It's interesting to see how prep can change, too. When I first started shaving I would shower first, wash my face with warm water, dip the washcloth in hot water, and apply it to my face. When I got to college I was more rushed for time so I would wash my face with warm water, pat warm water on my face, and then shave and shower. I did this for many years. When I joined B&B I read about Kyle's method and tried that. I did not find that it improved my shaves o I reverted to just washing my face with warm water. Then I read about cold water shaving and tried that. I liked that and for the last seven years have been doing that a majority of the time.
What do you do for prep?
- Thread starter WeAreLegion
- Start date
Shower then a hot towel
Truefit and hill preshave oil, saponificio varesino Tahiti butter or Clarins men pre shave oil
Truefit and hill preshave oil, saponificio varesino Tahiti butter or Clarins men pre shave oil
I wet my badger brush in my scuttle, then I'll use the #2 in the bathroom. 
I soak the brush in warm water
Wash my face with Cetaphil, its cheap and good for sensitive skin
Occasionally a hot towel, and Edwin Jager preshave cream depending on the shave soap.
I bowl lather and go. Occasionally I face lather but if I do it for a week straight I'll run into irritation problems.
I have naturally oily skin so I also use an exfoliator 3 times a week. Not generally right before I shave but it has made a big difference in the quality of shaves.
Wash my face with Cetaphil, its cheap and good for sensitive skin
Occasionally a hot towel, and Edwin Jager preshave cream depending on the shave soap.
I bowl lather and go. Occasionally I face lather but if I do it for a week straight I'll run into irritation problems.
I have naturally oily skin so I also use an exfoliator 3 times a week. Not generally right before I shave but it has made a big difference in the quality of shaves.
A quick wash with soap and water. Same prep for 50+ years. If I shower first, I have to wait an hour before I shave.
I personally will get all my mise en place ready for my shave, whilst turning the water to the hottest setting until it reaches max temp. I soak my brush and blade in the water whilst I prepare the rest of the routine. Ill then using hot water to an intense face wash with Dr. Bronners soap. Rinse and dry off. Before I build my lather I use the green lid Proraso pre/post shave and really work it under the whiskers, then apply cream directly to face with brush in a painting motion.
I wash with soap and water, rinse, whip up lather, shave.
1. Face wash and rinse with hot water to open the pores
2. massage face with Proraso white shave cream for about 2 minutes and apply a little more water so i don,t dry up while whipping up lather .
3. apply lather
4. First pass.
5 Rinse and then apply Truefitt & Hill pre-shave oil.
6. touch up agg.
2. massage face with Proraso white shave cream for about 2 minutes and apply a little more water so i don,t dry up while whipping up lather .
3. apply lather
4. First pass.
5 Rinse and then apply Truefitt & Hill pre-shave oil.
6. touch up agg.
Ok, now i am using cold water due to heat, but normally:
1) Hot rinse on face.
2) Soak the boar brush on hot water for 1 min.
3) Make lather and hot rinse face again.
4) Apply high in glycerin content, hand cream on face (I 've used Nivea Argan oil and Nivea Macadamia nut oil till now. The first one works best. I also bought 2 ore creams to try later). Makes face much slippery, plus it's good for the skin. It even acts as aftershave, because the skin remains calm after the shavem
5) Not always: Add a few drops of glycerin or 2 pea size dabs of the previous cream into the lathering bowl and lather it more.
6) Apply lather on face and shave.
1) Hot rinse on face.
2) Soak the boar brush on hot water for 1 min.
3) Make lather and hot rinse face again.
4) Apply high in glycerin content, hand cream on face (I 've used Nivea Argan oil and Nivea Macadamia nut oil till now. The first one works best. I also bought 2 ore creams to try later). Makes face much slippery, plus it's good for the skin. It even acts as aftershave, because the skin remains calm after the shavem
5) Not always: Add a few drops of glycerin or 2 pea size dabs of the previous cream into the lathering bowl and lather it more.
6) Apply lather on face and shave.
- Thread starter
- #30
Wow I couldn't believe how much advice I got from all the members here. I really appreciate all the contributions. I read all the posts and decided tonight to do things a little bit different. I got home from work (I work in a machine shop) and decided I would try a new approach. I took a 15 minute shower making sure I let the water really hydrate the hair, washed my face really good with Noxzema (I love the cooling feeling it gives), and started lathering for my shave. I ended getting one of the best shaves of my life. No irritation (although my neck is still healing from the last shave). It's incredible how big a difference a little bit of actual prep makes. Thanks for all the replies fellas.
Thanks for posting your routine
I'm pleased you got a good shave
Getting a nice close, irritation free shave is all in the prep work
Congrats on an irritation free shave! I'm still trying to get a totally irritation free shave. I use cold water generally and also do very little actual prep. I've tried Kyle's method (takes forever and had terrible irritation afterwards. Felt fantastic though) and showering before I shave (whiskers get too soft and lay against the skin on my neck where I get my irritation and razor bumps). My prep consists of rubbing cold water into my beard until it just softens, rub in Proraso White pre-shave cream, start working on getting soap into my brush, drip a little water on my face to keep it moist, then face lather and shave. I shower afterwards, alternating Noxzema and a face scrub with salicylic acid every other day. Finish with Thayer's Witch Hazel w/ Aloe after my shower or Lucky Tiger.
- Thread starter
- #34
The biggest tip I ever learned with regards to an irritation free shave was the most shallow angle possible that still cuts. Made a huge difference to me. I rarely get irritated now when shaving. The only time I do is if I have crappy lather or I rush things.
I wash my beard in the shower then make sure I keep it damp with a splash of water here and there until I apply the lather.
Evening shaver. Do the hot towel, then soap up with glycerine soap. Often use a pre-shave cream.
