Question about shaving daily

[brucered]

I shave 5 or 6 days a week, always just one WTG pass in order to be done as quickly as possible so I can get started doing things I enjoy.

When I started B&B, I shaved daily, 3 passes, weekends, camping, sick, didn't matter.

I then graduated to a 2 pass shave, WTG & ATG. Night shaver as I was cycling to work and didn't want to wake up even earlier. Shaved on weekends as well.

A couple years of that, I then started 1 pass daily shaves. That was a pretty sweet gig and super quick.

Covid came along and work required masks. I then started shaving every second day and skipping weekends. The mask covered the minor stubble on day 2. That cut my shaving duties in half and I still showered nightly.

Daily mask requirements ended but I am still required to shave for PPE/work duties. I continue the routine of every second day, night shaves and skip weekends etc. My face appreciates the day(s) rest and I don't have to spend extra time shaving. Win win.

To sum all that up, this works for me: 2 pass (WTG/ATG), night shaver, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday. I'm guessing it takes me 10-15 min from start to finish. I don't enjoy shaving, I'd rather be doing almost anything.

If I was to shave daily, I would go back to 1 pass WTG.

 

[euro]

I only need to shave every other day. I have thick whiskers that lay flat against the skin in some places but my beard isn't heavy so I can get by with a shave every 48 hours. 36 hours would be ideal but I'm not a morning person, so...

I'd say that if you can only shave comfortably every 3-4 days you would be well served by not chasing a bbs shave and should instead do a two pass shave wtg and xtg and aim for dfs. Many of us here can't chase a bbs shave due to whisker or skin characteristics but have no problem with a daily dfs shave. Give it a try and let us know how it goes.

Here is how it went:

I took a how shower and then I loaded a new Feather blade in my Fatip Closed Comb razor. I used the Proraso soap and lathered it. First pass: WTG, no issues everything went great. Second pass: XTG, went ok but it could be better. Last pass: ATG, it did hurt it felt like I was getting stung by bees. The weirdest part of this is if I shave every 3-4 days then the ATG gives me no issues.

I got a semi BBS DFS out of this shave. When I rub my fingers ATG on the DFS parts it feels like I'm rubbing a piece of shattered glass on my face. I have no idea what this is, maybe there are other people here with the same problem?

I will see if I can shave tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, this time I will use olive oil as a preshave oil. If this doesn't help then I will stick to 3-4 days shaving.

 

[spacemonkey42]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing your experiments.

One thought to consider, is your soap slick and protective enough? I have troubles with Proraso soap, less so with their cream, that unless I load the living heck out of it, it isn't slick. I get a large volume of lather, but it isn't slick and protective. This might just be me, but since I ran into that problem I wanted to share it with you in the hopes that it might help you.

 

[Lane101]

I can't shave daily I shave every 3-4 days and I get a full BBS with 3 passes. Technically I could shave daily if I did a one pass shave only. If I would try to shave after 1-2 days I just can't do it, it will hurt and I end up with razor burns etc. My question is: do daily shavers do 3 passes? Do they go for a BBS daily or do you daily shavers just do one pass?

From all the above posts you can see that there is a wide variety of response with no "right" answer as we all shave according to our preferences, beard and skin characteristics. You should do whatever works best for you taking into account the kind of shave that looks best and meets your needs to be socially acceptable in your work or other daytime environments.

For most of us a one pass DFS would be perfectly fine for most environments and likely deliver as good as or a slightly better result than the daily electric razor shaves I had during my career.

When I first started shaving in college I used a DE razor and just did a one pass DFS with canned foam that was perfectly fine. Since returning to DE I've enjoyed performing a 2+ pass BBS shave that works really well for me. I shave an average of six times a week. If I had sensitive skin I'd opt for a daily one pass DFS since my hair color mix, with lots of grey, doesn't look that good.

P.S. You may want to pay more attention to mapping the beard growth direction on your skin. In some areas my shave is most effective by just going ATG on both passes for example. In others I do a WTG followed by an ATG. Could provide a better DFS one pass shave in your case. Also comments above regarding your lather quality and slickness may help. I've found that a wetter and slicker lather works best for me.

