No, I haven’t just started. I wanted to ask the men here what their shaving rituals consist of. It occurred to me today that I’m slowly having to shave more often now, and since I shred my face every once in a while, it might not tbe a bad idea to get some input on other razors, creams, water temperatures, blah blah blah.
Here’s my current dewhiskering rites:
Cold water. I used to use hot, but I noticed that I cut myself less when I used cold. In fact, I’d open myself up so much that I took to shaving by touch in the shower because I’d have stopped bleeding by the time I got out of the shower.
Colgate shaving cream. Comes in those stout little aerosol cans. Lathers up pretty well from a small amount.
Gillette replaceable cartridges. Atra, I think, is the model of the razor. Not completely sure. Not a bad razor, overall; I get about 4 uses out of single cartridge.
Now I’m curious as to what you studs out there use. Anyone actually use a straight razor anymore? The kind that looks like you’re a slasher? Or those really cool lather brushes? What kind of water temperature? Do you slice yourself more/less with any combination? Huh? Huh? HUH??
Oh, and ladies, kindly keep your leg/armpit/nether region shaving stories to yourselves. I know first hand what a woman shaving her legs with my razor does to my face. I’d rather shave with a shard of a broken beer bottle than use a razor after a woman’s sheared her getaway sticks with my razor.
Hot water. I have no idea why.
I use that Gillette gel stuff and a Gillete Sensor Excel razor. Straight razors scare me. I have enough trouble with what I’m useing now.
Shower. Get out of shower. Go to sink. Run hot tap. Edge gel for sensitive skin, lemon lime flavor. Rub on beard. Wash remainder off hands. Grab Gilette Sensor Excel razor. Change blade. Begin at sideburns. Shave whole face, WITH THE GRAIN. Put away razor. Wash face. Apply Old Spice aftershave. Admire self in mirror. Strike a pose. Flex muscles. Dry face off with damp towel, leave room.
I’d love to use a straight razor and lather brush, and I’m sure the brush would offer some interesting stimulation, but I fear for the safety of my testicles with the use of a straight razor.
Oh, you meant shaving of the face.
In that case, I use the Gillette Sensor Excel accompanied by Gillette Foam for sensitive skin. Hot water is simply a must. A good soaking to open the pores and shaving with hot water is precedes the cold water finish to tighten the pores back up. Technique in the stroke is quite important. I find that by pulling the skin off my jaw line and shaving ninety degrees to the grain, I greatly reduce injury. The ninety degree technique also works well for the upper lip. I have yet to find a resolution to shaving my chin (a.k.a. the Great Nemesis of Shaving).
If you’d like, I start the thread pertaining to my initial misunderstanding.
Well, most of the time, I use my Norelco Reflex Action electric razor…when I shave with a blade (when I let it grow too much), I use a Mach3 (I like it a lot better than the original sensor, ColdFire), and regular old Gillette Foamy shaving cream. Need to use the electric because I’m in Army ROTC, and for PT in the morning (6:15) I need to be clean shaven, and there’s no way in hell I’m shaving with a blade every damn morning at 5:50.
This topic got pretty significant coverage in another post which I can’t seem to locate at the moment, so here’s my contribution (I’m lucky (or unfortunate, depending upon your point of view) that I can grow a full beard and moustache in about 30 minutes (must be all that testosterone) so I pay alot of attention to this shaving business):
Wet your face thoroughly and keep it wet. Use hot water. It makes your beard stand up better than cold, in my experience.
I use gel shaving creme for sensitive skin. Let it sit on your face for a minute or two. Get a good shaving mug, bar of shaving soap, and bristle brush for an occasional shave - makes shaving a little less of a chore.
Atra blades for me. They used to make them with a little button you could push to get all the hair, creme, and skin out from between the blades but I haven’t seen them in awhile. Change your blades as soon as you start feeling a tug. You’ll cut yourself quicker with a dull blade than a sharp blade (same holds true with a knife - you’re trying to force the blade to do work it can’t).
I’ve never shaved myself with a straight razor, but if you can find a barber that will do it for you go for it. Splurge. Starts with a HOT HOT towel wrapped around your face, then HOT lather, then a slow, deliberate shave (don’t look at the blade, he won’t cut you). Followed by a dash of witch hazel and you’re a new man.
Use some moisterizer after your shave. You’ve just scraped away not only your beard, but your facial skin as well.
DON’T SHAVE AGAINST THE GRAIN! SHAVE IN THE DIRECTION OF HAIR GROWTH! INGROWN HAIRS CAUSE SHAVING BUMPS AND CAN GET INFECTED! WARNING! DANGER WILL ROBINSON!
If you’re prone to cutting yourself, slow down and change your blads. Also, get a steptic pencil. Stings a little but you don’t have toilet paper on your face.
I shave in the shower, without a mirror. I think I know my own face pretty well, and by feeling around, I rarely miss a spot. (I’ve found so-called “fog-free mirrors” to be anything but. Can anyone recommend a good one?)
I start my shower by washing my hair, then go immediately to shaving. I use a pump-style shaving lotion (the one I’m currently using is “Kiss My Face” brand, aloe variety) and a brush. My razor of choice is the Sensor Excel, and sometimes the Mach 3, depending on which blades I had a coupon for.
