How to Get the Perfect Shave

You would think that shaving would be a pretty straightforward act, but there are a lot of factors involved, and when you throw in sensitive skin things can get even more complicated. Here are some tips for getting the perfect shave.

Make Sure and Get Your Face Really Wet

If your beard isn’t wet it is going to cause more problems than you need to be encountering. The hair on your face can absorb a lot of water which is what you want it to do, because when it gets full of water then the hair becomes weaker and therefore easier to cut. The best way to do this is to shower first, but if you’re working at the sink you can always place a wet towel on your face before you shave if you’ve got a lot of hair to work with.

Use a Good Shaving Cream

The quality of the shaving cream that you’re using really does matter. Choose one that has a lot of lubricants and moisturizers, which will both create a smoother shave for you and also help to keep the skin protected and happy following the shave. If you have time, put on your shaving cream and leave it there for about a minute before you start shaving just to let it coat the area. The smoother the shave is the less likely that the process will irritate the skin.

Get a Shaving Brush

If you aren’t using a shaving brush, you might be able to step your game up by doing so. It helps in a few different ways. For one thing brushing on your shave cream with a shave brush will create a nice lather that will get the shaving cream nice and close to the skin. For another thing, the brush helps to lift up the ends of the hair follicles which can make them easier to shave off than when they are laying flat against the face. Lastly using a shaving brush can help keep the skin exfoliated which will reduce the odds of getting ingrown hairs or razor burn, not to mention just keep the skin looking bright and healthy.

Always Use a Sharp Razor

Using a dull razor blade is just asking for trouble, since the dull blade has to work harder to cut the hair and can require more swipes from you. More swipes with a dull blade means it’s more likely that you will irritate the skin. You should always be changing your blades if they are getting dull, but you also want to make sure that you are using a quality blade to begin with. To keep the blade clear while you are using it, after every few strokes be sure and rinse the blade under hot water to get out the hair and shaving cream. At the end of your shave make sure and rinse the blade thoroughly and keep it in a place where it will air dry quickly. Finish off your face with a post shave balm to lock in moisture.