Anyone have any tips on shaving? Razor burn is a bitch.

[frankgomez75]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

There are plenty of quality safety razor handles for way under $200. Same thing with the brushes. It's like any craze, people tend to get into it and then spend at the upper echelon.

If you aren't driving a $80k car, living in a million dollar home...it makes no sense to spend at those types of levels elsewhere unless you really have a passion for it.

That said at current 3 and 4 blade razor prices once would have spent that within a year anyway.

Well, for me I was spending $20/mos on disposable blades, after one shave those damn disposable blades would eat me alive.

So, doing the math, I figured I get at least 5 years out of my investment. Compared to disposables:

$25/mos for Gillete Mach 3 (12pk blades) X 60mos (5yrs)
TOTAL = $1500 / 5yrs of shaving... oh and the enormous amount of plastic garbage polluting our planet. :Q


OR

$55Merkur "Futur"Adjustable Double-edge Razor, Satin
$80Merkur Silvertip Shave Brush, Satin
$8/mosFeather "High Stainless Platinum" Double-Edge Blades, 10-Pak = $480
TOTAL = $615

I don't driving a $80k car, or live in a million dollar home but I know that disposables cost much much more in the long run.

I'm saving $885!

 

[ManBearPig]

jesus you really are hyping me up for all that stuff lol. seems kinda cool...i'll definitely try it eventually. wish i had some more dough. ill try to find a cheapish soap and brush at the store, wonder if walmart has them. and ill look around at some balms there too...are all balms pretty good? can i get the oil there too (it IS okay to use the oil w/ a disposable right?)?

thanks!

 

[McGyver]

good, i thought it's just me

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Shave in the shower, get one of the "mach" razors, they are worth it.

 

[Skacer]

I shaved with an electric for something like 10 years before switching to a manual. And let me tell you, I felt retarded for waiting that long. Not only does the electric cause somewhere in the park of 3x the irritation (I had many electrics during that period, they all had their cons in this department) but it also takes a lot longer to shave w/ one than it does manually. Now I shave with the Gillette Sensor Excel, which is a really good razor before Gillette got all 53,000 blade crazy and I only go with the grain. I get a closer shave than electric, but not as close as against, but I come out of this without any irritation at all.

I'm eventually going to try what Frank is doing, but I wouldn't go from electric to that, too big of a jump.

 

[frankgomez75]

Originally posted by: Skacer

I'm eventually going to try what Frank is doing, but I wouldn't go from electric to that, too big of a jump.

I have to agree on this one.

I would suggest trying most of the things I listed first:

1) hot shower
2) wash face with hot water and a cleansing agent ie: nivea face scrub
3) rinse face with hot water and dry with a rag
4) pre-shave oil
5) lather face well, the more the merrier
6) shave with the grain
7) repeat step 3 and 4 (optional)
8) lather face and shave against the grain
9) rinse face about 30 seconds - 1 minute with very cold water to close your pores and stop and nicks/cuts from bleeding
10) pat dry or air dry face ( i usually begin to get dress during this time)
11) apply NON-Alcohol based After-shave Balm lotion for sensitive skin

You can scratch the DE Safety Razor for now since it maybe too big a leap from electric to manual and start with a nice 3 blade system. After your face begins to adjust to the blades in a few weeks you can then move up to a DE Blade. The learning curve for a DE is about 3 weeks, those Feather Razor Blades are very unforgiving at first. I remember my first week, it was like the first day of learning to drive using a stick and clutch! :laugh: It was one helluva ride!


The shaving soap from walmart is horrible.:frown: Do not, I repeat, Do not buy it nor the bristle brush they sell at walmart. The soap they sell is horrible and does not do a good job at getting really foamy. It also has a horrible smell and does not aid in getting your facial whiskers soft. It's almost like a bar of watered down Irish Spring and is not really good for your skin. The ones I order online tend to lather much better, have a better fragrance and actually don't dry up the face. As for the brush there, it's some weird synthetic type of bristle with a cheap plastic handle. Horrible because the bristles are hard and coarse rather than soft and fine. It holds less foam thus making it hard to apply to the face properly.

Hope these tips help you.
No one taught me to shave so I learned on my own over the years. I'm 31 now and been shaving since I was 14! :Q :laugh:

Good Luck!

 

[ahurtt]

Hot water to open up your pores and plenty of shaving cream. . .but most of all a good sharp blade. I always notice that the older the blade gets, the more likely I am to have razor burn. A nice brand new sharp razor almost never produces any razor burn for me. I have never used any electric shaver that was worth a crap.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: frankgomez75
Ok, I am a fairly hairy dude, especially on the face.
I used to get bad razor burns, especially around the neck.
This is what I do/use to combat it and it has worked AMAZINGLY WELL!

***Lots of good advice***
/snip


My initial costs for the Safety Razor/Silvertip Brush/Soap Bowl/Blades was $200 but I use the blade for 2 - 3 shaves. I bought a 100 pack of blades for $25 - 30.

All in all a shave costs me around $1 a shave but the difference is top notch. After I'm done with my initial 100 blades my cost per shave will be around .20¢ - .30¢ since I'll be able to buy a 100 pack for around $40 and shave around 200 times!

