How long do you soak your brush before your shave?

Andrew
Via Email

One of the biggest challenges for new wet shavers is learning when your lather is right.  Many men spend years shaving with foam or gel from an aerosol can and never have to focus on actually creating lather for every shave.  While these products are convenient and take out the guess work, they are generally not good for the health of your skin and will never provide the benefits or enjoyment that one gets from traditional wet shaving with a brush.  This article takes a closer look at the three basic stages of shaving lather: too dry, too wet, and perfect.

Sometimes it is difficult to get a good, usable lather from a shaving soap or shaving cream, depending on the hardness of the water, floppiness of the brush, and properties of the product. Shaving 101 has published two articles that break down the building process step by step for two beloved, but challenging, products. Both Tabula Rasa and Mitchell's Wool Fat Shaving Soap are fantastic products that everyone should try at least once -- if not regularly. This article reiterates the "Load/Hydrate Technique" and offers instructions on building the perfect cushioning lather.

My friends at The Shaving Shack have sent a few products for me to review over the past months. I knew they were asking people to try The Bluebeards Revenge Shaving Cream, and honestly I was dodging Nick's requests to try it. I prefer more traditional products and I was hesitant to try a cream that contains an ingredient that affects hair growth. One day a box arrived at my house with a tub of the new shaving cream, so I tried to pawn it off on Isaac to write this review, but he didn't want to use it either. I didn't want to look like a "bum fluff brigade member" to Nick, so I gave it a try. I was damn glad I did!

Mitchell's Wool Fat (MWF) is one of the most talked about shaving soaps on the market, not only because of its unique moisturizing properties, but because there seems to be a lot of different experiences in getting it to lather properly. Some say they have no problems; others say it just won't lather. This article will introduce you to MWF if you haven't tried it, and hopefully help those that have difficulty lathering this amazing soap.

The sink counters of men who enjoy traditional wet shaving are usually cluttered with bowls and tubs of various shaving soaps and shaving creams. These products come in a variety of textures and fragrances, and it may be difficult to know which product to choose. This article helps explain the differences (besides the obvious) of soaps and creams so that you can have the most efficient and enjoyable morning shave.