How to Wet Shave with a Safety Razor

Want to know how to Wet Shave with a Safety Razor? Read On:

There are many benefits to learning how to wet shave with a Safety Razor over the modern cartridge razor or electric razor.

1. It’s better for your skin using a DE Safety Razor

2. It’s better for your wallet

3. It’s better for the environment

4. It’s therapeutic

5. You’ll feel like a boss

Let’s talk about how you go about learning to Wet Shave

Firstly

Try wet shaving during or after a hot shower, it’ll help soften your beard/stubble and prepare the skin for your shave. We recommend cleaning your face with a scrub first, it’s the best way to start your shave and your day. Before you hop in the shower, pop your shaving brush in a mug of hot water to help soften the bristles, it’ll be easier for the brush to pick up lather this way.

1. Scrub your face! A clean fresh face is the perfect way to start both your day and your shave.

We recommend using a good cleansing scrub, here’s one for only €6.99. Give your face a scrub after your shower or else rinse with warm water, apply a pea sized amount of scrub to your hands and massage in to your face.

Rinse with warm water again and you’re good to go to the next step of how to wet shave.

2. Apply a pre-shave oil or balm.

A pre-shave oil  is used to massage in to the skin before applying the cream.

It’s designed to protect the skin from the razor blade whilst softening your whiskers slightly.

Pre-shave treatments are perfect for reducing irritation and helping the blade glide over your skin.

We also love the classic  Proraso Pre-Shave Cream, this stuff smells amazing with it’s eucalyptus oil.

Work some of the balm or oil into your face before shaving. It’s a nice little massage and helps stimulate the senses, encouraging you to relax.

3. Lather that Shaving Cream/Soap

Pick up your (pre-soaked) shaving brush. If you’re using shaving soap, we always recommend letting it sit in some hot water or poor some hot water into the tin of your manly shaving soap. We recommend getting started with shaving creams, it’s a bit easier to get a lather going.

If you’re using a soap stick then either go ahead and apply straight to your face or use your shaving brush to work up a lather, using a cream  then add an almond sized dollop to a bowl and use your brush to work up a lather.

Depending on the type of soap, some take a bit longer to ‘break’ in but once you get the hang of it, you’ll have an unbeatable lather.

Using your shaving brush, apply the lather to your face as if using a paint brush. This motion will ensure you don’t break any bristles.  Using a shaving brush will help lift your whiskers and also remove dead skin cells, you’re getting a free facial, just don’t go shouting that around. There are many types different shaving brushes, from boar to badger and synthetic in-between.

You’re on your way to the smoothest shave you’ll experience.

4. Shave

The important thing to remember when using a traditional DE safety razor or cut-throat is the angle, we’re looking for a 30′ angle with the razor to your face but you’ll figure out what works for you with practice.

Take it slowly, stretch the skin where it needs it and smoothly draw the razor across your skin.

Shave with or across the grain of your beard, and not against it. Shaving against the grain is the main cause for irritation and razor burn. Some Wet Shavers shave against it, and that’s up to them, but we don’t!

Everyone’s facial hair is different and can grow in different directions so take note of what way your facial hair grows and shave with it or across. If you can let your hair grow out for a few days, you can map it and see what direction your hair grows in:

And REMEMBER, don’t apply too much pressure when shaving, the weight of the razor is usually enough.

Change your blade regularly, if it starts snagging or becomes too much of an effort to shave, change that bad boy up! You can usually get 3-6 shaves per blades but this depends on hair length and thickness.

5.Soothe and Moisturise

After shaving, rinse your face with cold water to help cool the skin and tighten it back up. You may need to apply some alum for any nicks, it stings for a second but closes the cut.

After that, pat your skin dry using a soft towel and then apply some post shave treatment such as an aftershave balm, our own sensitive skin aftershave cream is perfect as a balm or moisturiser.

Finish your coffee, go forth, conquer.

And Remember, Shaving Should be an enjoyable experience, never a chore.