HL Paste With "Traditional" Shave Cream

[mantic]

Gents-- As an experiment, I combined some traditional shaving cream (in this case, Penhaligon's Blenheim) and HL paste, to see what it would do. I didn't prime the brush, just mixed the cream and the paste like a traditional cream (used my Rooney SMF-III brush). I was able to load the combo with quite a bit of water (much more than I usually can with tradtional cream) and still have a stable lather on my face, so I decided to give it a challange by using Satan's Razor (Merkur Slant/Feather blade) for the shave.

Pro's: Stable, well-hydrated, long-lasting lather. Good track with the steel--cutting efficiency was almost as good as HL alone. I was able to stretch the mix a little (though not nearly as well as HL only).

Con's: Skin dried much more quickly compared to HL alone. Were I not reasonably experienced with Method shaving, I probably would've cut myself if I tried any significant T&C without lather on my face.

So mixing traditional cream and HL is certainly possible. But doing so makes the "lather" no longer "organic" so what's the point, philisophically-speaking?

--Mark

[msandoval858]

Never tried it but I can see how it might add a little something to the cream. If you're in an experimenting mood though, put a few shots of Activator in your brush and lather up a traditional soap... very nice :drool

[Brad]

Interesting idea. Do you also use paste, or are you using this as a finishing pass? I have a few soaps that have been gathering a lot of dust lately.

I have also tried adding a little cream for scent and it changes the consistency a little and I think makes it slower.

One thing I did lately that was interesting on a road trip, was combine some L'Occitane shea butter soap on the brush with a dollop of TOBS Lime. Much slicker than the cream alone.

Brad