B&B is basically just a learning area based on multiple scattered case reports and expert opinion so I decided to cut to the chase and lay out the info in a concise format. Hope this may benefit those of you who are looking to improve your shaves and aren't sure what else you can add.
Beard Preparation Starts the Night Before
Purpose
To answer the question: Does a nightly face and neck maintenance routine enhance morning beard preparation and shave quality?
This reports on anecdotal evidence that I have noticed based on my personal shaving experiences. I should preface that I shave in the morning, not at night.
Study Design
Case report (Level 5 evidence)
Evidence collected over a period of 3 years (2009-2012)
Materials & Methods
Every night before bed I perform a routine where I
1) Wash my face and neck (Cerave foaming facial cleanser)
2) Then apply Anthony Logistics ingrown hair treatment gel generously over my beard area and
3) Then apply a facial moisturizer (Cerave PM facial moisturizing lotion) all over my face and beard area
I'm very consistent on this regimen but there are some nights when I don't do this before going to sleep. In the morning I shave with the same routine every time, including the same pre-shave prep. I perform this shave routine in the morning regardless of my nightly routine, so I can ignore the pre-shave prep for the purposes of comparing the two nightly situations. I compared the morning shave quality/outcome based on whether or not I performed the maintenance routine the night before.
Ingredients of products used in the study
Ingredients that might be most important to shave prep effect are highlighted
Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser:
Purified Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Terastearate and PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Niacinamide, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Ceramide 3, Ceramide 6-II, Ceramide I, Hyaluronic Acid, Cholesterol, Sodium Chloride, Phytosphingosine, Citric Acid, Edetate Disodium, Dihydrate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum
Anthony Logistics Ingrown Hair Treatment:
Water (Aqua Purificata) Purified, SD Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Glycolic Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ammonium Hydroxide, Phytic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Blue 1 (CI 42090), Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Saccharaide Isomerate, Lavendula Angustifolia (Lavendar) Oil, Yellow 5 (CI 019140)
Cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion:
Purified Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Niacinamide, Behentrimonium Methosulfae and Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20 and Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceramide 3, Ceramide 6-II, Ceramide 1, Phytosphingosine, Hyaluronic Acid, Cholesterol, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Potassium Phosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum
Results
I have noticed a significant difference in the quality of shave when I perform the maintenance routine the night before. Most of this has to do with the smoothness of the shave. When I don't do the routine before bed, the morning shave is relatively rough and I have an increase in weepers and razor burn. When I do the routine the night before, the morning shave is silky smooth and there is less (read basically zero) weepers or razor burn. These outcomes occurred consistently over a period of 3 years and I have noticed a near perfect correlation between ease of morning shave and whether or not I performed a face & neck maintenance routine the night before.
Conlusion
The skin prep from the night before appears to contribute a significant amount to preparation for a morning shave as the products have been sitting on your face for hours to do their work.
Discussion
Mechanism of action:
1) Moisturizing
2) Exfoliating (from glycolic, phytic and salicylic acids in the Anthony Logistics ingrown hair treatment)
It's a combination of these two factors but I need to experiment with isolating one factor and then the other to see if one weighs more heavily in the overall effect.
Now, I don't know if this would apply to everybody but I'm sure a lot of people could benefit from this especially if you are noticing that your shaves aren't consistently up to the level that you would like them to be at. This could be something additional you could try. Another thing is that I don't think the specific products I used have any special effect. I'm sure its just the general principles of washing, moisturizing and exfoliating that gives the benefit multiplied by the time that the products sit on your face overnight. You might need to experiment with different products in your specific situation to see a significant benefit.
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