Lathering Up our Products

How to use our Shaving Creams and Shaving Soaps

 

Our shaving cream is the easiest and quickest wet shaving product. If you are someone who thinks that wet shaving is time-consuming, you should really give our Shaving Cream a try. You may also consider shaving cream if you are just starting out with wet shaving, to really get the hang of it from the very beginning.

Lathering up our Shaving Cream is very easy, just follow these simple steps:

1. Warm up. Start by warming your face with lukewarm water. Or better still, wash your face with our Stubble Softener, and rinse. Alternatively, shave just after taking a warm shower. The moist and damp will soften the stubble and open the pores, making it easy for the razor to cut through.

2. Prepare the shaving brush by soaking it in lukewarm water or placing it under running water under the tap. You want the brush to absorb an adequate amount of water to kickstart the lathering of the creams and soaps. The amount of water needed varies from brush to brush and from shaving product to shaving product. It will take you a couple of times to find the right combination, but it is not rocket science. Use your common sense: if you use too much water, your lather will be watery and runny; if you use too little, your lather will be thick and sleek but not abundant.

3. Pick up product from the tub by doing a few circular swipes of your shaving brush on the soap or on the cream in their containers. If you use our Shaving Soap do several whirls until you feel that the soap is starting to give you a slight resistance. This means that you have now collected enough soap and are ready to start lathering up.

If you are using our Shaving Cream, only a few gentle swirls on the cream will suffice. Do it gently so you only pick the amount of product that is necessary. Alternatively, you can use your fingers to scoop a small amount of cream and place it on the tip of the shaving brush; or directly on the areas to be shaved if you are choosing to lather up directly on your face.

4. Lather up. There are two simple basic methods to lather up your soap: using a separate lathering bowl or doing it directly on your face. Even though there will be small differences between both the methods, whichever you pick is about personal preference and you will have an exceptional result.

To lather up using a lathering bowl just work up the soap you collected from the tub in circular motions until you see the lather building up. Don’t be afraid of doing it vigorously or of pressing the brush against the bowl slightly hard. Add a few drops of water if you see that your lather is not building up and you need more moisture. Give it a stab or two in between if you feel like bringing more air into the lather. If you think you have too little lather, simply pick more product from the tub and repeat the process. Then apply it on the areas to be shaved and continue massaging with the brush directly on the skin until the area you are going to shave is covered. You may consider using a bowl if you have sensitive skin and think using the brush directly on your face will produce irritation.

To lather directly on the face, simply massage it directly onto your face in circular motions with your shaving brush. Do it as vigorously or as gently as you prefer. When you have covered the area you are going to shave, you are ready to shave. Face lathering is perfect when travelling and you do not want to carry a lot of stuff with you. Many men also prefer this method because it exfoliates the skin at the same time that they lather and it lifts the bristles making them ready for the razor.

When is your lather right´? Our shaving soaps do not give a high, frothy, fluffy foam, but rather a dense, slick, easy-gliding lather. You know you have got the right consistency when it is dense and creamy, and is thick enough to hold its own shape and stay on the brush without dripping. It should look like a meringue mix. If it has too many small bubbles or if it is too thin, you have used way too much water. The key to making a good lather with our products is simply to learn how to control the amount of water and shaving soap or cream you use. It´s very logical: if you use too much water, you will have a runny foam that simply drips; if you use too little you will not get any lather, or too little. You will know exactly what to do after a couple of attempts.

5. The finishing touch. After shaving, rinse off with lukewarm water to remove residue. Then, if you like, use cold water to close the pores. Finish with the aftershave of your choice. In general, shaving takes away many of the natural oils in your skin. An aftershave product restores the natural balance of the skin by providing the moisture that has been lost in the process and soothing the skin after shaving. It also gives a discreet continuation of your favourite fragrance making you feel clean and well-groomed. Read more about which aftershave to choose here.

There are an infinite amount of resources and videos online that show you how to lather up a traditional soap. If you are still in doubt, or if you like to dive technically into everything you do, just do a simple search and take a look a few of them. If you are a first-timer, don’t let your self be scared away. Many of those videos are made by passionate aficionados that like to create a ritual around their shaving routine. You don´t need to take that path to do it right. Shaving the traditional way is as simple and straightforward as using canned foam.

Do you have other questions about wet shaving or about our products? Send us a mail to hello@fitjarislands.no