Keep It Simple and Smooth!
PART I - Basic Mechanics and Chemistry
INTRODUCTION
Having read a lot of the posts in the clinic it is clear that there is no shortage of luxurious products that can be used for the simple act of sliding a blade across a surface with hair on it. This is great, if you have the money to spend on the exponentially increasing diminishing returns. But it also seems to fly in the face of the basic principles that hook men on classic shaving: a cheap, down to earth, and artistic method of shaving which gives all the control to the wielder of the blade.
Unfortunately the more expensive a product is does not necessarily mean the said product is better. And if there is a proven increase in quality it is often negligible. If there is an unproven and anecdotal improvement it will most likely be due to a placebo effect. The more one pays, the more one is likely to find themselves satisfied with the product, despite no quantifiable difference in product performance. This is the principle that allows many luxury industries in the more intangible (cosmetics, perfumes, etc.) fields to prosper despite minute improvements in quality.
If you choose to stop reading here, then take this away with you: mechanical products overall tend to make the biggest difference. The blade and razor and your motor skills will account for nearly all the difference in your shave. If you have problems that should be your starting point and ending point for corrections. Everything else accounts for a much smaller percentage of the shave, and a great deal of the differences in various pre-shave/soaps/gels/creams products are often times purely mental rather than quantifiable improvements. The only thing that matters is how efficiently they allow the mechanical actions to take place, and that requires very basic and inexpensive ingredients.
THE PRE-SHAVE
WARNING! SCIENCE CONTENT AHEAD!
It has been established that the most important aspects of the shave are the mechanical processes that take place. Like any other mechanical processes, appropriate lubrication and conditioning improve the efficiency of the process. The process for a DE shave is quite simple, a metal razor and blade come into contact with skin and hair at three different points:
That should illustrate the importance of the preparing the face and beard for the shave.
The focus of the pre-shave should first and foremost be providing a semi-permanent layer of lubrication for the shaving experience. This will help reduce irritation and injury. The second objective should be to soften the beard.
The lubrication is provided by the two substances that have provided every living organism with lubrication since the first amino acids formed billions of years ago: fats and water. These materials will allow the three razor points to slide across the plane without digging down and dragging.
The softening can easily be provided by any alkali base which weaken the structure of proteins. The reason a beard can be so coarse is due to the stronger bonding of keratin in the cuticle that surrounds the hair. Keratin as a protein will be weakened by alkalines. Alkalines will weaken H-bonding in the proteins and cause the cuticle to break apart and "relax."
Enter the mass of fancy products that are beloved across the shaving community for x, y, and z. Choice is an excellent luxury, but at the end of the day the working principle behind all these products will [should] be the same: provide the face with a film of fatty lubrication. And there's no shortage of fats. From grapeseed oil to stearic acid to extra virgin olive oil. In addition to that you will have some sort of alkali base such as an hydroxide which actually soften your hair. That is it. All the other ingredients make virtually no difference. In fact there is very little improvement between the performance of all the different fats for the simple application of shaving.
A NOTE on hair conditioner - hair conditioners provide the face with adequate lubrication, however due to their low pH (acidity), they will actually strengthen the hydrogen bonds between keratin molecules. This will in turn make the hair stronger.
A NOTE on oils - fats will NOT soften hair for the purposes of shaving, they will coat the cuticle and actually strengthen it. This coating effect smooths the hair, making it feel soft when it really is not.
THE LATHER
As stated above, by the time the 1-3 atom thick edge of the blade slides across the face, the foam is gone. The reason lather is applied to the face is to hydrate the beard, allowing the blade to slice through it without any dragging. Think of it as chopping a fresh carrot vs. running the carror under warm water and then slicing it.
On a microscopic level what is happening when a blade drags on a coarse or thick beard is this:
And that is literally what dragging and skipping is. The blade literally skips along your face! Hitting bump, excess force, skin. Hitting bump, excess force, skin. Rinse and repeat.
That is why a beard has to be lathered up before a shave, to provide additional softening to the beard to reduce irritation. That means the two most important factors for lather are this: hydrophilic agents that allow water to enter hair and of course water.
