What's new

First DE shave routine?

Hello all,

New here, so go easy on me if this has been beaten to death :). Did some searching, but found mixed advice...

Have a DE89 hopefully coming in tomorrow, also ordered the EJ soaps and brush. I see some recommend keeping the usual routine for the first few DE shaves, like same canned cream as before, etc, switching to soap and such after technique is established. Any reason not to use the new soap for the first time, as long as a good lather is made?

I also don't know about showering before a shave, seems like it'd steam everything up so bad I won't be able to see what in doing. Have always shaved before showering and with no prep (no hot towels, etc), but have also only been able to shave once a week since I've been shaving. Any more than once weekly and I get too much irritation :(. Hopefully the new razor and soap takes care of that :).

So, should I keep the usual routine and see how it works, or start differently?

Thanks all, sorry for the "newbie" questions :)

Joe
 
Hi joe! I'm pretty new too but when I got all if my me traditional wet shaving gear I pitched all if my canned goop and gillette fusion in the trash and started a new era of shaving fresh. I shave after a shower and leave the door open to reduce steam on the mirror. I haven't had any problems with not being able to see.

My routine is as follows (keep in mind I'm still learning): hot shower and face wash with CeraVe hydrating face wash. I don't rinse this off until the end of the shower. After the shower wet my brush and do a quick face lather and soak a towel in hot water. I hold the towel to my beard over the lather for a few minutes and then wipe clean. Now I work up a good lather on my face and do a WTG pass, rinse and lather and do a north to south pass (close to XTG, my hairs run in different directions). Rinse and lather one last time and go ATG on my cheeks and chin only. XTG on my upper lip and just some light touch up on my neck (most sensitive part). Clean my brush off and rinse with cold water. Pat dry and add a Nivea sensitive skin face balm. All done!! Hope this helped a little.

-jwray
 
Thanks for the info, excited to try this :)

Now I just hope USPS doesn't drop the ball and it gets here tomorrow.

I hear you on the phone typing. My RAZR MAXX is great, but misspells crap all the time lol...

Thanks again,

Joe
 
I think you'll enjoy your de89. I have a Mühle r89 and they have the same head. Pretty good for beginners. Not too aggressive. I'm trying out Astra sp blades and think they are pretty good. Wasn't too high on the merkurs that came with my razor. Good luck with your shaving and use B&B lots. There are so many nice and knowledgable guys here that love to help answer any questions you have.
 
Thanks :).

Yeah, this site is great. Didn't know anything like this existed, wish I'd found it years ago. Just happened to Google shaving irritation a few days ago and learned about the safety razor being better for it, and then found B&B. Tried to do as much research as I could before making a razor and soap choice...

Lots of good feedback on the DE89, especially for beginners like me. Plan to use the included Derby blades, also said to be good for beginners. Hopefully I don't hack myself too badly lol, have been reading up on no pressure, etc.

Joe
 
Yep! You'll be fine but don't get discouraged if you get a few nicks. They are bound to happen. Id also recommend a sampler pack of blades from amazon or a shaving website like west coast shaving. Try several out to see what works best for you. And it's not very expensive. I got like 60 blades for $15
 
Don't over think it. Guys have been doing this for generations and we would have given up if it was all that difficult.

If you can make good lather, go ahead and use that for your first shave. I have recently taken to recommending that a guy either start making lather while still using his old razor (if it's not electric) or continue using the canned goo for the first few DE shaves. It cuts down on the new things you have to learn for those first few outings.

Showering before shaving or doing a fairly extensive preparation makes a world of difference. I used to shave first so that the shower could wash away the blood. Now I don't have that problem. Proper hydration of your whiskers really does help. Just wipe off the mirror if it steams up.

One recommendation is to apply the lather and wait for a couple of minutes. Apply your deoderant or brush your hair or something. Then apply a second coat before making your first pass with the razor. Apply more lather between passes.

Your first few shaves might not be as good as you were getting with your old razor, but it should come together after a few attempts.
 
Thanks for the good tips Paul :).

So if showering first, just rinse after shaving? No need to wash afterward? I tend to break out fairly easily, so I'm assuming the shave soap residue won't cause any issues?

Thanks,

Joe
 
Don't over think it. Guys have been doing this for generations and we would have given up if it was all that difficult.

If you can make good lather, go ahead and use that for your first shave. I have recently taken to recommending that a guy either start making lather while still using his old razor (if it's not electric) or continue using the canned goo for the first few DE shaves. It cuts down on the new things you have to learn for those first few outings.

Showering before shaving or doing a fairly extensive preparation makes a world of difference. I used to shave first so that the shower could wash away the blood. Now I don't have that problem. Proper hydration of your whiskers really does help. Just wipe off the mirror if it steams up.

One recommendation is to apply the lather and wait for a couple of minutes. Apply your deoderant or brush your hair or something. Then apply a second coat before making your first pass with the razor. Apply more lather between passes.

Your first few shaves might not be as good as you were getting with your old razor, but it should come together after a few attempts.
This is good advice. At the least concentrate on one aspect of your shave until you get comfortable doing it. Then move to the next problem, etc. You can begin wet shaving all at once, but changing just one thing at a time is better.
 
Top Bottom