Thread: Traditional Hot Prep vs. Cold Shaving?

Hot water that is too hot can end with a case of redness and irritation. Your face can tolerate a hotter temperature than your hands. IMO, if the water is too hot to splash on with your hands, then it is too hot to shave with. If the cold water works for you, great. I'll stick with my hot water, Moss Scuttle warmed lather and a shave that works for me. And that is really what it is all about. Do what works for you.

RT

I use cold water, but i like to lather up and leave it on for a few minutes before shaving to hydrate the whiskers. Works well for me.

Well I did things a little different today and not for the sake of experimenting. I soaked my brush (boar) in hot water while I had a shower but then I didn't feel like shaving right at that moment so left it. When I decided I would shave, the water had gone cold and when mixed with lather was just like whisking egg whites for a meringue, beautiful and best lather I have made yet. Not sure if it was coz of the cold water or I am just improving my technique but either way it was a great lather.

I still did the hot towel method coz its autumn now so I am too chicken to do a cold shave. Plus to me if you have a cold shave right and the pores are closed, won't that make the hairs retract in a little, thus making you get a BBS shave but then when your face warms up and relaxed a bit the hairs will pop out a again making you look like you shaved with a cartridge?
Thats just my theory anyways.

I gave this a try at it appears that there is something to this cold shave thing.
Sure hot lather may feel more luxurious, but for a week now I've been using cold lather and my shaves are much nicer. They're smoother with less irritation.
And I've grown to really like the feel of a cold brush on my face.

I think as far as pre-shave prep goes, hot water is the way to go (for all the reasons stated by others above), but for the actual shave, I don't think I'll go back to hot brush and hot lather.

Thanks jpritch for sharing your observation.