A BBS result from an enjoyable shave—what could be better?
Although I do not have sensitive skin, I do enjoy this shaving soap, whose only fragrance comes from the (interesting) ingredients. And I’m developing a theory about shaving soap with Bentonite clay. I’m getting a strong impression—and I plan to investigate this more systematically—that it is more difficult to lather shaving soaps that contain Bentonite than those that do not. Moreover, with soaps containing Bentonite, it seems important to use this method of making lather: load the damp brush on at length, which loads the brush with a soapy paste, and then brush your hand briskly and at some length, adding small driblets of water and working those into the developing lather.
When I’ve attacked Bentonite soaps in my usual way—using a wet brush, holding tub on its side over the sink so excess water can spill away, and brushing briskly and firmly until bubbles being formed are microscopic, and then about 2-3 seconds more—the lather seems to wither and collapse by the third pass. Yet on non-Bentonite soaps this method works extremely well (e.g., D.R. Harris, HTGAM, Strop Shoppe, Honeybee Soaps, et al.).
I need to start a Bentonite shelf and investigate this more systematically, and I’m certainly interested in learning of your experience in this area.
This time—damp brush, palm-lathering—I had ample lather for all three passes, and the Parker 92R, while not quite so comfortable or efficient as the Parker 29C from yesterday, did a very nice job with a new Astra Superior Platinum blade.
A splash of Fine’s Clean Vetiver, and the day is launched.
Filed under: Shaving
