What’s the key to a great shave?  Can anyone guess?  Simply put, it all starts with a great lather.  Why? Because the basic function of the lather is to moisten the whiskers and lubricate the face for a nice, smooth razor pull that gets the entire beard quickly and effectively. 

What medium works best?

Opinions differ between the chief shaving accessories contenders: cream, foam, gel or soap.  My personal opinion?  It’s creams and soaps hands down.  With foams and gels you really can’t affect the outcome.  You get simply whatever comes out of the can or tube.   Since creams and soaps need to be whipped into lather, they can be manipulated to deliver the maximum benefit.  Performed correctly a well whipped soap or cream lather can dramatically impact you shave’s comfort and results.

Preparation

The first phase is the warm up.  This is a key step toward enhancing the basic comfort of your shave.  Two basic items need to be warmed in preparation for a shave: the brush and the mug.  Insuring that both are warm, will ultimately result in a warm comfortable lather applied to your face….one of the truly pleasurable aspects of a classic wet shave.   If you use a cream heat the bowl and brush in hot water for 30 seconds, the hotter the better. If you are a soap user and employ the same mug for soap  storage and lather generating, add hot water to the mug  and soak the brush and soap, again for about 30 seconds or so, remember, the hotter the better. Some suggest that the soap be kept in a container other than the one in which it’s lathered but I’m not quite the purest.  Shaving cream users should add a small dab of cream (about the size of a pea) to the warm mug.  

Lathering

After the preparation soak, empty the bowl and shake off the excess water from the brush.  Be sure to give it a good shake.  Too much water in either the bowl or brush will give you a runny lather.  You can always add more water if necessary.  Whip the soap or cream by turning the brush in a rapid circular motion, alternating clockwise and counter clockwise.  Continue this for about 30 seconds or so until the bristle tip of your brush has a ¼” layer of foam, covering it completely, and the lather is stiff enough to come to a nice peak.   If you’re having difficulty getting enough lather, try adding a tiny bit more water to the mug.  A tiny splash will do.

Application

The final step is to apply the lather to the face.  The best results are achieved by rubbing the foam onto the face is a circular motion, again alternating between clockwise and counterclockwise motion.  Work it in.  If you’ve got a warm lather the experience will be worth spending a little time at it. Massaging the lather into the face enhances the beard moisturizing, acts a mild defoliant and opens pours and cleans the skin. Don’t apply the lather in a paint brush fashion you won’t get the in-depth coverage you need for a great shave.  Once that’s accomplished it’s on to the shave.

A good shave starts with a good lather.   I’ve found he best lather comes from a shaving soap or cream.  It takes a bit more time than pressing an aerosol can button but as shaving accessories go the results can’t compare. 

Technorati Tags: brush lather, How to Shave, mug, shaving, Shaving Accessories, Shaving Cream, shaving soap, Wet Shaving