Wet Shaving Lather: How to Make It

Making lather is what separates old school wet shaving from ‘wet’ shaving using canned foam or gel. Once you’ve experienced the feel of rich, warm lather being spread on your face by a quality shaving brush, rarely is there any going back.

So how do you make lather?

Using a bowl or large mug (a latte mug is great for this), start by soaking your brush for five minutes or so in warm water. Lots of guys set the brush soaking before they get in the shower.

When the brush is well-soaked, dump the water from your bowl. Shake most of the water from your brush. It wouldn’t even hurt to give the brush a gentle squeeze to rid it of excess water. It seems counter-intuitive, but there’s plenty of water stored in the bristles of the brush after a good soaking.

If you’re using cream, drop an almond-sized dollop into the bowl. Start whipping the cream using circular motions of the brush. When you’ve got a paste going, it’s now time to start adding water. This should be done carefully, as lather that’s too wet runs off the face and is pretty useless. Add water a half-teaspoon at a time, and keep whipping with the tips of the brush.

After a couple of minutes, you should get the result you’re looking for: a meringue-like lather with nice pointed peaks coming out of the brush. This is a perfect lather; not too dry, not too wet. Spread the lather on your beard. Once the beard is coated, it’s a good idea to ‘paint’ the lather over the beard area to get an even coating.

Some cream makers advise leaving the lather in place for a couple of minutes to aid in softening the beard. You can certainly do this; but it’s still a good idea to do a thorough prep first.

Making lather with soap isn’t too much different from making it with cream. A soap puck will be in a mug or bowl (lots of soaps can be purchased in their own fancy wooden or ceramic bowls). Some guys put a few drops of water on the puck while the brush is soaking to soften the top layer.

Once again, take the brush and shake and/or squeeze it to rid it of excess water. Swirl the brush tips around the soap puck until you get a good coating on the bristles.

Here’s where paths diverge on the best way to lather with soap: some men make the lather in a bowl or mug just like a cream, others like to start whipping the lather right on the face. Either way, keep whipping and adding water bit by bit until you achieve the ‘peaks’ on the brush indicating it’s ready.

Which is better: soap or cream? This is a point that can be discussed endlessly. It’s really a personal preference. If you’re into a variety of scents, cream is probably the way to go. There are many, many scents to choose from, giving you an olfactory kick while you’re enjoying the warm lather goodness.

Soaps are probably a bit more economical as they will tend to last longer.

Most wet shavers will start out with cream. I did. Proraso cream from Italy, sold in the U.S. at Bath and Body Works under the C.O. Bigelow brand, was the starter lather base for myself and hundreds of other wet shavers. It’s hard to go wrong using this as your wet shaving lathering kickoff.

I’ve now swung to the other side of the fence: I like soaps, and lather on my face. I like the exfoliating scrub I get from the brush while the lather is building.

Face lathering gives prep an extra boost. You get that couple of minutes with lather on the beard while you make it. Also, to keep the lather warm, a few drops of hot water on the bristles does the job nicely.

One can even combine the best of both worlds. ‘Superlather’ is the term for a lather made with a mix of soap and cream.

Let your imagination run wild, enjoy the luxury of warm lather you made, and get the shave of your life.

Bay Lime Shaving Cream