New to Shaving

[Kendaihou]

Hey there my Canadian brother,

I just recently switched to DE shaving as well. My current set up is a Merkur long handle razor with a Taylor of Old Bond Street badger shaving brush which you can get off amazon Canada. Also you can check out the Astra blades if the persona ones don't work out for you. I'm currently using Astra and they pretty good.

Like you I also suffer from sensitive skin. Definitely check out the Proraso white green tea and oat in a tub. That is what I currently use. I ordered TOBS Jermyn Street for sensitive skin and the Edwin Jagger Aloe Vera soap for sensitive skin. These should be good but I haven't tried them yet because they still haven't came in. Cetaphil moisturizer is really good I've used it before as is their face wash. It has literally no scent and doesn't leave any oily residue on your face. I'm currently using the Nivea moisturizer and aftershave. You can pop in Walmart and get those.

HELLO FROM ONTARIO!

 

[well_nuc]

Just came from Shoppers this morning. Proraso White, Nivea Sensitive Cream, and some other shaving products were on sale.

 

[Bylin]

I don't know your shaving budget but this is an excellent brush. It's also available in the brick and mortar store. http://ca.loccitane.com/plisson-shaving-brush,19,1,38666,393423.htm

I already have an Edwin Jagger super badger brush - after I've become accustomed to shaving I may invest in a more expensive silver tip shavemac.

 

[Bylin]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

I've decided I'm going to try a couple different shaving soaps - Williams Mug and Proraso. I will check Walmart and shopper drug mart soon. I also gather that there's nothing wrong with using Cetaphil moisturising lotion as long as it works for my skin. I don't see why it won't.

I will post in this thread how my first shave goes once I buy the shaving soap and lotion.

Thanks everyone for the advice!

 

[Kendaihou]

Just came from Shoppers this morning. Proraso White, Nivea Sensitive Cream, and some other shaving products were on sale.

Wow man, thanks for the heads up. I didn't know that shoppers sold Proraso products. I went to shoppers which was a couple of mins away and grabbed a Proraso white pre shave cream. It was the last one too!!!!! If I wanted to get it online it would cost me about 20 something bucks. I should've grabbed a Proraso white tub, don't know why I didn't. I have one already and got two more(a cream and soap) coming in. Maybe next time I guess or I'll go back in a bit.........

 

[Bylin]

I went to Shopper Drug Mart today and bought Proraso shaving soap with green tea and oatmeal based on your recommendations. I prefer not to order my shaving soap online so I'm glad Shopper Drug Mart carries it. I also bought Cetaphil moisturising lotion. I may try Nivea after shave balm if Cetaphil doesn't work out.

It looks like I have everything now; if there's something I haven't bought but should - let me know.

I'm going to attempt my first shave after watching some tutorial videos. Here's an updated picture.

 

[ovomaltine]

Welcome! Greetings from Brazil!

 

[Bylin]

well, I just did my first shave and I have to be honest it didn't go great. I made three cuts on my face, and it still feels gritty in spots rather than smooth. I watched several tutorials but I think this is something that will just take practice. Also my face stings and feels uncomfortable (and I haven't applied moisturising lotion).

 

[well_nuc]

Definitely not a new thing to have some cuts and irritation with the first shave.

I shaved with Proraso White for the first time earlier this afrernoon, and enjoyed the shave.

You can actually practice lather to make sure your next shave is a bit more comfortable. The lather should be more silky than foamy. Look up Marco's method. Definitely applicable with the soft Proraso White. Feel the lather between your fingers to make sure it is slick and also will give you a cushion.

How many passes and what kind of passes did you do? It also takes some time to learn the growth pattern of your face. I was doing two passes, one WTG and one ATG. Was getting decent shaves. But I found recently that with three passes - WTG, XTG, and ATG - with a focus on ZERO PRESSURE I get more consistent results with less irritation.

After your last pass try rinsing the soap off with warm water than rinse your face with cold water. For me that really lessens any irritation.

Practice prep and shave

Good luck with the journey!!

 

[stovepipe699]

Bylin, it's going to take time. You'll find items that work for you, and don't work. I used my new Father's Day brush today, and the lather was less than perfect. It won't perform like a broken in brush for a while. I found getting the lather nailed down trickier than I thought it would be. I find some blades work great for me, and every Lord I've tried sucks. Lots of new things to learn

 

[mkiraly]

Welcome to the club, glad you're here.
Take your time, no pressure, short strokes, don't give up!

 

[Bylin]

How many passes and what kind of passes did you do? It also takes some time to learn the growth pattern of your face. I was doing two passes, one WTG and one ATG. Was getting decent shaves. But I found recently that with three passes - WTG, XTG, and ATG - with a focus on ZERO PRESSURE I get more consistent results with less irritation.

