My wet face is diluting my lather between passes!!

[Ian5]

Hi everyone!! I just joined, your forum is great. I got into DE shaving during lockdown and have been enjoying it but have an issue that I would like some help with.

I am bowl lathering and when I finish a pass I wet my hand and wipe my face of soap and hair-bits. My issue is that when I then relather it is runny and watery as hell. Is this normal? Am I doing something wrong? Am I supposed to be face-lathering until the water and lather are all incorporated again?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. It is probably something stupid I am doing wrong lol.

Thanks!!! Ian

 

[donnie_arko]

Hi everyone!! I just joined, your forum is great. I got into DE shaving during lockdown and have been enjoying it but have an issue that I would like some help with.

I am bowl lathering and when I finish a pass I wet my hand and wipe my face of soap and hair-bits. My issue is that when I then relather it is runny and watery as hell. Is this normal? Am I doing something wrong? Am I supposed to be face-lathering until the water and lather are all incorporated again?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. It is probably something stupid I am doing wrong lol.

Thanks!!! Ian

How's it going Ian? Welcome to the forum my friend.

Seems like you are over hydrating your lather by adding too much water. I'd say add your water a few drops at a time. The advised consistency for lather is like whipped cream or like yoghurt.

If you ever have the chance to post up a picture here or even better in the SOTD section of the forum you'd get some great pointers.

 

[TobyC]

Always scrub the lather into your face. How to you apply it now, just paint it on?

 

[Blademonkey]

Hi everyone!! I just joined, your forum is great. I got into DE shaving during lockdown and have been enjoying it but have an issue that I would like some help with.

I am bowl lathering and when I finish a pass I wet my hand and wipe my face of soap and hair-bits. My issue is that when I then relather it is runny and watery as hell. Is this normal? Am I doing something wrong? Am I supposed to be face-lathering until the water and lather are all incorporated again?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. It is probably something stupid I am doing wrong lol.

Thanks!!! Ian

You can only have so much water on your face, if it is diluting your next brush of lather would suggest that your lather in your bowl has too much water in it.
If you don't think this is the case then just dry your face with a flannel before re lathering. See how this goes .


Paul.

 

[Ian5]

¹

Always scrub the lather into your face. How to you apply it now, just paint it on?

I am just painting it on yes!! I think I sortof thought if I was making the lather in a bowl I didn't need to face-lather AT ALL. But maybe I should a little bit?

 

[Ian5]

How's it going Ian? Welcome to the forum my friend.

Seems like you are over hydrating your lather by adding too much water. I'd say add your water a few drops at a time. The advised consistency for lather is like whipped cream or like yoghurt.

If you ever have the chance to post up a picture here or even better in the SOTD section of the forum you'd get some great pointers.

You can only have so much water on your face, if it is diluting your next brush of lather would suggest that your lather in your bowl has too much water in it.
If you don't think this is the case then just dry your face with a flannel before re lathering. See how this goes .


Paul.

Thanks for replying so fast guys. You might be right. I find it pretty hard to gauge if I am under or over hydrating lather in the bowl to be honest.

Drying my face a bit would definitely help!!! I was a bit hesitant to do this though after watching so many of those Sharpologist videos where he stresses how wet your face should be haha.

 

[donnie_arko]

Thanks for replying so fast guys. You might be right. I find it pretty hard to gauge if I am under or over hydrating lather in the bowl to be honest.

Drying my face a bit would definitely help!!! I was a bit hesitant to do this though after watching so many of those Sharpologist videos where he stresses how wet your face should be haha.

I don't think you need to dry your face in between passes. I've never done that before. I believe it is right to have a wet face when you are putting on the lather for the 2nd pass, but it seems like your lather might be a touch over hydrated.

Post up a picture of your lather the next time.

 

[Ian5]

I don't think you need to dry your face in between passes. I've never done that before. I believe it is right to have a wet face when you are putting on the lather for the 2nd pass, but it seems like your lather might be a touch over hydrated.

