Thread: Inconsistent shaving

Originally Posted by riooso

It just goes to show you that we are different. I find that I can not get a good shave when my face is dry and on the hard side. I find that when I hydrate my face and it feels very supple I get my best shaves.

You could easily be right about that. And I most certainly would not advocate against proper hydration of the face, although it are more the whiskers that should be well hydrated for shaving than the skin.
I once came back home from a swim, took a quick shower to get rid of the chlorine smell and decided to treat myself with a shave. Could hardly put down the razor on my skin without nicking it. I guess the long soak heavily chlorinated water tendered up my skin. The shave itself was easier too, as if my beard had lost some of its usual coarseness.
This is just one example of me, observing within myself, that it takes only a small shift in one parameter, to alter the way I experience a shave. I don't rotate my razors on a per shave schedule, but when I jump from, let's say, a 5/8 full hollow Dovo, to a 7/8 F.A. Herder 1/4 hollow, I know it takes me at least two shaves to completely adapt to that different razor. Maybe that's just me. I don't know.

Originally Posted by riooso

It just goes to show you that we are different. I find that I can not get a good shave when my face is dry and on the hard side. I find that when I hydrate my face and it feels very supple I get my best shaves.


Take Care,
Richard

I was not suggesting that a shave on a dry face is a good shave. I need to hydrate my face very well to soften the beard and get BBS. I typically spend about 5 minutes on pre-sahve prep with washing my face and using hot towels to soften and hydrate the beard. I notice a difference in the winter. Maybe the lack of skin oils allows the water to penetrate faster. I just know the prep is more critical in the summer months here in Texas. I also agree taht pre-sahve oil may help. I go back and forth with that one. It is not currently part of my prep. Here is the prep that I typically do.

1. Apply Noxema deep cleansing cream (the old blue jar) and massage it well into the beard area
2. Allow it to remain on the beard area while I shower
3. Rinse it off with hot water right before I get out of the shower
4. Apply pre-shave oil (optional)
5. Apply a towel with as hot a water as I can stand to my face and hold it there for at leat one minute until it starts to cool
6. Scrub the face lightly with a wet towel saturated with a soapy mixture from a glycerine soap.
7. Rinse with hot water
8. Mix up my later or superlather and apply a layer to my face
9. Apply another hot towel for a minute or so
10 Apply new hot lather and get ready for an incredible shave

A prep with hydration in this way seems to soften the beard and allow the razor to glide over the skin without nicks or cuts