I always start with the mustache area over the lip. Then, I do under the lower lip and the chin, followed by neck directly underneath the chin, left side neck, left side face, right side neck and right side face. Rinse, finish showering, and Viola! It’s done.
Stumble into bathroom without stubbing toe on corner of bed.
Run water so hot it feels like your hand will melt off when you put it under the faucet.
Apply steaming hot water to face with a clean wash-cloth.
Apply Colgate (cheap and extra lather-ey) shaving lotion.
Rinse excess lotion off hand with cooler water.
Run water to excessively hot again.
Hold Gillette Sensor (yes, the original) Razor under steaming hot water for at least 10 seconds so the blade becomes hot as well.
Begin shaving, with “the grain” at right sideburn, down to where the goatee is.
Repeat on left side.
Shave neck, being extra careful as a slight miscue there results in excessive bleeding.
Wash face with still extremely hot water.
Follow up with a cool washing.
Apply whatever after-shave happens to be in the medicine cabinet.
This routine is modified every few days when there’s the need to trim the moustache and goatee with a Wahl beard trimmer… the one that had Al from Home Improvement on the package, even!
WEll, I use a Gillette mach 3 and King of Shaves Aqua-Gel.
the gel is the absolute business. you dont have to wash half of it off your hands afterwards, and it is really smooth.
Damn, you guys are on this one like a drunk sorority chick!
Thanks for the feedback.
plnnr-I just wish I could find a barber to have at me with a straight razor. Springfield being the big pile of suck it is, barbers are nearly unheard of.
Everyone who mentioned the Mach 3-what’s the cost on those babies? And for the replacement blades?
Wow, I must be a freak for using the cold water. Maybe I’ll try it with warm water again next time and see if I donate less blood to the sink.
Where the heck is UncleBeer? This is his favorite fetish! Okay…ONE of his favorite fetishes. Unc’s the man who connected me up with the good folks at Burma-Shave, the proud makers of roadside jingles and shaving soap. Changed my goddamn life.
Here’s MY ritual:
Shower. Step out, leaving it running.
Run the hot water in the sink.
Grab the Burma-Shave shaving mug, with the cake of Burma-Shave shaving soap nestled neatly in the bottom.
Grab the badger-hair shaving brush, dip in the running water, shake out excess water.
WHISK WHISK WHISK brush in mug.
Apply lather to face, brushing it in good and proper. Chin, jawline are easy, but it’s hard to brush the moustache area without getting soap on your lips.
Grab the safety razor and shave with it. (One of those old stainless steel things that’s basically a handle that you insert the double-edged blade into the head of)
Rinse razor, brush, and mug.
Jump back in shower for one last good body-rinse, getting rid of lather remnants on face while doing so.
Yeah, and me too except I use whatever shaving cream is on sale, usually Barbasol. But I have a very light beard so shaving cream is not that critical–I can do a fair job with no cream at all.
Oh, yeah…this was mentioned in an old shaving thread sometime last fall.
It REALLY pays to shave AFTER you shower, in terms of softening up the beard and making things easier in general.
Phil: I used to shave in the shower, until the tub backed up and the plumber looked at me like I was nuts. It doesn’t SEEM like you’re putting a lot of hair down there, but it builds up…
Dab on after-shave, discover too late that you did indeed nick yourself and do a wild Zulu dance around the bathroom while the pain subsides.
I won’t say it’s an integrated part of the ritual, but it happens often enough (to me, anyway) to merit mention.
As for shaving in the shower, it can work - I’d advice against brushing your teeth in the shower, though, as a drop of toothpaste on tender parts of the male anatomy can be quite painful.
I shave in the shower too. I use a venerable old Gillette Contour razor I’ve had for nearly 20 years - yes I can still buy generic brand blades that fit it. I don’t use shaving cream or lotion, I use plain ordinary soap.
Occasionally I will use an Phillips electric razor just for a change, but I reckon a blade is quicker and more thorough.
Blades for the Mach III are overpriced but damn it’s a good shave. I keep a beard so the extent of my shaving is uner my chin maybe twice a week so I don’t go through a lot of blades. I got one of the bulk packs of blades at Costco and split it with my dad so I don’t anticipate needing more in a year’s time.
Edge gel works okay but my brother had gotten me some gel from Matrix Essentials but they have since discontinued the line. I shave right out of the shower when possible and the Mach III works well in any direction with no irritation.
Fellas, I’m big on doing my part, being in the service of something bigger than myself. I’m in the military because I like the feeling of serving my country.
Well, I’m going to continue serving my fellow man, right here and now. I have been talking about this to every single male (the ones I LIKE, anyway) every time this subject comes up, because the world HAS to KNOW!
The best shaving cream that can be had on Planet Earth is “M”, from The Body Shop. I tell ya, guys, this is worth finding one in the local area, or ordering by mail, and having everybody think you’re a fruit for being in there, or having their products shipped to you.
But you’ve got to show a little faith. It takes about a week of shaving every day for your face to get used to it. Purty bad shaves for the first couple of times, then gradually getter, until it’s irreplacable. Lucretia can back me up on this: I’ve driven WAY out of my way to get another tube when I’m getting low, because I’m a miserable critter when I’m facing a shave with standard stuff.
Get it. Use it. Love it.
Another thang I noticed about the advice posted above: no one reminded you to keep the blade’s path perpendicular. If you cock it to an angle, there’s a cut as sure as grits is groceries.
