What is Your Shaving Routine?

I was wondering if we could start a thread to see what routine we use? This way we can get an idea of different things to try that may be fun to see how it helps us in our daily prep / routine. Let us know your skin / beard type also.

Here is what I do, as a note my routine has changed quite a bit after gathering the information on this forum and trying different things to see what works for me. I am hoping that this thread will give me some ideas, mainly ideas to help me get a better shave on those days when I am in a hurry.

I have somewhat dry skin but not sensitive, medium density beard.

Night before the shave -
Hot Shower washing my face with an exfoliating facial soap.
After drying off I apply a hydrating face cream. I make sure to do this with enough time that the cream absorbs into my skin before bed, this way it does not rub off on the pillow while I sleep.

Morning-

Pre-Shave
-Fill scuttle with hot water and start soaking the brush.
-Strop razor
-Splash hot water on face
-Apply preshave oil. I will skip if in a hurry.
-Start face lathering - 2 to 3 minutes
-Soak a face towel in hot water and apply towel to face for 2 - 3 minutes. I do this with the lather still on my face. I will skip this if I am in a hurry, but that also means I only plan on a single pass wtg.

Shave
-Lather up
-Proceed with the shave (WTG) After this pass if I am in a rush I proceed to the post shave routine.
-Rinse with hot water
-Refresh hot water in scuttle
-Apply a thin coat of lather
-Soak the face towel and apply to face for 1 - 2 minutes
-Lather up
-Second pass (ATG/XTG)
-Rinse with hot water checking with my hands to see if I need any touch ups
-Lather and touch up as needed

Post-Shave
-Rinse hot water than cold water
-Apply witch hazel or Alum Block
-Apply aftershave splash
-Apply balm

If time permits I boil a tea pot of water to fill the scuttle (no boiling water on the brush) and for soaking the face towel.

I have a medium density beard.
prep; strop 15 on linen, 20 on leather
place brush in regular cold tap water for 30 seconds, then load brush.
cold water splash then lather face.
3 pass shave, with face lather after each pass.
cold water rinse
splash of AS and I'm out.

Pretty new to the wetshaving. But this is my routine atm, might change over time.

But I always shave right after a hot shower.

Starting with putting brush in a bowl with hot water.
A few drops of water on the soap.
Strop on leather.
Shower and clean the face with a scrub and then a facesoap.
After shower I start working up a lather in the bowl.
Splashing some hot water on face before putting lather on face.
3 pass shave (only with the grain so far, lather the face after each pass.
Hot water rinse and then cold.
Some AS splash and then a balm.
Finnishing with a stropping on linnen and then leather.

Think thats it! ;)

Skin on the oily side and not overly sensitive. Beard of average density.

Night before I strop my razor. 10 laps on Crox sprayed hanging felt strop, wipe razor, 40 laps on English linen and 80-100 laps on shell Cordovan leather.

In the morning, usually 4 - 5 am.

Fill sink with cold tap water, splash face with water, lather up and shave 1st pass WTG
Splash face with water lather up for the 2nd pass XTG nose to ear
Splash face with water lather up for the 3rd pass XTG ear to nose
Splash face with water lather up for the 4th pass ATG

Pause to rinse razor, wipe the blade and between the scales dry. Strop on linen, 10 laps, to dry edge and place razor open to dry for a few hours before storing the razor.

Splash face with water and apply alum.
Clean sponge used to wipe lather from razor, empty sink and rinse brush before putting it aside to dry. Wipe sink to eliminate scum build up.
Splash face with cold tap water and pat dry before applying after shave. Done like turkey in < 1/2 hour

My oily skin has always lead to pimples and such even into retirement. The past 5 years has seen the addition of alum into the routine which seems to have tamed the oiliness and pimples to the point where there is no problem anymore.

Bob

- take my razor out, strop it on leather.

- take my brush, wet it, rub on beard; dab it in a tub of cream, continue to face lather

- take razor (sometimes hand strop a little) and start shaving

- I rarely re-lather and do all my shaving in one sitting, combining WTG, XTG and ATG strokes

- pat face dry and/or shower afterwards (opposite to many I presume)

- put on a balm

- strop razor on canvas

- store razor

Shave every other day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvAQCD2c1i4

Aloha!

I mix it up too much to post my "routine" because it changes. I have four or five different routines at home, and sometimes more if the mood strikes. Variety is the spice of life. Sometimes a hot towel, sometimes a shower. Sometimes pre-shave or oil, sometimes not. Sometimes soap, sometimes cream. Mostly a straight, but sometimes a DE. Sometimes a first pass with a Shavette and a clean-up with a DE.

When I travel or hit the health club, it changes a bit more. I like to keep it interesting in my shaving world.

-Zip

My typical routine is pretty minimal, except the stropping.
Noxema preshave and soak my brush
Strop 60ish linen, 100ish leather
Shake the excess out of my brush and face lather
1st pass against the grain
Wet the brush again but not too much, I'm mostly just warming it up a little, face lather
2nd pass is multidirectional some with the grain, some across
Quick rinse.
Balm or aftershave splash
After shave stropping is 60/60
I do this most evenings.
I have a somewhat fast growing and dense beard with fine whiskers and very sensitive skin on my neck.
To get the best shaves possible I generally rotate razors only once a week.

