Thread: Has wet shaving led you to better grooming habits or products?

When I started my wet shave journey I was only looking for a better stone to sharpen hunting knives. I found SRD and bought a straight and a VDH kit from Amazon and started on a wonderful journey to much better shaving but also to better overall care. I never gave a thought to my skin, hair, teeth, or nails except the socially acceptable over the counter stuff you picked up at the grocery store or Target.

Fast forward fifteen months or so and I have a bath filled with creams and soaps, razors and strops but more than that I have better nail clippers, better shampoos, body washes, wash clothes, moisturizers, a nail brush. I keep clothes better, dress a little better, have a collection of wing tips that is far too large.

Before I started shaving with a straight once every few months I might actually look in the mirror and say' "what is going on here" not recognizing the face from the last time I checked. Now, far from loving the mirror, I do inspect myself far more and notice the little changes a lot sooner.

Any one else trending toward better overall care and care products just because they have ditched the shave and go disposable or cartridge?

If you have not tried a better nail clipper I highly suggest Seki. I cannot believe I used those dull $1 nips from the gas station for 30 years.

I will admit to paying more attention to the details now than before wet shaving. I have started paying attention to what the products I buy are made from most of all. The way I see it, if we are concerned about what our shaving soap is made from you need to look at he rest of your grooming products (tooth paste, hand soap, shampoo, lotions, balms...) and apply the same standard.

I bought a travel "set" of nail tools awhile back. No idea of the brand, but you are correct in that a good pair a nice upgrade.


Would be interested in hearing what else people have changed or upgraded. Good topic.

Definitely taking better care of my face since getting qualified with a straigtht and requalifying with safety razors; the rest of me had already been pretty well managed. Also, since starting on immunosupression drug I have gotten pretty serious about shaving sanitation practices - don't need any hep or other infections. The attention to improved shaving hygiene will keep on when the chemotherapy has ended.

well i use aftershave now, so i probably smell better, i have stopped buying liquid body wash and use bar soap instead, it is a fraction of the price from what i can see, i also use the same soap to wash my hair, it seems to work fine. i have started using an exfoliating face scrub and also pore strips on my nose (i was in a chemist in the uk last christmas and the packs (about 8 or 12 strips) were marked down from about 7 quid to 50p so i bought all 20 or so packs that they had, i use one every 3 weeks or so.
otherwise i am a bit of a scruff, i would take more interest in my clothes but i put a bit of weight on and cant bring myself to buy fat clothes.

I also tend to glance in the mirror more often. Touch and rub my face more during the day. Count the hours since my last shave and compare it to amount of new stubble growth on my face. Take more time in the retail stores comparing aftershaves and colognes. Yes this hobby can lead to an OCD shaving disorder.

I've always been a bit particular about thing's. If anything I've become worse as SRP has exposed me to all these fine products that are available. I'm slowly working my way through them and as I do, I'm narrowing down what works best for me. I have a weekly routine to polish up a bit. I've always had one but it's just been expanded on a little bit, since starting down this road of wet shaving.

I think there is a natural progression when you begin any new hobby or endeavor. You start with basics and as you advance you learn more about the subject and avail yourself of better quality items which you didn't even know existed previously.

Certainly there are some who stay with the basics and they're happy with that.

Like most I've ramped up the quality of the products over the years. However I don't think it has led me to increase the care factor. Of course in my case I was pretty careful about things in that department anyway.

Yes indeed, I purchase items I would never had if it were not for wet shaving.

Not really. Job requires daily hygiene.

I just like to learn about the products for this lost but regaining art form.

I smell like my Dad and my GrandDad from a time when going to the barber shop was an every other week ritual. Good memories.

I started wearing cologne again after taking up wet shaving. I guess the thirty minutes of scented soap followed by the smell of aftershave made me want to smell manly all day.
It has also led me to purchasing better glass cleaner for using on the mirror.