Water:
[ul]Use HOT water. As hot as you can stand it. It softens your beard hairs, rendering them more vulnerable to tha razor blade.[/ul]
Shaving cream:
[ul]I highly recommend the foaming gel-type shaving creams, but I also like using the shaving cream that comes in a tube (Squirt some in your hand, rub it on your beard, and work up a lather with a shaving brush). If you can find it, the Hot One (a self-heating shaving cream) worked very well for me, but it’s hard to find (or possibly no longer made). When shaving cream was not available, Noxzema skin cream, baby oil, or even sun tan lotion will work. If you’re already using something that lubricates your face well, keep using it.[/ul]
Razor:
[ul]I normally shave with a Gillette Mach 3 razor (fewer passes for a cleaner shave). It’s not a good choice if you want to trim close under your nose, next to your ears, etc., but I have a beard and only need it to shave under my jawline and to clear the space betwixt my sideburns and goatee. The Schick Tracer worked well for me when I had to have a clean-shaven face. The Schick Injector also worked well.
I have used a straight razor, but keeping it as sharp as necessary is very difficult. It’s also hard to develop the correct technique for shaving with one. Keep in mind that the safety razor was invented during an era when safety was considered something only women, small children and effeminate men should consider. The fact that it found a ready market despite the common perception that “Real men sneer at danger” should tell you something. The straight razor is not an ideal tool for removing a beard unless you are highly skilled in its use (say, a professional barber).[/ul]
Technique:
[ul]Wet your beard with hot water – let it soak for a few minutes. This will soften the beard. Lather the areas you plan to shave, working the lather into the beard stubble. Rinse the blade in very hot water, both before you begin and frequently during the shaving process. It keeps the blade hot and clean, so it will cut better.
Cut with the grain of your beard (in the direction the hairs want to lay down in). If you cut in the opposite direction, it may lift the skin as the hair is pried up by the blade and you risk cutting yourself or inflicting “razor burn”. Do not use fast strokes, nor should you make more than one or two passes with your razor. Don’t press hard, either, and take your time. Shaving in a hurry doesn’t do you any good if you have to perform first aid following every session.[/ul]
If you’re using a good combination of blade/shaving cream/technique, you won’t need more than that. If you don’t get a clean shave with that technique, you need a sharper blade, a better shaving cream, or you need to refine your technique.
Everyone’s face is somewhat different. If you can’t get your face “baby smooth”, it might just be that you’re one of those guys who can’t get a good shave without special effort. If you have very curly and coarse beard hair, beware of shaving too close. You could get pseudofolliculitis barbi – otherwise known as ingrown beard hairs. Not fun.
~~Baloo