Lets talk about shaving

I have enjoyed using Burt's Bees Shave Cream. It doesn't get all frothy like most of the soaps do. It provides excellent lubrication, rinses cleanly and has not caused any breakouts. It's a lotion so I squirt some on the end of the brush and then brush it on.
 
ntwrkguy1 said:
I've been shaving for a bit over 35 years, and have tried dozens of blade/shaving cream combos. Some worked well, some not so well.

Then, about 10 years ago, I discovered the missing ingredient.

Coconut oil.

If you apply coconut oil after wetting your face and before you apply your shaving cream, you will get the smoothest shave you've ever had. Even better, you can buy 54 oz. of it from Costco for $16. A little goes a long, long way. I use less than a dime-size amount each time. On top of that, coconut oil is great for your skin, so your face will be as smooth as a freshly-clayed Bentley hood!
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This would have to be great !
Anything as organic as pure coconut oil will really be great for skin - I totally agree..
Thanks so much for pointing this out..
And yes, much less expensive than about anything else..
It also works great as a massage oil..
Dan F
 
GearHead_1 said:
Just got a bowl of "Art of Shaving" soap for Christmas.
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To be honest I've never really gotten into it and just used your typical Gillet razor and cream. That being said my wife gave me one of the "Art of Shaving" 4-piece kits with the brush for X-mas after I had tried a sample a few weeks prior. I was surprised at the difference it made. What's funny is that I looked in the mirror when I was done and thought to myself that I actually looked different. Walked out of the bathroom and the wife looked at me and said the same thing! :)

The brush seemed to make the shaving cream go further and I think the pre-shave oil is probably what made the biggest difference, since Ive never used one before. I'm sold now! :)
 
Test of my stuff- bowl, soap, brush, oil and stand should be here tomorrow. But after a couple shaves, this will take a bit of practice.
 
jrock645 said:
Test of my stuff- bowl, soap, brush, oil and stand should be here tomorrow. But after a couple shaves, this will take a bit of practice.
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I wear a beard. its easier. more pragmatic

I am afraid to buy an expensive electric but I would like one if it was worth it

I cant blade shave, skin is too sensitive and I cut easily
plus I look about 10 years younger clean shaven
 
512detail said:
I wear a beard. its easier. more pragmatic

I am afraid to buy an expensive electric but I would like one if it was worth it

I cant blade shave, skin is too sensitive and I cut easily
plus I look about 10 years younger clean shaven
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Open Box Braun Series 7 Pulsonic Men's Shaver 740s 6WD with Charger Case | eBay

They usually go for 150+

It's the best out of all of them. No cleaning station (Thats how they get you in the long run) I just clean with soap, water an isopropyl alcohol. The motor shreds through the thickest of hair. It's top notch quality, if I had to do it over I would gladly pay full retail. You don't know what your missing!
 
The Driver said:
Open Box Braun Series 7 Pulsonic Men's Shaver 740s 6WD with Charger Case | eBay

They usually go for 150+

It's the best out of all of them. No cleaning station (Thats how they get you in the long run) I just clean with soap, water an isopropyl alcohol. The motor shreds through the thickest of hair. It's top notch quality, if I had to do it over I would gladly pay full retail. You don't know what your missing!
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Yeah i had a braun with the cleaning station. Hated that part, was such a hassle
 
512detail said:
I wear a beard. its easier. more pragmatic

I am afraid to buy an expensive electric but I would like one if it was worth it

I cant blade shave, skin is too sensitive and I cut easily
plus I look about 10 years younger clean shaven
Click to expand...

I know this will sound silly, in fact I feel a bit silly typing this. Telling someone how to shave is like telling them how to take a deep breathe but it isn't as instinctive as it may appear. I've had this same discussion dozens of times over the years with relatives, friends and co-workers but honestly have never had someone who was willing to really try the whole process that didn't come back and say their skin was better off having done so.

I believe that if you're doing it right there is no way that a blade shave isn't better for your skin than using an electric razor. If for no other reason than a good blade shave will remove that top layer of dead skin that clogs the pores. Doing this regularly will prevent natural oil build up in the pores. As far as cutting yourself, well, that is a matter of blade angle, a quality sharp blade (change frquently), virtually zero pressure on the blade allowing the weight of the razor to do most of the work and practice. I further believe that a single blade edge beats multi-blade set ups as they don't plug up and end up pulling whiskers, they also don't stretch a whisker out, cut it and have it retract below the surface of the skin. This is where ingrown hairs begin. Again this is just my opinion but I think that cartridge razors because of the expense associated with refills encourages the user to use the blade longer than the edge is actually good. The inexpensive double edge blade makes it so you don't feel guilty changing a blade frequently. A sharp blade is essential when sensitive skin is involved.

I too have extremely sensitive skin with a heavy beard that's like cutting 8 lb. test fishing line. I've found that using the right selection of products, having a beard that has been properly heated, a pre-shave oil, dense soap foam that holds a lot of water, good sharp blade using a multi-pass re-soap regimen followed up by a cold water splash to close the pores, some witch hazel or a quality after shave splash followed by a quality after shave lotion (not a splash) and your skin will improve. Took me a while to get my son to actually believe this and incorporate all the steps but he'll be the first to tell you his completion has improved dramatically over an electric razor. He fought me for a couple of years but caved in and is better off for doing it.

