Generating Lather - on face vs. mug

[gruffydd63]

I started wet shaving about 2 years ago (only discovered this forum a short time ago) and have always created the lather on my face. I have recently been experimenting with a mug and have had quite a leaning curve to get the cream/water ratio right. Is there a perceived advantage to mug vs. face or is it just personal preference.

On a side note, I found a VERY inexpensive mug to use until I decide if I'm going to stick with it, a white porcelain latte cup at Target for $2.99


Dick

[Racso_MS]

I started wet shaving about 2 years ago (only discovered this forum a short time ago) and have always created the lather on my face. I have recently been experimenting with a mug and have had quite a leaning curve to get the cream/water ratio right. Is there a perceived advantage to mug vs. face or is it just personal preference.
On a side note, I found a VERY inexpensive mug to use until I decide if I'm going to stick with it, a white porcelain latte cup at Target for $2.99


Dick

You hit the nail on the head. As with "everything" we wet shavers use...it's preferential. Some prefer one way, others prefer another, and some (like me) use either or based on how I feel that morning.

Havea a good one and...

Enjoy your shave...

[Big Swifty]

On a side note, I found a VERY inexpensive mug to use until I decide if I'm going to stick with it, a white porcelain latte cup at Target for $2.99


Dick

funny, I have the exact same $3 white latte mug from target,
works pretty well for a shave mug (nice n' wide and not too deep)

[notthesharpest]

Your mug may very well be perfect.
If you get good success with lathering on your face, then there's no real reason to switch except curiosity.

[BlankTim]

Your mug may very well be perfect.
If you get good success with lathering on your face, then there's no real reason to switch except curiosity.

x2!

[Robb]

I use a bowl instead of a mug. It's easier for me, and I can fill the sink with hot water and place the bowl on top of my brush - it soaks the brush and heats the cream.

[Gillette1904]

I'm a confirmed face-latherer. I use a cup that I suspect is similar, a roughly 12 or 14 oz wide, shallowish thing designed for hot chocolate. It's sort of a bowl with a handle, I guess. I fill that with very hot water and soak the brush therein, then either run a Palmolive shaving stick upwards into my beard or put a dollop of either UK Palmolive cream or Erasmic cream on the brush itself, but the actual lathering is done on my face.

For me it works better, and I suspect that by brushing the cream into the whiskers before it's lathered, it gets into the little hidden areas better. Plus, face lathering is just about the only way you can use a stick - they are designed to be rubbed directly onto the face and then lathered, as Colgate and Williams advertising from a century ago will attest.

Soap in a bowl, of which I have Erasmic (anybody want to trade me a couple of Erasmic shaving sticks for my once-used bowl?) and Wilkinson Sword (opened, but so far unused), pretty much has to be lathered on the surface. It's not worth it to try to pry the stuff out to rub it on your face.

[MonkeyExpress]

I find that Bowl lathering will net me a much creamer lather, and i can focus more on making more consistant lather, where as face lathering comes out a bit wierd. may be my technique. Either way, face lathering provides me more time to exfoliate.

I wind up bowl lathering, face lathering, and painting on a little extra. Best of both worlds if you ask me.

[notthesharpest]

Soap in a bowl ... pretty much has to be lathered on the surface. It's not worth it to try to pry the stuff out to rub it on your face.

Well, it's true that you don't pry it out, but it's probably easier to just "get" soap on the brush, and then lather on your face or in a bowl. Actually lathering in those soap bowls is usually messy and difficult because there isn't much room.

[gruffydd63]

This morning I tried out the mug again. This time I used my Proraso tube which always works well for me and got a nice lather. I have always been a two pass man but today I did an additional XTG pass just because the mug kept the lather warm and got a very nice shave. I still find generating lather on my face to be quicker and very satisfactory but I will keep experimenting.

Thanks for the comments, it does seem to really just be preference.

Dick

[notthesharpest]

About the mug keeping the lather warm: I use a mug just for this. To start, I fill the mug with hot water and soak the brush in it. Then I lather on my face, but I use the conveniently pre-heated mug as a place to put my brush between passes. Moss's scuttle is an even better/fancier way of accomplishing the same thing, but this is good enough for me.

[Pete_T]

I lather soaps on my face and creams in a cereal bowl. The brush is already loaded w/soap, so I figure the bowl is an extra step. Face lathering creams seems messier, too. The cream likes to fly around and water runs out of the brush till you get the mixture right. Also I get some variety this way.

I do the same thing w/my bowl that notthesharpest does. When Im soaking my brush I just let the hot water run into the bowl in the sink, and put the brush in that. Its pretty thick ceramic, so it stays warm for a while.

[Hoos]

Great info! I was just wondering if I could use a cappuccino cup for lathering up. Got a nice big one, nice finger hole, and cheap. Sounds like a good start.

Thanks!

[notthesharpest]

Great info! I was just wondering if I could use a cappuccino cup for lathering up. Got a nice big one, nice finger hole, and cheap. Sounds like a good start.

Thanks!

Not just a good start but a good finish too, if you want to use a mug. Just make sure it isn't sharp or scratchy inside where the brush will rub, and you're good to go.