Thread: Should I keep my face wet?

Should I keep my face wet after rinsing and softening my hair before I lather?

I like to keep my face damp, but not soaking wet. I've found if my face is too wet it will water down my perfect bowl-made lather.

Originally Posted by Bthr22

Should I keep my face wet after rinsing and softening my hair before I lather?

How do you soften your hair?
Does hair equal whiskers?

You mostly do not need to soak the skin just the whiskers.
And the whiskers only need to be 'soft' at the bottom.

We have all been in the pool too long and gotten
prune like fingers. That much water on the skin
is not ideal. For some there is a balance between
softening the whiskers and over softening the skin.

Me I splash cool water on my face rub it a bit then
make a lather and then lather and shave... I get the
feeling that my skin mostly drys but the very base
of my whiskers stays wet way longer than my skin.

That seems to get the timing right for me to have a
durable enough skin to not nick too easy or give
me a razor burn and yet get a fine shave.

Since we are all different it is not wrong to just
try it. I would recommend a three day rule...
and try what ever you try for at least three days
running.

I find the residual water on my face helps with the lathering process, so I always wet my face before lathering.

Gentlemen:

I, too, always wet my face before lathering. My lather is thick and rich enough that the wet face welcomes it.

Regards,
Obie

The lather will keep your face damp and the whiskers at the optimum level of hydration. It's different for different faces so try several products. Right now I'm using - and this was a real shocker - a can of Stetson shaving cream and the lather is excellent. It was a gift from my mother in law and one morning just decided to try it. It actually resulted in a smoother face. I checked the label and it's a Coty product. Don't know where you could get it. Like most wet shavers, I've a cabinet of soaps, multiple mugs, multiple razors, brushes, etc. and love to play with all of the new stuff out. Experiment and see what works best on your face/beard.

I always wet my face before applying lather. If you use a quality soap or cream there is no issue with it washing off.

I aways used to lather and re-lather on my wet face. I once started a thread asking if others rinsed before they re-lathered and a couple of fellows said that they did not. So I decided to try it their way and now I find that the lather sticks better if I don't wet my face before applying it. Give it a try both ways and see which way works best for you.

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

How do you soften your hair?
Does hair equal whiskers?

Sorry newbie talking. But I have just been soaking my face in fairly warm water. I tried lathering wet last night and it seemed to help thicken the lather.

I frequently dampen my face during my shave. It helps extend the lather on my face and enables me to shave spots that I missed on earlier passes without any razor burn or irritation.