So I'm using a Merkur Slant with feathers right now, first couple shaves left some redness, but everything is smooth now. My question is I'm using barbasol instead of a brush and shaving soap. It seems to be working fine. Am I missing out on something? I'm not sure I understand why I should bother with the brush and soap as the barbasol works just great.
Anybody who's tried both ways? I don't get absolutely smooth with the barbasol, would a brush prep help with that?
First of all: Welcome to TSD! I started using soaps and brushes to eliminate some of the chemicals and propellant used in the canned shave creams. A lot of this was at the urging of my wife. In my experience, my skin is definitely healthier because of this. I try to avoid anything with SLS now, including shampoo and body soap. Now, though, I use a brush and soap because I like it better than the canned creams. The variety that is available from both large companies and small artisans is fantastic and allows for many differences from day to day. It is probably the most enjoyable part of the shave for me. As with everything related to shaving, you should do what works for you. Canned shave cream or brush and soap, either way can work, and you should do what you like.
Welcome to TSD. And in answer to your question, yes you are missing a lot. Having used both canned foam and better soaps/creams with brushes there is no real comparison between the two. I find the real soap and cream applied with a brush to provide more protection and slicker than canned foam. Of equal importance is the post shave feel which is much better than canned foam. Good luck with research.
Glad that you landed here at TSD, Nicholas! It is a great community of shavers. To answer your question, brush and soap far better than canned soap. Join us on The Shave of the Day thread. That is the place to post your daily shaves. It is fun, and you will see all kinds of products. And please Mark YOUR location on the TSD map - instructions here.
Welcome Nicholas. If you think that you're getting a great shave with Barbasol (although I seem to recall someone getting some redness...) wait until you shave with a terrific, protective lather that you have created yourself. Now, doesn't that sound like it would be worth trying???
Hello Nicholasjh and Welcome! It's your choice, but the brush is beneficial to your shave, and to your skin. (not to mention it just feels good....... ) I encourage you to try this experiment. Day 1 Spray out a glop of goo from the can, and smear it on face as you usually do. Now, instead of shaving, rinse the shaving cream off completely. Pat your face dry with a towel, and wait about 5 minutes. Now carefully feel your face and beard. Are your whiskers standing up? Are your whiskers stiffer or softer than before you applied the goo? How does your skin feel? Day 2 Now use your brush and a shaving soap, and do the same thing. Load the brush with soap, and give your face a good scrub. (time matters. Apply the soap and work it in for about 1 minute) Now, rinse the soap from your face completely. Pat dry with a towel, and wait about 5 minutes. Now..... Carefully feel your face and beard. Whiskers standing at attention? Probably. Are they a bit stiffer? Probably. This is what shaving soap and brush does for you. It removes the oil and dirt from your skin and oil from your whiskers, which helps them to stand up and readies them for a clean cut. So, you get a better shave, and nice clean skin too. Shaving brushes have been with us for a long time. They have a purpose, and they aid in achieving a good shave. Don't forget the after shave treatment. You need something to soothe the skin, and add moisture back in. Happy Shaving!
I might have to try that, I actually have to buy a good brush, I used to single blade shave a long time ago (barber style I guess), but eventually gave it up because I had to be so careful with the blade that it took forever. That and my original brush shed all the time which caused problems in shaving, so any ideas on non-sheding brushes?
There r many great options for non shedding brushes. Although a brush may lose a few hairs the first few lathers. These hairs may not have made it all the way into the know and were stragglers. This isn't an issue. May I ask where ur located so we all can better assist u on what's available for u? Stateside or over seas? Then we can get into the badger/boar/synthetic options.
Stateside in Colorado. Yeah my original brush was silver tip and it shed several hairs every time. Too annoying to pick out the hairs before my coffee. I talked with the owner of whipped dog per someones suggestion on the school area of this site and he said that is more common with really fine badger hairs because the glue just won't hold the hairs as well. I pick a pure black badger and hopefully that will have a little less shedding.
Welcome to the Den. Soaps and creams will definitely add more protection and slickness to your shaves than canned goo will. But with that being said, if canned goo works great for you, you can keep using it. It's your shave. Have it your way.
to TSD "Nicholasjh" I used Barbasol for over 30 years and a brush and "real" shave soap for the last 7. IMO the brush and soap works WAYYYY better and results in a much closer and more importantly a much more comfortable shave. Also there is something about making your lather up fresh, being able to adjust the temperature, thickness and slickness instead of just squirting some premade crap from a can. Neither the brush, nor the shave soap needs to be expensive to give you good results. My soap of choice is Arko and the brush I've used for most of the last 7 years is a bestshave.net #6 horse(?) hair brush($5 shipped). While it may not work better for you than the Barbasol, I think it's worth the effort to give brush and shave soap a try.
