I love face lathering, there is something just so satisfying about it, not to mention how effective it is. The technique I usually see is to load the brush with soap and then face lather. Occasionally I see, specifically with the shave stick, is to rub the soap on your face and then the brush. One technique I don't really see, but I find gives me a pretty well prepared lather is to rub the palms of my hands and fingers on the soap and massage it into my face with some water as though I've just giving myself a face wash and then face lathering from there once I have a decent spread of soap on my face. Does anybody else face lather this way?
See, I'm just the opposite. I don't find it effective at all. Just don't like it. I much prefer bowl lathering. But that's me. It's your shave. Enjoy it your way.
I load a brush swirl it a scuttle to warm it then build the lather on my face. I apply a hot towel over that lather while the brush stays warm in a scuttle and lather for my passes with a toasty warm, loaded brush.
I haven't bowl lathered for a shave in years I think. If the soap is hard, I will load the brush. If it is a stick, I will rub it on my beard first. If it is a cream, I will take a dab and rub it on my face first. I have converted to cold water shaves too.
100% face latherer here. I've never had much luck with bowl lathering and since I seem to only use synthetic brushes now I'm getting pretty spoiled with the slickness and speed of making a good lather every day.
i facelather mostly. Bowls are nice and all, the thing is whenever I bowl lather, my arm gets tired after all that swirling so I have to wait about 30 seconds till my arm is good, then go ahead and apply the lather to my face.
I only bowl lather with samples, and even then I build lather on face. I find it easier to get the consistancy I'm looking for much easier, plus it works the soap deep into the whiskers for extra hydration. It's a win win situation IMO.
I do both. Depends on the soap, whether I am adding M-Bomb, the brush I chose for that day, how much time I have, etc... Can I have two favorite ways to lather? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I have face lathered in the past, but prefer bowl lathering since I seem to have more control. I seem to get better and more consistient lather quality using my old 60's Decco salad bowl. But as always YMMV.
I have tried the stick on the face method and it works alright, but I prefer laoding the brush and then face lathering. I haven't tried the last method. It may be nice if you haven't showered before you shave.
Oh, the relief of it. I have been trying bowl lathering and it just doesn't seem to work. I had the impression that bowl lathering was somehow superior. Plus, after bowl lathering for a few minutes, I've got to spend some time applying it on my face. I find it more efficient to just get that lather going straight on my face from the get go. That said, no matter what I have tried, I just don't seem to get these quite remarkable lather's that people post pictures of. I have even tried using bottled water or filtered water. I get a decent lather, and it gives glide etc, but it's not billowing cloud. The last option I have from here is to get a new brush. Inevitable, really.
For me it is. For you and many others, face lathering is. It's your shave. Enjoy it your way. Honestly, most thick, billowing clouds of lather are going to be on the dry side that will result in more skip and stutter than glide. I'll take it a bit thinner and wind up with a much slicker lather. What brush are you using? I have different brushes, to include boars, badgers, synthetics and even a nylon. Each one performs a bit different, but I've learned how to use 'em and can whip a great lather with any of 'em, no matter what soap I have in the rotation. Not braggin', just sayin'.
I do both depending in the soap used. I could probably go to straight face lathering only, but i like the old school style of using a SR with a hard soap and scuttle
I can't get the big volumes of lather unless I bowl lather. I face lather 99% of the time, so I don't worry about.
For the most part, when people post those pictures of lather porn, it was mixed to take a picture, not to shave. Anybody can do it if they load enough soap to do a three pass on a buffalo, then whip it so full of air the foam boils over the sides of your bowl. That's looks cool as all get out, but it is far from optimal for a comfortable shave. If your lather is slick and giving you comfortable shaves? You're doing it right.
