Few people outside the traditional wet shaving community
think about making lather with a shave brush
and lathering shave soap or cream to shave,
but it really can make a world of difference.
With this step-by-step guide I'll show you exactly
what a shaving lather is, what to look for in one,
why you should never use an arousal can, and the different ways
to build your own before your brush touches your face.
If you're new to the idea of making traditional shave lather
and you want to buy old school products locally, you may have some difficulty
finding something, unless you live in a large metropolitan area,
most brick-and-mortar choices will be very limited.
The most common brand you will probably see is
Van der Hagen.
They offer a decent shaving soap and a shave brush.
that is adequate for the job.
But unless you live in a large city with specialty stores,
you will probably have to go to the internet to find good products.
There are several types of shaving brushes you should know about.
They fall under four general categories: badger hair,
boar bristles, horsehair and synthetic fibers.
Hair and fibres vary widely in density and length
and also how much water and heat they can retain.
Very broadly speaking, you will probably find that badger hair
and the latest generations of synthetic hair
perform the best when making shaving lather.
So how to make shaving lather with brush and cream or soap
quickly and effectively.
There are some variations on how to make a good lather
with different products, and it can take a little practice
to get right, but the payoff can be a dramatically better shave.
Fill a sink with warm to hot water and place the shaving brush in the sink.
How long the brush needs to be soaked is dependent on the type of brush:
boar hair, horsehair and low grades of badger hair,
such as pure black, will need to soak longer
than higher grades of badger.
Synthetic brushes really don't need to be soaked at all,
just thoroughly wetted.
If you're using a puck of shaving soap, put it in the sink as well
or if it's in a container or bowl, just put some hot water in that.
If you have a jar of shaving cream that hasn't been used for a while,
it's probably worth pouring a little water in there as well.
The key point in these circumstances is to loosen the outer skin of the product
to make loading easier.
More on that shortly.
After soaking, dump the water out of the container
of soap or cream back into the sink and remove the excess water from the brush
with a couple of gentle shakes or by gently pinching the hair knot.
Next thoroughly rinse the area you're going to shave
with the soapy water from the basin.
The soapy water will help create a foundation for the water
and lather to better adhere to.
Now it's time to load the brush.
If you have a shave soap puck or a jar of shave cream,
spin the brush onto it, pressing down slightly
to coat the brushes bristles with product.
An alternative for the jar is to scoop some out with a small utensil
and place it directly into the center of the brush.
You're looking for more than just a light foam on the bristles.
You want a relatively thick coat.
Depending on the type of product, it may take ten to 30 seconds to load.
If you're using shave cream from a tube,
squeeze out an almond sized amount directly to the center of the brush.
There are three basic ways of building traditional shave lather:
in a mug or cup of some kind in the palm of your hand
and directly to the skin.
Each way has its distinct advantages and disadvantages.
But in general you're looking for a shiny, somewhat loose consistency runner
than what might come out of a can or brushless tube
of shave cream with soft peaks like a cake batter without any bubbles.
I prefer to build lather in a mug or bowl of some kind.
I think it's easier to hydrate, easier to gauge
the correct amount of water, and if you heat the bowl or mug,
you get a nice warm lather too, which can feel really good.
There are a number of different kinds of vessels you can use from purpose
built lathering bowls and mugs to repurposed items
like a large latte' cup or soup mug or even an inexpensive
kitchen storage bowl.
Whatever you use, look for something with a wide enough diameter for the brush
and relatively high straight sides.
Press the brush into the bowl slightly, don't smash it all the way down,
then start spinning the brush with moderately fast circular motions
using your wrist.
I find it helpful to change direction occasionally too.
Here I'm using a bowl from this video sponsor Saponificio Verasino.
Saponificio Varasino's wooden grail lathering bowl
is carved and shaved by hand by local italian master woodworkers
and serves as the perfect complement to their premium shaving soaps,
like the Dolomite soap I'm using here.
The grail lathering bowl is made of alder wood and painted black,
with the Saponificio Varesino crown logo overlaid in gold,
while the handle is made of ash wood painted in a walnut color
to provide a beautiful and elegant contrast.
The inner cup has an orange peel lackered effect,
in order to help build lather.
The handle has an ergonomic shape and can be easily detached
from the cup for storage.
After about 30 seconds take a look at the brush hair.
Is it evenly covered with soft peaks?
If so, you're good to go to the next step.
If it still looks dry and the hair has holes in the coverage,
dip the brushes hair tips in the water for a moment
and go back to circular motions for another 30 seconds or so.
Repeat until the holes have closed up and you see soft peaks.
After you've finished building your lather be sure to take
an additional 30 to 60 seconds to thoroughly massage the lather on
to the area to be shaved.
Building later in the palm of the hand is similar to bowl lathering,
but I admit I'm not a fan.
It's kind of messy and you lose water and I don't think the cream gets hydrated
as well as it could be.
But it definitely has its fans and it works, in my opinion,
a little better with cream than with soaps,
and it does give you the tactile feedback to give you sort of the slickness
of what you're getting into on your hand.
However, it's not a very practical method if you're shaving,
as you sometimes need both hands.
Lathering directly onto the face has some interesting benefits.
Essentially, you're building and applying later.
at the same time.
This can be beneficial with providing extra help
preparing the skin and softening the hair to be cut.
Start massaging the brush on the face using circular motions
and pressing the brush down slightly.
Massage for about 30 seconds, then dip the tips
of the brush in water and repeat.
It may take a couple of minutes for the lather
to build to the right consistency, depending on the type of brush,
the type of product used and the mineral content of the water.
If you notice a glob of lather in a certain spot,
raise the brush off the skin and lower it directly onto the glob
and continue massaging.
You're looking for a shiny, somewhat loose consistency runner
than what might come out of a can or brushless tube
with soft peaks like cake batter without any bubbles.
After you've reached that point, you can switch from a circular motion
to a painting motion to even out the layer on the skin.
The shave brush is not only important before the shave,
it's also important during the shave.
Shaving, especially old school traditional shaving,
is accomplished in cycles or passes.
Shave with the grain, relather, shave across the grain relather,
and shave against the grain.
If your skin can take that.
You'll probably find that, as the brush sits between passes,
the lather has a chance to percolate and has a better quality, though,
as you spread it on the skin, it may look a bit thinner.
But that's probably due to having less hair
for the lather to hold onto.