Just got Lynn Abrahams Video on straight shaving. He uses a hot towel as part of his prep, and then again AFTER the shave. I've been trying this last couple of days, and wow it really soothes the skin. I then do my Proraso Pre/post thing - that menthol really takes the heat out. Just wondered if anyone else uses a hot/warm towel post shave.
It never occurred to me to try a towel post shave. Is this before or after a cold water rinse with AS?
Justin I finish the shave - face towel straight into hot water - squeeze out excess water - I fold my face towel in a hand towel, then wrap around my face, securing at the back. I then clean up my bowl and brush - put soap away etc. Then I cold rinse, and apply the proraso P/P cream. Leave this while I wash hair or clean teeth. Then I wipe/pat face with towel then apply my aftershave balm (Musgo Real - ahhhh) !!! :happy005 This whole extra step I really like.
I do a warm water rinse immediately after shaving for about 30 seconds or so (not just a quick splash or two). I don't like to use towels, but I think this would accomplish the same thing or approximate it close enough...
After my third pass and before my oil pass I do a wipe of the lather off the face with a hot towel. Keep the pores open and hair left on the face up too. Then when I am finally done with the oil pass I need to get the face free of the oil residue so I again use a hot towel to wipe the face. All this followed by some Thayer's Witch Hazel Toner and one of my ASB.
I have started to use a cold towel as a complement to the cold water rinse. It feels like a more even spreaded coldness in the face and i really like it.
Pre-shave I massage clients face with oil and apply a hot towel,lather,shave,massage cleansing cream and then lay another hot towel before putting on the astringent.Its very soothing and removes any excess cleanser.
I shave in the shower. I do warm/hot water rinse between passes. After the last pass, I water down any remaining lather and slather it all over my face. I let it sit while I rinse my bowl and brush. Then I rinse it off with warm water and just before I turn the shower off, I go all cold. In the winter, that can be pretty darn near freezing! Especially if I had to use a hair dryer to unfreeze the pipe feeding the shower. I find the dilute lather is a GREAT moisturizer. I us the warm water to rinse 'cause I'm getting the lather from behind my ears and out of my hair. Cold water on my head is just too much. The cold water closes up the pores and tightens the skin nicely, and I only do it as long as I can stand it, about 15-20 seconds. Depending on how rough the shave was, I apply either generic WH, alum, or alum + WH. If the blade was rough or I was too hasty, I got with the less astringent stuff. I actually found applying alum at bedtime helps smooth and heal the skin without irritating it. I follow that with a menthol blast, usually Proraso. When that starts to subside, I go to a balm/gel/skin food. That recharges the menthol and finishes my skin. I just started using a n aloe + oil + bay rum concoction: 4 parts aloe gel + 1 part 50:50 Vit E and Jojoba oil + 2 parts Superior 70 BR. I'll have to post that on the CoC. One can use any scent in place of the BR, maybe even some EO/FOs. Or leave it out altogether and put on a splash, EdT, cologne. The aloe + oil is great! ...but other than that, I'm just a normal guy
I really gotta try a hot towel. Never tried it! Now just gotta find the time to do it, seem like I'm always rushing my shave.
My problem with the hot towel is that I can't keep it on my face. I have to lay down in the bathroom which prompts a pouncing attach from my dog. He thinks it is play time if I get on the floor.
I tired it too, but since I shower shave, it's even harder to keep it on. I tried all kind of things: clips, ties, so on. But since my neck is narrower than my jaw (for now anyway ), it always slips. Also, since I rinse with the hottest water I can stand JUST before picking up my razor, I'm not sure how much benefit there is. Now, if (when) I start using a straight or Feather AC on a regular basis, it WON'T be in the shower. A hot towel may be necessary to get the prep I now get rinsing in the shower.
nahhh... Just don't dry your beard with the towel when you dry off. After drying, go straight to the sink and splash on more hot water....that's what I do every shave and it works great for me....
That's what I used to do. But when I sink shave, I like to fill the sink with hot water, soak the brush and razor, lather up using the hot water, and float the (capped) lather bowl in the hot water. I found all that the time tinkering and warming everything up, my face would get pretty cool. Of course, before applying the lather I'd splash my face again. Sometimes I'd even refill the sink so the lather would have a fresh hot bath to soak in while I shave. Between the ever warm lather, brush and razor, the results where great. But I always wondered if a hot towel wrap over a lathered face would do even better. In the shower I pre-lather, I'm in a hot steamy environment and I have instant access to piping hot water, so I don't think there would be much advantage to a towel.
I've tried the hot towels in and out of the shower. I've tried steaming my face (boiling water in sink, towel draped over head to trap the steam...) both with and without lather. I've really found no benefit (to me, YKHTG (You Know How That Goes)) over the shower method. I do have an electric kettle, and that helps the process: Hot tap water into bowl, soak brush Turn on electric kettle Shower, at end of shower spend a minute or so massaging hot running water on my face. Dry off, not drying off my face Get to sink, run hot tap water, splash face rewetting Apply shave stick if using one Empty bowl, drain brush If cream, Work into lather in bowl - during this process I'll apply some of the soapy/foamy pre-lather to start working on my beard (rinsing off with hot water one last time before applying real lather) If soap, load brush, applying some of the soapy/foamy pre-lather before I finish loading my brush - I do face lather soaps If stick, start working into lather... Once lathered, pour steaming hot kettle water into scuttle to keep brush warm If cream, fill sink with hot tap water and pour some steaming hot kettle water into sink to keep bowl warm Shave, doing a quick rinse with hot tap water in between passes (not enough to completely remove the previous residual lather, but enough to rewet face)
I use a towel long enough to wrap around my face and then fold one side over the other. Like you do when you fold a towel around your waist.
