Okay, I've seen a lot of recommendations for water temperature when shaving. We know, of course, that Phileas Fogg preferred his to be a tepid 84F, but many posts I've read here recommend water be boiled first and left still very hot by the time ablutions are completed and lathering begun. Is it a matter of taste, or are there reasons why its better to use hot versus warm versus tepid water?
Hot water opens your pores, relaxes the erector pilli muscles of your hairs and causes the hair to stick out further. Use water as hot as you can handle. I would not recommend boiling water. As hot as your face can handle and stop there. No reason to get burns or destroy a good brush. The cold water rinse post shave will pull the hair back in and close your pores.
I've been considering rigging up a wall-mounted water boiler (being an inveterate geek) using a small ceramic crock with a tap of the kind that show up in thrift stores on occasion and a small immersion heater. Especially since I live in an older house with long uninsulated iron pipes between me and the water heater, it'd be nice for my winter shaves to be hotter, even as the hot tap water gets cooler . . . So comfort and "taste" is pretty much the only factor governing latering-water temperature, then? Edit: Okay, so hot water does actually affect the shave itself . . . Will too hot of water mess up the brush?
Yes. I personally prefer to keep anything needing to be plugged in out of the bathroom, especially when I'm shaving. No use in making it complicated.
Nice warm tap water is fine. No idea what the exact temp should be. Nor do I care. I can't imagine why anyone would boil water. Shaving is not complicated. Don't make it so.
What is your water heater set at? As long as it is not scalding, use the hottest tap water you can get. Nuf said.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways If the water is bubbling, it's too hot. I fill my shave mug while I'm showering, so I'm going to guess somewhere between 100-115 degrees. Just a little steam is nice And if the warmth of your lather doesn't remind you of a lover's gentle caresses on a cold night, it isn't warm enough.
Shaving is a big enough PITA anyway. Don't make it worse by adding unnecessary steps. Unless you're cooking pasta, you do not need to boil water.
During the winter, my hot water is at least 20F cooler than during the summer. What I did the couple of times I tried the really hot water is pour boiling water in my mug, shower, and then shave. The water was probably still at least 150F by the time I got to the shave.