The sheer number of steps makes this seem like it's terribly expensive. Well, it can be but it doesn't need to be. You can make your own pre-shave oil (many don't use a pre-shave but I'd recommend it for sensitive skin), I've tried many and never found one that works as well as what I can make. The initial cost of making the oil isn't cheap but once you buy the various components you won't be doing it again for 5 years. A decent, beyond simply acceptable razor and 100 blades can be had for around $40, a starter blade kit with say a variety of 5 or 6 differents blades, qty @ 30 blades might be had as low as $10. The razor itself can last a lifetime, you can buy one for $20 but can also get a very nice one for $50. An acceptable badger brush, bowl and soap puck can be had for less than $30. Most soaps in a kit aren't what you'd want to use long term but some very decent soaps can be had for about $10/puck/bowl. You can find a boars hair brush for $15. Naturally one will try to save time and consolidate steps, this usually invites problems to creep back in. You do have to give it a chance to work. If your skin has blemishes you're going to cut them off and you're going to bleed but once you've done this for a while you'll have less clogged pores, virtually eliminate ingrown hairs and have fewer blemishes to shave off. It gets better as you continue the practice.

If someone is seriously looking into trying this out, not a one time deal, there is a kit by a company named Van Der Hagen. Now this isn't a high end kit but it's more than just a throw away set up. The kit includes a shave mug, a puck of their better line of soap (smells like cucumbers), a boars hair brush, a brush drying stand and I think it had 10 blades for about $25. You can pick up a respectable Parker razor for about $20 or a Jagger or Muhle for a few bucks more. Add a pre-shave oil, your favorite after shave and an after shave lotion. Pre-shave oils can get expensive but you can get by with a bottle of Grape Seed oil, Avocado oil or Coconut oil in a pinch. This would easily put you in business for a couple of months worth of daily shaves. It would give you ample chance of really trying traditional shaving out. If you don't like it you're not in too deep. If you do like it, the razor, the brush, mug and stand will last for years. You're eventually going to want to get into a better soap, I'd recommend Proraso, they have a sensitive skin bowl also. Like detailing waxes, there are a ton of soaps out there. You've got to try a few and find what you like, the same is especially true for blades.

If you're one who loves a beard none of what I've typed here will matter but if you really don't shave becasue of the sensitive skin, it should not be an issue that stops you.

By the way. I have that Braun shaver. It's not a bad razor as electrics go. I'm not trying to beat a dead horse here because this is just my opinion but it doesn't deliver a shave anywhere close to a blade. Never had a hint of a problem with the charging station. It charges/cleans very well, I press the button every time I use it. I quite like it. I bought a dozen of the cartridges for a good price on Amazon a while back. Makes it very easy to keep it clean and ready. If you use these regularly the foil/cartridge needs to be changed on a regular basis. I think over time the shave degrades as the cartridge wears but it happens so slowly you don't realize it has happened and then you wake up one morning and say to yourself this isn't what it used to be. The cartridges can be had for a bit south of $30. I keep one on hand.

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I fall into the category of sensitive skin. When I was in my 20's I was into elevtric shaving but had to quit using them. I had the Norelco rotary but that thing was vicious and it would bite my skin. I them tried a Remington (I believe that was the brand, not sure I even have it anymore) foil shaver and that was an improvement but I think it cut too close. I would get a smooth shave but it would make my face itch off and on. It was worse in the summer as I would get a rash from it so I had to stop using the electric. I would also end up with an ingrown hair once in a while. Before I got my dads single edge Schick I had Gillette cartridge twin blade razors and I also had some of the white Bic single blades for the longer beard. I haven't used cartridges in a while and had been buying the throw away twins.

I do have problem with knicks now and then with the Schick single edge but I like the fact it cuts through a 4 day old beard without clogging. The knicks I get are from when I get in too much of a hurry shaving and I am applying too much pressure. I think that is habit from using the twin blade razor. My opinion is no matter how good the electric razors are these days I will stick with the blades, my face feels better for it.

All this reading has me planning on looking into buying one double edge starter kits that has been suggested. I spent enough on detailing my car and don't plan on spending anymore so maybe I need to look into buying items to detail my face!
 
Wow that was a lot of info.
I mainly enjoy the beard. I don't have one of those hipster huge beards but i do like to shave my neck area at times with a blade. I will have to let all of that sink in and then invest in quality products.

I don't have any problems with my skin or complexion or anything but I suppose my barbasol and cheap $10 razor could use retirement.
 
I need to try something for at least Saturday Nights and for important meetings. I have not fully shaven in nearly 20 years all I do is trim back to a 5 o'clock shadow ever 2-4 days with a nice professional trimmer like the use to do the back of your neck during a hair cut. I gave up on shaving because of all the in grown hairs on my neck area and the rash I would get in the same area if I would sweat.
 
trashmanssd- That's the exact sort of trouble I used to have, so I for one really sympathize with you. And yeah, that "permanent 5 o'clock shadow" is how I did it for a long time too.

Oh, speaking of the back-of-neck, I have a good multiple-mirror setup in my bathroom (yeah, Accumulatorette and I each have "our own Master Baths" :D ) so I can see to do that every time. I've been noticing that a lot of guys apparently don't do it between haircuts.
 
Had an excellent shave this morning with the new set up! TOBS oil, testoshave soap, Zirh balm, dorco blade. Takes a lot longer but skin feels better. Just ordered some bay rum splash as well to really tighten the skin up.
 
Kind of like detailing cars only you're detailing the man. It's a little bit addictive. I will say that it seems I can't have to many detailing supplies but I can say I have enough shaving supplies.
 
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