Please note that all tips are great for sensitive skin.
1. Shave right after taking a warm shower. Once out of the shower, thoroughly wet your face with warm water. The steam and water will soften up your beard.
2. Massage a shave oil or cream into your beard (a shaving brush can help). Don't worry about a bunch of lather - it's not doing squat if it isn't touching your skin! Give your shave product about 30 seconds to sink in and reactivate if necessary with a splash of H2O.
Shave the "easy areas" first (cheeks), while leaving the neck, chin and upper lip for last. This will allow these tuff areas more time to soften up.
- Use your free hand to stretch your skin, creating a smooth surface for the razor.
- Only go against the grain at the end to get stubborn hairs.
4. Rinse your face thoroughly with cool water to cleanse the skin and close the pores. If needed, pat your face with a soft towel.
5. Generously apply a balm or moisturizing aftershave. Steer clear of any aftershave containing alcohol, which will hurt like a mother and dry your skin out.
Solving Shaving Challenges
Does your morning shave feature more bleeding than a Red Cross Blood Drive? Does it leave your face feeling hotter than a stereo at a pawnshop?
If you can relate to the discomfort above, you must read the text below. Do so and you’ll find solutions for some of the most common shaving challenges.
The Challenge: Nicks & Cuts
The Solutions:
- Spend more time warming your skin before shaving. Shave right after a hot shower and make sure to splash some warm H2O on your mug throughout the process.
- Prior to shave gel or cream, apply a pre-shave oil. This will help your facial hairs stand at attention and also give your razor some extra “slip.”
The Challenge: Razor Bumps
The Solutions:
- Shaving with the grain of hair growth can often prevent these. But note, your facial hair doesn’t always grow straight down.
- Use an exfoliator or face scrub twice a week to remove dead skin cells and to uproot ingrown hairs (which lead to razor bumps).
- Apply a targeted ingrown hair solution.
The Challenge: Razor Burn
The Solutions:
- Prior to shave gel or cream, apply a pre-shave oil. This will help your facial hairs stand at attention and also give your razor some extra “slip.”
- Make sure not to press to hard with your razor.
- Always use a fresh, sharp blade.
- After shaving, apply a super-hydrating aftershave. Avoid anything with alcohol.
The Challenge: Missed Shaving Spots
The Solutions:
- Instead of using a shaving cream, try a see-through shaving gel. Being translucent, these products will allow you to see exactly what you are and aren’t shaving.
The Challenge: Ultra-Sensitive Skin
The Solutions:
- Follow the Grooming Lounge’s Guide To A Great Wet Shave.
- Make sure to stay loyal to a solid daily skincare regimen. Doing this will have a positive effect on your daily shave.
- Don’t rub your face with a towel pre or post shave. Instead, get in touch with your feminine side and pat your skin.
If you've got it, you might as well keep it nicely groomed. So, brush those Pop Tart crumbs out of your whiskers and follow these tips for keeping your beard in good shape:
Trimming Your Facial Hair
- When possible, have your beard, moustache or goatee trimmed professionally by a barber.
Quality barbers are hard to find today, but most will do a great job.
- If you need to trim it yourself, stay away from the scissors (unless you have a few pints of extra blood in the fridge)! Instead, get yourself a cordless beard trimmer, preferably one with a couple different length settings.
Cleaning Your Facial Hair
- Sure it's economical, but storing pieces of dinner in your beard just doesn't look right. To keep your facial hair clean, wash and condition it just like the hair on your head.
- To remove beard tangles, detangle using a wide-tooth comb.
How To Make Your Goatee Even
- Face it, the ladies aren't clamoring for guys with lopsided goatees. To keep your goatee properly aligned, always use a shaving oil or clear gel. Unlike foam, these products will allow you to see exactly what you are and are not shaving.
Wet Blade vs. Electric Razor
If you have the time, giving yourself a wet shave is always the way to go. A wet shave gets closer, offers a smaller chance of breaking out and leaves your face feeling much smoother than an electric razor.
That said, an electric razor is the only option for the car (we hope) or when you have limited time. If you are going the electric route, there are some products available on the market that can help your facial hairs stand on end and make an electric shave a bit smoother.