Post up a picture of your lather the next time.

Thanks, I will.

It looks meringuey and nice to me in the bowl, it just sortof liquefies when it hits my wet face? I will def try less water in my lather tomorrow

 

[donnie_arko]

Thanks, I will.

It looks meringuey and nice to me in the bowl, it just sortof liquefies when it hits my wet face? I will def try less water in my lather tomorrow

It could be your brush is too wet? Maybe squeeze out some more water from your brush before building the lather.

Or try drying your face in between passes if it makes a difference.

 

[Tony'schin]

Hi there Ian @Ian5
And

It does sound like over-hydration, try to get the bowl lather whipped up with little or no bubbles, if it begins to dissipate worked it on the face to try to thicken it up again.

 

[hotmetal]

Welcome to TSR.
My response would be the same as Donnie Arko. I splash my face with some water between passes but still leaving some soapy slipperiness while I assess how much stubble is still there and exactly where. Then I paint it on and reassess the consistency. If too wet I'd face lather or until I was happy to start the next pass. If the amount of water on my face were enough to kill the lather on the brush I would question if the bowl were overhydrated. Except I generally face lather from the get go these days. Good luck

 

[Ian5]

Hi there Ian @Ian5
And

It does sound like over-hydration, try to get the bowl lather whipped up with little or no bubbles, if it begins to dissipate worked it on the face to try to thicken it up again.

Welcome to TSR.
My response would be the same as Donnie Arko. I splash my face with some water between passes but still leaving some soapy slipperiness while I assess how much stubble is still there and exactly where. Then I paint it on and reassess the consistency. If too wet I'd face lather or until I was happy to start the next pass. If the amount of water on my face were enough to kill the lather on the brush I would question if the bowl were overhydrated. Except I generally face lather from the get go these days. Good luck

Thanks guys, this is really helpful. It really does sound like overhydration.

 

[Omer]

I had the same problem when I started, overhydration. Now I'm almost underhydrating. I wring the brush of any excess water and add a few drops to the bowl as I'm lathering. I go for the whipped cream/yoghurt type consistency already mentioned and definitely no bubbles. If it shines then I've hit the jackpot! And I paint onto my face and neck anyway, I don't like to splay my brush.

I actually need the water on my face in between passes now to hydrate the lather a bit more. And I add a few drops to the top of the brush to get that shiny wet look. Too creamy can often dry up on my face.

I'm sure you'll find your perfect lather!

 

[Boycie83]

Welcome to TSR, Iain.

I agree with everyone else here - over-hydration. As @Omer has suggested, maybe try reducing the water content of the lather in your bowl and then use the water on your face to hydrate to the correct level.

 

[Ian5]

Welcome to TSR, Iain.

I agree with everyone else here - over-hydration. As @Omer has suggested, maybe try reducing the water content of the lather in your bowl and then use the water on your face to hydrate to the correct level.

This is a great idea. I think what donnie arko said about my brush being too wet might be right too. Te bristles are super clumped together on second and third passes, which actually makes any sortof scrubbing motion quite hard to do.

 

[Mike Smart]

never think the lather in the bowl is the finished article.
Also spend a bit of time whipping it up,
don’t think it’s ready in 30 seconds,
Get used to it, enjoy doing it rather than doing it just for the sake of it,
Take your time it’s not a race.

What type of brush are you using
Animal or Synthetic ?

Once you’ve soaked your brush,
i’ll assume it’s badger
give it a couple of shakes and start lathering up,
once you get it to the desired consistency then apply to the face,
Try get the lather like meringue when you lift the brush of your face you have peaks of lather.
if you find it a tad dry lightly dip the tips in water and reapply,
if it’s to wet, just keep building the lather for a further minute or two in the bowl,
if it’s still to wet then add a little more soap,
Always start with your brush to dry rather than to wet, it’s easier to add more water rather than more soap.

After every pass i just give my face a quick splash & away i go for a second pass,
Never do i totally wash it off.
Hope that helps.
Oops Welcome & Enjoy