OSP face lather problem

bagman

bagman

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For the past couple of weeks I've been trying to face lather with soaps and generally only getting mediocre results.

I tried my Grapefruit & Menthol OSP for the first time today. I dug some out and smeared it in the bottom of my shaving bowl before adding a few drops of water. It was mostly "dissolved" with a bit of finger squishing help before I loaded it onto my pre-soaked Omega boar. When I tried to face lather I got virtually nothing? (This method has been successful for me with TSF soap) I then loaded some more soap on the brush directly from the tub and put in a lot of effort to create a lather, adding a few drops of water a couple of times.

I applied the lather to my face but it was quite thin. I then did my usual cheat and added a few drops of glycerin and a squirt of shave cream (Boots cool cologne)

With some more effort and a few more drops of water this produced a superb lather which resulted in my best 3 pass shave for months.

Do you think I just didn't use enough soap to start?
 
bagman said:
For the past couple of weeks I've been trying to face lather with soaps and generally only getting mediocre results.

I tried my Grapefruit & Menthol OSP for the first time today. I dug some out and smeared it in the bottom of my shaving bowl before adding a few drops of water. It was mostly "dissolved" with a bit of finger squishing help before I loaded it onto my pre-soaked Omega boar. When I tried to face lather I got virtually nothing? (This method has been successful for me with TSF soap) I then loaded some more soap on the brush directly from the tub and put in a lot of effort to create a lather, adding a few drops of water a couple of times.

I applied the lather to my face but it was quite thin. I then did my usual cheat and added a few drops of glycerin and a squirt of shave cream (Boots cool cologne)

With some more effort and a few more drops of water this produced a superb lather which resulted in my best 3 pass shave for months.

Do you think I just didn't use enough soap to start?
Click to expand...
Yes.
 
...maybe worth considering using a soap where there is a consensus on its ease of latherability such as Tabac, Haslinger or Palmolive sticks grated into a bowl. Also consider trying a soaking wet brush to lather and then a damp brush only...hopefully this will allow you to dial in the water content for the soap quicker. Using one brush, one soap only for several weeks may also prove helpful...
 
Missoni said:
...maybe worth considering using a soap where there is a consensus on its ease of latherability such as Tabac, Haslinger or Palmolive sticks grated into a bowl. Also consider trying a soaking wet brush to lather and then a damp brush only...hopefully this will allow you to dial in the water content for the soap quicker. Using one brush, one soap only for several weeks may also prove helpful...
Click to expand...
I use OSP soaps a lot, love them and have never had a problem with lathering, I think it may have been a case of not enough soap and too much water. When you get it right it really easy to get a great lather from OSP. :)
 
Missoni said:
...maybe worth considering using a soap where there is a consensus on its ease of latherability such as Tabac, Haslinger or Palmolive sticks grated into a bowl. Also consider trying a soaking wet brush to lather and then a damp brush only...hopefully this will allow you to dial in the water content for the soap quicker. Using one brush, one soap only for several weeks may also prove helpful...
Click to expand...

I've tried Palmolive a few times as well with only mediocre results?

Mr. Blonde said:
Absolutely load heavy. OSP soaps are sensational and for me explode with great suds with very little effort. Only Haslinger soap is comparable to this in my experience.
Click to expand...

How long do you load the brush for?
 
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bagman said:
I've tried Palmolive a few times as well with only mediocre results?
Click to expand...
I've tried out face lathering with Palmolive. I used a damp face, slightly dampened stick and got a nice slimy layer applied to cheeks and neck. Thereafter I re-rinsed the brush (I tend to let it soak a bit despite it being a synthetic) with some warm water, squeezed once, shaken once, then started face lathering. Thereafter, as it's still relatively dry, I can add water circa 2 drops at a time until the right consistency is reached.

Otherwise I second the suggestions of loading heavy - shaving creams and soaps tend to last well even if used heavily and are relatively cheap as a result (in the grand scheme of things) so why not go to town especially when learning a new skill?

Pob lwc - good luck!

Edit: "How long do you load the brush for?" I tend not to focus on that and simply load to what I think is an 'adequate' coverage on the end of the brush. I tend to overload and have enough lather for about 6 passes, bowl lathering, but it definitely makes it easier to face lather doing it that way - far greater margin of error.
 
I'm a little intrigued as to why you dug some out of the puck? There is no need and no wonder it didn't lather. I think you will get better results loading directly from the puck.
Soak your brush, unless it is a synth in which case just wet it, then swirl the brush on the puck until you get a good loading and from there into the bowl to adjust the water to get the luscious lather OSP is renowned for.
 
I found that I needed a much wetter brush when lathering, that really helped the soaps burst into life. with the OSP creams a dryer brush is needed and work the water in. Play around and see what works, but load it well to give it a good chance of working!
 
Digging soap out from the puck seems a strange thing to suggest - mind you I've not used OSP soaps, but, if it's a hard soap, it shouldn't be necessary. My formula for face-lathering hard soaps is as follows:

1. Soak brush (if natural hair) in warm-to-mildly-hot water while face prepping
2. At the same time, wet or soak the puck with warm water
3. Once face is prepped and wet, give brush a quick, light squeeze and one flick to remove excess water
4. Pour water off the soap
5. Load brush from soap, using swirling motions and moderate pressure. IMO, the tips of the brush should partially spread, but don't force the brush to splay the knot.
6. A couple of times during the loading process, I stop swirling and gently 'pump' the brush onto the soap, this releases any excess water trapped in the base of the knot, which can cause lather in the brush to turn wet and bubbly between passes
7. Continue loading until the end third of the knot is filled with lather, and there is a continuous covering across the width of the knot at the tips. You should find yourself scraping lather from the top of the puck where it meets the walls of the container and placing that on the brush
8. Lather the face for at least 30 seconds, checking lather consistency
9. If the lather is too dry, lightly dip the very tip (literally the end millimetre or two) of the brush briefly in the basin of water, and reapply. Repeat as necessary until a smooth, lubricating, dense but not sticky lather with a semi-gloss/pearlescent finish is generated.
 
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