Your setup and routine

[wells1229]

Hey everyone! B&B and wet shaving noob here! I have been rummaging around the forums and multiple shave websites and YouTube as I look to perfect my first wet shaving experience and have been taking plenty of mental notes on which razors, soaps, boar or badger brushes, creams whipped in a bowl, soap pucks in an apothecary mug and which pre-shave and post shave for this face and that face. As a first timer, this is a lot to take in and try to understand and I realize that I should just dive in and find whats right for me. But it got me thinking... What does everyone else use and what routine do they have?

This may already be a post that I haven't seen, but I think it could both fun and educational for everyone. Just list your setup of equipment and products (and be sure to list brand names and fragrances) and then your routine you go through from pre-shave to post shave.

I look forward to seeing your replies!

 

[NickXC90]

Hi Wells, Welcome to wet shaving!

Having used and tested many products, I'd like to think that I've managed to narrow down the products I use to a set that I'd be happy using for ever. I a bit of a minimalist, so more than happy to use as few products as possible.


Products:

Edwin Jagger Silvertip Brush
Merkur 38c Barbers Pole (ikon Slant on Order! Ooh Yeah!)
Personna Lab Blue, or Polsilver SI blade
Biotique Bio Palmyra Cream
GFT Sandal Wood and Coral Skin food (Using up Sandalwood first, wont be buying it again, I get much better results with Coral)


Routine and products:
- Soak brush in cold water -(No set time, just until I'm ready to shave) I get better shaves when using cold water
- Wet face, apply some GFT Skin food mixed with Aloe vera gel
- Load and get ready to shave, all the while splashing more water on my face
- 3 Pass, WTG, XTG, Sharp XTG (almost ATG)
- Leave Bio Palmyra Cream on until, finished cleaning brush
- Wash face and splash Witch Hazel on
- Finish cleaning razor, sink etc
- Shower
- Rub in GFT Skin Food
- Job done!

Scents vary for work and personal life:

Work: Pinaud Clubman, Old Spice, CK Eternity (Was a gift), GFT Spanish Leather
Personal: GFT Eucris, Marlborough, Curzon, Astor, Wellington and my favourite Armani Code!

Pretty straight forward really! Unless of course Im talking to a NON wetshaver, to them its sounds pretty complicated and overboard!

 

[jwray15]

I'm also new so I too am still learning. I start with a hot shower (or hot towel) and then apply an AOS sandalwood oil to all areas of my face. Next I wet my Mühle 91 M 89 RG in hot water and add a dab of AOS sandalwood cream to it and lather up my face for a few minutes (my favorite part). I start shaving WTG using my Mühle R89 RG rinse re-lather and go XTG except for my neck. I do another pass is WTG there. Next I rinse my brush out thoroughly shake dry and hang up. I use cold water for my final rinse pat dry and use an AOS sandalwood balm. I take my razor apart clean and dry and put the blade on a tissue for drying. That all takes about 20 minutes!

-jwray

 

[fastback]

I've been getting great shaves lately and have actually reverted back to a faster prep stage (similar to cart shaving...)

I'm scaling down and approaching a minimal arsenal as well...
I've had good luck with the Merkur 34c, and all Gillette DE blades in general work well for me.
Proraso pre-shave crème is nice, and most of the D.R. Harris line lathers great and has scents that I enjoy.

I'll typically wet my face, apply the pre-shave crème and then soak my brush for a minute or so.
I'll whip up a lather in a bowl or load the brush and face lather within 1-2 minutes.
I perform a 3 pass shave usually (WTG - XTG - ATG)
About 50% of the time I'll do a little touch up work.

Cold water splash, cold towel, and then aftershave splash or milk.


If you're lucky you'll find a few things early on that work well for you.
I'd expect that you'll hit a few duds and a few winners...
Just take notes and pay attention to your technique, you'll end up with a good recipe for a great shave pretty quick.

 

[engblom]

I have variation in my routines.

