Eliminate post-shave marks, grazes and in-growns with these 7 tips.
We showed you how to groom the perfect beard so now for the perfect shave.
1) First up, soften your beard by having a hot shower first. This will hydrate and soften the hairs enough to reduce irritation.
2) It's easiest to handle short hairs so clipper your imitation Saint Nicholas to a shorter, more manageable length first. The goal is gradual reduction, not total destruction in one go.
3) Use a high quality cream, nothing in a cheap aerosol can is ever good. A small dob of sandalwood scented traditional shaving cream smells sublime and goes a long way when used with a shaving brush.
4) Wet your shaving brush and work a small amount of shaving cream in to a lather. Brush over your face in a swirling motion then finally go against the grain of your whiskers.
This further hydrates your beard and lifts any stray soldiers up and in to rank with the rest of your stubble. Your razor can now do its job more efficiently.
5) A sharp, heavy razor is key. Something like a traditional safety razor or a heavy-handled modern adaption has some significant mass, the weight is enough to do the shaving without having to apply much pressure at all.
If you are applying pressure, its likely you could remove skin. Nobody wants that.
6) Shave with the grain first and against the grain never. Shaving against the grain will get you a smooth face but it will give you ingrown hairs. Nobody wants that either.
Shave in short strokes, clean your blade with each stroke. Map out the grain before you start so you can get a lay of the land. Gently go across the grain rather than against it if you must it a hard to reach area.
7) Rinse off with cold water so to close your pores, dry your face then apply a gentle aftershave balm to prevent irritation.
