Thanx again (and again and again) for all this info. The puck of soap is going down really fast with all the experiments I am doing... but is well worth hehe I'll see how much water I can add before the lathers becomes too bubbly. Thanx a lot for all the advices
It's hard to gauge the quality of lather based on pics. Go by feel. Like someone else noted, the aim isn't to have big billowing suds on your face - but something that provides solid lubrication for your razor. Starting fairly dry and adding water as you go is the way to do it. For me, the best lathers are those that are replete with water, just short of being runny. You'll know your sweet spot when you hit it.
I'm just curious... I've done this the last 3 shaves and it was very enjoyable and I think it also improves the quality of my lather. What I do is to apply a layer of Noxzema and gently rub my face, then then I build lather directly into my face it without taking the cream away. Does anyone do the same (or something simmilar with some oil or another cream) I do think there is a benefit by doing this, and I enjoy the feeling and the smell but I would like some sort of reassurance this method is good and does not damages my brush
Compa, I use a pre-shave oil on face and neck skin I've rinsed with warm water. I brush my soap or cream right over the oil and then shave. It works great for me.
A couple days ago, I was making lather in a bowl, but after soaking the brush I forgot to shake out the excess water. Suddenly with about 2 swirls with the cream a literal lather bomb went off! There was about a full cereal bowl (filled all the way) full of overly-hydrated lather! It didn't work too bad though!
I cannot believe that I have been trying to do this for the last month and just now run accross these tutorials. I wish I would have seen them before the ambulance had to be called. Anyway, talk about learning something new each day. I was not even using lather...some bubbles maybe:ashamed001 Thanks for the links to the vids!
Lots of great advice, but I thought I would put in my 2 cents in the bucket as well. How about practicing your lather even if your not going to shave. Because it does take some work to get it down right but it will come with practice. And wouldn't it be better to practice when your not going to shave so by the time you shave your getting a better handle on it. BTW, up until June of this year I had no clue what a good lather looked like either. And now it comes like second natures because I've spent so much time working with the brush and soap. Good Luck and it will come with some practice, Great Advice Guys !!!!
All of my photos were taken on practice day. Krissy is right, if you're a starter then build your lather even on days that are not shave days. How to know if it's good enough? well, once you have something you think is good then paint your arm or your face, leave it there for a couple of minutes and then closely see its consistency. It should look moist enough to allow your razor to glide over your skin. if after a couple of minutes your lather is like in this photo, then you need more water. If after a couple of minutes it looks like the foam from a carwash then you added too much water and your lather is full of bubbles. First goal is to acquire the creamy lather... then (as Zach in the video says) it's time to build your shaving lather. Also head to this thread to read some aditional tips. http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9505 Enjoy your shaves
The lather in the photo above is a good start, it could be made a little more dense and a little less airy. Think yogurt, rather than whipped cream, the goal is to create an emulsion of soap and water. Not soap suds. Almost without fail new wet shavers do not use enough product, especially when it comes to soaps. It can take a full minute to load your brush. Good luck!