I am a morning shaver: Face wash with warm water, gentle scrub, preshave (Proraso or EJ), lather. Preshave between passes.
I have been convienced that in order to experience an irritation free morning shave, I need a proper evening face treatment: wash, toner, a bump prevention solution, serum, moisturizer. 2 cents.
I have been convienced that in order to experience an irritation free morning shave, I need a proper evening face treatment: wash, toner, a bump prevention solution, serum, moisturizer. 2 cents.
The first lather is very important. Working in with the brush for at least 3 minutes pays dividends so don't rush this part of the process.
WeAreLegion:
As an Afro-American (58), who has been wet-shaving for many, many years (
) ...these are the steps
I follow:
1. I found that using a natural bristle brush and Cetaphil Antibacterial Soap (including showering), to gently exfoliate my skin (and lift up ingrown hairs...it has the right amount of stiffness too), & 'softening' of my face the night before and before my morning shaving ritual.
NOTE: Also, if in-grown hairs are present, I gently 'coax & lift' the hair out from under the skin with a sterilized needle (more control you see). Then the hair can be shaved off (and not plucked out w/ tweezers so as to avoid scarring and possible recurrence).
2. Brush teeth.
2. Hot water and large washcloth prep (as hot as I can take) on face for 2-3 minutes.
3. Face lather (w/ either my B & B Essential Boar Gold Flake or 10th Anniversary Brush), with VDH Luxury Scented (addiction of glycerin and vintage Clubman Club Royal (before melting [nuking]), greatly increases the lubrication, cushion, glide and scent of my 'go-to' soap [i.e., Uberlather], or I use;
Arko Soap (melt a puck of VDH luxury Scented, add about 8 drops of glycerin and 8 drops of vintage Clubman Club Royal then pour it over a grated puck of Arko [again for Uberlather]).
4. Shave with my Merkur 38C w/ Voskhod blades...M-W-F & Sun (for Mass);
1st Pass (WTG i.e., downward)
5. Rinse face.
6. Re-lather
6. Shave - 2nd Pass (CTG i.e., across)
7. Rinse.
8. Touch-ups with razor if needed (my goal...a CCS).
9. Ice cold rinse (any nicks...I use my Clubman Jumbo Styptic Pencil Stylus Pen).
10. Shower (I find that my face gets 'puffy' if I shower after shaving...besides...it's so soothing and helps 'close up' the pores), & towel dry.
11. Apply deodorant.
12. Apply vintage Pinaud Club Royale, Naturelle Sec or Fleur de France, to face and body.
NOTE 1: I believe many of Pinuad's products can be 'drying' (because of it's alcohol content), upon the face and body, but I've found (by 'trial & error'...I started with 2 drops at first), the addition of about 8 drops of glycerin per 6oz bottle greatly increases the moisturizing and toning aspects with no 'stickiness or heaviness'.
NOTE 2: On special occasions (black-tie events, parties, ect...), my 'go-to' cologne is Polo Green.
"A good lather is half the shave". William Hone
P.S. And please don't forget The 7 P's of Shaving...Prepare, Patience, Pressure, Practice, Persistence, Post shave
and Passion.
As an Afro-American (58), who has been wet-shaving for many, many years (
I follow:
1. I found that using a natural bristle brush and Cetaphil Antibacterial Soap (including showering), to gently exfoliate my skin (and lift up ingrown hairs...it has the right amount of stiffness too), & 'softening' of my face the night before and before my morning shaving ritual.
NOTE: Also, if in-grown hairs are present, I gently 'coax & lift' the hair out from under the skin with a sterilized needle (more control you see). Then the hair can be shaved off (and not plucked out w/ tweezers so as to avoid scarring and possible recurrence).
2. Brush teeth.
2. Hot water and large washcloth prep (as hot as I can take) on face for 2-3 minutes.
3. Face lather (w/ either my B & B Essential Boar Gold Flake or 10th Anniversary Brush), with VDH Luxury Scented (addiction of glycerin and vintage Clubman Club Royal (before melting [nuking]), greatly increases the lubrication, cushion, glide and scent of my 'go-to' soap [i.e., Uberlather], or I use;
Arko Soap (melt a puck of VDH luxury Scented, add about 8 drops of glycerin and 8 drops of vintage Clubman Club Royal then pour it over a grated puck of Arko [again for Uberlather]).
4. Shave with my Merkur 38C w/ Voskhod blades...M-W-F & Sun (for Mass);
1st Pass (WTG i.e., downward)
5. Rinse face.
6. Re-lather
6. Shave - 2nd Pass (CTG i.e., across)
7. Rinse.
8. Touch-ups with razor if needed (my goal...a CCS).
9. Ice cold rinse (any nicks...I use my Clubman Jumbo Styptic Pencil Stylus Pen).
10. Shower (I find that my face gets 'puffy' if I shower after shaving...besides...it's so soothing and helps 'close up' the pores), & towel dry.
11. Apply deodorant.
12. Apply vintage Pinaud Club Royale, Naturelle Sec or Fleur de France, to face and body.
NOTE 1: I believe many of Pinuad's products can be 'drying' (because of it's alcohol content), upon the face and body, but I've found (by 'trial & error'...I started with 2 drops at first), the addition of about 8 drops of glycerin per 6oz bottle greatly increases the moisturizing and toning aspects with no 'stickiness or heaviness'.
NOTE 2: On special occasions (black-tie events, parties, ect...), my 'go-to' cologne is Polo Green.
P.S. And please don't forget The 7 P's of Shaving...Prepare, Patience, Pressure, Practice, Persistence, Post shave
and Passion.
Last edited:
I have a hot shower & usually rub some conditioner into my face. Apply some Prorasso red while Im making my lather. Finish shaving then rince my face with cold water, alum block then rince with cold water again. Pretty happy with the results so far.
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