Cold Water Shaving

So I read through that huge thread on another forum and thought I'd give it a go. I've been CWS all week and notice I get WAY less irritation. I am able to do more touch ups with zero redness on my neck. I wouldn't say my shave is closer, but I am able to be a little more aggressive. My 2 creams (Bigelow and KMF Lime) both lather well with cold water. It sounded like a terrible idea at first, but the cold lather is actualyl quite refreshing after a warm shower (ask me again in January).

Does anyone else use cold water? I think I'm converted.

 

Sounds like it might be worth a try... Perhaps tomorrow! I will post back with results if I do try.

 

seems like some people hate it. My first try was great, my 2nd shave I got too aggressive. It's not like I can stop thinking and just hack away, but it's a noticeable improvement for me.

 

HT is an avid CWS and I'm sure he'll chime in soon.

I am not a CWS 100% but I probably use CW about 50% of the time. I also notice less irritation & my soaps/creams lather just fine. This is just another classic YMMV subject of traditional shaving.

 

Hater here.
I can say I have tried it. Don't like it. Made for a VERY uncomfortable shave.

 

I did the cold water thing when I first started but, after I got the hang of things I went back to warm and won't revisit the cold water unless I have no other options.

 

Did cold.. or more or more precisely room temperature for many years. I think it does have the potential to reduce redness and irritation. The problem however, lies with getting the beard soft enough without the heat. Unless the softening is done, any added benefit from the cooler approach can be overshadowed. For me it's been difficult to accomplish beard softening consistently enough with the no heat approach.. so I'm adding some these days ..

 

I've been cold water shaving for about a month now. For me it's less likely to cause irritation.

 

There's actually a debate about the whole hair softenening theory. I'm not taking sides, just pointing it out. Some argue that a soft hair will bend more when the blade makes contact leading to a more longitudinal cut. Whereas a stiffer hair will remain more upright and receive a more direct transverse cut. Obviously the more transverse the cut, the closer the shave. So many cold water enthusiasts say they achieve a closer shave because of this. They also argue that there's less irritation because a longitudinal cut will bring along with it some pulling of the hair which could be a cause for irritation.

As I said I'm not taking sides on this one... yet. However, I can appreciate both sides of the argument. Logically I like the stiffer hair is cut better than a soft hair, but the soft hair theory sounds like it'd be more comfortable while possibly requiring more passes. More passes can also be another cause of irritation.

At the end of the day (or first thing in the morning... whenever you choose to shave) it comes down to YOUR shaving experience. You can think about it all day but until you do it & give it the ol' college try, you'll never really know just how you like your eggs. (I'm an over-medium guy, while my wife is a scrambled girl )

 

I see what your saying Spine and it does make for interesting conjecture.. but MMMV I can get it close either way, for me that's not the problem. If the beard isn't soft enough ie the hairs aren't flexible enough.. that whisker stiffness my face invariably interprets as roughness and irritation etc inevitably ensues whatever the time of day lol...

 

All winter I've kept my living area at between 58 and 60 degrees F. I could shave using cold water(I have); I could shower using cold water(I have); but I won't.

 

Hate is a strong word, but I think I'll use it for this. I've tried it a few days back to back a few different times and can't do it. It just doesn't work for me. If you can use it and do so comfortably, more power to you. I can't though. I may vary things up one day and give it another shot.

 

(no Irritation but NO comfort, CWS is a last resort for me but sometimes needs must) but if its working for you well done each to there own, and you never know till you try.

 

it've been cold water shaving since someone here posted a link to an old straight shaving manual/guide book maybe a month ago or so. been great, but living in a tropical country helps a lot I guess

can't find the link to that post, but here's another nice writing about it..
http://artofmanliness.com/2010/03/24/cold-water-shaving/

 

It's interesting seeing the different PoV's here. My personal opinion is that a cool lather gives me the same feeling as the menthol in my Bigelow cream.

When can we start calling each other names for disagreeing with us?

 

Does calling you a bitter Mormon count as name calling?

 

no, because they're both true.

 

I believe that this debate comes down to YMMV. So if it works for you the go with it. It is your shave and you should enjoy it.

just my 2 cents for what it's not worth.

 

I agree. Logically, it does make better sense to me to have the hair stiffer and more upright to make it easier to cut. Think of a spaghetti noodle. Would it be easier to cut before cooking or after?

 

A couple of months ago, I went to my Dermatologist for my yearly checkup and I asked him specifically about CWS. He said that guys who suffer from frequent irritation or rosacia would definitely benefit.

I've tried it several times and the jury is still out for me. I don't have frequent irritation though unless I get sloppy with my technique. I am intriqued about whether a stiffer hair is more efficient to cut than a softer hair though...