How to use shaving soap

Shaving brush loaded with Cold River Soap Works shaving soap

• Soak your brush!

I find that soaking your natural hair shaving brush to be beneficial. Boar hair shaving bridges have a capillary action that allows the bristles to absorb water. Badger hair shaving brushes do not but soaking them does allow water to be trapped between the fine hairs.

Use a shaving mug, coffee cup, lathering bowl or even your sink. Only use warm water not hot! Try not to soak the brush past the bristles or hairs. Time can be anywhere from 2-3 minutes or however long it takes you to shower.  
 

• To Bloom or not to bloom?

That is the question and is really dependent on the type or brand of shave soap you are using. What is blooming you ask? It’s simply placing warm water on the soap and letting it soak to soften the shave puck or soap. If using a hard triple milled soap, it will help, allowing it to be loaded onto the brush easier. If using a softer shave soap blooming is not necessary, it won’t hurt but there is not much of a need for it. Some swear by it and thats fine, do it if you think it helps!

• Load your brush!

You have been soaking your brush right? Shake or gently squeeze the bristles. The trick is to get rid most of the excess water. If you haven’t soaked your brush or are using a synthetic, run the bristles under warm water for about a minute and follow the steps above.

Take your soap in one hand and your brush in another. Swirl the tips of the brush on the soap in a circular motion. Do not use much if any pressure. Just enough for the bristles to splay slightly. Load in this manner for about 30-60 seconds. Check your brush and you should see the tips are fully coated with soap. Don’t be afraid to go back to the soap and load a little longer if you don’t have a nice coating. One tip I’d like to mention and this works extremely for our shaving soaps. Swirl with a dryish brush for about 15 seconds, add a few drops of water to the soap, swirl for another 15 seconds, add more water and repeat for close to a minute. This will help you to build a beautiful photo-lather that is shiny, properly hydrated and has the consistency of a very thick cream.
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• Make some lather!

My preferred method is to build the lather directly on your face. Apply some water to your face. Start with gentle circular motions, not too much pressure and again just enough to splay the bristles. You are looking to lay down a nice thick layer of soap that is almost like a stucco or cake frosting in appearance. Now you may add a few drops of water to your brush and continue to build the lather. Once you have a nice thick layer of shaving soap with a noticeable sheen, you can begin to use paint strokes to smooth the lather out. Take your time and notice the changes the lather is going through as you add water and switch from circular to painting motions. This same technique can be used for making your shaving lather in a bowl. With a good soap, proper load and good technique you should have enough lather for at least two passes.

Shaving brush and bowl bowl lathered using shaving soap from Cold River Soap Works.