Good stuff. The only thing I don't agree with is shaving against the grain. I can recommend shaving across it, but against the grain always, without fail, tears my face apart.

Here's my regiment.

equipment: Merkur Futura, Badger Brush, Walgreens mug soap (shae butter, aloe vera, hypoallergenic), coffee mug
- get hot water going, splash on face
- lather soap onto face with brush, applying against the grain
- shave whole face WITH the grain
- reapply mug soap
- shave ACROSS the grain
- shower as usual - wash face with Dove soap sensitive (moisturizing, hypoallergenic)
- get out dry off (pat face with towel, do not rub)
- apply Vaseline Intensive Care w/ spf15 lotion (again hypoallergenic).

I have seborrheic dermatitis, so that's why I don't use exotic soaps, lotions, oils and all that....usually they just piss my skin off and make things worse than razor burn ever could be.

 

[Kaspian]

Originally posted by: NiteWulf
I have recently discovered the joys of shaving in the shower. Hot water is your friend.

And try to find an aftershave lotion rather than an alcohol-based product

I'm the same way. For many years I've tried just about anything to make shaving a little more "enjoyable" and not so "discomforting." After wasting money on expensive razors (electric, regulars, disposables, etc), shaving creams, lotions, etc., I found the best thing for me was to shave in the shower. Sower as normal and then shave while you are still in there.


Also, like NW mentioned use an after shave LOTION non-alcohol based.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: frankgomez75

Originally posted by: alkemyst

There are plenty of quality safety razor handles for way under $200. Same thing with the brushes. It's like any craze, people tend to get into it and then spend at the upper echelon.

If you aren't driving a $80k car, living in a million dollar home...it makes no sense to spend at those types of levels elsewhere unless you really have a passion for it.

That said at current 3 and 4 blade razor prices once would have spent that within a year anyway.

Well, for me I was spending $20/mos on disposable blades, after one shave those damn disposable blades would eat me alive.

So, doing the math, I figured I get at least 5 years out of my investment. Compared to disposables:

$25/mos for Gillete Mach 3 (12pk blades) X 60mos (5yrs)
TOTAL = $1500 / 5yrs of shaving... oh and the enormous amount of plastic garbage polluting our planet. :Q


OR

$55Merkur "Futur"Adjustable Double-edge Razor, Satin
$80Merkur Silvertip Shave Brush, Satin
$8/mosFeather "High Stainless Platinum" Double-Edge Blades, 10-Pak = $480
TOTAL = $615

I don't driving a $80k car, or live in a million dollar home but I know that disposables cost much much more in the long run.

I'm saving $885!

Nothing wrong with a $55 handle. The brush is an expensive one, but one of the best. I was talking about the guys that drop $200+ on just a handle and holder. Someone here bought a $500 handle thinking it would be so much better than the $30-50 ones.

One is just paying for exotic metal or limited editions at that price. They make Mach handles that cost that much too...doesn't improve the shave.

One thing with shaving with a safety razor is you have to relearn being sloppy with the typical cartridge razors that now are lined with wire.

A safety razor can easily cut a nice trench in you face by sliding it sideways across it. The cartridge razors are much more forgiving.

Good news is you only need to make that mistake once or twice before you muscle memory learns to NEVER let it happen again

 

[ManBearPig]

ok, ill get the nivea balm and shave in the shower, as well as getting a pre shave oil. can i apply this oil in the shower? and i do this before applying cream, right?

is barbasol shaving cream with aloe alright? i kinda like it better than the expensive stuff i have tried. and i dont like the gels...

 

[DestinyKnight]

Too bad Target dropped the Proraso line of shaving goods, now I have to buy them online.

Old school shaving doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg to get started. There's no need to rush out there and by a silvertip badger brush, shiny new Merkur DE and pot of Castle Forbes lavender shaving cream. Here's some suggestions:

Got a Costco membership? Many Costco's have the Art of Shaving starter pack for 15 bucks. This kit comes with a badger brush, preshave oil, shave cream and aftershave balm. And AoS products are top notch. This kit retails 30-40 bucks elsewhere.

Want to try out a DE razor? check out ebay. Look for a Gilette superspeed, Gillete Tech or Gillette adjustable. Boil the razor for 15 minutes and then scrub good with soap and a brush and it's good to go. You can get a nice one for 10-15 bucks. Or check out your local antiques store.

A silvertip badger brush is a nice investment if you know that you're going to stick with it, but there are good inexpensive alternatives:

the Omega Boar hair brush goes for under 20 bucks, and works well. Sometimes new boar hair brushes have an unpleasing smell after their first use, but this can be cured by a quick soak in a borax solution.

A nice and inexpensive badger brush can be purchased online from Crabtree & Evelyn for around 35 bucks. I use this as my main brush.

The best bang for your buck classic English shaving cream IMO is Taylors of Old Bond Street. A pot of their shaving cream sells for around 12-14 bucks online and will last you several months, if not longer. I like their Avocado shaving cream. You only use about a marble sized drop of this stuff at a time and whip it up into a thick lather in a mug with your wet brush.

