Air in lather and anyone in DFW metroplex

Does having air in lather mean to little or to much water.

Great lather today, however the WK Monaco Royale set my face on fire from the get go.

As already stated above, an airy lather is usually a result of too much water, too soon, in my experience. If you start with only a damp (not wet) brush, and load a good amount of soap into it while adding just a drop of water here and there, it might help build a less airy lather. (If you feel bad using up a soap you really like, I would suggest getting a feel for this kind of loading and lathering by using a soap you don’t care for as much, and really loading the living daylights out of it.)

However, I have come across a few soaps that will just explode to an airy foam the moment you add any kind of water to them. This is definitely not the kind of “soap that explodes into lather” that I would look for…

Sorry to hear about the Monaco Royale — those donkey milk soaps are really something special, ar least when they don’t burn your face.

I had the same problem. Remember that Texas sits on a giant cistern in sodium bicarbonate, which makes the water pretty hard. I looked up the water report for Lake Lavon, which supplies much of North Texas, and it definitely tests as hard. The harder the water, the more soap you need. Here in Rockwall (eastern end of DFW for those of you not living in a giant freeway system the size of Rhode Island), I soak my brush and put about a quarter inch of hot water on the soap while I wash my face and moisturize those wires - er, whiskers for a few minutes. Then I dump all the water, squeeze out the brush, and begin loading the brush. The more soap in the brush, the better. This takes a few minutes. After the soap level is about two thirds up the brush and there’s a good amount of lather built up, I scoop what I can of the lather and put it on the end of the brush. Then I move to my Captain’s Choice lather bowl with a sprinkle or so of water in it and continue swirling the brush and building lather. If you notice bubbles at this time, even little ones, you need more soap and less water next time, and some more soap on the brush this time. Next I lather some more on my face, paint my face with lather, and commence shaving. If the lather starts disappearing during the shave, see the more soap, less water part of this post. L&L and Wholly Kaw work really well. Mystic Water needs more soap.

I had the same problem. Remember that Texas sits on a giant cistern in sodium bicarbonate, which makes the water pretty hard. I looked up the water report for Lake Lavon, which supplies much of North Texas, and it definitely tests as hard. The harder the water, the more soap you need. Here in Rockwall (eastern end of DFW for those of you not living in a giant freeway system the size of Rhode Island), I soak my brush and put about a quarter inch of hot water on the soap while I wash my face and moisturize those wires - er, whiskers for a few minutes. Then I dump all the water, squeeze out the brush, and begin loading the brush. The more soap in the brush, the better. This takes a few minutes. After the soap level is about two thirds up the brush and there’s a good amount of lather built up, I scoop what I can of the lather and put it on the end of the brush. Then I move to my Captain’s Choice lather bowl with a sprinkle or so of water in it and continue swirling the brush and building lather. If you notice bubbles at this time, even little ones, you need more soap and less water next time, and some more soap on the brush this time. Next I lather some more on my face, paint my face with lather, and commence shaving. If the lather starts disappearing during the shave, see the more soap, less water part of this post. L&L and Wholly Kaw work really well. Mystic Water needs more soap.

Good to finally know about a water report for my area. As much as I love soaps, I might end up just using creams more. I might also order some of the B&M Reserve line since it’s made for hard water I’ve heard.

I agree a bit about creams, but moved over to soaps because there’s just more there, there. More variety, more skin care, more skin protection in the form of clays. That Wholly Kaw donkey milk is pretty awesome for its skin feel afterward. My only problem with soaps has been with Mystic Water mysteriously disappearing from my face during the shave. A brief correspondence with The Queen herself and a little internet research and experimentation solved the problem. I’m not going to complain about using more product. The faster it disappears, the less chance my wife, who is not a believer, has to discover just how many soaps I have. The only one she has complained about is L&L Trismegistus, which I admit has a rather, um, interesting aroma.

I agree a bit about creams, but moved over to soaps because there’s just more there, there. More variety, more skin care, more skin protection in the form of clays. That Wholly Kaw donkey milk is pretty awesome for its skin feel afterward. My only problem with soaps has been with Mystic Water mysteriously disappearing from my face during the shave. A brief correspondence with The Queen herself and a little internet research and experimentation solved the problem. I’m not going to complain about using more product. The faster it disappears, the less chance my wife, who is not a believer, has to discover just how many soaps I have. The only one she has complained about is L&L Trismegistus, which I admit has a rather, um, interesting aroma.

You have good taste in soaps and you don't seem to scare easily with Mystic Water soap and hard water. Great product, great scents.
More product almost always remedies most issues with most soaps, in general.

I agree a bit about creams, but moved over to soaps because there’s just more there, there. More variety, more skin care, more skin protection in the form of clays. That Wholly Kaw donkey milk is pretty awesome for its skin feel afterward. My only problem with soaps has been with Mystic Water mysteriously disappearing from my face during the shave. A brief correspondence with The Queen herself and a little internet research and experimentation solved the problem. I’m not going to complain about using more product. The faster it disappears, the less chance my wife, who is not a believer, has to discover just how many soaps I have. The only one she has complained about is L&L Trismegistus, which I admit has a rather, um, interesting aroma.

You have good taste in soaps and you don't seem to scare easily with Mystic Water soap and hard water. Great product, great scents.  
More product almost always remedies most issues with most soaps, in general.

It’s been about 4 years since I tried MW. It was a scent you had recommended for me Celestino, but it wasn’t for me. Maybe I’ll give them another shot here soon. I’m hoping to be in a new house in a couple months and maybe when that happens I can get a water softener installed like someone had mentioned.

It’s been about 4 years since I tried MW.  It was a scent you had recommended for me Celestino, but it wasn’t for me.  Maybe I’ll give them another shot here soon.  I’m hoping to be in a new house in a couple months and maybe when that happens I can get a water softener installed like someone had mentioned.

Well, that is a bit unfortunate that things did not work out well for you with the scent.
Also, if you have found soaps that you are enjoying, there is no need to revisit Mystic Water. We are so fortunate to have such a wide and great selection of shaving soaps, nowadays. Nonetheless, I wish you better luck with Mystic Water if you do decide to revisit it as Michelle has an incredible selection of lovely scents.