Man’s routine

Have you ever wanted to play with fire without being burned?
Have you ever wanted to play with sharp toys without risking to cut yourself?
Have you ever been in a need of pleasure without looking red afterwards?
Have you ever wonder why you are doing this to your face?

Aaaah… Shaving…

If you are – like me – not one of those who think that it is better to avoid all this trouble by growing a beard, you have probably already asked yourself those questions… how to avoid burns, cuts and skin irritations? Because, think twice, what you are doing when you are shaving, you are doing it to your FACE! So, I will be happy to share with you, potential reader/s, what I have discovered to make this daily routine a sheer pleasure I am looking forward to. And the secret is:

Why not consider wet shaving? you may have understood by now, the answer is yes, indeed

I went through all the steps of the modern shaver: first I shaved using an electric razor… the result was quite good concerning the cuts and burns (almost non existent), mitigated for the irritations but usually a bad shave; then I used a pressurised can of shaving mix and a Gillette 2 then 3 blades… the result was a little worse for the cuts and burns (from time to time), much the same concerning the skin irritations, but a better shave.
After what I decided to try a more classical way of shaving: I use now a safety razor, shaving cream or soap and a shaving brush… believe me or not, but – after a little practice all right – no cuts, no burns, no skin irritation and a wonderful shave!

I will guide you step by step, providing enough information for you to follow the lead, but not too much to be pedant… you will find, at the end of the post below, a few references that provide more info and video.

And first, three MAJOR pieces of advice:
1) It is all about WATER (don’t spare on water, for it is the basic ingredient in wet shaving)
2) It is all about being GENTLE (please, be nice to you… every move must be understood to have the weight of a caress)
3) It is all about taking one’s TIME (all the process of shaving must be conceived as some sort of a ritual; and, as for all ritual, you must take your TIME)

I. The map: first thing to do, one and for all, is to drive a mental (if you are good at remembering) or a drawn map of your beard, in order to know how your whiskers grow. It is important because you will notice that your whiskers are not growing all in the same direction: you will need to know this in order to be able to shave with or against the grain. In order to build this map, simply massage your beard with one or two fingers.

II. The preparation: it is a vital step usually forgotten or underestimated; it is a phase divided in three moments:

II.a To prepare your intimate moment with your razor, it is usually better to shave in the morning, but before breakfast; it is better to wait like 20 minutes after waking up… so a good way to do it is the English way: first thing in the morning after waking up: early morning tea! you can use the classic English breakfast tea or, if you need something stronger, the Irish breakfast tea (I’ll write something on tea later, stay tune); it will take you almost ten minutes to put the kettle on, boil the water and prepare the tea; the next ten minutes will be gone while drinking it. When you are drinking your tea, you can begin your second phase.

II.b First, you need to pour hot water in a mug and plunge your shaving brush in it. It is better to use a natural brush made of badgers’ bristles, than a synthetic one (don’t use boiling water to water the brush, as it could damage the natural badger’s bristles). Here is some good stuff: Edwin Jagger, Kent, Vulfix and Simpsons, but the list is not exhaustive.
At this point you will need a shaving cream or soap. Be advised that the lather is NOT created in the soap or cream container! you will need a bowl to create it. You will find plenty of shaving cream or soap on the market; speaking for myself, I like to use the L’Occitane shaving soap or the The Art of Shaving shaving cream (unscented), but it is up to you to experiment which one goes the best with your skin. Then, in order to charge the brush with the soap or the cream, take it out of the mug and give it a good shake – the brush should not be dripping water – and rub it over the surface of the cream or soap; only the tip of the bristles must be impregnated with the cream or soap (don’t worry, it will pick up enough soap to create a good lather). Now it is time to use the bowl: you need first to swirl your brush during almost one minute around the bowl to grow the lather, during which process you need also to pump a little the brush by working it up and down; this ensures that the water at the base of the brush gets worked into the lather; if you see that the lather is to dry, pour with your finger a few drops of hot water directly in the bowl; if the lather is to wet, take a little more cream or soap. The characteristics of a good lather is that it’s dense and heavy, containing enough water, but not too much (one must not see bubbles). It will take a little time to find the suited cream or soap and the right amount of water and swirl you need to obtain a good lather but, as said previously, time… and patience… (you can also grow the lather in your hand, or directly on your beard… it is up to you but I didn’t find those methods as practical and secure as the one using the bowl)

II.c Now you are ready to begin the first step to soften your beard. Your face will thank you not only to water it (at least during 30 seconds with hot water) but also to use either a liquid soap specially made for the face (I like the one made by Clinic) or a pre-shave oil (I like to use the one made by The Art of Shaving). This will help soften the beard, clear and protect the skin.

