So you have your brush sitting in a cup of warm water to soften the bristles, and you've got your bar of soap inside your coffee mug, what's next? Do you let the moisture that's on the bristles of the brush moisten the soap in the mug, or do you add a little water to the soap in the mug to prepare it to be turned into cream? After you've successfully lathered up and put it on your face, obviously you rinse off the brush, but what do you do with any residual that still in the mug with The bar of soap? Do you rinse it out after you're done so that all that's left is the bar that's on the bottom?
I never bloom a soap..that is add water to let it soak prior to making lather.. Nor do I rinse soaps off after use. I also do not keep all my soaps covered or worry about a soap cake drying out. Plenty of people that do will be along soon.
LOL why am I not surprised at that statement!? So what DO you "do," if you don't "bloom" your soap, as you called it, to get the soap to lather if you don't add water to it? Let the moisture in the saturated brush do the work? And while we're at it, presuming you put the brush in a cup of warm water, "bristles down," how do you keep the bristles from bending all to heck while moistening?? Or are they more robust then I think?
I face lather. The dampness of the brush is enough to pull soap off the cake. Then you can build lather by adding water to the brush tips. You do not have to worry about standing the brush up in water. It will not damage the bristlesm
I don't add any water to soak my soap. Bristles won't warp just by soaking the brush. When you're done shaving, rinse thoroughly, shake briskly, rub it over a towel a couple of times, set it away to dry, either on it's base or on a rack. Never allow to dry sitting in a mug or it will deform. Never allow to dry in a cabinet or closet or it may develop mold. After soaking the brush, I give it three or four gentle shakes. There's enough water in the brush to whip up plenty of lather for four or five passes, even on a dry puck of soap. Left over lather in the mug or bowl gets wiped off the soap with my finger. I set the soap aside to dry while I'm at work. Since I keep all my soaps in their own small glass bowl (3 for a buck at the dollar store), when they are dry, I put them in a zip lock sandwich bag. I have over two dozen soaps in my rotation. The plastic bag keeps the dust off and allows for stacking the bowls until the soap comes around again. If I only had one or two soaps, I wouldn't worry about covering them.
Soap rotation? Really? I get it, as far as different scents are concerned, but why not just use one until it used up, and have another one ready to replace it when you're done with the first one?
It's my soap. I use 'em as I please. Not trying to sound snarky, just sayin'... It's your shave. Enjoy it your way.
Many of us rotate soaps due to seasons changing, weather conditions, and special occasions. For instance...I go very menthol-heavy in the summer because I live in Texas and it's freaking hot. I don't want to just use one soap all summer though, so I switch it up. Also, My wife really likes a couple of scents in particular, so I try to use those if we have a special date. Variety is the spice of life. Yes
You sound like my wife! I have a variety of soaps, and I use them as the mood strikes me. Sometimes I'll use the same one for 3 or 4 shaves in a row, but mostly choose one based on mood. What @swarden43 said is great advice. I don't tend to get a lot of excess lather on my soap pucks, so I usually don't worry about the residual lather, just let it dry and put it away. I also keep mine in individual tubs or jars with lids.
Creams vs soaps is, much like every thing else, just a choice. They both do the same job, but creams seem to me to be a bit more forgiving. I used Proraso cream in the tube and Barbasol in a can exclusively for almost a decade. Once, on vacation, I used a vintage DE razor with the free conditioner hotels give out because I forgot to bring shaving cream...
I rinse all my soaps gently with cold water after each use and let them air out, bottom up for up to 12 hours. I saw it recommended by several soap makers and I just adopted it for all my soaps. It's contrary to what I did not long ago where I just screwed the lid on and was done with it.
I run a sink fulla hot water. Sometimes I'll fill my mug with some, other times I don't. The times I do, I'll wet my brush then stick it in the mug & let both soak. When I don't, I'll wet my brush, shake the excess water out, then began to work up a lather, dipping my brush in the sink to add a little water if needed. When finished, sometimes I'll rinse out my mug, sometimes I don't. I've never covered my mug, though. If the soap dries out, it'll get wet again my next shave. When I use Arko, I face lather. Cream, I rub it in by hand. Like dustmite says, it's whatever mood I'm in.
I will get my brush wet under a faucet, lather it up from the tin or bowl the soap came in, then wet my face and finish lathering on it. I also rinse the tin or bowl, pat the soap with my towel and put the top back on loosely. I also use what ever soap I want that day.
To keep shaving from becoming boring. I use a soap for a week or so. Plus if you're using vintage soaps they last longer. Clayton Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
It depends on how much you use, and if you use it daily. Clayton Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
I do this during the work week when I don't have time for a 1/2 hour shave. Clayton Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
Basically, I do this: Puck in a mug, soap in a tub, tin or jar, the method is basically the same. Even when I do cream in a bowl, I add water the same way, with just a few flicks under the tap. Edit: Hat tip to Merkur Man from the various forums for the great video.
