Appreciation post: My lathering lesson from a very patient customer

I was trying to get better at making shave lather for my regulars at the barber shop I help out in. This older guy comes in, and I'm all eager to show off what I think is a pro lather. I grab my brush and go to town, mixing way too fast and adding water without really thinking. Suddenly, the lather isn't creamy at all, it's all bubbly and thin, like dish soap. The guy just sits there, watching me struggle, and then he calmly says, 'Son, you're whipping air, not lather.' He then showed me how to build it slow on my hand, feeling for that slick, yogurty texture. I felt pretty silly, but now my lathers hold up for the whole shave. Sometimes you need a gentle nudge from someone who's been around.

2 comments

2 Comments

the_troy1d ago

Whipping air, not lather" is a life lesson, honestly.

matthewrivera14h ago

That phrase hits hard because I've spent way too much time on projects that were all motion and no real substance. @the_troy really nailed it with that image of just whipping air. You get busy and feel productive, but you're not actually building or cleaning anything worthwhile. It's like running in place and wondering why you never get anywhere. I catch myself doing it when I over-plan instead of just doing the core task. The lather is what actually cleans, right? Everything else is just noise.