Just say NO to pre shave prep.

The only problem was you joined the wrong outfit. If you had been in the Navy instead you would have enjoyed hot showers and great hot water shaves. It would have given you a different outlook and who knows some more spring in your step. It would have been a life changing experience.Maybe it would have been you hosting the Metropolitan Opera Broadcast instead of that Milton Cross dude with the marbles in his mouth.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The only problem was you joined the wrong outfit. If you had been in the Navy instead you would have enjoyed hot showers and great hot water shaves. It would have given you a different outlook and who knows some more spring in your step. It would have been a life changing experience.Maybe it would have been you hosting the Metropolitan Opera Broadcast instead of that Milton Cross dude with the marbles in his mouth.

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The Navy? Good heavens, Spendur, that means water everywhere. I did manage to dip a toe in the South China Sea, though. Otherwise I'm infantry and I'll stay as close to land as possible.

The rivers Tigress and Euphrates in Mesopotamia are an exception, of course, because that's the land of the Assyrians, my people.

As for The Met, Milton Cross was a wee bit hard to listen to, I remember. Even so, I'm not that big a fan of opera, although I have listened to quite a bit of it. Give me the ballet, my friend — the Bolshoi Ballet, the Paris Ballet, the Royal Ballet — and I am one mesmerized soul.

Even with all this cultural champagne talk, I'm still not for cold water shaving, or short changing my daily shave prep. It still goes: hot water, sweet brush, top notch shave soap or cream, and good razor. That's a kiss from heaven.

I tried the cold shave and didn't like it. I did stop using pre shave products and now use a soap then a creme. What worked best was putting on the soap over a warm face to clean it, then taking a wash cloth and running it through cold water to remove the soap. While moist I apply the shaving creme and shave. I find the creme should be a little thicker and I then use the wash cloth again in cold water to rinse. Does reduce irritation. Don't know about a better shave yet.

I shaved for the first time today after my morning shower, and it went very smoothly. My beard seemed to put up less of a fight, but maybe it was my imagination. I normally just wet my face with hot water, soap up and go. I will be more scientific and try consecutive days with the same razor and different preps to see if there is a difference!
I am thinking the cold water prep is a no go for me, but I might give it a go just so I know for sure if I like it or not.

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Originally Posted by Frederickdav

I am a Newbie even though I am 63 years old. When I decided to start this self torture, I went to Amazon and bought a book titled The Art of Shaving or Shaving Made Easy- What the Nam Who Shaves Ought To Know. This book was first published in 1905 by an unknown author. For an 80 page book it is pretty much loaded with information. In the chapter on Soap the author explains thusly "The popular impression is that the soap is used for the purpose of softening the beard, in which condition it is supposed to be most easily cut. This is a mistake. The soap is used,not to soften the beard, but to produce exactly the opposite effect-namely to make the hair stiff and brittle ,so the they will present of firm and resisting surface to the razor." Italics his. He goes on to explain that if the beard is oily and or soft the blade will slip over the hair or cut into it lengthwise all the while pulling and making for a miserable shave. The author even suggests avoiding the use of hot water for the same reason. According to the book a good shaving soap has alkali, potash or soda which when applied to the beard in the form of lather unites with the hair oil removing it and leaving the hair stiff and brittle. Like I said, I am a new comer at this so I haven't done a lot of trial an error. What this author says seems to make sense.

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That book is one of the most helpful tools I have. I must admit I wonder if any soap or cream I've shaved with has alkali, potash, or soda.

Pre-shave prep for me is to rinse my face in the hottest water I can stand to open the pores then apply a organic oil to set up the facial hairs. I then lather up my soap for about 1-2 minutes to the right consistency and go from there. I have tried not pre-prepping and not sure it makes that big a difference.

I always shave prior to showering as well. I wonder if the heat/steam and moisture from a shower first to be a great avenue to go to open the pores prior to shaving???? May try that next.

As with all things in life...To each their own. My "prep" depends on how much time I have. I prefer the hot shower and hot water shave, but if I am in a hurry, whatever I have time for is what I do... results vary!!!

It was around 95 today in the central valley and the thought of my usual hot shower, hot towel, warm lather was not appealing. Since I started SR shaving last November I hadn't used cold water before. So I soaked my brush in cold water, put some cold water on the puck, took a cold shower, made cold lather and had an awesome, refreshing shave. Summers here are hot so I was thrilled to get such a great shave with cold water. Next fall I'll start warming the towel.

I use pre shave on rare occasions. I think I use it mostly because I paid for it, why not use it. I switched to cold water a couple months ago and have never looked back. That might change when I leave San Diego and head back to the east coast where I will see winters again. Haha.