Thread: Can't Lather...

10 seconds could well be too little. I would probably take 3 times that, but I've never timed it.

You want the brush to be clumped together with soap, really thick with it. The tip about putting a little hot water on there is a good one, it softens up the soap nicely.

Option number 2 is to pick up a cheap cream, it's easier to add cream if you use too much water, or didn't have enough in the first place, that is more difficult with soap.

Try squeezing the brush dry first and shaking it. Then put soap on the brush and lather on your face. If it is dry then add "little tiny" drops of water to the brush and continue with that back and forth while lathering on your face. That should work.

Thanks for all the advice.

I tried it again today and didnt work. However, then i remembered that there was one method of lather making that mantic had gone over that I hadn;t tried: making lather in my hand. I tried it and it seemed to work a little better, however still not quite creamy. I think I just need a little more practice using my hand.

Ill wait for the tabac cream to get here to try using the bowl method again.

Thanks again,
KWood34

Practice. Also, if your hand works better you may have hard water. Try some bottled water and see if things improve. Hard water doesn't lather.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Practice. Also, if your hand works better you may have hard water. Try some bottled water and see if things improve. Hard water doesn't lather.

Im pretty sure I dont have hard water. Regular soap lathers well and none of the other side affects of hard water are present.

I will just continue practicing and see if that helps.

Extreme wet-start method.

Extreme dry-start method.

When I first started wet shaving, it seemed like the lather was always terrible. I'd either get big soapy lather that didn't do much, and sort of slid off my face or I'd get a really creamy sticky soap paste that wouldn't lather.

For me, if you just can't get the soap to lather up, try adding just a tiny bit more water to your brush. When I can't get lather, and I know I've properly loaded my brush with soap, I'll go ahead and work it around on my face with the brush anyway, and then dip the very tip of the brush back in the hot water. Not a full dip, and never under the tap. Just the very tips dipped into hot water. Then I put the brush back to my face, and the lather explodes out of nowhere.

Once I've got the "big lather" I like to continue to work it just a bit. This will break the bubbles down, and form smaller bubbles, giving you just the right amount of cushion.

Originally Posted by KerryWood34

Thanks for all the advice.

I tried it again today and didnt work. However, then i remembered that there was one method of lather making that mantic had gone over that I hadn;t tried: making lather in my hand. I tried it and it seemed to work a little better, however still not quite creamy. I think I just need a little more practice using my hand.

Ill wait for the tabac cream to get here to try using the bowl method again.

Thanks again,
KWood34

+1 for the bowl. I'm terrible at face lathering, myself. One thing I discovered with bowl lathering is size does indeed matter! I started off with the tiny glass bowl that came with a merker razor set and it was meh. more lather coming over the edges than staying in the bowl or on the brush. then moved up to a shallow coffee mug... better but still not great. I was at the grocer on monday and noticed this big white latte mug staring at me. Took her for a spin when I got home and BAM. Mug full of lather.

Also, try a combination of pressures when you're clepping your lather. I start off kinda pushing the brush into the bottom of the mug and slowly back off until I'm basically whipping it like a merangue. With most soaps (MWF not withstanding) I get stiff glossy peaks in just a couple of minutes.

Another thing, I was thinking... (dangerous, I know). I know it matters when you're shampooing but if your hair is oily/dirty the shampoo doesn't lather as much on the first go around and you use way less shampoo on the second application. My thought is if you have somewhat oily skin before you try to lather on your face, it may not work as well.

Originally Posted by jnich67

You said: "a little bit" when referring to soaping the brush. Load that baby up! I also lather directly on my face - load the brush until you have a nice paste, then lather on a wet face for longer than you would think. More, more, and more...

Jordan

Yeah, what he said. To be honest, if the paste is hydrated enough, don't worry about thick, foamy lather. The paste will do fine...as long as it's well watered, and it feels good, you're golden.

ive been using the method i read on here somewhere, works fantastic, swirl and pump the brush on the soap, works way better than just swirling vigorously.
gotta have hot water/bowl/brush.
just let bowl sit under hot faucet with brush in it. give it one good shake and do the swirl/pump.