Thread: Cold water shave is the best & worst ever

Thanks, but "No thanks!"

I'd have to be crazy as a loon, to do a single cold-water shave (let alone, make it my default method).

Y'all live down there in sunny South Florida, with your heat 'n humidity, and I daresay that it's not only efficacious, but downright refreshing!

But up here in Fairbanks, AK, it's just a non-starter.

(wanna buy a bridge?)

Originally Posted by JBHoren

(wanna buy a bridge?)

Are you selling your upper or your lower ?

Originally Posted by JohnnyCakeDC

Ok, I feel it's time for me to chime in. I've done this three times now, and I find shaving with cold water has big pluses.
1 The BBS is a lot easier for me to achieve.
2 It has been leaving my face feeling far less dried out after the shave (vs. Hot Water).
3 I feel like I'm not working so much just to maintain a shaving routine. IE, hot towels, constantly whipping lather to prevent it's collapse. etc.

I don't mind the cold as much as I thought I would. I'll be doing this until some other method catches my eye. Thanks Frankenstein and Jimmy

I echo these sentiments, and I am completely sold on this method. The last few days, I was using a pseudo Robeson technique (hot water prep, witch hazel splash, cold lather), but today I went full on cold water all the way and it was fantastic. I was using a poor lathering soap and not being the most careful with some of my strokes, but no matter, I got a nice, smooth, and irritation-free BBS shave. I finished with a warm water rinse to open my pores so my Nivea Cooling AS Balm would absorb more easily. Now, my face is a bit sensitive to menthol and it lets me know right away if I overdid things, but I barely felt a sting.

I tried this also and lemme tell ya, the cold water stuff really works. I still take a hot shower, dry my face and the only time hot water is used is to rinse off my razor.

Originally Posted by TommyShave

I tried this also and lemme tell ya, the cold water stuff really works. I still take a hot shower, dry my face and the only time hot water is used is to rinse off my razor.

Welcome to SRP. I found it is good to rinse out the brush with hot too. I'm thinking the cold would leave residue in the bristles.

Hey,

could you guys give me some specifics of the technique.
1. Wash your face with hot water?
2. Cold water rince
3. dry your face
4. lather up and shave?

I'm very interested in this method and I'd like to get your feedbacks. I trying looking through the old book, but couldn't find exactly where it was.

Thanks

JF

Originally Posted by Dups

Hey,

could you guys give me some specifics of the technique.
1. Wash your face with hot water?
2. Cold water rince
3. dry your face
4. lather up and shave?

I'm very interested in this method and I'd like to get your feedbacks. I trying looking through the old book, but couldn't find exactly where it was.

Thanks

JF

You've pretty much got right there.
Wash face like normal. But lather the soap or cream with cold water, and do all razor rinsing as you do your passes in cold water too. The "old book" is at a link at the first post by jimmyhad on this thread.

Originally Posted by Dups

Hey,

could you guys give me some specifics of the technique.
1. Wash your face with hot water?
2. Cold water rince
3. dry your face
4. lather up and shave?

I'm very interested in this method and I'd like to get your feedbacks. I trying looking through the old book, but couldn't find exactly where it was.

Thanks

JF

Thats pretty much exactly the routine I used last night for my first cold water shave, worked great. I used a clarifying shampoo to wash my face,rinsed with hot water, rubbed in lather with fingers,stropped, rinsed with cold water, lathered, shaved, rinsed with cold water, lathered, shaved to touch up what I missed, rinsed with hot water, applied AS and enjoyed a very close comfortable shave. I only used WTG passes and the shave was close to, if not, as close of a shave I have ever gotten with the hot prep and WTG, XTG, XTG shaves. I had always shaved with cold water and cartridges, thought about trying it with straights, Frankenstein nearly had me talked into it, the original post by LuckyCynic and JimmyHAD's experiment pushed me over the edge and I am glad it did. I will never doubt Frankenstein again, well not as easily.

Seems like Frankenstein has created a monster once again .

Dups, my routine per my interpretation of the book is as follows'

put cold water onto the soap puck and have a hot shower

dry off and create lather in a bowl

lather on dry face with cold lather. Rub it in throughly with the fingers. Do not rinse, just re-lather with the cold stuff.

Ist pass WTG

Do not rinse, re-lather with cold stuff again.

For my second pass I use the same combination of XTG and ATG I always have.

Rinse with hot water, dry , apply A/S of choice.

That is what I have been doing and it seems to be working well for me. Take what you like and leave the rest.

Reading through all this I'm gonna have to try the cold water shave. I'll have to make it a morning shave maybe it will help me motivate for the day.