Sometimes I shave directly under running water at the end of a shower. Sometimes I quickly rub my face with some oil before shaving in the shower, sometimes I just shave away, all depending on my skin. When shaving in the shower I never use any soap nor cream

Sometimes I decide to use soap. I first begin soaking my face either by splashing water for a few minutes or taking a shower. Then I ususally (but not always) add a tiny bit of oil to my face for protecting the face from the soap. Then I bowel lather in order to spare my face a bit of trouble, then brush it on and finish in 2-3 passes (WTG + ATG + Touch up) depending on razor. Then a proper rinse.

Sometimes I shave in the sauna.

Sometimes I finish the shaving by applying some oil to my face, in case I managed to irritate it.

I never use any normal aftershave nor balm.

Products in use at this very moment:
Cheap brush (I do not remember brand)
Merkur 15C / iKon Deluxe OC
Avocado oil
Own made shaving soap
Gillette 7 O'Clock Yellow/ Feather / Astra SP blades
Plenty of tap water.

My list will surely change as I will test a few more products and I might find better products.

 

[Eeyore]

My routine is very simple:

While taking a shower, I let my brush soap in a bowl of hot water (usually an Omega boar brush)
In the shower, I make sure to wash my stubble with soap, to remove the facial oils
I love shave sticks, so I rub one of those against my face, and start lathering away
Before I do so, I give the brush one or two wicks, to shake off the surplus of water
For shaving and rinsing the razor, I use the water in the bowl ... it is still hot enough
While lathering, I add water as needed
I do a WTG pass with my razor (always a Feather Popular, mostly with a Personna blade)
I lather again, with the lather and soap that is still in the brush
I do a WTG pass on my neck, an ATG pass on my cheeks and upper lip, and an XTG pass on my chin
(Sometimes I do an extra ATG touchup on my chin, and sometimes I don't bother)
I rinse of, and apply an alum block (generic brand)
I rinse my brush and razor, and clean the bowl, giving the alum the time to take effect
I rinse off the alum, and towel dry my face
I apply aftershave (usually a splash)

 

[nycalling]

Man, all this pre and post shave prep makes me feel like a caveman!

So, here's mine.
1) run hot water into sink, and put brush and Soap mug in as well. Sometimes Razor if the blade's been used a few days.
2) Standard hot shower- keep your dirty thoughts out of my shower. I admit to using Pantene 2 in 1 however.
3) Rinse/lather/rince my face with bar of soap. Lately I've been using Stirling soaps, I used to use the Old Spice soap bars.
4) Lather up my nice and warm brush with the puck of soap in the Mug.
5) Lather my face, Shave WTG to my Adams Apple, rinse face off
6) Lather my face, Shave ATG from below the Adam's apple up my face, rinse face off
7) Lather my face, Shave XTG, rinse face off
8) Lather and touch ups, maybe another ATG/XTG depending, rinse off with ice cold water
9) Towel dry face, then Speick AS or Lucky Tiger, medicinal reasons
10) Finish getting ready, put on the AS of the day
11) Do Fonzie "Heyyyyyyy" to myself in the mirror

Pretty much it. A good 20 minutes or so I'd say, and that includes pottering back and forth to my bedroom to watch TV/ESPN.

 

[Eeyore]

Man, all this pre and post shave prep makes me feel like a caveman!

So, here's mine.

...

All this pre and post shave prep?? How exactly is your routine different from mine?

 

[Cognati Crotty]

I soak my brush in HOT water
If using a soap, put some hot water on top of the puck
Shower
Empty sink and shake out brush.
Load up the brush.
Shave
Cold towel on the face
Asb or just some aftershave.
Clean up.

 

[nycalling]

All this pre and post shave prep?? How exactly is your routine different from mine?

remove the facial oils
alum block (generic brand)

Yours isn't too bad, but I meant more the pre-shave oils and stuff, to say nothing of Alum blocks. I don't know, I just use soap and after shave. Didn't feel so....sophisticated I guess.

 

[Clanmac]

Welcome It's gotten simpler than when I started in May 2013...

Back then all those years ago, I mean months ago..

