Thread: Should I keep my face wet?

Wet face for the first lathering, thereafter no rinsing between passes (I only do two plus any touchups required in the usual run of things).

I've always used very warm to hot water to dampen my face, work up a lather on the brush in the bowl, then apply to my face. Seems to work fine for me...but am I missing something? I thought warm water was meant to open the pores and make shaving easier. Is cold water better?

Cheers,

L

Originally Posted by Lancet

I've always used very warm to hot water to dampen my face, work up a lather on the brush in the bowl, then apply to my face. Seems to work fine for me...but am I missing something? I thought warm water was meant to open the pores and make shaving easier. Is cold water better?

Read JimmyHAD's thread, http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...orst-ever.html, best thing to do would be to try it out and decide for yourself. It worked very well for me, but living in Canada and all I decided to put the cold shaving on hold until the hot summer months.

Originally Posted by Lancet

I've always used very warm to hot water to dampen my face, work up a lather on the brush in the bowl, then apply to my face. Seems to work fine for me...but am I missing something? I thought warm water was meant to open the pores and make shaving easier. Is cold water better?

Cheers,

L

Neither is better in isolation.
What works for you is best!

I grew up where splashing COLD tap water on my face
was the way to start the day. The water from the well
was about ten degrees above freezing. This is like
from age five or six... so this has little to do with shaving
and just how the morning started for me.

If I over think it:
opening the pores of the face is
about cleaning not shaving. Shaving a dirty
gummy face is a bad deal.

Whisker prep is important for me. Part of my prep
is that splash of cool tap water. A splash that I believe begins
to soften my whiskers but does not soften my skin.
While that first splash of water is doing what it does
my shave brush starts to build a lather.

In the heat of the summer I like to face lather and clean
the dirt and sticky stuff. A boar brush with a backbone
works wonders. In the chill of the winter a warm
lather and a soft badger brush is all I need and the warm
lather is a nice way to start my day especially with
a mild fragrant shave soap.

Now I shower after I shave. If you like many others
shower first then it is a different game...

Still over thinking it:
If I soak in the shower, hot tub, hot spring, pool or creek
for too long my skin goes all white and prune like wrinkled.
For me shaving prune like wrinkled skin is an invitation for
nicks and cuts. This tells me that the water thing
is a balance... too little and my whiskers do not shave,
too much and my skin suffers. So the secret is to find
that balance that lets one get the best possible shave.

So try different things within reason.
Use a three day rule -- i.e. try things for at least
three days running so you can tell what works.

It turns out that getting a good to go shave is easy
with a little bit of practice. Just do not force it, use
a light touch.... and less lather than you see on TV.