Quarantine Shaving Blues

[BigJ]

Sorry!!

My approach has been to try to exclude the world by trying to achieve a Zen-like state during my shaves. Mostly, it has been working!

 

[spolct]

I've heard (anecdotally of course) of folks who normally are avid readers either not being able to focus enough to read at all or whose pace has slowed considerably. Trauma, stress, etc seems to be a common factor. Maybe look up some mindfulness techniques, find a couple that might work for you and try them out before your shave? If you want to go down a fun neurological rabbit hole, look up the effects of anxiety/stress etc on fine motor activities, particularly as it pertains to the cerebellum.

 

[emwolf]

When I was locked in at home, my shaving was worse. I believe it might have to do with sun exposure. I was receiving less and not getting dressed normally, sweat pants and such. I decided I'd work from the office since I'm the only one in my department and I can socially distance (the only surface I touch that is used by anyone else is the door to come in the building). My shaving has improved. I'm suiting up and showing up.

 

[Gafer]

Well I couldn't push myself to skip shaving two days in a row so I shaved this morning with a two day stubble. As I looked in the mirror I started really looking at the stubble. Not only noticing how grey it's become but also noticing the direction of growth. What the heck?? The hair on my cheeks is now growing diagonally! Since when?? I swear they used to be vertical! Since my first DE shave more than a decade ago my with the grain pass was straight down. Well, not anymore it's at about a 45 degree angle downward. Same goes for my chin. So what I thought was a WTG pass was really equal parts WTG and XTG. Ugh! That can't be good when you are dealing with irritation. I'm not saying this was a "cure" but this morning my shave was much better. Light touch and a fresh Astra SP in a Tech. Face lathered Taylor's Rose. I will skip shaving tomorrow - @Timeclo suggested earlier that maybe I was shaving too often. Still kind of irritated but at least my face isn't on fire this afternoon like it was on Sunday. Who would have thought that after over a decade I would have to nearly start all over again on this shaving journey?

 

[pbrmhl]

I used my Mergress razor this morning for the first time in a year or two. I believe I'll use it again tomorrow. Part of the silver lining of this stay-at-home situation is that I have time to rummage through my bins to find long-lost friends, like the Mergress. I've re-discovered two great razors over the last week or so--the Colonial General V1 in stainless, and the Mergress. Who knows what else I'll re-discover?

 

[Fred D]

 

[fhalden]

Foam, Gel, or Cream?
When you prepare your shave with a perfect product then you might get a smooth shave parallel to protecting your skin against discomfort and irritation. So, what to choose among Shaving Foam, Cream, and Gel?

1. Shaving foam is just the airiest form of shaving soap that offer only a thin layer of protection on the skin.
2. Shaving Creams has a pretty similar formula like foam just no air and provides a bit of moisture to your face. However much convenient than foam.
3. Shaving gel works quite well on the face while shaving, just does a bit of rubbing to work it into a lather. Gels are thicker and best for lubricating your face.

Is this an ad?

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Gafer]

Tried just a few drops of Pacific Shaving oil as a preshave this morning. Palm lathered Palmolive Classic to reduce drying and friction on my face. Fatboy on 2 with a fresh Astra SP. No irritation at all. Face was comfortable all day. Finally! Maybe my issue is just dry skin?

 

[Roedeer]

Tried just a few drops of Pacific Shaving oil as a preshave this morning

Using pre-shave oil (but not that brand) has certainly been a game-changer for me.

It would be good if that also sorts out your irritation.

 

[Gafer]

I’ve never really used shaving oils as a preshave. I’ve kept Pacific oil around as a post shave in the winter. Will try again today as a preshave.

 

[RookieGuy]

I'm glad you're getting a handle on this! Yeah, between environmental stress, hair grain changing direction, and dry skin, sounds like you figured enough out to get back to pleasant shaves. Hopefully that means the yips are behind you.

 

[redrako]

I'm in the category of enjoying my shaves more during our quarantine time. Like preparing a nice meal, it brings me back to simple, more direct time.

In general, when I am stuck on something that's affecting the quality of my shaves, I try to mix it up.

Bowl lathering, using shave cream instead of soap, a more (or less) aggressive razor reinforces the simplicity and beauty of our hobby We can take a luxurious tack, or go back to a more frugal route.

Myself, after enjoying many months enjoying modern synthetic brushes, I've been back on boar kick (Omega in particular) appreciating the scrubby goodness of those wonderful piggy bristles.

If Quarantine shaving got you down, make some changes, reset and get back to the enjoyment that you experienced in your first weeks of wet shaving.

My $0.02, as always YMMW.