I showered
I put hair conditioner on my beard
I applied Prosaro pre shave cream - sensitive
I Lathered up , rubbed it in , washed it off
Lathered again - WTG
Lathered again - ATG
Lathered again - XTG
Rinsed and used alum block
Applied a mixture of after shave balm and withhazel
Then watched my neck redden within 20 minutes....

Now I have no need to shower, although once a month is recommended in some countries ...

I wash my face with soap and water
I lather up
I shave: WTG, Lathered again - ATG, Lathered again - XTG
I rinse , alum block if I can be bothered
Apply moisturiser and after shave..

I can do this twice a day with no irritation at all..

Edwin Jagger DL89L
Various Brushes
Taylor of Old Bond Street St Jermyn Cream
Feather or Personna Blue blades.

The secret is preparation, confidence and practice , until you know your face .. then it will be easy.

 

[Niles]

The SOTD forum posts is where I get a lot of my ideas about products to use.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/10-Shave-Scent-of-the-Day!

 

[royal52]

Still experimenting as I've only been DE shaving for 2 months but am getting better.

For pre-shave prep I'm now not showering before the shave. I wet my face with warm/hot water, rub in some virgin olive oil, rub in some proraso shaving cream and massage it for a few minutes. I leave the oil and cream on my face and stick my face over a boiling pot of water for at least 3 minutes.

I splash my face again with warm/hot water, rub in some more olive oil and lather up, do a WTG and am just starting to use some XTG passes. I've tried col conk soap, cremo cream, proraso cream, palmolive shave stick, as well as some combinations including adding a few drops of glycerin to the super later, I find the glycerin can help produce more lather. I just have a cheap omega boar brush but it works pretty good now that it's broken in. One thing I've learned coming from cheap creams is to keep adding water when I'm making lather and really work it with the brush. At first I was too concerned about getting a thick lather which wasn't slick enough.

For razors I've tried Mekur HD and Feather popular. The feather popular is quite conservative and light-weight, maybe too much actually, while the HD is more aggressive and heavier, maybe slightly too aggressive for me as I'm still learning.

For blades I think I'm still too newb to make many comments but would say astra's are sharper than derbys, and feather's are slightly sharper than astra's.

After I shave I rub the left over lather on my face and leaving it on while I rinse my brush/clean up a bit. Then I hit the shower for a warm/hot wash of my body and t-zone (forehead and nose). I finish with a cool/cold rinse, pat dry my face and have experimented with witch hazel which I like. Witch hazel alone maybe my go to route although I'm still experimenting and have used Nivea Sensitive ASB, 444 ASB, and alum stick.

 

[musicman1951]

Merkur Mergress
Med Prep/Lab
Castle Forbes Lavender (or Lime, or T&H Ultimate Comfort)
Thayer's unscented w/aloe
Clinique M Lotion for after shave balm

Fill Georgetown Pottery G12 scuttle with hot tap water - including the bowl
Place SOC brush in scuttle bowl - handle out of the water (If Kent BK8 I don't soak the brush)
Shower: run plenty of warm water on face and "lather" with excess shampoo
Empty scuttle and re-fill with hot tap water (splash a little warm water on face to stay hydrated)
Put dollop of cream in bottom of scuttle (using small silver knife)
Hold brush under hot tap water (to heat) and then do two vertical hard shakes to remove excess water
Whip lather in scuttle for about 48 seconds, adding a couple drops of water if necessary
Apply lather and shave WTG
rinse face with warm water, apply lather and shave XTG
rinse and lather, turn Mergress down two numbers and shave ATG
Rinse razor under strong stream of hot tap water and towel dry
rinse face with warm water on washcloth
rinse face with cold water on washcloth
Put about 5-6 drops of WH in my palm, rub hands together and apply to face
Apply balm
Run water into scuttle and clean brush in the bowl. Dry scuttle and brush (using a whipping motion about 15-20 times)
Admire beautiful, and beautifully shaved face. Select a cologne and enjoy the day.

 

[royal52]

I have variation in my routines.

