Shaving soaps and creams are among the best products to help you achieve that perfect shave. Many of these traditional products have wonderfully unusual scents and include glycerin and other essential oils that promote lubricating and protective action.
No matter how good the soap or cream or you have purchased from us however, you need to get it onto your face, and that can take a little work.
Shaving soaps tend to be nice and smooth while creams tend to be a bit lighter and more cushioning to the skin. It is also likely that you might initially be more used to using a cream, which makes them ideal for beginners.
Making a lather
While you are taking your shower, we recommend you popping your shaving brush into a cup or mug of hot water. Badger and boar hair (what a lot of brushes are made from) are unusual for animal hair in that they absorb water rather than repel it.
As part of the learning process, we recommend you swirl the brush over the soap a set number of times, and make a note of it (or use a small amount of cream - about the size of a 1p piece).
Now you have the soap on the brush however, you need to make the lather (a bit like adding washing up liquid to a bowl, you only get the bubbles when you swish it around).
You have the option to make the lather:
- On your face
- In a bowl
- On your palm
We would say use a bowl (or a mug) then you can see how much lather you have made and get a good consistency before it goes anywhere near your face.
If you do decide to use a bowl, then swirl the brush lightly inside the bowl for around a minute. The lather should be light and fluffy - if it becomes stiff and thick add a little water. You will need to experiment quite a bit at the beginning, which is why we suggest making a note of how many times you swirl the brush in the soap, or the amount of cream you use. You might also want to make a note of how much water you need to add etc.
Finally you are ready to treat your face to the warm lather!
Apply using a firm circular motion around the areas to be shaved. You want the firmness of the brush to lift the hairs of the beard and coat each one of them with the lather. Don't try and rush this part, you want the lather to rest on your face for around a minute before shaving to let the cream perform its initial softening and moisturising function.
Once the area you are going to shave is well covered (you can fill in little sections individually where need be), you are ready to actually shave!