Bowl Lathering With A Synthetic Brush...

Later on today I will attempt a bowl lather with my new Omega synthetic brush. Up until now I have only used the VDH boar brush that came with my starter set. Is there anything I should do differently or need to know? Is lathering with a synthetic brush a lot different than lathering with a boar brush?

 

Start alot dryer than you would with what youve been using, add water slowly until your happy. The synthetic will have a differnt feel, lighten up on preasure, keep an open mind, enjoy your new brush.

 

So I should not soak my brush before hand?

 

I would not indeed.

Soaking does not soften the fibers in the way it does with boar bristles. And you may end up with water dripping from your wrist, your elbow, your arm ... you get the picture

 

Wetting it works just as well.

I read somewhere that part of why to soak a boar brush was that the fibers of a boar brush are porous. That by soaking, your actially filling the small holes up with water, thereby preventing other material (soap, cream, dead skin cells, etc) from entering and taking up residence.

A synthetic doesn't have those cross-contamination issues.

But no, start with just a damp brush, work up from there.

 

I agree. A damp brush just seems to pick up more soap than a wet brush.

 

I soak just to get the brush hot. Helps warm the lather - I like warm lather.

Every brush is different, no matter what it is made of. Just gotta learn what will work best.
First, try it how you do with any other brush, then adjust as you think is necessary - less/more water, less/more product, less/more time, etc.

 

Soak or don't, do whatever is your preference in your routine. When I cold water shave I don't. I just dunk it into my mug for a few seconds until the bubbles stop. When I warm water shave, I soak it for the same reason as @swarden43 - I like a warm brush. The only key is to make sure you shake or squeeze the majority of the water out. Everyone above is correct. While the bristles don't absorb any water, they sort of trap it, and can carry more water than you want over to your soap. You can always add water.

Synthetics are awesome lather machines. Have fun!

 

Ditto, regardless of the brush, I fill my bowl with warm water and stand the brush in it while I shower. That way when I start to lather, both the brush and bowl are warm resulting in a warm lather.

 

Well that did not go as smooth as I was hoping. I loaded my brush just like I always do, but I decided to try my first ever face lather. In terms of looks, it looked amazing. Thick and rich, but very pasty. It would not rinse off the razor when I ran it under hot water after a few strokes. This resulted in a very rough first pass. I got a few weepers between my chin and neck. I took it to the lathering bowl to thin it out and got a much better second pass. There doesn't seem to be too much redness right now but my face feels torn up.

This was my 2nd shave with my new RazoRock Mission and I'm still not used to it's aggressiveness. It's far more aggressive than my Merkur 33C. I am also beginning to think that tallow soaps don't agree with my face. I am going to shave again in a few days with a glycerin based soap to see how that goes.

 

A guy just needs to dip the tips of his brush and work a little more water into it. Remember to go for the shine. Next time you'll probably have lather running down your neck. You'll get it.

I love to bowl lather just for the process, but whenever I use a new soap, or am using one I don't use often, I face lather. It really is the best way (for me) to gauge when it is perfect.

 

What Omega synthetic did you get ? I had an Omega S-brush and found that on my face the tips were like lances and caused lots of irritation. I got rid of the brush in favor of a Plisson style synthetic which I love

 

Too many variables. New brush, soap, & razor? It's your face, so listen to it.
Problems with lather may be too much water, or if it's pasty not enough. The soap might not be the problem, either. Assuming a synthetic brush is non-reactive so there are no allergens in play.
From way over here I'd suggest the new razor is to blame for irritation. Learning the Angle of Attack has been my stumbling block. Stay off the safety bar. Ride the cap. With that handle sticking 90 degrees out from your face start the pass. Begin tipping the handle to your face until you heard the blade working. Less skin scraping means less irritation.

 

Yes it's the S-Brush. The reason I am beginning to think it's the soap is because my face has never reacted well to the tallow based soaps. Even when I was using my very mild Merkur 33C and bowl lathering with a boar brush, I got irritation. I know I have to learn the angle of attack, but my first shave with this razor was 2 days ago with Barbasol which resulted in zero irritation. I am thinking of moving away from soaps and trying out some creams.

 

Does it have lanolin? Some people react to that but attribute it to the tallow. Not saying that's you, but something to consider.

 

What type of irritation? 80+% of the time shaving irritation is caused by high blade angle and too much pressure. I will venture a guess that switching soaps isn't the answer. Constant change impedes the ability to develop core techniques, and can disguise the true root issues. Maybe you should consider Barbasol until you master techniques?Don't sentence yourself to a never ending rotation of mediocre shaves. And forget about mild versus aggressive. It's all about blade angle.

 

This is a valid point. Lanolin causes redness, swelling, and irritation in people sensitive to Lanolin. However, this is far more rare than people might think.

Essential oils (like sandalwood) can also cause these things.

 

I'm not sure. I was generously given samples of soaps from a member of this board to try out. The first soap I tried was a tallow based sandalwood soap that also contains lanolin. That soap too caused irritation. Tallow based soaps never felt good on my face, even when I was using my very familiar Merkur 33C. I'm going to use the canned stuff for a while until my RazoRock Mission becomes familiar to me !!!

 

I am not a brush expert, but... Most synthetics rely upon texture to pick up water through surface tension; the fibers are actually impervious to water. I love this attribute, as the brush can be vigorously shaken until almost dry. This would be a good thing in humid climates or in a dopp bag. Animal hair brushes will actually absorb water into the hair fiber shafts. So there is not a need for soaking with synthetics, though as you two state, there might be pragmatic reasons like lather temperature.

 

I think you'll make faster progress this way!