Shaving and Beard/Face Maintenance

Good luck with that.

 

I just use disposable bic twin blades and that edge gel stuff and hot water. I can be smooth in the a.m. after shaving and have 80 grit sandpaper by afternoon, cactus overnight. I hate shaving and usually go from needing maintenance goatee to clean shaven just to minimize having to shave whole face. I use some sort of ultra moisturizing lotion after shaving too. Winter is the worst for dry skin shave chaffing the face by far.

 

haha i hear ya. ive always wanted to start down this path because fuckin razor heads are tooooooooo expensive. i like the concept of the straight razor because its you buy it once and itll last forever. but the double edge sounds like a hell of a better deal than what im doing now.

one day ill get to straight razor but i think ill start on safety razors.

so your saying teh first time i use a safety razor itll feel like a rabid cat to used my face as a scratching post?

and what aluminum block are you talking about? it doesnt sound to appealing... but it did spark curiosity

 

I tried using an alum block a few months back. My skin did not like that thing. When I first started shaving with my Merkur and Proraso products I loved it, got a great close shave. Then I heard about using an alum block. I bought one, first time I used it it stung so bad. But that was a good thing as it was basically telling me that I was putting too much pressure on my razor. I got to the point that I had no sting after shaving, but I noticed my skin had begun to be really dry after shaving. As in I would have dry red patches on my face 10-20 minutes after shaving. I stopped using the alum block and all is good again. I do not regret using it though as it taught me how much pressure and at what angle to use my razor. The less sting after, the better I was getting at using the razor.

 

try a straight razor, I grow a beard quickly enough to "need" it at least 1 time ever 2 days, but I can get away with 3 days usually with the straight, If I use crap (read gillette fusion, etc....) cartridge razors, its every day, with a burning face.

I don't use this one often, I consider it too nice and use it on special occasions

Art of shaving sandalwood soap, good badger brush, preshave oil (which helps a lot), a nivea shave balm for after, followed by some classic old spice aftershave

 

Thanks man! I'm kinda excited about learning this new art form haha. I used to enjoy shaving back when I could get all the razors I could use( lived back at home...) but now I try to make them stretch to far so no more enjoying it.

But yea can't wait.

 

That's a sexy blade ya got there sir!

 

New safety razor just came yesterday

I'll give it a shot tomorrow morning and let you know how much damage I do

 

what kind did ya get there?

im ordering my FIRST setup now...

 

The post above is what I ended up getting. The article in that post actually has a lot of information and what led me to my decision. The only thing that bummed me out was that the brush doesn't fit in the holder I bought. I'm guessing it's because it's a starter kit brush and is a lot smaller than a regular brush. That was also my FIRST setup, just finally got sick of the Mach 3.

 

yea i read the article you posted and it was FULL of great info for a new guy like me. i ended going with the same one as you! im excited

 

Did you go through Lee's also? I shopped around a few different places and could they were the best overall value for everything I ordered (free shipping also). I was able to find the individual parts and pieces a buck or two cheaper if I wanted to order from 4 different sites but the shipping was the dealbreaker. I found out that I do have a local shaving store so I plan to check that out also.

 

i didnt look through lees yet but i plan to. i googled the hell out of wet shaving supplies stores in my area and no such luck for me... i like to see and touch what im buying before throwing money at it buuut i guess we cant always get lucky..

 

The way I saw it, the razor, stand and blades I was going to buy anyways, I really only took a chance on the oil, cream and aftershave. I bought the $25 starter kit to test it out and will test out a few others and probably end up buying larger packs of those types of products in person at the local store. Good luck to you, for both our sakes, I hope it's a good purchase!

 

no joke... i went ahead and got the variety pack of blades too. i mean theres got to be at least one in there worth a damn

 

i shave in the shower every day, to prevent ingrown hairs.

i make my own pre-shave oil (mix of olive, castor, and some essentials for scent like lemon or eucalyptus).

i use the "Art of Saving" cream (a little expensive, but you barely use any).

i have a safety razor but have never gotten the hang of it....need to try again. (have not used it since i started making the pre-shave oil)
i mainly use the Gillette fusion Proglide.

 

ive never thought of making pre-shave oil...hmmm another thing to tinker with haha.

yea when i shave i always shave in the shower. i wait till the end when the hairs are good and soft and go to town! i never had an ingrown hair before (knock on wood) but man they sounds pretty shitty.

but really i just want to get away from the cartridge razors. after a while they add up FAST.

 

Try the Art of Shaving web site and check out thier starter kits. It looks girlie, but the stuff is great. If I have meetings, I have to shave twice a day. Best investment I made. At the very least try the preshave oil and use hot water, but the total package makes a world of difference.

 

why thank you, it is the only one I have that I got for free. It shaves great, though I prefer a more plain Torrey that has more of a wedge. That is by far my fanciest that I own.

 

I shave every few days and used Gillette Mach 3 power . I'm not a fan of the fusions blades .