Thread: What is your preshave routine?

Originally Posted by datablanck

My water heater doesn't get water as hot as I like, so I put pyrex pitcher in microwave on reheat (boils) pour contents into a double stainless bowl. Use small dollop of AOS Sandlewood shaving cream with some glycerine. Take shower lather face with boar bristle brush and good natural glycerine soap. Leave on while shampoo hair and wash then rinse off. Out of shower dry everything except face. Use AOS sandlewood pre-shave oil. Use silver tip badger brush soaked in sink with hot tap water. Shake out excess water. Then use Proraso shaving creme/soap the oatmeal and tea small tub. After swirling on brush tips mix with AOS/glycerine in now hot stainless bowl till peaks form on my brush. Lather face, shave, lather again shave and sometimes do 3rd pass. Afterward, rinse with cold water, then witch hazel (Dickenson's) and then Alum block. Then use after shave balm (Busheron or AOS Lavender or Sandlewood) Then a cologne of some sort. Afterwards go back to bed from being exhausted from shaving.......just kidding. Makes for a great day

Sounds like a chemistry class

Night before: use a pre-shave facial scrub whilst in the shower. Follow with moisturiser.

Morning of the shave:
- Strop razor first
- Gather equipment, go to sink
- Rinse face with hot water thoroughly
- Warm/hot towel on face
- Remove towel, wring, and rinse face in more hot water
- Soak brush, begin to lather...

I then use the towel to wipe my razor on during the shave. It then gets rinsed and then put in the wash.

I really like using 3p or proraso preshave (new formula).

It starts with a very hot bath. During the bath I keep the temp up by continuously adding hot water. Then, during the bath, there is the head dunk. Routinely I do 25 of these face down and 25 face up each one lasts approximately 2 minutes. I now stand up in the tub and begin lathering my entire head just down to the shoulders and leave that on while I dry and get ready for the shave proper. I strop both sides, rinse my head and lather again after using a combination of preshaves, oil and cream. I face lather only at this point and hope like hell that I have a sharp razor laying around somewhere.

I shave at the gym, after my workout and before taking a shower. For convenience, I strop my razor the night before.

1. Wash my face.
2. Go to the steam room (and do some stretching along the way). Then rinse a small towel in hot water and put it on the face for a couple of minutes.
3. Leave the steam room (humidity can leave the scales/pivots humid and damage the blade) and in one of the dry sinks moisture face again with hot water.
4. Prepare and apply lather.
5. Shave
6. Splash face with cold water.

My routine is as follows:

1. Strop (15 round trips on fabric, 50 on leather)
2. Soak the badger in hot water
3. Shower, make sure much attention is given to getting hot water on my face. After I wash my hair and face I apply conditioner to my beard and leave it in, then wash my body, rinse all and dry
4. Dump and replace the brush water.
5. Apply pre shave (Castle Forbes and GFT Lime Oil)
6. Begin lathering in mug, apply lather to entire face
7. Shave WTG, then re-later and do XTG and ATG
8. Rinse, apply styptic if needed, apply Nivea aftershave balm
9. Empty and clean brush, mug
10. Dry razor, apply oil and store

I guess that's more than pre-shave, but w/e.

1. Strop (15 fabric, 30 leather)
2. Fill scuttle, soak brush
3. Shower
4. Re-fill scuttle with fresh hot water
5. Dip brush in scuttle water, apply hot water to face with brush, leaving it wet
6. Take a pass with Arko stick directly on my face (one pass each cheek, one time across the neck
7. Shake off all water from brush, and then take the brush to the face- my own version of face lathering.

pick what razor(s) im gonna use
a quick strop ( depending on razor , some maybe just stropped after honed)
pick a soap/cream/brush
lay them all out for a SOTD picture
hot shower
or
just a hot water face wash
or
just lather and go

8 hours sleep, 30 minutes to wake up, 2 cups of coffee and then brace myself because I know that same knot head will be staring at me in the mirror!! Egad!! More coffee!!

Sorry, everything else was already covered.

Howard

1. Fill cup with cold water. Place brush in cold water. Splash some water on soap.
2. Strop razor to music usually 60 laps on leather. Or however many depending on how much I am enjoying the song.
3. Build lather and apply to face. Rub lather into beard a lot.
4. Wash soap with washcloth
5. Reapply lather.
6. Shave.