There is one substance out there that is not only one of the most hydrophilic in its class, but also an excellent alkaline that will further weaken the cuticle to allow even more water in.
PART II - Applying the Science
REVIEW
Quickly recapping the science and physics so far:
Up until now this article has largely stayed clear of heat. Why is heat so important to the shaving process? First, heat aids in the softening of the hair. How does it do that? Heat degrades hydrogen bonds. As a result it will soften the hair and also allow the alkaline agent to work for more efficiently.
In an ideal world if you wanted to shave, all you would need to do is apply an iron to your face, and your hair could be cut off by rubbing a piece of Play-Doh across your face. If you tried this in the real world, your skin would pull off in concert with your hair. So in practice...bad idea.
In fact, the process of shaving is complicated by the fact that we seek comfortable shaves. We apply hot water to smooth out the physical motions of the blade, and yet, that same water actually counteracts the heat by revitalizing its hydrogen bonds (if you've ever heard of women complaining of frizz and stubborn hair in humid conditions, that is because the H-bonds of hair have strengthened so much they've rendered the hair virtually unmalleable). So we are then forced to apply alkaline solutions to the hair to again break those hydrogen bonds, weakening the hair.
It is a fine balancing act, and that is why "Your Mileage May Vary" comes into play. For example if your water is slightly more acidic than usual it may create a net hair-strengthening effect, rendering useless the benefits of heat.
APPLYING THE SCIENCE - LUBRICATION
As mentioned earlier, one of the most important factors in the pre-shave is lubrication. There are a wide variety of products available that offer various solutions for lubrication, from creams to expensive concoctions of oils. Fortunately there is little difference in the "active ingredient" of these products. They are simply various fats mixed in various ways.
Although you can shell out $30+ on luxurious mitures of "pre-shave oils" and "shave oils" and "luxurious creams," the simple truth is you are paying $2 for fats/fatty acids (such as grapeseed oil or stearic acid) and $28+ for scents. To rub salt in the wound, the essential oils for those scents often times cost ~$3-5 for bottles of which only a drop or two will end up in the products. So that leaves you paying $30 for a mixture of something about $3 worth. As you might imagine, the profit margin of luxury cosmetics is quite high. The margin is not too far off from profits restaurants make from the syrups for soft drinks.
A perfect alternative to these overpriced, and often times empirically unproven high end products is something you may find in your cabinet, or at your local grocery store for $2 to $3. Mineral oil, or more commonly known as baby oil.
A NOTE on baby oil - if you exclusively seek mineral oil, be sure to check the ingredients on the bottle to make sure the baby oil is indeed from mineral oil. It is not uncommon to find Baby Oils made from lavender or other oils. See below for mineral oil benefits...
What sets mineral oil apart from the other oils such as olive oil, grapeseed oil, and other such herbal "unsaturated" oils, is that mineral oil is not acidic. In fact it is an inert substance, reacting with very few substances. Its uses range from hydraulics, to very complex and fragile machinery, to internal uses in humans as a laxative. And yes, even to soothe babies bottoms from diaper rash. It is also inexpensive and fulfills the role of lubricant perfectly. In addition mineral oil can act as a solvent for organic oil, which allows it to strip the
If you so desire you can always purchase essential oils such as eucalyptus or menthol and apply a drop or two to the BOTTLE of baby oil, and create your own scents. (If you do this on a per-shave basis, you just might knock yourself out with the strong scent. One or two drops of those oils is enough for a bottle of cologne). You can even purchase baby oils with aloe vera and special scents.
BREAK THE BOND
Hydrogen bonding is the enemy. As such the most important mechanism of action for any ingredient we apply to our beard should be the weakening and breaking of H-Bonds. Alkaline bases (not just bases) are what we need. The most popular and widely renowned shave creams with the best reputations in the shaving community contain a wide variety of alkaline substances: KOH (potassium hydroxide), NaOH (sodium hydroxide), sodium borate, etc. And often times because of the side-effects these chemicals have they are put together in counteracting mixtures. For example KOH will readily react with water resulting in a drying effect on the face. Sodium hydroxide cannot be used in too concentrated a quantity because it can burn through skin.
