I made the same mistake once and thought my face was bursting into flames! I love TOBS stuff, but diving in like a soap was WAY too much for my face.

As for saving time, by the time I've managed a proper lather from face lathering, I could have just used the bowl and finished a complete 3-pass shave + combed the hair!

I..cannot...figure... out... how... to... face lather...! Or let me rephrase - I don't want to bother learning it.

Do you bowl lather?

I bowl lather the life out of my bowl everyday I've tried the face two times, each with devastating failure. Plus, I like the feeling of the bowl in my hand and the process of building the lather within.

I'm sure face lathering is easy when proper learned.

I started off bowl lathering but people got me into face lathering. They said it prepares the beard a little better. How is it with bowl lathering?

I guess it depends on how much you brush the face. I brush quite a lot, to work the lather in and lift the stubble. Also I like the feeling

I might try it again. I might like it =) I guess my facial hairs are already soft enough after a shower

I NEVER bowl-lather. I find it's a waste of time.

I gotta try Bowl lathering again =P

I don't have much to add. The various responses above are all good advice. For me I find every cream is different, so when I get a new cream I experiment with various techniques until I find the best approach. Generally, I enjoy face lathering -- I wet my face and my brush, squeeze a good dab of cream on the brush and I start lathering. Also, I have found that some shave creams have a consistency of hand lotion and do not lather. Those you just rub into your stubble.