That's why I prefer it too. I'm going to see this out as a challenge to see if I get what I like, and if not, take it back to the bowl.
If you like a little air mixed in to make the lather fluffier, you can push the brush into your face more to splay the bristles and scrub a bit. That'll mix some air in. I like my lather a little fluffy too (not really foamy though) and this is one reason I like a brush with some splay to it. Once I've scrubbed the lather into my face, I'll usually go to a paintbrushing motion and put some more water on the brush until the lather has a nice moist sheen to it.
I find myself face-lathering much more than I used to ('twas a die-hard bowl latherer for the longest time) as I enjoy the process of lather development on the face vs in a bowl. The 'volume' may not be as great as in a bowl, but on the plus side, there is much less waste as I had with bowl lathering. Much of the success of getting a good lather is dependent upon the type or quality of soap being used. Some soaps freely give up good lather; others require more work. For those difficult soap puck, I'll add a tsp of veg. glycerin, which helps produce a slick, dense lather on the face.
I almost exclusively face-lather anymore. I always have plenty of lather left over, but as Kevin said, there is much less waste than with bowl lathering. Less time, more fulfilling.
Your opinion. I don't like to face lather, ergo, face lather is not more fulfilling for me. I just wanted to use "ergo" in a sentence.
I agree. I think the reason for a more "fluffy" lather when using a bowl is that more air is introduced into the process. With face lathering, the brush stays on the face almost the entire time so there's not much change of getting too much air.
Two can play at that game: Exclaimed a distraught child with a sagging balloon, "Where'd all my ergo?"
Hey, you can just wash your face with shave soap? I'm a newbie and that has actually crossed my mind...
Yes, many people wash their face with shave soap by doing a face lather with a brush for the exfoliating effect.
I would say load your brush longer and use more soap. You can can try different things like more time, more soap, less time, more water, you get the picture.
That's how you should wash your face, yes. Soap is soap. You should wash your face seperately from your shave.
Remember to add some water while face-lathering by dipping the tips of the brush in water. That usually does the trick for me.
I generally use a super-saturated brush that doesn't need to have water added, and just work the lather on my face until it's sufficiently creamy in appearance, without a lot of air bubbles. This is a variation of what Badger & Blade veterans may know as 'the Marco Method.'
I see said the wise man to his deaf wife, Joan, who really wasn't listening, anyway. It all comes back to me now he commented as he spit into the wind.