Hello! I definitely remember having an account here, but for some reason none of my emails turned up an account. Welp!
I am two years into DE shaving. Here is my setup and process:
Razor: Feather Popular
Blades: Persona X Series
Soap: Arko
Brush: Cheap Omega Boar
Process:
1. Shower
2. Drop razor into sink, fill with warm/hot water.
3. Hold brush into filling sink.
4. Apply soap.
5. Lather
6. Shave with two passes: with the grain, then against (across for the upper lip, combo of across/another with the grain for the chin).
7. Rinse warm.
8. Rinse cold.
9. Dry off.
10. Apply Thayer's Witch Hazel.
It seems to be a universal constant that the advice is to never use pressure with the razor. My issue is that my beard is incredibly coarse. After a day of growth, you could use my face as a belt sander. I usually let my beard grow for two days before shaving again. Due to the coarseness of my beard, I really do have to apply some force to the razor. If I don't, once I get to my upper lip and chin, the blade will just sit on the hair and won't move. Of course, the Popular seems to be a very light weight razor. Also, with the Persona blades, I get one reasonably comfortable shave. The second shave is not very pleasant, but I just can't bring myself to discard a blade after just one shave.
When I started, I was trying to do this with Barbasol, 3 passes, and no aftershave. I was in agony ALL THE TIME as a result. My comfort and shave quality has improved, but I do still get too much burn and irritation. I want to improve things, but there are a couple hangups that I have: shaving is a chore, not a hobby for me. I hate shaving. And yet, I really would prefer to keep DE shaving because it's far more cost effective, and I definitely don't like how cartridges feel when shaving. They also tend to tear my neck up.
I don't want to add any extra gear to my routine (I'm looking at you, bowls and mugs). Obviously I should be trying to never apply pressure. Should I investigate a heavier razor? I'm told the Feather Popular is mild, should I opt for a more aggressive razor, especially since I want to be done in two passes? Are there any products you think I should try that would help alleviate my symptoms? Any changes in technique or process?
I am two years into DE shaving. Here is my setup and process:
Razor: Feather Popular
Blades: Persona X Series
Soap: Arko
Brush: Cheap Omega Boar
Process:
1. Shower
2. Drop razor into sink, fill with warm/hot water.
3. Hold brush into filling sink.
4. Apply soap.
5. Lather
6. Shave with two passes: with the grain, then against (across for the upper lip, combo of across/another with the grain for the chin).
7. Rinse warm.
8. Rinse cold.
9. Dry off.
10. Apply Thayer's Witch Hazel.
It seems to be a universal constant that the advice is to never use pressure with the razor. My issue is that my beard is incredibly coarse. After a day of growth, you could use my face as a belt sander. I usually let my beard grow for two days before shaving again. Due to the coarseness of my beard, I really do have to apply some force to the razor. If I don't, once I get to my upper lip and chin, the blade will just sit on the hair and won't move. Of course, the Popular seems to be a very light weight razor. Also, with the Persona blades, I get one reasonably comfortable shave. The second shave is not very pleasant, but I just can't bring myself to discard a blade after just one shave.
When I started, I was trying to do this with Barbasol, 3 passes, and no aftershave. I was in agony ALL THE TIME as a result. My comfort and shave quality has improved, but I do still get too much burn and irritation. I want to improve things, but there are a couple hangups that I have: shaving is a chore, not a hobby for me. I hate shaving. And yet, I really would prefer to keep DE shaving because it's far more cost effective, and I definitely don't like how cartridges feel when shaving. They also tend to tear my neck up.
I don't want to add any extra gear to my routine (I'm looking at you, bowls and mugs). Obviously I should be trying to never apply pressure. Should I investigate a heavier razor? I'm told the Feather Popular is mild, should I opt for a more aggressive razor, especially since I want to be done in two passes? Are there any products you think I should try that would help alleviate my symptoms? Any changes in technique or process?
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