What soap/cream did you use today?

Mike's Lily of the Valley

Acqua di Parma shaving soap (current version)

Lebelle milione

I really wish LPL worked better in my water. The lather doesn't stand up much after the first pass but it's still slick enough it does the job.

Ever try using purified water for your shaves? Just to build your lather? My brother has some real hard water and can't get a good lather to save his life. But, since he started using purified, his lathers have been great. He takes a shaving dish/bowl and heats it up for 30-40 seconds. Puts a couple of drops at a time in another bowl and builds his lather with it. Same thing with face lathering, just soak the brush,  squeeze and shake and wet the tips when you need to.... Good luck.

I have not and the reason being I've just noticed this happening for LPL and basic vegan soaps like LASSCO I cannot get anything it's just foam. So I might try purified water for my LPL and see if it makes a different. Tallow I have no problem but sometimes it's just not slick it all depends on the day.

MattM97,

Try pouring only enough water (You may always add more) on your soap or cream to wet your brush well..
Wait for a few minutes until the water looks really foul. I think it is called "bloom".
Pour it into a glass or cup.
Wet your brush with that. Get some some soap/cream on your brush and whip up a lather.
Add product and/or bloom as needed.
My water comes from Lake Ontario so I am sure it contains all the chemicals one might need.
And then a few more for good measure.

Pour that bloom and all the lather you can squeeze out of your brush into a medium small, wide mouth jar. Add the same left over components you get from every shave into that jar. You will soon have a rich, pleasant smelling bloom that gives life to every lather you make.
Shake before use.

Mickey

Wickham Soap Co. - Irish Fern

Stirling Autumn Glory. Yep, not Autumn but I still dig the scent.

Tabac

Stirling One

Desmond's Barrow Patchouli Spritz

Scritchnscrub you make some really solid soap. Wish I bought more when you were making it full time. Now I'll be searching the BST for them