Cushion

Although "cushion" as a wet shaving term has never been defined explicitly, I consider cushion to be similar to the term "lubricity" as used by engineers to measure the way a lubricant can protect parts from premature wear. Lubricity can be considered an "anti-wear" property. Some lubricants protect against wear better than others.

Similarly, I use the term "cushion" to represent the ability of a soap to protect my skin from "wear" and irritation due to the pressure of a razor blade during shaving. While the overall pressure applied by the razor to the skin is quite low, when you consider that the contact edge of the blade against the skin is less than 1 micron wide, the pressure measured in grams per square mm of contact area is rather high. An excellent lather will provide a very thin layer of lubrication between the contact edge and your skin to protect your skin cells from damage.

For those with sensitive skin, excellent "cushion" is required to protect the skin from irritation. However, I have had discussions with others who have had less sensitive skin who believe that a lather with "cushion" prevents them from getting a super close shave. I believe both viewpoints are valid.

This is exactly the problem and exactly why I said what I said, so far in this thread we have had many different definitions of cushion from many people, and people were getting frustrated at the OP when he was actually making a good point. Cushion isnt what matters to a shave because what cushion means is different for different people.

The OP already clarified that he meant that you don't need an inch of lather to create a protective layer over your face, and I think in that regard most people probably agree.

The biggest problem here is the use of the word cushion to describe a charateristic of shave soap when in fact the shave soap is the cushion, most people here are describing the qualities that make the cushion good. Slickness, viscosity, density, resistence among others.

The blade has to actually contact the skin in order to cut off the whiskers right?  I've never really used a lot of the lather terminology thats commonly used in the wet shaving space.  Some times Ive used "slick" but mostly lather to me is good or not good and I either like or don't like the scent.  If its good and I like the scent then I'm happy.  There are cases where its not good but I like the scent but thats not a recipe for long term satisfaction.  The other scenarios where its either good but I don't like the scent or not good and I dont like the scent are obvious non starters. I know that my descriptions are completely subjective.

A 1 inch thick layer of lather is just going to be scraped off and rinsed down the drain. It accomplishes nothing. That is why "high structure" lathers that produce Instagram worthy photos do little or nothing to enhance the quality of your shave. All you need is a very thin layer of lather, perhaps no more than 1/32" thick to provide an excellent shave as long as that lather is made from high-quality ingredients in the right proportions. With the right soap, a thin layer of lather can provide both slickness and cushion and provide an excellent shave.

Cushion has nothing to do with a 5-inch Santa beard, so don't understand some of these points.

...Similarly, I use the term "cushion" to represent the ability of a soap to protect my skin from "wear" and irritation due to the pressure of a razor blade during shaving...

But it doesn't. If it did it would prevent the blade from cutting at all. No matter how thick or "cushiony" your lather the razor/blade contact point has to penetrate that gunk so it becomes meaningless and that's where the real "meat" of the matter comes into play:  slickness. 

If you really want to talk of angels dancing on a pinhead then we can discuss the fact that sometimes soaps seem to be TOO slippery causing razor "skipping".

The blade has to actually contact the skin in order to cut off the whiskers right? ...

My thoughts exactly.

What would be the difference between using a lather with "cushion" and using a razor with an ever-so-slightly smaller blade exposure? I might acknowledge that "cushion" in a lather is "a thing", but I don't see it as being a necessity. 
I look for slickness and scent.

In a bearing lubricated by oil or grease, the metal rollers and the metal races never come into contact. A thin layer of lubricant, perhaps no more than a few molecules thick, keeps the parts separated, yet allows the bearing to carry weight while in motion. 

I believe the same thing is happening when you shave. The lather provides a thin layer of lubrication that separates the edge of the razor blade from the epidermis. Because the layer is so thin, the razor still cuts your beard. Some people talk about residual slickness, the slickness that remains when you can no longer see lather on your face. It is that invisibly thin layer of lather that protects the skin from irritation.

In a bearing lubricated by oil or grease, the metal rollers and the metal races never come into contact. A thin layer of lubricant, perhaps no more than a few molecules thick, keeps the parts separated, yet allows the bearing to carry weight while in motion...

That thin layer can be "broken" easily by applying too much pressure and/or improper technique = irritation & cuts as the relationship, i.e., distance, between the razor & skin is not always static such as with a bearing. Some shaving soaps use bentonite clay for incredible lubricity and others up the stearic acid if not, from what I can determine.

This is a good thread. And I ain't jumping in

I am lucky in that my skin is not sensitive. I had a beard for 20 years and shaved my neck daily dry - used nothing, not even water. For me slickness and scent are what I like. I have noticed that the 'higher profile lathers' from the Italians get a lot of love from the fellas that need that cushion they observe.

I can get a great shave from Grooming Department pre-shave alone - so I am as relevant as Kamala.

Keep it going boys



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