So I’ve recently taken up shaving again after about a 12 year absence. Previously I only ever used a Mach 3 with Gillette gel and never had any issues. Now I’m my 30’s I’ve been wanting a cleaner look and enjoy the ritual of shaving. To get back into it I’ve gone from disposables and shaving gel, to a more premium Gillette Sensitive razor and I’ve been experiencing ingrown hairs where I never did before. I’ve never had any irritation or ingrown hairs before, and it’s been really frustrating trying to get back to comfortable and clean shaves.
After doing lots of research I decided to move to DE in the hopes that single blade would help. I bought a Merkur Progress after some research (in the hopes that I could temper the learning curve with the lower settings), and because I live in Asia I got some feather blades at a very good price (though I now realize this may have been a mistake).
My routine is as follows:
- Exfoliate with a rubber exfoliating pad with bristles.
- Shower and wash face with salicylic acid face wash.
- Wait for hair to soften.
- After the shower I lather up with some Gillette gel (I haven’t progressed to brush and puck yet because I’m trying to on-ramp to this whole process piece-by-piece).
- Then I do a first pass with a new blade at setting 1, and a second pass at 1.5. Both are WTG. I use cold water for rinsing. I follow the map of my hair.
- After finishing, I do a cold water splash and pat dry.
- After that I use a witch hazel toner with some other soothing products in it.
- Light moisturizer.
I’m still getting ingrown hairs and some irritation and wondering a few things - was I a bit ambitious with a feather blade, and should I just dive in with a brush and soap? I think the gel isn’t providing enough of a protective barrier.
I’m a newbie, so any tips would be appreciated. Here to learn.
After doing lots of research I decided to move to DE in the hopes that single blade would help. I bought a Merkur Progress after some research (in the hopes that I could temper the learning curve with the lower settings), and because I live in Asia I got some feather blades at a very good price (though I now realize this may have been a mistake).
My routine is as follows:
- Exfoliate with a rubber exfoliating pad with bristles.
- Shower and wash face with salicylic acid face wash.
- Wait for hair to soften.
- After the shower I lather up with some Gillette gel (I haven’t progressed to brush and puck yet because I’m trying to on-ramp to this whole process piece-by-piece).
- Then I do a first pass with a new blade at setting 1, and a second pass at 1.5. Both are WTG. I use cold water for rinsing. I follow the map of my hair.
- After finishing, I do a cold water splash and pat dry.
- After that I use a witch hazel toner with some other soothing products in it.
- Light moisturizer.
I’m still getting ingrown hairs and some irritation and wondering a few things - was I a bit ambitious with a feather blade, and should I just dive in with a brush and soap? I think the gel isn’t providing enough of a protective barrier.
I’m a newbie, so any tips would be appreciated. Here to learn.
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