Thread: My preshave routine

My routine has gotten much simpler over the years. Sure, i used to hot towel, pre-shave oil, lather and rince than towel again. Then lather and shave but I found after I learned how to properly shave I didn't need all the non-since in the beginning and just showered or just washed my face. A little warm water on the face is what I found was all I needed. And the time it takes to shave now has gone down alot.

I've never tried the hot towel thing at home. Shaving takes long enough as is, I've never wanted to add that extra step. I don't have a microwave (and don't want one), so heating up a towel would take a significant amount of time.

If I don't shower before I shave, I wash my beard with soap and warm water. If I bowl lather (rare these days, due to lack of time), I lather up and let it sit while I strop my razor, then rinse the lather off and reapply. If I face lather, I strop first so that I can shave as soon as I'm lathered up - the lather being scrubbed into my beard for a longer period of time is enough, I find.

I've been doing this long enough that I don't do all this pre-shave mumbo jumbo anymore. Just wet and lather up. I've found using a hot towel and washing might feel good but it makes no difference.

Using an electric razor really takes more prep than wet shaving. In that case your face has to be really clean and you have to use a pre shave solution so your face is dry yet lubed.

For me, shower while my brush soaks.

Dry off, load brush with my soap of the day.
Wet my face again and face lather.
Wet my blade under the hot tap, don't know if it helps but i like the idea of a wet blade.
Shave, 4 passes with a wet face cloth between each pass to stay wet.

Clean and dry razor and rinse brush, clean off my face with a wash cloth and dry.

Apply after shave balm with the same scent as the soap, apply beard oil to my goat n stache in the same scent also.

40 cotton, 40 English Bridal leather then leave open in the bedroom to dry for the rest of the day.
Before i use it again it gets 60 on cotton and 100 on Buffalo.

A shave takes me about 20 minutes from making lather to putting my razor in the bedroom to dry.

Originally Posted by Gasman

My routine has gotten much simpler over the years. Sure, i used to hot towel, pre-shave oil, lather and rince than towel again. Then lather and shave but I found after I learned how to properly shave I didn't need all the non-since in the beginning and just showered or just washed my face. A little warm water on the face is what I found was all I needed. And the time it takes to shave now has gone down alot.

I was thinking if you left the petroleum residue on your face after a night at work then you wouldn't have to oil your blade when done.

I have found that a hot water soak or a shower before times works similar.

Soaking your hair before cutting whichever way works for you does make a difference.

If I shave every day and for work I find it is best for me to shave before my shower which is mostly cold water to get the pipes warm to the bathroom before my shower and then rinse off in the shower.

There are many pretty nurses where I work but I can't remember a time that anyone of them has tested my check to see if it was BBS.

Originally Posted by 32t

There are many pretty nurses where I work but I can't remember a time that anyone of them has tested my check to see if it was BBS.

That is it in a nut shell. Nobody besides you and maybe your Drill Instructor give a rat's butt if you are BBS or not. OTH if you want to agonise over it why not.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

That is it in a nut shell. Nobody besides you and maybe your Drill Instructor give a rat's butt if you are BBS or not. OTH if you want to agonise over it why not.

Bob

Well said Bob, although I am one of those obsessive compulsive types that does agonize over getting BBS every time and then spends the rest of the day faceturbating to see if I missed anything and if I'm still BBS.

Originally Posted by STF

Well said Bob, although I am one of those obsessive compulsive types that does agonize over getting BBS every time and then spends the rest of the day faceturbating to see if I missed anything and if I'm still BBS.

I try for a BBS every time and come close most days so that is good enough for me.

Bob

I don't set a goal of BBS but my one pass shaves are pretty darn slick.
OTOH, I do a lot of preshave work so the beard is quite soft when the blade action starts.