger Brush and Circular Motion
I recently (a few minutes before making this post) discovered that one should not use a circular motion when applying lather to the face with a badger brush. Paintbrush motion is apparently what’s called for. What about when lathering soap in a bowl? All of the videos that I see show circular...
www.badgerandblade.com
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If you read the instructions that come with Simpson brushes painting is the proper way of lathering. I don't think the lather needs to be all that thick myself.
I've read this, but I always assumed this was more for preserving the brush than optimizing the lather.
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
Agreed, excessive pressure and splay when using rotational strokes can damage any brush. The Simpson advice, which some but not all makers also recommend, is simply to avoid potential damage, and warranty claims, by the ham fisted. There is no one correct way to create lather and even if there is and I am doing it wrong then I could not care less. My brushes are tools to give me pleasure and enjoyment, not treasures to be preserved for all eternity. If I damage the knot through exuberant enjoyment then I will purchase another and consider it money well spent. That said, I have yet to damage any brush as a result of my lathering technique
An interesting, if somewhat odd (in my opinion), take on the subject. I would submit that the introduction of air is to increase the volume and cohesiveness of the soap being used, and together with the water incorporated to produce the lather, reduces viscosity and eases the application of lubrication (the fats/oils in the soap) on the skin. Soap alone certainly can't do it and soap and water will either be too runny or dry too quickly. Apply a thin film, sure. But you want air in your lather to create volume. You lather the soap to incorporate the air. The more you lather the smaller the air pockets will be and the denser and creamier the lather will be. It's like the difference between meringue and whipped cream. Anyway, that's my take.
For what it's worth, it's interesting to note that all the Indian street barbers I've seen shave dry, just blade across skin. YIKES!!!!
I lather in the bowl and paint on...but, now that you mention it...I'm going to start doing some circular motions with the brush while putting it on the old mush. See what comes of it.
Yes its a "whatever works for you" thing, I will scrub my face for a bit and build lather while touchinch the brush tips to water as needed, as its part of my beard softening prep (I don't use preshaves, so my initial water splash and scrubbing are what gets me there. After scrubbing and when I'm ready to shave, I'll paint it on just smooth everything out and get a nice layer going. But thats what works for me.
I do not know why Simpsons recommends painting. I paint with my Chubby 1 in best, and it still tosses several hairs per shave. It may be a nice little brush, but it is disappearing!
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
For me, a thick lather is not a nice lather. It impares my shaves considerably, particularly with milder razors, which are my personal preference.
I load the brush lightly, and paint a light coating of soap everywhere that is to be shaved. I then dip the brush tips in water, and lightly paint that over the top. Sometimes that's enough, but sometimes I might need to swirl and scrub a while to help incorporate water and soap. I then return to laying it off thinly for the first pass.
It's a razor, not a snow shovel. Very little is needed between blade and skin for a great shave. Thick (or overly rich) lather dulls shave feel, potentially leading to operaor errors, can impare the closeness of the shave, and can even induce tugging. Again, that's with my preference of pressure free shaving with a mild to moderate razor.
I will then paint again for subsequent passes. If (as often happens) the lather has thickened up somewhat on the brush, I will paint in more water again. If there isn't at least a hint of my skin tone showing through the lather, it's either too rich, or I've not laid if off thin enough for me to get my best results.
That's a good point. Thinner lather is much slicker, but the tradeoff is duration. The thicker the lather, the longer it lasts. The only purpose the air bubbles serve is slowing the dehydration of the thin film of lather directly on your skin. There is always a tradeoff between slickness and lather longevity, so the thickness of the lather should match the duration of the shaving passes. If I ever take up straight razor shaving again, you can bet my lather will be thicker than the Cella man's to cope with those long 5 minute shaving passes.
When I'm testing new soaps with a DE, I do an 8 pass "Konami" shave, and for that, I have to use my hand for lathering (no brush). Using your hand to lather eliminates air more effectively than any other way. The "lather" is wet, thin and incredibly slick. Each pass takes about 30-40 seconds, and the lather doesn't have time to dry out. I've never found a soap that can be lathered by brush for 8 passes without irritation. If I ever do I'll buy a 30 year supply of it on the spot. I've found plenty of soaps that can be hand lathered for 8 passes. I wouldn't do an 8 pass shave with thick, creamy, yogurty lather even with my best soap. YMMV.
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That’s exactly what I do.
Exactly. Advice from brush manufacturers is intended to protect the brush and therefore their reputation and bottom line, not give you a good shave.
That's my technique exactly. I like the scrubbing of face lathering.
But, like others have said, whatever works for you, it's good.
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