But it is one of the most common household substances that is a shaving magic bullet: sodium bicarbonate. You may know it as "baking soda" (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH BAKING POWDER, WHICH IS ACIDIC!) As a chemical engineer I cannot stress how remarkable a chemical sodium bicarbonate is. There is no self-respecting laboratory in the world that does not have containers of this substance at the ready. Its uses range from leavening agents in cooking to drastic reduction of carbon footprints in industrial settings.
So what makes baking soda so remarkable in terms of shaving?
This is where baking soda becomes an incredible chemical, especially for shaving. On top of softening hair for the shave, when the baking soda mixes with the mineral oil, it breaks the oil down to glycerin and fatty acids.
Reading the label of any shave soap or cream you will find that the most abundant substances in there are: glycerin and stearic acid. Glycerin is both a lubricant and a humectant (draws in moisture) and stearic acid which binds to your skin offering a semi-permanent layer of protection that will last the entire shave, this is that difficult to get off slick layer that remains on your skin after shaving.
In addition to all that, the baking soda is unique in that it is much more hydrophilic in relation to the other similar alkaline substances. Once the hair's cuticle is broken down it can enter the hair and absorb more moisture into the hair, which will make the shave much more comfortable.
And if that were not enough, because of its special characteristics, if the pH of your face is too high or too low, the baking soda can balance it.
Using two common and inexpensive products, you cover all the ingredients that actually matter in shaving, while eliminating a lot of the questionable chemicals that have little to no impact on the shave. These concoction products are nothing more than 5-blade plastic razors...the products of brilliant marketing.
HOW TO USE IT ALL
If you are not interested in building your own pre-shave and shave treatment, then hopefully the above chemistry and physics concepts will aid you in finding a product that actually contains what is needed to get a proper shave.
If you cannot live without your shave cream this may be a good compromise:
- Thoroughly wet beard with warm water or moist hot towel
- Add a tablespoon of baking soda to roughly 3/4 cup of hot water
- Apply the paste to face and let it sit for 5 minutes
- Rinse off all the paste, baking soda will cause burning sensation on cuts, but there is no
harm.
- Apply shave product and shave
If you want to take it a step further:
- Thoroughly wet beard with warm water or moist hot towel
- Add a tablespoon of baking soda to roughly 3/4 cup of hot water
- Apply the paste to face and let it sit for 5 minutes
- Rinse paste off face with warm water
- Mix some baking soda in with some mineral oil
- Apply to face and shave
If you truly understand that if you shave properly, there is no lather present when the blade gets to the cutting area...
- Thoroughly wet beard with warm water or moist hot towel
- Mix baking soda with mineral oil
- Apply to face and let sit for 5 minutes
- Lightly rinse off and shave...trust in the fatty acids and glycerin to allow the razor to glide
- Splash warm water on your face as needed for extra slickness
Or come up with your own routine that works best for you. That is the beauty of having all the essential tools at your disposal...it is a sandbox filled with sand. Just remember the basic ingredients you need for the pre-shave/shave products and work from there. If you want something more smelly, buy some essential oils and mix them in. If you don't like mineral oil, you can try other oils. Just make sure they're not too acidic. For instance if you want to use olive oil, make sure it's extra virgin.
If you think this is too much control, feel free to buy shave products. Because you know those essential ingredients for shaving. Just look for products that have them.
But what makes baking soda and baby oil so perfect is that their characteristics make them the granddaddy substances for all shave products.
That's all folks!
Hope you learned something!
-------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: This is a work in progress and will be proofread over time!
PART I - Basic Mechanics and Chemistry
INTRODUCTION
Having read a lot of the posts in the clinic it is clear that there is no shortage of luxurious products that can be used for the simple act of sliding a blade across a surface with hair on it. This is great, if you have the money to spend on the exponentially increasing diminishing returns. But it also seems to fly in the face of the basic principles that hook men on classic shaving: a cheap, down to earth, and artistic method of shaving which gives all the control to the wielder of the blade.
Unfortunately the more expensive a product is does not necessarily mean the said product is better. And if there is a proven increase in quality it is often negligible. If there is an unproven and anecdotal improvement it will most likely be due to a placebo effect. The more one pays, the more one is likely to find themselves satisfied with the product, despite no quantifiable difference in product performance. This is the principle that allows many luxury industries in the more intangible (cosmetics, perfumes, etc.) fields to prosper despite minute improvements in quality.
