I've been experimenting with different ways to prep my beard for about 3 years now. Since my beard is pretty tough, I've found prep is extremely important for me. So maybe some of the stuff I've figured out will help someone. Here's my current regimen. I rub some Noxzema into my beard at night before I go to bed. I did this with Proraso pre-shave too until I ran out. I can't tell any difference and Noxzema is a lot cheaper. This is probably the most important step. My whiskers are much softer in the morning when I do this. In the morning, after I have a cup of coffee, I wet my face and rub in some homemade pre-shave oil (25% castor, 75% grapeseed). I find the oil helps soften my whiskers a little faster but I could probably go without it if I have more time. Next, use my hands to rub in some glycerin face wash, cream, or lather. Makes no difference which really but I do notice some products work a little faster than others. Let that sit for a few minutes. Get hands wet and rub the beard some more. If whiskers aren't real soft yet, give them a few more minutes. Get hands wet again, and rub the beard again. By now, the whiskers should be pretty soft. Now face lather and shave. This might seem like a lot for some guys but if Feathers tug on you when you just lather up and shave, give this a shot.
After 3 years of trying, I guess you've tried letting the lather sit on your face for a few minutes? I've heard others say this helps too.
I have tried just doing that and I have to let the lather sit in my beard for about 15 minutes, or sometimes even longer before it does the job. With the Noxzema working overnight and some PSO, the lather works in about 2-3 mintues. So this saves me some time in the morning.
