Getting started

Discussion in 'Shave School' started by J_Man, Jun 3, 2014.

  1. J_Man

    J_Man right on the Mass border

    I just thought I would share a little advice that I have given to a friend who has recently made the switch to DE shaving...Unfortunately for him, he didn't seek any advice and just jumped right in—resulting in a very poor introduction to DE shaving, and a very irritated face.


    I know that this topic has been mentioned time and time again, but for the benefit of anybody who hasn't done the proper research, or just couldn't find some basic answers, here it is;


    Always prepare your face before shaving. I can't stress this enough ~proper preparation is one of the most important steps to getting a great shave. I find a hot shower and washing my face with a mild moisturizing soap works great, but hey that's just me. But any dermatologist would probably agree that washing the face with hot water & soap will [amongst many things], open your pores, soften the facial hair, help reduce facial irritation/razor burn, and just give you a much better surface to work with.

    Don't skimp on your shaving products. I would rather save my face than save a few dollars when purchasing my soaps and creams. As with most things, you will have to decide what works best for you, but generally quality products that provide a hearty lather and a good amount of cushioning will give you a very comfortable shave. I am not going to get into great detail on this topic, but the results between a good soap/cream and a cheapo are truly unbelievable and you will immediately notice a better, closer, more comfortable shave.

    Cost doesn't always reflect the quality of a product. Read the ingredients ~you will be surprised at how many chemicals are in the average can of goo versus a good soap or cream.

    Take your time! Don't try to get the closest shave possible on your first day, it will come in due time trust me. Work on getting a comfortable shave while slowly developing your technique and each shave will get better.

    Don't apply pressure to the razor. Find the right angle, hold the razor parallel to your face and tilt the handle upwards until the blade makes contact with your skin. Lightly glide the razor over the skin and if you are doing it properly you will hear the sound of the blade cutting those whiskers.

    Remember, this is a process that requires several passes to gradually reduce/remove the facial hair, so don't expect or attempt to get a clean shave with the first pass. Examine the direction in which the hair grows on your face and neck, knowing this will prevent you from doing a 15 pass shave. Always re-lather between passes. Make your first pass WTG (with the grain) shaving each area only once—don't go over the same area again until you re-lather. Second pass XTG (across the grain) and if you desire a closer shave make another pass ATG (against the grain) but be advised this pass can cause irritation. Touch up as necessary but don't get carried away as it will lead to irritation.

    Rinse with cold water to close the pores and remove any residue that was left behind and pat the face dry.

    Apply an astringent. For me nothing beats good old witch hazel, but you can use your favorite aftershave.

    It doesn't hurt to apply a moisturizer, especially for those of us with dry skin.

    Browse around the forum, watch some youtube videos and forget all of the bad habits you developed using those cartridge razors.

    Have a great shave :)
     
  2. Timelord

    Timelord I get 12 times the shaves out my blades!

    That is all good advice. I hope your friend has better luck. Don't let him go back to cartridges!
     
  3. J.F. Martin

    J.F. Martin Active Member

    thanks for writing this, great read for any beginner. patience and care are important when you first try DE.

    do you recommend witch hazel from the drug store or something else?
     
  4. J_Man

    J_Man right on the Mass border

    the stuff from the drug store is just fine. I usually get it at Walmart and it's quite reasonable a large bottle runs me around $1.40 there.
     
  5. J.F. Martin

    J.F. Martin Active Member

    great ill give it a try next time I get a chance
     
  6. mickeyobe

    mickeyobe Active Member

    I know some of you face lather.

    I think that might very well be an unnecessary irritant.
    The only time I suffered irritation was when I tried that with a pig's bristles.

    Mickey
     
  7. fram773

    fram773 Well-Known Member

    I don't recommend witch hazel for a newbie. Get some Pinaud Clubman or another alcohol based aftershave. Sometimes razor burn isn't noticeable but you're still screwing up your face. The Pinaud dandy will tell you if you did something wrong though.
     
  8. J.F. Martin

    J.F. Martin Active Member

    It seems like most of the cheaper witch hazels are alcohol based
     
    Adonis likes this.
  9. J_Man

    J_Man right on the Mass border

    Yes, most of the cheap ones I have come across seem to contain about 10-15 % alcohol by volume ~which will definitely let you know if your shave was a bit too harsh, but it's really soothing after that initial sting.
     
  10. J_Man

    J_Man right on the Mass border

    A bit of research yielded this;

    The term Witch Hazel is considered a “standard of identity” as defined by the FDA in the USP. Witch Hazel is defined as the following: “Witch Hazel Extract (Witch Hazel) is a clear, colorless distillate prepared from recently cut and partially dried dormant twigs of Hamamelis virginiana Linné,” containing natural oils and 14% Alcohol.

    Witch Hazel USP” must be a fully distilled product prepared through a specific closed distillation process and contain 86% witch hazel distillate from the bark and twigs of Hamamelis virginiana Linné and 14% pure ethyl alcohol only.
     
  11. fram773

    fram773 Well-Known Member

    I really don't know the science behind it. All I know splash (alcohol based), balm (water based) and that Pinaud burns me and Omega Aftershave balm (which contains witch hazel) does not.
     
  12. J_Man

    J_Man right on the Mass border

    I could be wrong but I just read the ingredients for the Omega and alcohol isn't listed, so I would assume that they are using 100% witch hazel which doesn't contain alcohol. While the FDA defines witch hazel as an 86% witch hazel 14% alcohol mix, there are brands available that contain no alcohol and are not an astringent, but a toner. So pure 100% witch hazel won't give you the sting that the 14% alcohol one will.
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2014
  13. fram773

    fram773 Well-Known Member

    There is myristyl alcohol listed as an ingredient but it doesn't burn me. Pinaud has denatured alcohol and benzyl alcohol.
     
  14. J_Man

    J_Man right on the Mass border

    I am no expert but myristyl alcohol seems to be something that is used in cosmetics and cold creams and may be much milder on the skin when compared to other types of alcohols.

    I am not saying that you are wrong, but from my experience any witch hazel that contains alcohol, or at least any I have used always gave me the same sting as the average alcohol based aftershave...and in my book if it doesn't burn than it's not working LOL!

    But we can just rate the witch hazel as one of the YMMV products ;)
     
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2014
  15. CalixtoElDiablo

    CalixtoElDiablo New Member

    I use Clubman Pinaud Lilac (Sometimes their Special Reserve) as an aftershave. Give it about 10 minutes while I get dressed, then apply Nivea balm. It is absolute bliss.

    I need both to make it absolutely smooth on a daily basis.
     
  16. theunnamed

    theunnamed Well-Known Member

    Very refined information. Thank youfor sharing.
     
  17. Bristle Me

    Bristle Me Insufficient

    Sage advice for us all!

    Well put Joe! :happy096:
     
  18. rk923

    rk923 New Member

    Thank you for posting this great information! I just started wet shaving about a week or so ago. Luckily I did some research and watched some youtube videos and that was a huge help! I would definitely recommend doing this as a new person!
     
  19. J_Man

    J_Man right on the Mass border

    I totally agree with you on watching some videos there's nothing like a visual demonstration to really get the idea of how it's done.
     
    rk923 likes this.
  20. Slow Joe

    Slow Joe Relishing his obsession

    Some great advice there. I hope your friend sticks with it.
     

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