Strop, lather, shave...

Sent from a moto x far far away

My routine has been evolving the last several months but has found a new normal the last month or so.

Oily, somewhat sensitive skin with a dense but relatively soft beard.

• Bloom hard soaps (MWF) with warm water.
• Hot shower and Noxema Sensitive facial wash
• Dunk synthetic brush in cold water, remove excess and load
• Splash face with cold water and face lather, circular strokes followed by painters' strokes
• WTG
• Rinse and re-lather
• XTG
• Rinse and re-lather
• ATG
• Hot water rinse of razor, drying pass on clean barber's towel and then roughly a dozen laps on wool felt before leaving razor out to dry completely
• Cold water splash to rinse my face followed by a barber's towel to remove any remaining lather
• Apply aftershave after completing the rest of my morning routine.

I generally shave in the early hours of the morning so I will lap my razors either in the afternoon or before bed. The razor that was used that morning will get 50 laps on leather before being put aside and the incoming razor for the next day's shave will get 25-50 laps as prep.

Medium beard, normal skin.

I've gotten into the habit of stropping my razor the night prior to my morning shave. Just seems sharper when I do it that way.
30 on linen and 40-50 on leather.
It stages some creme in a scuttle while it wets the face and brush, or if using soap, it wets the brush and sets that on top of the puck in the scuttle to bloom while it wets it's face.
It whips up the lather and applies the lather to it's full beard area.
It shaves the right side, adds more wet lather the left side and neck and then shaves the left side and neck. The left side and neck seem to get dry while shaving the right side.
It washes the residue of the first pass from it's face and reapplies wet lather to the entire beard area.
It shaves the right side, and then shaves the left side and neck. The second pass seems to go a bit quicker.
It then cleans and dries the razor, washes the scuttle and brush and sets them aside to dry while it washes the residue of the second pass from the face.
It applies a shave balm (Nivea) and rubs it into the shaved area of the skin.
If there is a cut, it applies a styptic pencil until the bleeding stops. It then washes the area, reapplies balm, and then it rubs it in again.
Then, I splash on some aftershave to suit my mood.

I usually shave first thing in the morning, or right after I shower.

:thinking:

1. Strop
2. Lather
3. Shave WTG
4. Lather
5. Shave ATG
6. Lather
7. Shave XTG
8. Lather
9. Shave one more time ATG
10. Put my tools away
11. Take care of my face post-shave
12. Impress the old widow women and divorcees:)

Normal bead, slightly sensitive skin

Pick the days gear....

Soak brush and bloom soap, warm scuttle/bowl
Strop razor
build lather
Hot towel on face
Lather
Shave WTG
lather jawline
Shave jawline ATG
Astringent usually witch hazel
After shave/smell good

Clean and put up the gear
Razors sit out partially open for the rest of the day to be sure they are totally dry

Medium beard, slightly sensitive skin

Night before I set out the brush, soap, and razor to be used. Strop razor 43 linen, 60 leather.

in the wee hours of the morning I fill the scuttle with hot water and soak the brush du jour.
brush teeth (not shave related but good to do)
run hot water into towel until very hot.
dump out scuttle water and add fresh hot stuff without filling the bowl portion.
scoop out cream or lather up brush from puck for 30 to 45 seconds
set brush in back in scuttle
hot towel on the face for a minute or two until the towel starts to become warm instead of hot.
swirl brush a few times in scuttle and then face lather adding hot water from the tap as necessary.
shave with the grain usually only rinsing the blade 3 times, no wiping.
towel off face and re lather adding hot water to brush if needed.
Shave across/against the grain. I do the across grain first and then change the angle of attack slightly for a few strokes against in spots that need it.
towel off face and apply either Thayers, Lucky Tiger, Myrsol, balm or alum if any weepers.
Clean up scuttle, brush, razor.
Shower and dress.
apply aftershave.

Its still early so I may have missed a step but this seems about right.

1-2 days of growth my normal 5/8 - 6/8 razor ( When it has been awhile I go to my PRC Gryphon 8/8 monster I love demolishing a thick beard with it)
strop it up place it on cabinet in my room.
Shower
Grab razor from room (I dont like letting steam get on my razor)
hot water on brush and a bit on my hard soap to soften it up
lather face
epic shave
aftershave
Clean equipment
after shave strop usually just 20 or so on leather

I've been pretty minimal lately:

1. splash face with water as hot as I can stand;
2. briefly cover soap puck with hot water, draining it afterwards, or run hot water over stick for a few moments;
3. dunk Vie-Long horse-badger brush in warm water for around 30 seconds;
4. shake off most standing water from brush and load it with soap;
5. face lather;
6. shave;
7. repeat steps 5 and 6 as needed;
8. rinse off face with cold water, followed by a blotting off with a bar towel;
9. apply witch hazel astringent solution to face;
10. shake off brush, dry it on towel, and clean up sink area;
11. strop razor, leaving it out to air dry before storing it away.

Process takes less than 30 minutes, and I am on a 72-hour shaving cycle these days, so it's not really all that intrusive into my daily affairs otherwise.