 

[Lane101]

Here is how it went:

I took a how shower and then I loaded a new Feather blade in my Fatip Closed Comb razor. I used the Proraso soap and lathered it. First pass: WTG, no issues everything went great. Second pass: XTG, went ok but it could be better. Last pass: ATG, it did hurt it felt like I was getting stung by bees. The weirdest part of this is if I shave every 3-4 days then the ATG gives me no issues.

I got a semi BBS DFS out of this shave. When I rub my fingers ATG on the DFS parts it feels like I'm rubbing a piece of shattered glass on my face. I have no idea what this is, maybe there are other people here with the same problem?

I will see if I can shave tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, this time I will use olive oil as a preshave oil. If this doesn't help then I will stick to 3-4 days shaving.

You may want to try a different shaving soap. I have Proraso red soap and while it lathers easily it is not as slick as many of my other shaving soaps. A slicker shaving soap could help you a lot. Not sure what you have available in your area. I use Arko, Cyril R. Salter, D.R. Harris, Tabac (new non-tallow formula), Razorock What-the-Puck and Mitchell's Wool Fat (tallow formula, likely no longer available) that are all slicker than my Proraso red.

Regarding use of a pre-shave oil see the thread below as there is a lot of controversy regarding its effectiveness (see my post #52 regarding related published research). There is a risk that if the oil is not absorbed into the skin that it may actually interfere with lather effectiveness. Some evidence that if the oil is fully absorbed it may improve the resilience of your skin that would be a significant help to your issues. Have a look at the linked research in post #52. Argan oil, if fully absorbed, may be a better choice as it notes that "olive oil has a detrimental effect on SC integrity and skin barrier function". As always YMMV, so by all means try either of these to see what works best specifically for you.

Pre-Shave Oil?

Can I get some feedback on whether you use pre-shave oil and why or why not? I've tried it and I can't say it helps in any way. Is it supposed to provide more cushion, moisturizing and a closer shave? I can't see the benefit versus the current "top tier" shaving soaps like Zingari, CK6, B&M, WK...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[Wgg2017]

Here is how it went:

I took a how shower and then I loaded a new Feather blade in my Fatip Closed Comb razor. I used the Proraso soap and lathered it. First pass: WTG, no issues everything went great. Second pass: XTG, went ok but it could be better. Last pass: ATG, it did hurt it felt like I was getting stung by bees. The weirdest part of this is if I shave every 3-4 days then the ATG gives me no issues.

I got a semi BBS DFS out of this shave. When I rub my fingers ATG on the DFS parts it feels like I'm rubbing a piece of shattered glass on my face. I have no idea what this is, maybe there are other people here with the same problem?

I will see if I can shave tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, this time I will use olive oil as a preshave oil. If this doesn't help then I will stick to 3-4 days shaving.

I can't help with the shattered glass feeling, I've never experienced that.

You might try avoiding atg in the most troublesome areas. I can't go atg on either side of my Adam's Apple or I'll get irritation and ingrowns and then I have to wait several days before shaving again. However, xtg in that area is no problem.

Good luck and keep experimenting to see what works best for you.

 

[VerbaVolant]

...My question is: do daily shavers do 3 passes? Do they go for a BBS daily or do you daily shavers just do one pass?

I shave daily with two passes and fewer strokes, ATG most areas. I also believe that number of strokes is more important than number of passes.
I do not get BBS everywhere, just on cheeks. Mind you, the rest of my face is pretty close to BBS.
I use an EJ DE89 most of my shaves, loaded with a healthy variety of blades. Nothing crazy. I also use a RazoRock Lupo (aluminum) quite often, with the same great results. A Neutral Blade Exposure razor with a 0.7mm gap is what works for me.
I hope this helps.

 

[Sideburns]

Regarding use of a pre-shave oil see the thread below as there is a lot of controversy regarding its effectiveness (see my post #52 regarding related published research). There is a risk that if the oil is not absorbed into the skin that it may actually interfere with lather effectiveness. Some evidence that if the oil is fully absorbed it may improve the resilience of your skin that would be a significant help to your issues.