If you choose to stop reading here, then take this away with you: mechanical products overall tend to make the biggest difference. The blade and razor and your motor skills will account for nearly all the difference in your shave. If you have problems that should be your starting point and ending point for corrections. Everything else accounts for a much smaller percentage of the shave, and a great deal of the differences in various pre-shave/soaps/gels/creams products are often times purely mental rather than quantifiable improvements. The only thing that matters is how efficiently they allow the mechanical actions to take place, and that requires very basic and inexpensive ingredients.
THE PRE-SHAVE
WARNING! SCIENCE CONTENT AHEAD!
It has been established that the most important aspects of the shave are the mechanical processes that take place. Like any other mechanical processes, appropriate lubrication and conditioning improve the efficiency of the process. The process for a DE shave is quite simple, a metal razor and blade come into contact with skin and hair at three different points:
- The leading edge (teeth) of the blade
- The atom thick edge of the blade
- The trailing edge of the blade
That should illustrate the importance of the preparing the face and beard for the shave.
The focus of the pre-shave should first and foremost be providing a semi-permanent layer of lubrication for the shaving experience. This will help reduce irritation and injury. The second objective should be to soften the beard.
The lubrication is provided by the two substances that have provided every living organism with lubrication since the first amino acids formed billions of years ago: fats and water. These materials will allow the three razor points to slide across the plane without digging down and dragging.
The softening can easily be provided by any alkali base which weaken the structure of proteins. The reason a beard can be so coarse is due to the stronger bonding of keratin in the cuticle that surrounds the hair. Keratin as a protein will be weakened by alkalines. Alkalines will weaken H-bonding in the proteins and cause the cuticle to break apart and "relax."
Enter the mass of fancy products that are beloved across the shaving community for x, y, and z. Choice is an excellent luxury, but at the end of the day the working principle behind all these products will [should] be the same: provide the face with a film of fatty lubrication. And there's no shortage of fats. From grapeseed oil to stearic acid to extra virgin olive oil. In addition to that you will have some sort of alkali base such as an hydroxide which actually soften your hair. That is it. All the other ingredients make virtually no difference. In fact there is very little improvement between the performance of all the different fats for the simple application of shaving.
A NOTE on hair conditioner - hair conditioners provide the face with adequate lubrication, however due to their low pH (acidity), they will actually strengthen the hydrogen bonds between keratin molecules. This will in turn make the hair stronger.
A NOTE on oils - fats will NOT soften hair for the purposes of shaving, they will coat the cuticle and actually strengthen it. This coating effect smooths the hair, making it feel soft when it really is not.
THE LATHER
As stated above, by the time the 1-3 atom thick edge of the blade slides across the face, the foam is gone. The reason lather is applied to the face is to hydrate the beard, allowing the blade to slice through it without any dragging. Think of it as chopping a fresh carrot vs. running the carror under warm water and then slicing it.
On a microscopic level what is happening when a blade drags on a coarse or thick beard is this:
- The blade comes into contact with the tough cuticle of the bard
- As a result the initial amount of [inertia] energy required to move the blade is greater
- Once the cuticle is penetrated, because the hair is not a uniform structure, the blade blazes through the soft inner layers and the weaker inner side of the cuticle with the excess start energy
- Due to the excess energy at the start, the blades momentum carries it beyond the hair and into the skin where it stops.
- The skin is broken
And that is literally what dragging and skipping is. The blade literally skips along your face! Hitting bump, excess force, skin. Hitting bump, excess force, skin. Rinse and repeat.
That is why a beard has to be lathered up before a shave, to provide additional softening to the beard to reduce irritation. That means the two most important factors for lather are this: hydrophilic agents that allow water to enter hair and of course water.
There is one substance out there that is not only one of the most hydrophilic in its class, but also an excellent alkaline that will further weaken the cuticle to allow even more water in.
