Thread: About that coldwater shave...

Originally Posted by puketui41

The secret to cold water shaving is not to skimp on the prep. When you use hot water your beard hydrates faster. When you're cold water shaving, you either need to let your beard soak longer, or prep with hot water and shave with cold.

I don't know, I just splash my face with cold water and immediately start to face lather. I don't know if most people would consider splashing your face with cold water and face lathering up much if any kind of prep. Everyone finds their own way that works though.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

I don't know, I just splash my face with cold water and immediately start to face lather. I don't know if most people would consider splashing your face with cold water and face lathering up much if any kind of prep. Everyone finds their own way that works though.

Bob

This is basically my prep. I build lather in the bowl actually, but splash my face and work it until I like the consistency there. But it's splash & go unless I showered before shaving. Showering kind of adds to the prep time because then I have to splash a few times with cold water to make sure the skin tightens back up.

Monday morning, I figured I would give this a try again.

Three days growth is my usual test for new edges, new shave soaps, etc... keeping variables to a minimum.

Cold splash or two then stropped my Puma 50 laps.

Another cold splash and rubbed on some Tabac. (always, always works with warm/hot water)

Normal shave method.

Shave was every bit as good as a warm/hot shave.

In my previous test I must have dropped the ball somewhere. Inadequate prep, mediocre soap, razor not 100%, or something.

I'm a believer, maybe a convert.

Here in the desert, a cold water shave is a little more eye-opening than a warm/hot shave.

Glad that worked out for you this time round. Now you have more options.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

I don't know, I just splash my face with cold water and immediately start to face lather. I don't know if most people would consider splashing your face with cold water and face lathering up much if any kind of prep. Everyone finds their own way that works though.

Bob

Everyone's beard is different. Your beard sounds like it may be finer than mine. Your beard takes a splash of cold water and its hydrated, or doesn't require hydrating at all to be easily shaven. Mine takes four minutes of hot water soaking and eight minutes of cold water soaking. Someone else may take five and ten respectively, or whatever. The physics though, doesn't change. A beard (above a certain coarseness) must be hydrated to make shaving easier and that hydration will always be faster the hotter the water. Once hydrated, the use of cold water for shaving, I imagine, takes some of the limpness caused by the heat, out of the whiskers while still leaving them fully hydrated. To me, that is the optimum state for shaving.

Originally Posted by puketui41

Everyone's beard is different. Your beard sounds like it may be finer than mine. Your beard takes a splash of cold water and its hydrated, or doesn't require hydrating at all to be easily shaven. Mine takes four minutes of hot water soaking and eight minutes of cold water soaking. Someone else may take five and ten respectively, or whatever. The physics though, doesn't change. A beard (above a certain coarseness) must be hydrated to make shaving easier and that hydration will always be faster the hotter the water. Once hydrated, the use of cold water for shaving, I imagine, takes some of the limpness caused by the heat, out of the whiskers while still leaving them fully hydrated. To me, that is the optimum state for shaving.

Yup, like I said, everyone finds their own way that works for them.

Bob

I switched to cold water shaves about a year ago and find that it works very well for me. I get less irritation with both a safety and straight razor. Also, I don't like to let the water run too long as I wait for the water to heat up. I live in California which, despite this stormy winter, has pretty much been in drought for about 4 years.

I've had the best luck doing a cold water shave after getting out of a HOT shower. For me this seems to be the best of both worlds. Hope your cold water shaves work out well for you. I find it provides a better shave and less skin irritation.

The thing I find funny every time the subject of cold water shaving comes up is that there are always some who recoil at the thought of using cold water and like to have warm lather to pamper themselves. This is on a straight razor shaving forum where people seem to pride themselves on the "manly" art of shaving with a straight razor. Lord, what next a trip to the spa for a mud bath?

Bob

I don't like to shave withy cold water or hot water.

About 80f is good for me.