Shaving Solutions from the Pros
Everyday, Grooming Experts shave the faces of powerful men – political figures, captains of industry and guys who are just really, really strong. Through these interactions one thing is clear – while men know a lot about government, business and sports – they’re just a little perplexed in regards to shaving basics. That’s where we come in.
Below please find answers to the questions most commonly posed to our expert staff.
Q: Is shaving lather really important?
A: Too much lather is just a waste of money! Why keep piling on foam that will never touch your face? For the best shave, we recommend a shaving oil, gel or a moisturizing cream (there's no need to put so much on you look like Santa).
Q: Should I shave with or against the grain?
A: The majority of your shave should be in the direction of hair growth (most commonly downwards, but sometimes diagonal). Occasionally, shaving against the grain is required at the end of a shave to get tuff-to-reach or stubborn spots.
Q: No matter what I try, I continue to break out. What should I do?
A: A paper bag is a good first step (bada-bing). But seriously, any persistent skin or shaving disorder should be looked at by a reputable doctor. If you don’t want to take that step, select a quality spa in your area and visit a skin care pro for a prescriptive skin care regimen (the problem may not be your shave – but rather your daily skincare regimen).
Q: What about aftershave?
A: Most traditional aftershaves have a large volume of alcohol in them. This ain't good for many reasons, just two of which are: 1) They sting a cleanly shaven face like crazy 2) They’re big-time drying to the skin. A better way to go is a soothing post-shave balm or a gel. These products calm down and re-moisturize the skin.
Q: What causes razor bumps and how can I get rid of them?
A: When hair curls around and re-enters the skin (an ingrown hair) this creates a razor bump. To rid yourself of ingrown hairs and the resulting razor bumps - use an exfoliator to remove dead skin cells or a face scrub to free ingrowns. Also, warming the face thoroughly will make you kinder to existing bumps. If all else fails, try a targeted ingrown hair solution.
Q: How can I stop razor burn?
A: You might need to tenderize (it's a better word than soften) your face a bit more prior to shaving - possibly even shave in the shower. You also may be pressing too hard or using a dull blade. Make sure to moisturize after.
Q: I cut myself a lot when shaving. How can I stop this?
A: First, take a look at the shaving regimen described on our site. This should outline a solid morning routine. Little tidbits for avoiding cuts include: 1) using short strokes with a clean blade 2) Heating and softening the skin more prior to shaving.
Finally, when you do slip up, stop the gushing with a moist alum block. It's going to sting… but you're a man (right?).
Q: I'm using shaving oil and sometimes I feel the blade sticking to my skin. What can I do to loosen it up?
A:Shaving oil can be reactivated with a splash of H2O. Also, make sure to rinse out the blade consistently throughout the shave.
Q: Is there a difference between razors?
A: Some people will tell you NO… but here at The Grooming Lounge we know there is a difference. Some of the new multi-blade brands feature technology that cuts hair more easily than before. Additionally, when used properly these multi-blade razors cut down on necessary re-shaves and the resulting skin irritation. They are definitely the way to go.
Shaving with the Grain
Remember the TV show "Fantasy Island" when Mr. Rourke's diminutive sidekick, Tattoo, would point to the sky and shout "Da Grain, Da Grain"? Now, while you may have mistakenly thought he was referencing an incoming plane - truth is - our little friend was instead extolling the virtues of shaving with "the grain" of hair growth. Tattoo just thought a great shave should be more than fantasy.
Anyway, television references aside, it's a fact that every shave is made more comfortable when shaving with the grain of hair growth. And when we say with the grain, we just don't mean downward. Instead, it is important that you take a look at the different ways your facial hair flows. While it may grow directly downward on your cheeks, the follicles on your neck may run in several different directions. Because of this, a superior shave requires that you diagnose each section (or direction) individually and shave in that direction accordingly.
Here are a few more grains of wisdom for shaving with… well you know:
•Use a transparent shaving oil or gel that will allow you to see exactly where and what direction you're shaving.
•When shaving side to side or at an odd angle, be extremely careful (no slicing motions Einstein).
Using short strokes and rinsing your blade often will increase safety.
•It's worth it, but shaving with the grain often requires a little more time. With this extra time, make sure to keep the to-be-shaved parts of your face moist and lubricated.
•As a last resort, it's OK to go against the grain to get those stubborn hairs. But try to keep this action to a minimum as it can really irritate the skin.
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