Sometimes I shave directly under running water at the end of a shower. Sometimes I quickly rub my face with some oil before shaving in the shower, sometimes I just shave away, all depending on my skin. When shaving in the shower I never use any soap nor cream

What kind of razor? I can't imagine shaving with a DE with only water. You must not have sensitive skin!

 

[JoeyD1005]

I start by soaking my badger brush in a basin of hot water along with my razor.
Shower while brush softens and razor heats up.
Apply Pre-shave oil to face.
Empty basin and start bowl lather combined with face lather.
First pass WTG
Reapply lather
Second Pass ATG
rinse with cold water.
Apply Aftershave Lotion to face
Rince Bowl, as well as brush.
Dry Bowl and Hang brush

Done =)

 

[corncakes]

Georgetown G20, heated up in sink full of water while brush and razor soak, take shower, ACH Brito Glyce soap on face, finish shower, while in shower w/hot water running apply Proraso Preshave, hot microfiber towel applied, get out of shower. Add cream to scuttle, add glycerine drops, then charge brush with soap like this:

1. Italian soft soaps like brushes with soft tips and great backbone. You can use a quality boar or badger brush of your choice with the above specs. I prefer boars, as in the old Italian barbershop tradition.

2. Run your brush under hot water (or simply soak it) for at least 30 seconds.

3. Turn your brush upside-down WITHOUT shaking it. Allow only the gravity water to fall down and move your brush carefully, since it has to be kept full of water.

4. Start making swirls on the surface of the soap. You have to proceed slowly, without pressure on the brush. Remember that it’s very wet.

5. Heavily load your brush for about 45/60 seconds making around 100/120 swirls. Please keep in mind that the loading time and number of swirls also depend on how big your brush is and how much water it can retain.

6. Move the brush onto your face and face lather. Again, be careful, you’ll have a LOT of lather to handle.

7. While face lathering add, slowly and progressively, a few drops of water per time to your brush. Or, alternatively, lightly wet the tips of the brush. I personally prefer to add drops of water to the brush because I have a better control of the soap/water ratio.

8. You bring the lather to the right consistency.

*** The main concept to always keep in mind is simple: a lot of water + a lot of swirls + a lot of soap = a lot of great, thick, slick and effective lather. ***

I learned this technique from an old Italian Master Barber with over 40 years of experience and I’ve been using it with great results for almost 16 years.

P.S. This lathering technique works very well even with hard, triple milled soaps. Exactly as described above, with the sole exception that I soften the surface of hard soaps with a dozen drops of water before starting to make swirls.


Finish with bio oil.

 

[santamariasteve]

This morning I did the following for the first time and I had an outstanding result on my coarse beard.

Washed my face with soap and warm water twice.

Applied a cheap alcohol based aftershave.

Lathered with brush and shave soap

Let set on face for 2 minutes.

Re-lathered

Shaved WTG

Reapplied aftershave and re-lathered.

Shaved XTG

Reapplied aftershave and re-lathered

Shaved ATG

Rinsed with cool water, dried, and applied aftershave

The result, using a Merkur slant razor and a 3 day old Personna blade was outstanding. I think the technique was more important that the hardware. And no cuts or weepers.

 

[binoy]

I'm minimalist! Only been DE shaving 2 months.
Equipment: Merkur 23c razor. Personna Med blades. AoS pure badger brush. VDH Deluxe soap, AoS alum block, generic witch hazel. Lastly TOBS Jermyn Street AS, the LOTH loves it!
Routine: lukewarm water for brush and 1/2 TSP on soap, then work into lather. wash face with warm water and scrub with face towel for a good 2 to 3 minutes. Lather up and shave ATG, rinse then re-lather, 2nd pass is XTG. A little touch-up, if needed. Cold rinse and apply alum. Leave alum on while cleaning razor, etc. Cold rinse to remove alum and liberally apply witch hazel to all of head and neck. Finish off with the AS. My face is bump-free and smooth after 2 months of this routine.

 

[Eeyore]

remove the facial oils
alum block (generic brand)

Well, there is a very good reason for washing off the facial oils. Oily stubble does not absorb water very well.