I was just wondering if anyone else gets this result with this soap. I face lather, and rinse before each lathering, leaving any water on my face. But with this soap, I find that the lather is already drying by the time I've finished a pass on one side of my face, and start on the other. I don't get this result with Tabac or VDH, and it bothers me because I like the clean smell of PdP. I was just wondering if others were having the same experiences, or if I'm just botching the technique for this particular soap.
My guess is it's either water quality or technique related. I've used it several times and never had the problem you're talking about. It's probably my favorite shave soap, actually.
I believe that any time someone has "drying issues" with a given soap or cream, it is going to be lathering technique at fault. I say this because by definition, lathering is mixing water with soap/cream. If it's drying out, then you haven't got enough water or got it mixed well enough. Some soaps take a different technique (amount of water, time, etc.), which would explain why you have this problem with x and not y... Just my two cents...
I would try loading the brush a bit more, and adding a little more water to the brush (1/2 tsp?) Are you soaking the puck prior to loading the brush?
Pre de Provence is TERRIBLE. Put it allll in a box and mail it to me OK, Seriously, PdP lathers wonderfully, even in hard water. As JimR stated above, it's probably needing a bit more water and a good whipping. I personally don't have much success skin lathering PdP, others have no problem with it. I load my brush from the soap tin and then build lather in my bowl. PdP has a great scent and I hope you can get it to work for you.
I couldn't agree more. I believe some folks (NOT all) are quick to blame the soap, the cream, the razor, the blade, the water, heck, even the weather, before they'll admit they have a technique problem. But I have been wondering about how think some people apply the lather. I believe there's a line between too much and too little. Obviously too little and one side of the face will dry out before you get to it. Perhaps try slathering on the lather a bit thicker?
Well, I'll give it a shot. It probably is a technique problem, now that I think of it: I'm probably wringing out the brush too much. That, and the fact that I'm using a new boar that hasn't broken in yet is probably causing my woes. Maybe I'll try soaking the puck as well. Thanks, folks. It just seemed weird that what was working on the other soaps wasn't with this one. Guess they're more forgiving. MsBlackwolf, you just received a mystery package from Bullgoose. You may need an intervention.:happy102
Be careful soaking pucks, many will loose key ingredients if you truly soak them. Instead of literally soaking them, just wet the top of the puck to soften the top layer and make lathering easier. This is the worst with pucks that contain lanolin, but I wouldn't immerse any puck under water.
Yep, seems like it was a water thing--last night I let that brush keep it's water after a couple of shakes, and put a little on the puck itself to moisten it up. Might have went a tad overboard, but there's still plenty of soap on that puck to get that happy medium down. At least the drying stopped. Thanks again, everyone!