You should check the ingredients of whatever pre-shave oil you use and see if there's any vitamin E oil in it, as it's good for your skin. If not, consider making your own and making sure that it's got that in it. It's not hard, just put all the ingredients into a bottle and swirl it around to mix and it's easy to customize. Also, make sure you give the oil several minutes to soak in and don't rinse off your face between passes.

 

[ElJefeDeJefes]

Lots of reading, but lots of good takeaways in this thread. (As usual)

I shave six days a week, due to work, and do not chase a BBS shave. I am more than content with a DFS. My hair is coarse, grows in different directions, and lays rather flat on my neck which leaves me prone to irritation there. IMO, one of the best pieces of advice in this thread is finding which soap or cream works best for you. I'm currently using/prefer tallow based. FWIW, my daily driver is a Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed with an Astra Platinum and Noble Otter soaps. Good luck finding what works best for you!

 

[WetShaveVet]

Drop the ATG pass. you don't need it. you can feel and look good without it. See how that works. I would be interested to know.

 

[StewB]

My question is: do daily shavers do 3 passes? Do they go for a BBS daily or do you daily shavers just do one pass?

I shave daily but only 2 passes. For me 3 passes is unnecessary.

 

[The Blackadder]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing your experiments.

One thought to consider, is your soap slick and protective enough? I have troubles with Proraso soap, less so with their cream, that unless I load the living heck out of it, it isn't slick. I get a large volume of lather, but it isn't slick and protective. This might just be me, but since I ran into that problem I wanted to share it with you in the hopes that it might help you.

Same results here. I’ve tested tons of soaps and I’ve got some of the worst results with Proraso soap. I’ve tried with a lot of product, little product, damp brush, dripping brush, thick lather, runny lather, tap water, demineralized water, with preshave, no preshave, etc. I butchered my face for over two weeks trying to make it work and it just didn’t. I returned to SV and said goodbye to bad and painful shaves

 

[euro]

Same results here. I’ve tested tons of soaps and I’ve got some of the worst results with Proraso soap. I’ve tried with a lot of product, little product, damp brush, dripping brush, thick lather, runny lather, tap water, demineralized water, with preshave, no preshave, etc. I butchered my face for over two weeks trying to make it work and it just didn’t. I returned to SV and said goodbye to bad and painful shaves

I have so many soaps, TOBS, Proraso, Vito's, Arko, Palmolive, TFS, Vergulde Hand, Mondial, Cella. SV is on my list I read good things about them. I'm considering to buy the Haslinger soaps too.


I just shaved, today I used the same Feather blade, Fatip OC v1, TOBS Tobacco. Today I used olive oil as a preshave oil and it really worked. I have a full BBS now. The shave was a little bit rough, I think I figured it out. Normally when I shave after 3-4 days the whiskers are longer, so I use long strokes and it's easy to get feedback. With a 1 day old growth it's harder because you really can't see the whiskers. If I don't shave a certain part properly and I will do an ATG it will hurt, it makes sense if you mess up with the ATG pass the other passes won't go smoothly.

Tomorrow I'll try to shave again but this time I'll use a milder blade, I'll be using the Permasharp blade and the Fatip OC v1 razor.

 

[The Blackadder]

I have so many soaps, TOBS, Proraso, Vito's, Arko, Palmolive, TFS, Vergulde Hand, Mondial, Cella. SV is on my list I read good things about them. I'm considering to buy the Haslinger soaps too.

You certainly won’t regret it. My face is ultra sensitive, and the month I spent testing soaps (Proraso and others) sometimes I would feel as you said, scraping the face with broken glass. I would feel the blade in direct contact with the skin like with zero protection. I get the same SV protection from some artisan soaps, but my face gets red and feels greasy afterwards. I would say Haslinger and Speick come close, but still leaving some redness. The only soap that gives 100% no reaction to my skin is SV. But that’s my crazy face. I’m pretty sure a lot of people with healthier skin can get the same results with tons of products

 

[dotKomo]

There are no rules about how often you should shave, nor what you consider to be acceptable. As I read through these responses, there is a wide variety of viewpoints.