After your last pass try rinsing the soap off with warm water than rinse your face with cold water. For me that really lessens any irritation.

I did three passes WTG starting from top of the face; some tutorials recommend ATG as well but I was too afraid. I used short strokes and I did use cold water afterwards like you recommended. The irritation wasn't too bad, but Cetaphil might not be the best because it contains alcohol which irritates the skin. I will try the Nivea after shave balm. I think I could benefit from using a pre-shave oil before applying the soap to add a protective barrier and help the blade glide more easily across the skin.

 

[well_nuc]

Could try XTG before going ATG if ever.

I have sensitive skin too but found what my face likes and doesn't like. Actually I try new blades, soaps and creams as much as my budget allows. Even trying different methods that have worked for other members.

Your face will also adjust and the irritation will not be as bad.

Good luck!

 

[DigJazz]

Hey there and welcome to the forums!

 

[feltspanky]

Many B&B members have added Noxzema Cleansing Cream into their pre-shave routines with fantastic results. Maybe something to try before the pre-shave oil. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...Love-You?highlight=noxzema+I+think+I+love+You

 

[Bylin]

thanks! I will look for it next time I'm at Walmart.

I bought Dove + Men post shave balm. I considered Nivea for Men, but it contains alcohol so I passed. Dove + Men post shave balm does not contain alcohol so I think it will sting less. I also generally like Dove products; Dove sensitive skin is what I use in the shower.

I'm going to attempt my second shave tomorrow morning. I still don't have a pre-shave oil - should I buy one before my next shave?

 

[Winblows]

...
The Sweet Home lead me to buy a Merkur model 38 HD classic "barber pole" long safety razor, and Personna double edge razor blades. There was advice that I didn't follow; The Sweet Home recommends to "get a cheap shaving brush. Synthetic works as well as the best badger brush out there, it just doesn’t look as boss and doesn’t feel as luxurious. But in terms of doing its job, that is, raising whiskers, it works. If you spend more than $10 on a brush, it’s because you want badger in your life, or your life is luxurious and you can’t have anything cheap.” I bet that statement boils some your blood!
...

This is a hell of a razor
You are a brave man. I'll advice you to start DE shaving with a more mild razor, like Gillette Tech or Merkur 1904.

I went and got myself an Edwin Jagger traditional English super badger hair brush with drip stand. There were some Parker brush's with good Amazon reviews, but a certain percentage of them said the brush fell apart within months (I also liked the name/look of Edwin Jagger better). Moreover, the brush's didn't even fit the drip stand they came with - what's up with that? The reason I split with The Sweet Home on this issue is because my life IS luxurious and I CAN'T buy anything cheap; but seriously, it's because I bought a safety razor for more than function - I want it to be a nice experience. If I wanted to just get the shave over with I'd buy disposal razors and use shaving cream out of an aerosol can; I don't think there's anything wrong with that method, but it's not what I'm looking for.

You'll be happy with it.
My experience with brushes started "for real" after I purchased a high quality synthetic brush (Mühle Silvertip Fibre© 31 K 252). It's the most all round brush in my collection of boar, badger and horse hair brushes. Using this brush in between the others gives me the feeling of differences in how different brushes perform.

I went to my local drug store today, and the only traditional shaving soap available was Wilkinson's Sword shaving soap (blue bowl) - the Badger and Blade community seemed to like it but many commented that it leaves skin dry and doesn't lather as well as other soaps; so I passed. I'm going to check if Wal-mart has a better selection, but it looks like I will probably have to shop online.
...

This soap may give you a wrong experience of how to lather a soap . Palmolive shaving cream (tube) is a good and cheap choice.

 

[Bylin]

thanks for the advice, but I won't be getting a different razor because I have already started to shave with the one I bought. I've done two shaves so far - the second much better than the first, although I did get some slight razor burn. It seems like I'll have to shave everyday to keep a smooth face, but I've opted for every other day so there will be enough hair to cut.

I didn't end up getting the Wilkinson's Sword shaving soap (blue bowl) and instead got the Proraso (white); it seems good as far as I can tell - but I will experiment with other shaving soaps later on.

I tried Dove after shave balm and it still stings - I will try others but it looks like it's something I'll just have to deal with; but it is better than the Cetaphil.

 

[sdaodaniel17]

Hi

I'm a 23 year old guy from Canada who has decided to start shaving with a safety razor. I've never clean shaven before except for with an electric razor, but I never liked the feel. It always made my face feel strange after and it would take a few days for me to feel comfortable again. The last few years I've been using a beard trimmer (Wahl all-in-one cordless trimmer) which leaves some stubble -I don't mind it because I look nice with stubble; but I don't want to have a 5-o'clock shadow all the time so it's time to learn to shave. I have to grow up at some point, right?