Other cheap but good alternative shaving creams are Tom's natural shaving cream and Kiss my Face shaving cream. Both of these products lather well with a brush and can be found locally.

The generic or Personna Brand DE blades found at walmart are good all-round blades. The USA Gillette DE blades are crap however and will destroy your face. Feathers are the sharpest DE blades known to mankind, but many experienced DE shavers find them too harsh an opt for the less aggressive Derby blades or Israeli Gillette blades.

www.shavemyface.com is an online community devoted to old school wet shaving. Check out the forums for discussions on all things wet shaving.

 

[ManBearPig]

thanks a lot for the info!

 

[Regs]

I use any tripple bladed straight edge and shave with the grain.

Neck is usually up. Jaw line is side-to-side horizontal. Chin is up (careful of cuts). Above the lips is down.

 

[Xavier434]

Honestly, I am really tempted to just get a full blown laser treatment on my face. I never will grow a beard because they are too uncomfortable for me and even by chance there is a time in my life where I want one then too bad. Not having to worry about shaving and being completely comfortable the rest of my life is well worth it. Plus, it really doesn't cost that much money to get the treatment when you do a comparison of how much everything costs to shave over several years like frank did.

 

[frankgomez75]

Originally posted by: Kazaam
ok, ill get the nivea balm and shave in the shower, as well as getting a pre shave oil. can i apply this oil in the shower? and i do this before applying cream, right?

is barbasol shaving cream with aloe alright? i kinda like it better than the expensive stuff i have tried. and i dont like the gels...

After washing my face I usually grab a small rag by the shower, usually next to sink or hanging on my shower bar. It's dry, and I dry my face before applying the oil so that it gets on my skin really good rather than slide off if my face were wet, it is oil so I figure it would not apply as well if my face were wet. Next apply your lather to your face.

Tell us how it works out for ya. Oh, and DestinyKnight has some good advice about Costco and starter kits.

 

[DestinyKnight]

I think the real key to getting a close and comfortable shave is first, lots of hot water, and second, know how your beard grows. For example, grain of my beard is different for nearly every part of my face. My right cheek and neck grain follows a southwest direction, my middle neck and chin is south and my left cheek and neck region grows in a north west direction. If I were to shave with just N->S strokes, the right side of my face would be fine, but the left side of my face would have razor burn galore because a N->S stroke is against the grain on that side of my face.

It may sound silly, but you might want to spend some time mapping out the direction your beard grows on different parts of your face. make a picture and use arrows to indicate grain if necessary.

Here's my map for reference.

 

[biggestmuff]

Slightly off topic, but my fog-free mirror has started to fog up while in the shower. I've tried cleaning it with various solvents. Is there a way to restore the surface so that it can be fog-free again?

 

[DestinyKnight]

Originally posted by: biggestmuff
Slightly off topic, but my fog-free mirror has started to fog up while in the shower. I've tried cleaning it with various solvents. Is there a way to restore the surface so that it can be fog-free again?

put a little shaving cream on the mirror and buff with a soft dry cloth. the shaving cream leaves a thin film on the mirror and makes if fog-proof for a week or so.

 

[quikah]

If you are like me no one taught you how to shave or you were taught wrong. Watch and learn:

http://youtube.com/user/mantic59

 

[ManBearPig]

sweet info guys, thanks for that! i found the niva balm for sensitive skin, its scentless or near scentless which is awesome. i havent found pre shave oil, and im not sure what shaving cream to get. i think i am going to hold off on the shave soap and brush and de razor for a bit. whenever i go back home i will go to costco to check out that AoS kit, seems cool. and then when i get that i will try a de razor too.

 

[Sureshot324]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
There's no such thing as a "good electric razor".

Shave with the "grain" first, then come back against it. (this is with a razor, not an electric face mulcher)

You'll get the best results that way. I used to just go against the grain to start with. It would take longer to shave completely smooth, and I'd have bumps and burns.

One day I bothered to read the directions and it said to go with the grain first, then against. Works great.

Oh, and I shave in the shower, too.

I used to go with the grain and then against it, but now I just go with the grain. I only shave every few days anyway, so there's no point in me getting that close, which will only last a few hours anyway.

 

[IEC]

Originally posted by: George P Burdell
1. Use a pre-shave lotion before you use your electric razor. It helps reduce razor burn.
2. Use an after-shave lotion like this instead of the alcohol based ones.

Or, you could avoid all this by shaving in the shower.

Seconded.

 

[ManBearPig]

Originally posted by: Kazaam
sweet info guys, thanks for that! i found the niva balm for sensitive skin, its scentless or near scentless which is awesome. i havent found pre shave oil, and im not sure what shaving cream to get. i think i am going to hold off on the shave soap and brush and de razor for a bit. whenever i go back home i will go to costco to check out that AoS kit, seems cool. and then when i get that i will try a de razor too.

where can i (if i even can) get shaving oil locally? and whats the best shaving CREAM?

thanks

 

[jfall]

I only shave after a shower, the hair is much softer. Use a sharp Mach 3 blade, with warm shaving cream. Apply aftershave balm afterwards