Do you have an occupation where it is important to be clean shaven? Do you have a significant other who has a preference? How sensitive is your face/skin to shaving? What are you satisfied with?

For me, I shave 5 days per week, generally. That's usually a three-pass shave with one clean up. I don't chase BBS. A DFS is good enough. If I overdo it on my neck, I get irritation, so I don't push it.

I'm an old man with old skin and wiry whiskers.

 

[ButterfaceX]

I shave daily, during the week it is usually a specific DE / and or slant. Weekends I have time, so SR it is. My first love...
If you do it correct and finding what works best for you , with the right skills, planning ( pre-post recovery), & hardware.
There should be no reason you can not shave everyday.
Passes, YMMV...for it is always 2 passes with light touch up.
Everyone is different, there is not Pass law or rule.
But remember you only have one face.....take care of it...
Shaving is joy, clean shaven feels great, but it can also be harmful to your skin when you are doing sometime wrong.
You need to shave smart, be efficient, have good skills and have a great consistent process compatible to you ( overall process & skills, hardware & software). Trail & error is a part of it...
Best
BFX
Also, have fun and enjoy the stubble execution process,,

 

[zifnab]

I can't shave daily I shave every 3-4 days and I get a full BBS with 3 passes. Technically I could shave daily if I did a one pass shave only. If I would try to shave after 1-2 days I just can't do it, it will hurt and I end up with razor burns etc. My question is: do daily shavers do 3 passes? Do they go for a BBS daily or do you daily shavers just do one pass?

XTG and then ATG, easy. I use razors for comfortable daily shave. If you're trying to do daily ATG shaves with a SR or Blackbird or some other aggressive razors, then no. It's not hard to do daily shaves, find a razor and blade that is comfortable. Easy.

And it's in between acceptable and BBS, it's not perfect, but it's certainly better than acceptable. I just don't sweat it, because guess what? I'm gonna shave tomorrow.

I don't understand the obsession with getting closest shave possible. You still gotta shave again either tomorrow or next day. It doesn't matter.

Get a close shave without weepers/nicks/cuts/burn. Go on with your day

 

[euro]

There are no rules about how often you should shave, nor what you consider to be acceptable. As I read through these responses, there is a wide variety of viewpoints.

Do you have an occupation where it is important to be clean shaven? Do you have a significant other who has a preference? How sensitive is your face/skin to shaving? What are you satisfied with?

For me, I shave 5 days per week, generally. That's usually a three-pass shave with one clean up. I don't chase BBS. A DFS is good enough. If I overdo it on my neck, I get irritation, so I don't push it.

I'm an old man with old skin and wiry whiskers.

My fiancée doesn't care, my employer doesn't care either. I don't have to shave daily but it got me curious

I think I figured it out, I can use the Fatip OC but I need a milder blade. The Feather is a little bit too aggressive, it works fine if my whiskers are 3-4 days old. I just had a shave and did 3 passes. I have a full BBS without any issues. Normally I do longer strokes but I found out if I want to shave daily I need to keep those strokes as short as possible. But thank you guys for all the input, this is what I love about this community.

 

[euro]

You certainly won’t regret it. My face is ultra sensitive, and the month I spent testing soaps (Proraso and others) sometimes I would feel as you said, scraping the face with broken glass. I would feel the blade in direct contact with the skin like with zero protection. I get the same SV protection from some artisan soaps, but my face gets red and feels greasy afterwards. I would say Haslinger and Speick come close, but still leaving some redness. The only soap that gives 100% no reaction to my skin is SV. But that’s my crazy face. I’m pretty sure a lot of people with healthier skin can get the same results with tons of products

Have you tried TOBS soaps? If so then how do they compare against the SV soaps?

 

[emwolf]

I shave daily and enjoy it, mostly DE, sometimes SE, but still intimidated by the straight razor. I wouldn't say I chase after BBS, but my goal every day is to give myself a close, comfortable shave. Sometimes I fail, but rarely anymore. I enjoy taking my time, but can also do a couple passes pretty quickly.