Thread: Theirs-Issard Soap Lather

Hey folks, I've been having a really hard time getting a 'whip cream' type lather out of my TI soap alone. Has anyone else here tried it? I'm new to this sport so it definitely could be my technique.... I don't have any problems with Col.Conk soap. For now I've resorted to dropping a dab of shave cream in the bottom of my bowl to get it thicker, but it's a very fine line between runny and drying on my face before I finish. (I have watched a pile of Lather vids + read everything online here)

I haven't used that soap but if I remember from looking at it before its a hard soap which is a bit harder to lather then a glycerin soap like col. Conk.

Sounds to me that you probably just need to load the soap on the brush longer.

If you tell us how you are building lather step by step probably can help more

Yea, plus one to the previous post.

Bob

Also, walmart sells bottles of glycerin cheap. Add like 3-5 drops on the puck. That helps the hard soaps/hard water situation I was in.

My best lathering soap so far is still the sub $4 Van Der Hagen deluxe shave soap (known here as VHD) from Walmart. When I add the glycerine to the VHD, I get mounds of uberlather.

This is my method:
- I put hot water in a bowl with my TI best badger brush and a little on top of the soap (tsp worth) and let that sit for 5 minutes
- I empty the bowl, shake the brush a bit and pour the water off my soap into the bowl
- I put some pressure on the brush when I load it, and I rotate it on the soap for 30-60 (I remove it just before I get lather in the bowl .... the brush is well loaded with soap)
- I start lathering in the bowl for about 1-2 minutes and then add a little more water and continue for up to 5-10 minutes

At that point I'm getting a decent lather, but it is not glossy, and if I apply it to my face, it seems thin and by the time I finish my cheek, it's already drying on other parts of my face.... I've played with the amount of water until it's runny and just haven't been able to get that whip cream consistency .... although like I say, if I add a 1/2 almond size amount of Nivea shave cream in a tube, it works perfectly.... I'm happy to keep doing that, but I'd also love to be able to get that same consistency from just the soap.

Originally Posted by ecormier

This is my method:

- I put some pressure on the brush when I load it, and I rotate it on the soap for 30-60 (I remove it just before I get lather in the bowl .... the brush is well loaded with soap)

I might try dipping the tips of your brush in the bowl water after the first loading and go back to loading the soap some more to the point it does start to form thick lather. The go back to your bowl and build your lather.

Bob

If you have enough soap loaded you should not have to add the Nivea cream unless you want to make an uber lather.

Making lather is a matter of getting the soap and water combo right and doing enough twirling to load the brush. You just have to play with that combination.

It seems to be getting better, but still dries quickly on my face, I'll keep working on it. Thanks

If you are taking your time shaving and have lathered your whole face then that might not be helping any with the drying out. You could just lathering the area you will be shaving immediately going in stages. If the lather is thin and dries quickly then too much water and not enough soap and the opposite if it is thick and dries quickly, at least for me. It is a balancing act for sure and takes time and practice. Good luck to you.

Bob

Hey Bob, thanks for the reply, I am certainly going slow... let's say 30 minutes for face prep and lather build and strop, and at least 45 minutes for 1-2 passes. So by the time I've finished my cheeks and chin, the neck is dry, but for now, I'm just splashing with some water and then re-lathering the area.... it does make those areas more susceptible to razor burn, but I'm guessing that will work itself out as I learn more

Eugene