What's the deal? Am I missing something? I've seen all of the You Tube videos, all the posts with instructions on how to make nice fluffy lather in a bowl. Nice peaky lather that looks just like it came out of a can. I know that it's got superior properties to the aerosol goo, that's not what I'm talking about. But I thought that one of the major advantages of traditional wet shaving was the brush. It raises the whiskers, it works the soap/cream into the beard to make it easier to cut, it helps exfoliate, the time it requires ensures that the expensive soaps and creams have time to prepare your skin and beard for the shave, the list goes on and on. But how do you gain any of these benefits, the ones that you can use to justify spending top dollar on a luxurious brush, if you're just painting some whipped cream onto your face? I really don't get it.
Why doesn't everyone face lather?
- Thread starter NRK
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I for one use a scuttle to make my lather and keep it warm while shaving. I do not paint the lather on my face but rather use the same motions as the face lather maker. Once I lather my face only then do I smooth it out a bit with side to side motion of the brush. Why do some use flys and some use luers? It's all fishing without bait.
Well, I lather in a bowl as well as on my face (usually when I'm pressed for time) and find it has its advantages
- I can control much more precisely the texture of the lather
- I can get much more lather out of the same amount of cream / soap (especially useful for me since I shave my head and face - if I face lather I usually need to reload the brush once more before shaving my head)
- Using a scuttle or a bowl of hot water underneath keeps the lather warm through all passes
But in the end, once the lather is ready, I don't just paint it on my face, but use the same technique as face lathering so I still get the benefit!
- I can control much more precisely the texture of the lather
- I can get much more lather out of the same amount of cream / soap (especially useful for me since I shave my head and face - if I face lather I usually need to reload the brush once more before shaving my head)
- Using a scuttle or a bowl of hot water underneath keeps the lather warm through all passes
But in the end, once the lather is ready, I don't just paint it on my face, but use the same technique as face lathering so I still get the benefit!
1+ I use a scuttle also, to keep the lather nice and warm, but I use the brush to work the lather into my beard and set up the whiskers.
I find it much easier to adjust the amount of water needed in a bowl rather than on my face.
I find it easier to make 3-4 passes worth of lather in a bowl rather than on my face. However, once I've gotten the water ratio where I want it, I continue to work the lather on my face for another 1-2 minutes before shaving.
I face lather with boar or badger - depending on the mood.
I bowl lather with boar or badger - depending on the mood.
I lather in a scuttle with boar or badger - depending on the mood.
I get what you're saying, I just don't understand why it has to be one or the other.
I like having options, and this goes for brushes, razors, blades, soaps, creams and aftershaves as well.
You could stick to 1 brush, 1 razor, 1 blade, 1 soap and 1 aftershave - but life would just be so much more boring (to me).
It is a matter of YMMV
I bowl lather with boar or badger - depending on the mood.
I lather in a scuttle with boar or badger - depending on the mood.
I get what you're saying, I just don't understand why it has to be one or the other.
I like having options, and this goes for brushes, razors, blades, soaps, creams and aftershaves as well.
You could stick to 1 brush, 1 razor, 1 blade, 1 soap and 1 aftershave - but life would just be so much more boring (to me).
It is a matter of YMMV
I face lather with a boar brush
Same here. All that exfoliation has done wonders for my complexion!
Same for me. I like having a warm lather straight from the scuttle but if I want more protection in certain areas (e.g. Adam's apple), I can make a few extra whips here or there straight on the ol' canvas.
+2. I do exactly the same thing.
As some people here have said, we don't brush it on our face once it's right. We, at least I, use circular motions to work the lather into our face, which gives us the benefits from face lather (as far as exfoliation and preparing the beard goes). I do this for about a minute (it's really quite comfortable, especially if the lather is hot!) before I evenly distribute my lathery goodness over my face. When I paint brush the lather over my face, I can sort of feel that the lather is moist and that is has a low friction. I do get some irritation, but I've decided that it's my technique that's the problem (angle/pressure).
However, I imagine that either Kyle's prep or any other prep out there prepares the beard pretty good. Should should exclude the circular motions with the brush from your ritual, though. Gets them hairs up at 90 degrees and soft as a makaroni
-Compaq-
OldSaw
The wife's investment
I face lather with boar or badger - depending on the mood.
I bowl lather with boar or badger - depending on the mood.
I lather in a scuttle with boar or badger - depending on the mood.
I get what you're saying, I just don't understand why it has to be one or the other.
I like having options, and this goes for brushes, razors, blades, soaps, creams and aftershaves as well.
You could stick to 1 brush, 1 razor, 1 blade, 1 soap and 1 aftershave - but life would just be so much more boring (to me).
It is a matter of YMMV
That pretty much sums it up. I change my routine from time to time, depending on mood or circumstances. When I shower and shave at a truck stop I usually shave before my shower, because I like to wrap a warm dry towel around my waist when I shave and because the steam hasn't fogged the mirror up yet. At home, I go back & forth on this.
To me, this is just adding an extra step (and extra cleaning) to the process. I facelather, and this process is pretty close to my process except I work the lather on my face for closer to 2 minutes prior to the first pass. It takes less time on passes 2 and 3. Anyways, YMMV, but I'm a very happy face latherer.
I started with bowl lathering and I never got what I thought was "great" lather. Once I switched over to face lathering I got great lather every time. I blame it on my hard water, since the bowl created lather would dry out super fast, with no slickness, even if the lather was over watered.
I started face lathering when I got my first shave stick. With my creams though I use a mug and work the lather in to my beard with the brush.
I float a bowl in a sink of hot water.
Theres nothing like grabbing that brush out of the bowl to lather up for the 2nd pass.
That warm lather just adds so much to the shave.
Theres nothing like grabbing that brush out of the bowl to lather up for the 2nd pass.
That warm lather just adds so much to the shave.
I've gone back and forth and for me, I get my best lather and best shaves when I build my lather in a bowl. Face lathering just doesn't cut it for me. It really doesn't matter what you use, bowl or face. Use what works for you. EVERYONE should try face lathering and building lather in a bowl.
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