III. Applying the lather: now that your face is clean and wet, work the brush in circles on your beard for almost one minute, to obtain a rich and smooth lather on your face. You don’t need to put more cream or soap than to cover your whiskers. Now, you are ready for the shaving part!

IV. The shaving: the important moment… the crucial one… first don’t even think of beard suppression, but stay focus only in term of BEARD REDUCTION! The main order is: BE GENTLE! Concerning the razor, I cannot recommend more: use a safety razor. The common junk-razor with n vibrating blades doesn’t render justice to your face, but if you are afraid of using a real razor blade, you can continue to use your stylish Gillette fusion… and maybe the straight razor just gives you the creeps (nothing to be ashamed of). If you cannot steal your grand-father old Gillette, you may find a new double-edge safety razor interesting… Merkur makes very good DE adjustable safety razor… but, as for the cream, the soap and the brush it is up to you to find the one suiting you. For the shave, I recommend a three-pass method:
IV.a First pass: shave with the grain; be gentle, without giving any pressure to the razor; let the weight of the safety razor do the beard reduction. Proceed with small and short strokes and focus your attention to maintain the correct angle between the blade and your face (your fingers and wrist must not move, it is the arm that is doing the job). By using short strokes, you will not need to straight your skin to have a flat space, and it will be easier to maintain the right angle not to cut yourself. The first time you are using the safety razor, you will perhaps be anxious to find the right angle. In absolute, there is no right angle: razors are different (for example the blade in a gillette will be straight horizontal, but in the Merkur Vision it will be slightly curved) and nobody has the same face… a good trick is to put the head of the razor against your cheek, the handle parallel to the floor. Gradually bring the handle down toward the face as you make a light shaving stroke. When the blade will make contact with the whiskers and begin to cut as you pull the razor, you’ve find the right angle. Be cautious when you come to angles (over the jawline for example); maintaining the angle is the key… And BE GENTLE.
IV.b Second pass exactly as the first one, with the grain (don’t forget to rinse your face and re-lather between every pass). If you have an easy beard, smooth and scattered, you may skip this step… but be careful… still think reduction, not suppression… better one step more than cut.
IV.c The third pass: shave against the grain; be gentle and proceed as usual with special care to the angle, short strokes and no pressure. Now, you may search your face with the tips of your fingers to find places where the whiskers have not been properly cut… if you find any, you can make a special fourth pass on those areas.

V. After the shave: first thing to do is to rinse your face with cold water (not hot water as previously) and clean it from the soap or the cream. If you cut yourself, use a styptic stick (it is quite useful, specially for beginners). And then apply an aftershave balm, at your convenience (I use either the aftershave from L’Occitane or from The Art of Shaving)

And this is it… a real pleasure.

 

 

One remark before ending this… maybe you will find quite expensive to buy all this stuff… particularly the brush; but don’t be afraid, the investment will pay! First, you will use your stuff for tens of years… and your razor will be less expensive with the time due to the cheap costs of the blades than a modern one (and I’m not talking about the shaving soap/cream which will last a very long time). Second, you don’t need to buy all this at once, or the most expensive stuff (expensive doesn’t every time mean the best for you); maybe it is best to have first a good brush and a good razor, and then to buy the rest of the stuff without forgetting to experiment (there are a lot of shaving creams, soaps, aftershaves, etc… on the market… maybe the good thing is trying to get samples).

One advice: if you are a beginner, take your time, I beg you. Don’t be discouraged by the first cuts you will have while learning this new technique; it is worth it. In less than a week you will know the trick and you will be more comfortable with the shave.

For those who are interested to gain more informations, I can recommend the forum Badger and Blade, the Leisureguy blog, and the excellent videos from Mantic59…

I hope you will enjoy your next shave.