PART II - Applying the Science
REVIEW
Quickly recapping the science and physics so far:
- There are two goals for pre-shave prep: lubricating the face with a semi-permanent layer of lubrication, and softening the hair to minimize the amount of force required to cut through the hair
- There is one goal for the shave lather: further soften the beard or if already softened to full threshold, maintain softness.
- Alkaline bases degrade the H-bonds in keratin proteins found in the cuticle, softening the hair and allowing water to more readily absorb into the hair
- Lubrication reduces drag between razor and skin
- At the ideal shaving angle the razor guard will wipe away the lather before the blade even gets to that area of the skin.
Up until now this article has largely stayed clear of heat. Why is heat so important to the shaving process? First, heat aids in the softening of the hair. How does it do that? Heat degrades hydrogen bonds. As a result it will soften the hair and also allow the alkaline agent to work for more efficiently.
In an ideal world if you wanted to shave, all you would need to do is apply an iron to your face, and your hair could be cut off by rubbing a piece of Play-Doh across your face. If you tried this in the real world, your skin would pull off in concert with your hair. So in practice...bad idea.
In fact, the process of shaving is complicated by the fact that we seek comfortable shaves. We apply hot water to smooth out the physical motions of the blade, and yet, that same water actually counteracts the heat by revitalizing its hydrogen bonds (if you've ever heard of women complaining of frizz and stubborn hair in humid conditions, that is because the H-bonds of hair have strengthened so much they've rendered the hair virtually unmalleable). So we are then forced to apply alkaline solutions to the hair to again break those hydrogen bonds, weakening the hair.
It is a fine balancing act, and that is why "Your Mileage May Vary" comes into play. For example if your water is slightly more acidic than usual it may create a net hair-strengthening effect, rendering useless the benefits of heat.
APPLYING THE SCIENCE - LUBRICATION
As mentioned earlier, one of the most important factors in the pre-shave is lubrication. There are a wide variety of products available that offer various solutions for lubrication, from creams to expensive concoctions of oils. Fortunately there is little difference in the "active ingredient" of these products. They are simply various fats mixed in various ways.
Although you can shell out $30+ on luxurious mitures of "pre-shave oils" and "shave oils" and "luxurious creams," the simple truth is you are paying $2 for fats/fatty acids (such as grapeseed oil or stearic acid) and $28+ for scents. To rub salt in the wound, the essential oils for those scents often times cost ~$3-5 for bottles of which only a drop or two will end up in the products. So that leaves you paying $30 for a mixture of something about $3 worth. As you might imagine, the profit margin of luxury cosmetics is quite high. The margin is not too far off from profits restaurants make from the syrups for soft drinks.
A perfect alternative to these overpriced, and often times empirically unproven high end products is something you may find in your cabinet, or at your local grocery store for $2 to $3. Mineral oil, or more commonly known as baby oil.
A NOTE on baby oil - if you exclusively seek mineral oil, be sure to check the ingredients on the bottle to make sure the baby oil is indeed from mineral oil. It is not uncommon to find Baby Oils made from lavender or other oils. See below for mineral oil benefits...
What sets mineral oil apart from the other oils such as olive oil, grapeseed oil, and other such herbal "unsaturated" oils, is that mineral oil is not acidic. In fact it is an inert substance, reacting with very few substances. Its uses range from hydraulics, to very complex and fragile machinery, to internal uses in humans as a laxative. And yes, even to soothe babies bottoms from diaper rash. It is also inexpensive and fulfills the role of lubricant perfectly. In addition mineral oil can act as a solvent for organic oil, which allows it to strip the
If you so desire you can always purchase essential oils such as eucalyptus or menthol and apply a drop or two to the BOTTLE of baby oil, and create your own scents. (If you do this on a per-shave basis, you just might knock yourself out with the strong scent. One or two drops of those oils is enough for a bottle of cologne). You can even purchase baby oils with aloe vera and special scents.
BREAK THE BOND
Hydrogen bonding is the enemy. As such the most important mechanism of action for any ingredient we apply to our beard should be the weakening and breaking of H-Bonds. Alkaline bases (not just bases) are what we need. The most popular and widely renowned shave creams with the best reputations in the shaving community contain a wide variety of alkaline substances: KOH (potassium hydroxide), NaOH (sodium hydroxide), sodium borate, etc. And often times because of the side-effects these chemicals have they are put together in counteracting mixtures. For example KOH will readily react with water resulting in a drying effect on the face. Sodium hydroxide cannot be used in too concentrated a quantity because it can burn through skin.