I did some research and found that a safety razor was the best way to go; I was also intrigued by it - there's something romantic about this more traditional method of shaving. My research brought me to a website called The Sweet Home which recommends body-care products, home appliances and things like that. The idea of the site is to find consensus among professional and user reviews to recommend the "best" product for the average person. The Sweet Home notes that there is little consensus among shaving enthusiasts, but I figured The Sweet Homes' recommendations were still a good place to start.

The Sweet Home lead me to buy a Merkur model 38 HD classic "barber pole" long safety razor, and Personna double edge razor blades. There was advice that I didn't follow; The Sweet Home recommends to "get a cheap shaving brush. Synthetic works as well as the best badger brush out there, it just doesn’t look as boss and doesn’t feel as luxurious. But in terms of doing its job, that is, raising whiskers, it works. If you spend more than $10 on a brush, it’s because you want badger in your life, or your life is luxurious and you can’t have anything cheap.” I bet that statement boils some your blood!

I went and got myself an Edwin Jagger traditional English super badger hair brush with drip stand. There were some Parker brush's with good Amazon reviews, but a certain percentage of them said the brush fell apart within months (I also liked the name/look of Edwin Jagger better). Moreover, the brush's didn't even fit the drip stand they came with - what's up with that? The reason I split with The Sweet Home on this issue is because my life IS luxurious and I CAN'T buy anything cheap; but seriously, it's because I bought a safety razor for more than function - I want it to be a nice experience. If I wanted to just get the shave over with I'd buy disposal razors and use shaving cream out of an aerosol can; I don't think there's anything wrong with that method, but it's not what I'm looking for.

I haven't decided on a shaving soap or cream. I'm looking for something relatively cheap, so I have looked at the “new guys guide to inexpensive soaps and creams”. The Sweet Home recommends Williams Mug shaving soap which is also listed on Badger and Blade's own guide. The qualities I'm looking for in a shaving soap/cream are as follows.

- unscented
- leaves the skin moist
- lathers well
- for use with badger brush

I went to my local drug store today, and the only traditional shaving soap available was Wilkinson's Sword shaving soap (blue bowl) - the Badger and Blade community seemed to like it but many commented that it leaves skin dry and doesn't lather as well as other soaps; so I passed. I'm going to check if Wal-mart has a better selection, but it looks like I will probably have to shop online.

I have a question about Williams Mug shaving soap - what do you do with the soap after you've taken it out of the cardboard and used it once; put it in a soap container of sorts - maybe a clamshell like device? do you get multiple shaves out of one bar - or only one? If anyone recommends any other soap/cream by all means - but I'd like to stick to the soap/cream recommended on the “new guys guide to inexpensive soaps and creams” page.

One more thing, I have sensitive skin - so even if I get a good soap/cream I'll probably need a face moisturiser. I think I'm going to use Cetaphil moisturising lotion. The reason I'm leaning towards this option is because it has simple ingredients and is dermatologist recommended; however it is not technically a shaving lotion - but a general face lotion. Is this okay? or do I need a skin lotion specifically made for after shaving? does anyone here use Cetaphil moisturising lotion for their face after shaving? If so, share your experiences.

Links

The Sweet Home: http://thesweethome.com/reviews/the-best-razors/
Wahl all-in-one cordless trimmer: http://www.amazon.com/Wahl-9854-600-Lithium-Ion-Trimmer/dp/B001GQ3GEY
Merkur model 38 HD classic "barber pole" long safety razor: http://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Model-38-Classic-Barber/dp/B000RJUZMW
Personna double edge razor blades: http://www.amazon.com/Personna-Double-Razor-Blades-Count/dp/B0077LAJT2
Edwin Jagger traditional English super badger hair brush with drip stand: http://www.amazon.ca/Edwin-Jagger-1ej256sds-Traditional-English/dp/B002QHYO0W
Williams Mug shaving soap: http://www.amazon.com/Williams-Mug-Shaving-Soap-1-75/dp/B00008X5CH
Cetaphil moisturizing lotion: http://www.cetaphil.com/moisturizers

Here's a picture of my current shaving set-up.

View attachment 460924

Welcome and Enjoy B&B, i highly recommend you go visit Joe from ItalianBarber.com he is also a fellow canadian with the brand Razorock, which you will read about very soon. he's a great guy and has one of the best online stores around. free shipping in anything over $60 which is very easy to do. again welcome and enjoy the great shaving experience