Today I am starting a new 3 part series called “Lathering Basics”. Why break it up into a 3 part series? Because I think lots of guys overlook just how important the lathering process is to getting a good shave and it deserves that much attention to detail.
When I first started wet shaving, I would just slap some soap or cream on my brush and then apply it to my beard without really thinking twice about it or knowing what I was doing. This was a big mistake and I want to make sure the rest of you aren’t doing the same thing.
I’ve already laid out my pre-shave routine but when I wrote it, I intentionally left out the details on how to lather. Why? Because I feel lathering is so important that it needs to be laid out in smaller increments for guys to really understand and take in. I think it’s easier to cover and retain the information by breaking it up into 3 parts instead one long mega-post.
So what are we going to cover in the “Lathering Basics” series?
- Part 1: How to Prepare Your Brush Before Loading and Lathering
- Part 2: How to Load Your Shaving Brush
- Part 3: How to Lather
But today we are just going to cover what prep work you need to do to your brush before you even start loading it with your soap or cream. It’s going to be pretty brief, but I thought it was worth discussing in it’s own post because I’ve found out that a lot of wet shavers are not actually doing it.
Why Is It Important to Prep Your
Shaving Brush Before Lathering?
A dry, cold and brittle shaving brush just won’t do a good job of applying lather. If you want to get a good lather going, you really need the bristles on your brush to be hot and hydrated before you load it up with your shaving soap or cream. Easy enough right? Well yes and no.
It’s really not difficult or complicated to get prepare your brush for lathering -- but it does take a little time. Unfortunately, you can’t just run the bristles under some hot water for a few seconds and expect it to be ready because even though the outside feels wet, the bristles aren’t really hydrated. It takes a few minutes for the bristles to really warm up, expand and get hydrated properly.
But the good news is that’s really all there is to it. Hot water and a little time are the only 2 ingredients you need to get a shaving brush prepped before lathering. And as long as you think ahead, it’s really simple and shouldn’t add any more time to your shave routine. More on this later.
Is There a Difference Between How to Prep Badger Hair Brushes, Boar Hair Brushes and Synthetic Hair Brushes?
There are 3 main types of shaving brushes and they are categorized based on what their bristles are made of: synthetic hair brushes, badger hair brushes and boar hair brushes. All three types of shaving brushes should be prepped, but badger hair brushes probably respond the best because they do the best job at actually absorbing water and getting hydrated.
But that certainly doesn’t mean you should only prep badger brushes. My lathering results are much better with all 3 types of brushes when I take the time to prep them. Badger brushes show the biggest improvement, but even if boar and synthetic brushes don’t absorb water as well as badger brushes, soaking them in hot water will still help.
There’s really no harm in at least getting the bristles hot and wet before lathering, no matter what type of brush you are using. After all, it’s called wet shaving for a reason. So please don’t lather with a dry shaving brush.
How to Prep Your Shaving Brush In 1 Simple Step
It’s incredibly easy to prep your shaving brush before loading it with your soap or cream because you only have to do 1 thing: soak it in hot water for a few minutes. Here’s exactly how to do it though.
- Fill a shaving mug, bowl or glass with hot water
- Place your shaving brush in the hot water with the bristles pointing down. Make sure the handle is not soaking in the water because it could damage the handle. This is why I prefer using a shaving mug or glass, because it is a little easier to stand the brush up and let the bristles soak without having any water touch the handle.
- Let the bristles soak in hot water for a good 5 to 10 minutes.
- Take the brush out of the water, hold it upside down over the sink and let the excess water drip out. Do not wring out any of the water remaining in the brush though because this remaining water will really help once you start loading and lathering. Remember, a dry brush will never lather as good as a wet brush!
How easy was that? And the good news is that this shouldn’t add any extra time to your pre-shave routine because you can let the brush soak in hot water while you’re taking a shower. Just start soaking it right before you hop in the shower and then when you get out, it’s hot, wet and ready for you to load your shaving cream or soap.
A Soft, Warm and Wet Shaving Brush
is Critical For a Great Lather
I really hope you’re not dismissing how important it is to prep your shaving brush before loading it with your soap or cream to lather. It may seem really simple (because it is really simple) but that doesn’t make it any less important.
A hot, soft and wet shaving brush is essential if you want to get a rich, thick and creamy lather on your face. So yes, this may seem like a small step, but when it comes to shaving, small and subtle improvements can make a huge impact.
Ready to learn what to do next? Keep reading our Lathering Basics Series with Part 2: How to Load Your Shaving Brush.
Need help figuring out which shaving brush to buy? Checkout my guide of what I think are 8 of the best shaving brushes on the market.
