Beard Prep?

[tjsgarden]

Just lather up, leave it on your face for 3-5 minutes, then rinse and re-lather. You'll be surprised how improved your shaves will be!

+1...This is currently my basic strategy.

 

[Lefonque]

Hot shower and the use PAA Cube. Softens the whiskers up a treat.

 

[musicman1951]

Every face is different. There is no way to escape the experimenting in this area.

My routine is to shower first. I wet my face for about 15 seconds at the start of the shower and keep it wet until I shave. When shampooing my hair I wash my face and leave the soap lather on while I finish the hair stuff.

And that information is freely given and totally useless for you. A lot of people benefit from pre-shaves, but they do nothing for me. I read a post where one shaver fount nirvana by lathering his face and leaving it for 10 minutes. I'm sure it worked for him, but the only thing it did for me was waste 10 minutes.

So try anything (that's reasonable - no hot tar). Experiment with the method and the time. You may find that 3 minutes of something is just as good as 10 for your face.

You'll never know until you try, so enjoy the journey.

 

[Benzadmiral]

I have noticed over the years people who use a hot towel generally are not using it on a lathered face.
Barbers lather the face, apply the hot towel over the lather and let sit, remove the towel and all remaining lather then Re- lather and begin the shave.
Have any of you employed the towel over lather or just a wet towel?

I've tried it both ways, and I can't notice much difference in my whiskers or the quality of my shave. Both are good.

I've been shaving before my shower in the last couple of months, usually after my morning workout. I wash my entire face and throat with soap -- either some Dial face-and-hand soap, or one of my shave soaps. Rinse; leave face and throat wet. Then I apply a little shave soap as a pre-shave while I run the lukewarm water into the sink and mix it with baking soda for slipperiness. I rinse that soap coating off with the slippery water, then apply either the same stuff, or a cream, or even a different soap, and lather on my throat and face. After 3 minutes' wait to let the soap/cream soak into the bristles, I wield the razor of the day.

My shaves have rarely been better.

 

[DaveHStone]

Hot shower followed by a thin layer of Aloe Vera as a pre-shave.

Aloe Vera what?

Asking, as AV extract is an ingredient used in countless products, it's not a stand alone stuff you can apply on your face on its own.

 

[Peterv1]

My usual prep

Shower
Face wash (neutrogena)
Use some of the soap's lather as pre shave
Brush lather
Shave

 

[JCarr]

Shower followed by cold water splash followed by some form of pre-shave...OPR soap, Cremo, Pinaud Clubman Classic Barber shave cream...all of these act as a slickener for the first pass.

 

[cryhavoc]

Aloe Vera what?

Asking, as AV extract is an ingredient used in countless products, it's not a stand alone stuff you can apply on your face on its own.

If you have the Aloe plant you can cut it and rub it on the face. It works for sunburns well that way but not sure how the OP meant it.

 

[Lad]

Aloe Vera what?

Asking, as AV extract is an ingredient used in countless products, it's not a stand alone stuff you can apply on your face on its own.

I should have been more specific. I use the stuff below. Put a thin layer on while I'm doing other things, getting ready to shave. I got the idea from Ron R's post on another thread. It's worked well for me.

 

[DaveHStone]

I should have been more specific. I use the stuff below. Put a thin layer on while I'm doing other things, getting ready to shave. I got the idea from Ron R's post on another thread. It's worked well for me.
View attachment 1272592

It's a moisturizer, I see.

This stuff will typically be applied AFTER the shave, as it's a nutrient and skin-toner.

Applying it as PRE shave, while certainly doesn't hurt, is a waste IMHO. You'd be better off using a glycerin soap, a PAA Cube or simply a better shaving soap or cream.

 

[Dominic]

Anybody use a hot towel as a prep, how long do you leave it on your face if you do so?

If I'm going for a leisurely or luxurious shave, I will lather up and put the warm towel on my face until it starts to cool off. I would guess 30 seconds to a minute. Then wipe the lather off with the towel, apply warm water to my face and lather up again and shave. (If I happened to really enjoy that warm towel, I might repeat that before I shave.)

 

[tamahagane]

I always shave cold. Much less stressful for the skin and also less likely to cut myself.
My approach is to spend more time working in the soap with the brush than actually shaving, 3 minutes sufficies for daily shaves. Works every time except if I pick a poor soap or cream (e.g. Noxzema or any el-cheapo-more-silicone-than-fats products).

 

[David John]

Well, I just bought a Towel Steamer, should be here Sunday. Will add to my beard prep, though probably not on a daily basis cause of the time it might add to my overall experience. But if it works out, I certainly can see it as one of those 'treat myself' kind of moments.