Cold water shaving
- Thread starter CurtisB81
- Start date
I've tried several times, based on some enthusiastic encouragement here. I don't think I've got a particularly tough beard, but without the heat from a shower or a warm wet towel, I just get too much tugging. It's like trying to shave with a really dull blade.
What kind of prep are people doing to get satisfactory cold water shaves?
What kind of prep are people doing to get satisfactory cold water shaves?
Try proraso pre-shave (I’m using green one while cold shaving)
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
I like to rinse with cold water myself and it calms the skin after each possibly, it just feels refreshing and stimulating. Some times I will rinse final suds with warm water and then right back to my cold rinse. Doctors claim it is healthier to use cold water from my limited research. Makes sense that our ancestors used only cold water for thousands of years prior.
A decent (stirling, paa) pre shave soap works great but I like cold in the summer warm in the winter lather.
I shaved with cold water extensively. When I switched back to warm water the shaves were immeasurably better. A soft, well hydrated whisker is much easier to cut than a hard one.
Here is a thread that goes back to 2010 and contains numerous posts about cold water shaving.
Cold water shaving- it works - http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=168069
Cold water shaving- it works - http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=168069
I do lukewarm water pretty much all year. When it is cold outside, I don't want cold cold water, and when it's hot outside (about 10 months of the year here), my tap water is not cold. It does prevent or reduce irritation for me. And I do rinse with the pure cold even in January.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
I had many cold water shaves over recent months, as my boiler was broken, and I was avoiding having contractors in to repair it, due to Covid-19. I was forced to let them in though, as my landlord was required by law to carry out an annual gas safety check, and for that the boiler needed to be working.
While cold water shaves did the job, there was a MASSIVE improvement in the calibre of the shaves when I returned to hot water shaving. The lather feels better, the skin feels in better condition afterwards, and even blade life has improved, taking me back to a minimum of 10-14 shaves per blade, instead of struggling to get beyond 6-8 shaves.
While cold water shaves did the job, there was a MASSIVE improvement in the calibre of the shaves when I returned to hot water shaving. The lather feels better, the skin feels in better condition afterwards, and even blade life has improved, taking me back to a minimum of 10-14 shaves per blade, instead of struggling to get beyond 6-8 shaves.
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
I much prefer cold water, the colder the better. The shave is closer and smoother with warm or hot water, but there is something about cold water that I prefer. In any case, the closeness of the finished shave is of no importance to me.
I did a few cold water shaves last summer with Old Types and Proraso Green Pre/shave soap, but added ice to the too-warm VA "cold tap water" to compensate. I went for the trifecta: mixing cold water, menthol and an Old Type loaded with an off-brand vintage carbon blade and a steep angle approach (put the Old Type comb perpendicular to my skin and shaved). Call it tugging (it didn't hurt), but it sounded like I was snapping off little frozen tree trunks with every stroke. The menthol and cold water numbed and reduced the irritation, so it wasn't bad, just different. Mixing winter temps with cold water and menthol may be too daunting, but now that it's winter, I need to do another with Proraso Green Pre/shave soap with either a GEM 1912 / Lather Catcher or an Old Type. My best cold water shave was last 4th of July. It was a steep angle cold water "Trench Shave" with my US Army Old Type/vintage carbon blade. It was reminiscent of a shave in the trenches 102 years ago because mid shave, the neighbors started setting off mortar "star shell" fireworks and firecrackers. With the room illuminated by the exploding fireworks, it was like 1918, preparing to go over the top; striving to get a shave close enough to ensure a good seal on my gas mask...
I think the warm water improve skin slickness and cold water makes skin almost rude.
Done cold water once never again for me, found it tuff going on firmer cold skin.
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I like cool tap water in the summer. Never paid attention to the quality of the shave.
I switched to cold water shaving a couple of years ago to address irritation problems on my neck. I haven't had any irritation problems since. The feel of the cold steel on my face was a bonus.
I cold water shave year round, I've been doing it for years now. I get none of the irritation on my neck with cold water shaving that I did with warm or hot water.
I really made a positive improvement for me but we cold water shavers are definitely in the minority on B&B!
I really made a positive improvement for me but we cold water shavers are definitely in the minority on B&B!
I do like a cold water shave every now and then. If I'm using cold water I do no prep other than wet my face but with hot water I'm all about shower, face scrub and PSO. For some reason the best cold shave results are when I use a menthol cream.
I tried to switch to cold water but whilst the shaves on their own were good I start to get irritation a few shaves in so just have the odd one.
I tried to switch to cold water but whilst the shaves on their own were good I start to get irritation a few shaves in so just have the odd one.
No.
I've been a cold shaver for around 4 months now and it has improved my shaving a lot. Washing my face with cold water right after the warm shower isn't very pleasant, but the results are speaking for themselves and i'm not going back. People that doesn't have any skin problems especially on the neck probably won't find any reason to do it, but those with issue will definitely find an improvement.
The first time I tried a cold shave it was horrid - as in why-did-i-do-this-to-my-poor-face sort of bad. At that point I was also shaving after a shower.
I have had a lot of shaves since then, and have since found that I do much much better shaving before the shower, not after. A couple of months ago I realized that warm/hot water was irritating my skin a bit. Not a lot, but it was noticable. So I figured I should try a cold shave again, even if only to make a comparison. I found it was amazing. As for pre-shave? I dont need it any more. I'm not at all convinced on the whole softened stubble is easier to cut thing. My experience has been the opposite to some extent, and certainly have seen that warm softened skin is much easier to cut...
As always, YMMV.
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I have had a lot of shaves since then, and have since found that I do much much better shaving before the shower, not after. A couple of months ago I realized that warm/hot water was irritating my skin a bit. Not a lot, but it was noticable. So I figured I should try a cold shave again, even if only to make a comparison. I found it was amazing. As for pre-shave? I dont need it any more. I'm not at all convinced on the whole softened stubble is easier to cut thing. My experience has been the opposite to some extent, and certainly have seen that warm softened skin is much easier to cut...
As always, YMMV.
Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk
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