But it is one of the most common household substances that is a shaving magic bullet: sodium bicarbonate. You may know it as "baking soda" (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH BAKING POWDER, WHICH IS ACIDIC!) As a chemical engineer I cannot stress how remarkable a chemical sodium bicarbonate is. There is no self-respecting laboratory in the world that does not have containers of this substance at the ready. Its uses range from leavening agents in cooking to drastic reduction of carbon footprints in industrial settings.
So what makes baking soda so remarkable in terms of shaving?
- It is safe, having been in use since the ancient Egyptians
- It is hydrophillic
- It is gentle on the face
- It is actually neither acidic nor basic exclusively, it can be both depending on the situation. Mixed with water it produces an alkaline solution.
- It exfoliates and cleanses the face
- It breaks down proteins by breaking H-bonds
- It breaks down oils
This is where baking soda becomes an incredible chemical, especially for shaving. On top of softening hair for the shave, when the baking soda mixes with the mineral oil, it breaks the oil down to glycerin and fatty acids.
Reading the label of any shave soap or cream you will find that the most abundant substances in there are: glycerin and stearic acid. Glycerin is both a lubricant and a humectant (draws in moisture) and stearic acid which binds to your skin offering a semi-permanent layer of protection that will last the entire shave, this is that difficult to get off slick layer that remains on your skin after shaving.
In addition to all that, the baking soda is unique in that it is much more hydrophilic in relation to the other similar alkaline substances. Once the hair's cuticle is broken down it can enter the hair and absorb more moisture into the hair, which will make the shave much more comfortable.
And if that were not enough, because of its special characteristics, if the pH of your face is too high or too low, the baking soda can balance it.
Using two common and inexpensive products, you cover all the ingredients that actually matter in shaving, while eliminating a lot of the questionable chemicals that have little to no impact on the shave. These concoction products are nothing more than 5-blade plastic razors...the products of brilliant marketing.
HOW TO USE IT ALL
If you are not interested in building your own pre-shave and shave treatment, then hopefully the above chemistry and physics concepts will aid you in finding a product that actually contains what is needed to get a proper shave.
If you cannot live without your shave cream this may be a good compromise:
- Thoroughly wet beard with warm water or moist hot towel
- Add a tablespoon of baking soda to roughly 3/4 cup of hot water
- Apply the paste to face and let it sit for 5 minutes
- Rinse off all the paste, baking soda will cause burning sensation on cuts, but there is no
harm.
- Apply shave product and shave
If you want to take it a step further:
- Thoroughly wet beard with warm water or moist hot towel
- Add a tablespoon of baking soda to roughly 3/4 cup of hot water
- Apply the paste to face and let it sit for 5 minutes
- Rinse paste off face with warm water
- Mix some baking soda in with some mineral oil
- Apply to face and shave
If you truly understand that if you shave properly, there is no lather present when the blade gets to the cutting area...
- Thoroughly wet beard with warm water or moist hot towel
- Mix baking soda with mineral oil
- Apply to face and let sit for 5 minutes
- Lightly rinse off and shave...trust in the fatty acids and glycerin to allow the razor to glide
- Splash warm water on your face as needed for extra slickness
Or come up with your own routine that works best for you. That is the beauty of having all the essential tools at your disposal...it is a sandbox filled with sand. Just remember the basic ingredients you need for the pre-shave/shave products and work from there. If you want something more smelly, buy some essential oils and mix them in. If you don't like mineral oil, you can try other oils. Just make sure they're not too acidic. For instance if you want to use olive oil, make sure it's extra virgin.
If you think this is too much control, feel free to buy shave products. Because you know those essential ingredients for shaving. Just look for products that have them.
But what makes baking soda and baby oil so perfect is that their characteristics make them the granddaddy substances for all shave products.
That's all folks!
Hope you learned something!
-------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: This is a work in progress and will be proofread over time!
Last edited:
