Face Preparation

[willye]

There may already be a thread on this, and if so I apologize.

What do people do for face preparation before shaving? In looking through Youtube videos I've seen suggestions like taking a shower first, using a hot/wet towel. Also things like pre-shave oil and other preparations are mentioned.

What do you all do to get your face ready. I've finally got a good razor and I can tell that it will do the job but my first pass still feels a little rough and I feel like it could be more comfortable. How do you guys get your faces ready?

 

[BrushJockey]

I shower and shave within 5 minutes of leaving the shower.

 

[ajduplessis]

Hydrate the whisker during shower, or use towels for at least 3-5min. Then apply a quality lather that is wet, not moist or pasty but slick that shine wet. The rest is all technique and a keen edge.

 

[ScottChapin]

I hydrate my face with vey warm water prior to brushing my teeth and whipping up a very moist warm lather in a scuttle.

I then jump into the shower to thoroughly rinse any soap from my face. That’s followed by a cold water splash, alum, witch hazel, balm and AS.


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[6Cuda6]

Shower then shave after a rewarm of the whiskers with a hot cloth......best way for me as it seems shaving later in the day just doesnt feel as good.

 

[KW Driver]

a shower and face wash always feels better than any other type of hydrating prep for me. hydrating prep will always be a good thing, regardless of razor type used.

I tried oils a couple of times back in the days of DE shaving, and found no benefit from it. and it strikes me as counterproductive, considering the desire to hydrate the whiskers and face with prep and a lather. oil blocks the lather, and potentially gums up a brush, requiring more/better cleaning afterwards. theoretically, you could shave on just oil, like the Greeks and other cultures did.

if you're already a wet shaver transitioning to straights, keep doing what you're doing, but most straight shavers seem to prefer a generally wetter lather.

 

[musicman980]

I have a loose puck of MWF that I briefly rub on my face with a bit of hot water, then massage it in with my hands. Then I put a hot towel over that for a minute. Then I rub enough soap on my face to properly face lather, and with a full coat of soap on I cover it with a hot towel again for a minute or two. I then wipe that soap off and lather for the first pass.

My face seems to dry out fast, and this helped with that.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I usually shower immediately before shaving and do not dry my face. I don't use oils or preshaves or any of that stuff. If shower is not practical, I make some nice hot lather and brush it in good, let it stand, wipe off and brush up some more lather and then shave.

It is important to have slippery lather rather than fluffy cotton candy lather. With a DE you want more buffering. With a straight you want more lubrication.

Irritation is often caused by too steep a shave angle, or not stretching good enough. The angle is the culprit more than any other thing. A single spine thickness is enough gap between spine and skin. If you have to go much more than that for the razor to shave, your razor is DULL.

Speaking of which, you might perform one of the standard sharpness tests on the razor. It could be that it is not sharp enough.

 

[BJJ Shaver]

Try Proraso pre shave cream. I definitely notice the difference when I don’t use it. I shower before too.

 

[Roske]

Hot shower then shave. I use a pre shave oil, don’t notice a benefit just like the smell. Who knows maybe when I’m 70 I’ll have a youthful glow

 

[dmatcuk]

I shower before I shave and use a moisturizing face wash. If I have a few days growth, I will use the Proraso preshave cream as well. I simply spread it over my face then let it sit while I strop my razor. Just lather right over top of it and shave. Oils make my skin too slippery to get a good stretch. Like Slash said, you may need to stretch the skin a little more and make sure that your razor is sharp. A strop can round an edge pretty quick when you are just getting started. A wetter lather makes a difference too. I use a synthetic brush and soft soap from Chiseled Face, so nothing fancy with my lather. I have been getting some irritation lately, but I just switched to JNats for honing. I think my face is getting used to the sharpness.

 

[rs_776]

For me, nothing beats a hot shower before shaving. But that's not always possible.

If I am not showering before the shave, then a good thorough washing and a preshave oil or preshave cream like Proraso can be beneficial. When I first started SR shaving, this was a must.

Nowadays, I will use preshave treatments occasionally, but alternatively, I will lather up a thick cream or croap and let it soak in a bit, running the brush around my face periodically. Watch any Peter Charkalis video and you will see him doing this.

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[jmudrick]

It doesn't matter how you hydrate your beard as long as you do. At the sink or in the shower, whatever, as long as whiskers get 4 minutes +/- of hydration you're good. Warm water speeds hydration. Hot towels and very hot water aren't necessary and if too hot can result in skin issues. Soaps, oils, preshaves bla bla are all completely dependent on individual beard and skin condition and nobody can tell you what's gonna work best for you.

 

[willye]

That’s a lot of good advice.

As I tend to shower at night and shave in the morning, I’m going to try the wet towel. I had been using oil but y’all make a good point in that oil and water don’t mix and hydration seems to be key. Looking forward to tomorrow’s shave

 

[vartik]

I have tried many of the suggested methods like shower before shaving, hot towel etc and it wasnt bad. But, yesterday i tried to just run warm (like 38-39°C) water from shower over my head (I shave head only) for like 30-40 seconds. No soap or any kind of cleanser, just warm water and then lathered and shaved. It was the best shave in a long time!

 

[willye]

After reading all your great suggestions, what I wound up doing this morning was I washed my face in hot water then rubbed it really well with a hot, wet towel. I then lathered up without using the oil.

I did two passes. The first I lathered my entire face. The second I lathered/shaved in sections paying attention to spots that didn't look shaved.

Results: My shave was pretty good (my best yet). Not BBS as y'all so elegantly put it, but very presentable.

I think I'm getting there.

 

[ajduplessis]

After your shower you can also apply some hair conditioner to your wet beard that will further soften the hairs. I lather straight over the conditioner. This work great...

 

[B B]

There may already be a thread on this, and if so I apologize.

What do people do for face preparation before shaving? In looking through Youtube videos I've seen suggestions like taking a shower first, using a hot/wet towel. Also things like pre-shave oil and other preparations are mentioned.

What do you all do to get your face ready. I've finally got a good razor and I can tell that it will do the job but my first pass still feels a little rough and I feel like it could be more comfortable. How do you guys get your faces ready?

In order:

Shower
Liberal use of Stirling pre-shave oil ASAP after shower
Lather and shave with hot water ASAP. I try to use a wetter lather that is almost like yogurt. Having it be too dry is a pain. My soap preference is Oleo Soapworks. I also lather as needed, by section. This helps keep the lather from drying out.

Hot water rinse with towel
Alum block/styptic
Nivea Post-shave Balm
AS or beard oil.

Do note, I typically use a shavette and DE. I find they are sharp without the need to hone or strop, but I still get stubble or weepers if I get my angle wrong.

 

[StillShaving]

Water is key. I like to face lather for at least two minutes...maybe slightly less if shaving after a shower or longer if shaving before a shower.

 

[dundak]

Good lather worked in well is the best prep for me