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Cold water shave: my first, most likely not the last

Enablers,

I’ve heard of the cold water shave, but never tried it, that is, until today.

In the northeast United States, we have experienced a sweltering heat wave. And while the heat may have subsided, I was as drenched as Fred Astaire in “Singing in the Rain” at 11 am after I returned for an hour long walk with the dog.

After the shower, I decided to try a cold water shave. I’ll tell you fellas what I did, the hardware and software used, and my experience.

First, because you all want to the answer of “what did you use?” I’ll go there first:

Razor: Rockwell 2C, plate 3
Blade: Feather
Brush: Kent P4 Finest Badger
Soap: LaToja shave stick
Alum bloc: Osma
Aftershave splash: Soap Smooth Barbershop

Here was my method:

I came out of the shower and took the shave stick to my face. I decided on LaToja for a few reasons: 1) it’s magical properties of the salts; 2) I thought the shave stick would be simpler than bowl lathering and; 3) I have 15+ Soaps and I knew this would be easy to lather and refreshing in such a humid climate.

I wet my little lucite Kent P4 with cold water and shook it out 4 times and then went to to the face. I added a few drops of cold water to the brush to get it a little shinier and less thick, but it lathered like a charm

I then wet the new Feather blade, again with cold, New England tap water and took it to my face. When the combination of the blade and safety bar crossed my face, it was cool, surprising and refreshing.

I conducted a three pass shave, with plenty of lovely lather for three. I followed the shave, as I always do with a rinse to remove the extra soap, this time cold, and followed that with the alum. I rinsed off the alum with cold water, as I usually do and applied the Soap Smooth, aftershave splash.

I typically apply moisturizer, but didn’t today because I have been so sweaty, and figured it would be overkill. I selected the soap smooth because it has wich hazel, alcohol and lanolin in it. Typically, I use Thayer’s post alum and my go to splash is Pitralon classic (German).

I really liked it. I would not do it daily, but those days when it’s hot and humid, it is perfect. I used a badger, because I was leery about cold soaking a boar. I also know this is a good face lathering brush with a little scritch— I wanted that today. I loved the feeling of the cold metal on a humid day. It was as refreshing as a hot blade and warm lather in the winter. Next time I may go with the witch hazel and a different splash

Curious, what your experience is with the cold water shave.

Thanks for reading.
 
I’ve been cold water shaving about once a week lately and it is very refreshing after a hot day!

The one thing I always do that you may want to try is using a soap/cream/aftershave with menthol. Earlier this week I Superlathered with Fine Snakebite & Palmolive Menthol then followed that up with the Snakebite aftershave.
 
Cold water shaves can be fine indeed. I like mine with Proraso Green occasionally for the menthol kick.

I do find that it is a but more difficult to soften and hydrate the stubble with a cold water shave, but the positive side of the trade off is that cold water shaves are less prone to irritation for me.

I mostly do warm water still, but I throw in a cold water shave off and on during the hotter days.
 
I like the cold water shave, but truthfully I'm not a total convert, maybe a hybrid convert. Whether I shower first or not, the first step in prepping my stubble is a warm water wash with a gylcerin face soap working up a good sudsy coating. From there, the shave soap of my choice and cold water rinse after each pass with a long cold water rinse after the final pass. I find the cold water rinses tighten the skin and soothes minor irritations. IMHO the extra long final cold rinse really sets me up for any AS or balm I throw at my face.
 
I’ve been cold water shaving about once a week lately and it is very refreshing after a hot day!

The one thing I always do that you may want to try is using a soap/cream/aftershave with menthol. Earlier this week I Superlathered with Fine Snakebite & Palmolive Menthol then followed that up with the Snakebite aftershave.
Thanks. I have proraso green.
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
I’d love to cold water shave. But the cold water coming out of my tap is warm. To darn hot out!
 
I do love cold water shaves! But it depends on the season, summers are cold water shaves winters are hot, springs and falls are warm water shaves, usually all menthol related for summer, springs I use flowery, fresh scents, falls is mainly sweet scents, and winters are for woodsy, spice scents, I mean, there is a reason why the different seasons, right?
 
Brooklynsalt, i’m on the same page 100%. I considered posting the same kind of thread because like you i’m in the northeast (CT) and going through the heatwave, and i also tried a cold shave for the first time and really loved it. I think fom now on when the weather gets hot it’s a cold shave for me.

Surprisingly refreshing and the perfect end to a sweltering day. What’s funny is I noticed that i have markedly less irritation from a blade i’m using and not too fond of (Rockwell). I’ve always taken my shower post shave because showering preshave gave me more irritation. The cold water shave really reinforced the validity that hot water doesn’t do any favors for my face before shaving.

With that said, i’ll still be hot water shaving in the winter. A cold water shave in a northeast winter just wouldn’t work. Thanks for the post!
 

Rhody

I'm a Lumberjack.
Great write up
I rinse with cold
Did you fill the sink with cold water or rinse the razor under the tap?
 
Does it change how you build thr lather or is water water?

It seems like it's more in the technique. When I hit a really good lather it's because I've got the right amount of water and have the brush loaded adequately. I use a synthetic from Razorock to face lather and it generally performs well with the biggest variable being me and the soap/cream in use.
 
Cold water shaves can be fine indeed. I like mine with Proraso Green occasionally for the menthol kick.

I do find that it is a but more difficult to soften and hydrate the stubble with a cold water shave, but the positive side of the trade off is that cold water shaves are less prone to irritation for me.

I mostly do warm water still, but I throw in a cold water shave off and on during the hotter days.

I should have mentioned that the legendary sharp Feather was somewhat tamed by the cold water. In simple terms, it didn’t feel as sharp on my face.
 
I have read many posts regarding cold water shaves. Never tried it, and doubt that I will. I can't imagine putting a cold metal razor to the face.
 
It seems for me to drag the hairs from my face, but I don't blame the cold water for this.

Much less irritations, very good post shave feel, no easy nicks and no razor burn.
 
Does it change how you build thr lather or is water water?
I do not think the temperature of the water affects the lather, but with hard soaps I have found that if I bloom the soap with hot water and live it alone for half an hour or so till it cools on its own, the soap is soft enough on the surface to load and build a lather with cold water with no problem whatsoever, but I shave in the afternoon/evening, I can see this being a problem for morning shavers as they dont have the time to bloom a soap for half an hour
 
I've been cold water shaving this week with my Merkur 34c HD and one shim.

Nice. The first lather and the first pass are slightly challenging, but lathers and passes 2 and 3 are fine.

I notice I do not get weepers when cold water shaving. That too is nice.
 
Summer is cold water

Winter is scuttles.

Sort of like 4th of July and Santa. They all have their seasons.
 
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