The Perfect Shave
Murdock's Top Tips to a Better Shave
Shave After Showering
Ideally you should shave after a hot shower, otherwise wet a face towel with hot water and place over your face, or if in a hurry, splash some hot water over your face for a few minutes. With a layer of hot water between your skin and the lather, the blade skims the surface instead of dragging on it, which is the main cause of irritation, redness, and shave bumps. The hot water furthermore softens the beard, opens the pores and cleanses the skin.
Use a Pre-Shave Oil
Use a pre-shave oil such as D.R Harris pre-shave oil or gel to help prepare the skin for the shave. Your facial hair is surprisingly tough and by shaving dry or mostly dry as with the vast majority of shaving creams, foams, and gels on the market, means you’re literally tugging on each and every hair on your face instead of neatly slicing it at the skin’s surface and moving on without irritating your skin. The pre-shave oil will make the razor glide more smoothly and protects the skin.
High Quality Lather
A high quality shaving cream such as D.R Harris Arlington or lather is essential to achieving the perfect shave. You’ll be amazed by the difference an old-school shaving cream can make to the smoothness of your skin, not to mention the scent it leaves behind. Apply the shaving cream and lather for at least 20 seconds, to further moisturize the skin. Make sure you completely cover the beard, and you’re ready to go.
A Traditional Badger Shaving Brush
The traditional badger shaving brush is one of the forgotten treasures of the olden days and will make all the difference to your shave. Badger brushes are best as they absorb the water and slowly release it on to your skin, mixing with the shaving cream. A shaving brush also gently removes the dead skin from your face before shaving, getting rid of anything coming between the blade and your facial hair. With the brush, move the cream around your face using circular motions, to help lift the beard and soften the whiskers.
A Good Razor
An equally important tool is of course the razor. A good razor by Edwin Jagger either the diposable or traditional cut throat blade will ensure a close and comfortable shave and close to zero irritation. A multi-blade cartridge razor is ok, but the double-edged safety razor is the best choice for serious wet-shavers; for the truly brave (and experienced) ones there is the cut-throat razor. The thing to get right – and practice will make perfect – is the amount of pressure applied to the skin, and a good razor with a handle that offers a good weight and balance will help you with this.
Shave in the Direction of Hair Growth
Always shave in the direction of the hair growth because shaving against the grain is what causes razor burns and in-growing hairs. If the hair towards the base of the throat grow in the opposite direction to the rest of the face, i.e. upwards, you must shave upwards in that area.
Glide the Razor Without Heavy Pressure
Do not apply heavy pressure to your razor since this can cause razor burn and skin irritation. This is why a good sharp razor is needed as these require much less pressure than the multi-blade cartridge versions. Glide the razor gently over the face. If you want a close-to-perfection shave, wet your face and lather up again and repeat.
Rinse with Cold Water
After shaving, rinse the face with cold water to help close the pores and pat, not rub, your face dry with a clean towel. Wet-shaving is a very different method to the current methods most men use and will take a few times getting used to. So should you suffer a few nicks and cuts on your first tries, use a moistened Alum Block to stop the bleeding.
Non-Alcoholic Based Shave Lotion
Use after shave lotion, such as the D.R Harris or Caron balm or toner to refresh and restore the skin after shaving. Non-alcoholic based versions are best if you want to avoid the daily routing of the after-shave stinging sensation.
Look After your Brush
Finally, rinse your brush well, shake out the excess moisture and always hang on a stand with the hairs facing downwards, NOT lying down. This way, your brush will probably be in fit state to be passed down to the next generation.
Shave After Showering
Ideally you should shave after a hot shower, otherwise wet a face towel with hot water and place over your face, or if in a hurry, splash some hot water over your face for a few minutes. With a layer of hot water between your skin and the lather, the blade skims the surface instead of dragging on it, which is the main cause of irritation, redness, and shave bumps. The hot water furthermore softens the beard, opens the pores and cleanses the skin.
Use a Pre-Shave Oil
Use a pre-shave oil such as D.R Harris pre-shave oil or gel to help prepare the skin for the shave. Your facial hair is surprisingly tough and by shaving dry or mostly dry as with the vast majority of shaving creams, foams, and gels on the market, means you’re literally tugging on each and every hair on your face instead of neatly slicing it at the skin’s surface and moving on without irritating your skin. The pre-shave oil will make the razor glide more smoothly and protects the skin.
High Quality Lather
A high quality shaving cream such as D.R Harris Arlington or lather is essential to achieving the perfect shave. You’ll be amazed by the difference an old-school shaving cream can make to the smoothness of your skin, not to mention the scent it leaves behind. Apply the shaving cream and lather for at least 20 seconds, to further moisturize the skin. Make sure you completely cover the beard, and you’re ready to go.
A Traditional Badger Shaving Brush
The traditional badger shaving brush is one of the forgotten treasures of the olden days and will make all the difference to your shave. Badger brushes are best as they absorb the water and slowly release it on to your skin, mixing with the shaving cream. A shaving brush also gently removes the dead skin from your face before shaving, getting rid of anything coming between the blade and your facial hair. With the brush, move the cream around your face using circular motions, to help lift the beard and soften the whiskers.
A Good Razor
An equally important tool is of course the razor. A good razor by Edwin Jagger either the diposable or traditional cut throat blade will ensure a close and comfortable shave and close to zero irritation. A multi-blade cartridge razor is ok, but the double-edged safety razor is the best choice for serious wet-shavers; for the truly brave (and experienced) ones there is the cut-throat razor. The thing to get right – and practice will make perfect – is the amount of pressure applied to the skin, and a good razor with a handle that offers a good weight and balance will help you with this.
Shave in the Direction of Hair Growth
Always shave in the direction of the hair growth because shaving against the grain is what causes razor burns and in-growing hairs. If the hair towards the base of the throat grow in the opposite direction to the rest of the face, i.e. upwards, you must shave upwards in that area.
Glide the Razor Without Heavy Pressure
Do not apply heavy pressure to your razor since this can cause razor burn and skin irritation. This is why a good sharp razor is needed as these require much less pressure than the multi-blade cartridge versions. Glide the razor gently over the face. If you want a close-to-perfection shave, wet your face and lather up again and repeat.
Rinse with Cold Water
After shaving, rinse the face with cold water to help close the pores and pat, not rub, your face dry with a clean towel. Wet-shaving is a very different method to the current methods most men use and will take a few times getting used to. So should you suffer a few nicks and cuts on your first tries, use a moistened Alum Block to stop the bleeding.
Non-Alcoholic Based Shave Lotion
Use after shave lotion, such as the D.R Harris or Caron balm or toner to refresh and restore the skin after shaving. Non-alcoholic based versions are best if you want to avoid the daily routing of the after-shave stinging sensation.
Look After your Brush
Finally, rinse your brush well, shake out the excess moisture and always hang on a stand with the hairs facing downwards, NOT lying down. This way, your brush will probably be in fit state to be passed down to the next generation.
