Prep is INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT!

[Sprzout]

...well, for me, anyway.

Tonight I tried to shave along my jawline, and I went straight from a dry face to lather.

Big, BIG mistake. My face now looks like I've got really bad acne, but only on the right side of my face.

I tried to get too close a shave, with a face that was too dry, and I discovered how bad it was when I ran the alum block across the razor burn. I've NEVER felt it this bad before, even cart shaving with a dull blade. It was like someone had taken a handful of kosher salt and tried to buff my face smooth - and it resulted in the air over my sink turning blue.

Don't make my mistake; get your face wet, let the hair absorb the water, do whatever you need to do - but don't go through this unless you're a masochist and enjoy LOTS of prolonged stinging...

 

[rockinbadger606]

Very well said. Going at it with a well-hydrated face will result in a much better shave. It allows the soap or cream to mix with the water on your face so that it can create that layer of slickness under the lather for a nice smooth glide. Even canned cream like barbasol will tell you to wet your face beforehand.

Facial prep cannot, at all be understated.

 

[BlueLineWarrior]

I have found that prep is not important with me. I can take a long hot shower and wash my face with Shea butter soap and conditioner, or I can splash water on it just before applying lather. Somehow it all comes out the same.

 

[BSAGuy]

Agree.

 

[Shiloh]

Hence the term "wet shaving"...

 

[wintoid]

Hmm I am not generally doing any prep at all. Perhaps I'll try at least wetting my face before I start.

 

[BigJ]

+1. Agree 100%. Most of my errors occur when I rush this part.

 

[Vintage Modern]

That was a good reminder.

 

[foverman]

...and I went straight from a dry face to lather.

...

I'm curious how you came to do this?

In a hurry? Experimenting? Other?

 

[Roklok]

My prep since 1963. Wet face, apply lather, shave. Works great.

 

[Cash_Stronomer]

WET! Wet face. Wet lather. Very wet brush.

 

[ailevin]

After all sorts of prep experimentation, I've decided prep is very important, but I find that giving the lather some time on my face before the first pass is more important than how much time I spend hydrating my beard before I start. I used to spend much more time soaking my face (hot towels etc.) and then lather and go. Now I splash on water while partially filling the sink, face lather, and leave the lather on my face while I do other prep (a minute or two at least beyond the couple minutes face lathering).

BTW, if I am short on time, I skip passes and cheat on clean up, but I never short prep time.

Alan

 

[Eeyore]

My prep since 1963. Wet face, apply lather, shave. Works great.

My dad told me that a man shaves after his shower. He was right.

 

[Sprzout]

I'm curious how you came to do this?

In a hurry? Experimenting? Other?

I was shaving late at night to avoid having to get up earlier this morning to shave everything, and the dog wanted to go out. I got distracted, jumped straight in, and discovered the pain of poor prep.

 

[Mostho]

that giving the lather some time on my face before the first pass is more important than how much time I spend hydrating my beard before I start.

Snip

BTW, if I am short on time, I skip passes and cheat on clean up, but I never short prep time.

Alan

True. I agree

 

[tonich]

Relax, take a deep breath and shave away!

 

[foverman]

Thanks for letting us share in your lesson!

 

[tejolot3]

Prep is incredibly important for me as well but, from reading posts on the B&B, it seems this is a very YMMV thing. Some gentlemen do basically zero prep and get a fine shave. If I skimp, it shows in the quality of my shave, and, the more I skimp, the worse it gets.

The other day, I tried skipping pre-shave oil, using a shave stick only (I usually super-lather), and doing a very quick face lather. Just to see what would happen. I had the worst razor burn I've gotten in many months. Lesson learnt.

 

[jcs266]

Ouch that definitely sounds painful.

My prep is very simple - just wash my face with Dove bar soap and rinse with hot water. Grab my brush and mug, load the brush with VDH and face lather. All combined it's about one minute. I go two passes and done. Splash on the Old Spice and wink at myself in the mirror

 

[thisISjoel]

Prep is by far the most important variable in a great shave for me. I tried a bunch of different things before finally landing on the best prep method for me.

I shave before my shower. I rinse my face well with warm water and apply my lather (bowl or face lather, it makes no difference, but if I bowl lather I make sure to spend a bit of extra time working the lather into the stubble rather than just painting it on). I then use my fingers to further work the lather into the stubble (for about a minute or so) before rinsing my face and lathering again.

I find this prep routine really gets my face and stubble hyrdrated, clean and leaves some residual slickness on the skin for the rest of the shave.