The Perfect Wet Shave
Preparation
Wash your face thoroughly with hot water - this will cleanse your skin and soften the hairs ready for cutting.
After soaking your shaving brush in hot water, flick most of the water out of your brush and work up a lather from your chosen soap or cream.
Apply lather to your face using circular movements of the brush (in both directions). As well as providing the necessary lubricant for the razor, this will lift the hairs ready for cutting.
The Shave …
Your skin needs to be taut when you shave it … this leads you into various contortions … jutting chins, craning necks, rolling eyeballs up at the ceiling. Although it may look ridiculous, keeping the skin taut is crucial. If the skin is loose, the blade (or blades) will push a mound of skin in front of it, then slice into it. That’s how you nick yourself. Don’t be tempted to pull the skin too taut – this could cause razor-burn.
You can start the shave wherever you want but most men tend to start at their sideburns and shave their cheeks, then move onto the chin and neck, leaving around the mouth until last.
Hold the skin taut and shave in the direction of the hair growth, with the razor held at a 30 degree angle to the skin. Use the razor in short strokes. If you’re using a cut-throat, you probably only need to repeat the strokes once or twice but if it’s a safety razor, you may need to repeat the strokes slightly more but don’t overdo it though The most important point is to follow the direction of hair growth and keep the 30 degree angle.
It is also important that you always use a sharp razor. Blunt and worn blades play havoc with your skin. However do not apply pressure whilst shaving! The blade should be sharp enough to cut the hair without help from you.
Tip: Not all facial hair grows straight down. You may want to let your beard grow out for a day or two then take a close look in the mirror at each part of your face to see which direction the hair grows in so that you know which direction you should be shaving.
Post shave
After you have finished shaving, rinse your face thoroughly with warm water to remove the last remnants of lather. Then rinse it in cold water to close the pores.
What you do next, if anything, is very much up to your personal preference and skin type. One option is to use a moisturising and/or cooling lotion but some men prefer to splash on an alcohol based aftershave and “feel the burn”.
Summary Checklist:
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Understand the direction of the hair growth and shave with the grain.
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Keep skin taut, but not too taut.
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Keep the 30 degree angle constant
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Keep the blade on your razor sharp