Update on the Unrinsed-Brush Experiment

For many months now, I've been shaving with an inexpensive badger brush and NOT rinsing it after each shave. In fact, I don't rinse it at all. After the shave I just hang it to dry as is.

My inexpensive, un-rinsed badger brush after
this morning's shave. No worries, mate!

Prior to the next shave, I merely run a bit of tap water in my cupped left hand, and lay the dried-soapy brush in it to dampen the wispy dried lather to keep it from floating off during use. Then just before I face lather, I drizzle a bit of tap water directly into the bristles.

Here's an update on the results so far:

To this point, the experiment is a COMPLETE success.

My little badger brush has always been soft, but as a face-lathering brush (my preferred method), has always lacked a bit of backbone. The dried soap in the brush has solved that problem.

Another issue was that the badger brush would just occasionally shed a bristle. Again, problem solved. The soap near the base of the brush acts as an additional binder, keeping the bristles in place. I haven't lost a bristle since I stopped rinsing the brush.

Although I don't really believe that I've saved any significant money by not rinsing unused soap down the drain, I've certainly reduced some unnecessary waste that would have otherwise been run down the drain. I also haven't increased my shave-soap usage; I've probably decreased it a bit.

Despite dire warnings from at least one so-called expert (ha ha), there's no discernible downside. The brush hasn't seemed to suffer; in fact, as I said above, it may be better off.

Would I recommend this no-rinsing of the shave brush as Gillette did way back in the 1920s? I would. However, as always, "you pays your money, and you takes your choice."

Happy shaving!