Originally Posted by
DecimalMan
I can't believe I never thought to try that! I've noticed that my skin tends to get dry from being dehydrated most of the time, and shaves are prone to irritation. I threw some lotion on my face a few hours before I shaved last night (I work 3rd shift), and had the best shave I've had in a while!
OP: if you're still new to straight shaving, an extra pass may not do you as much good as you'd like. I'm in a similar boat: I'm fairly new to straight shaving, and find that irritation slowly builds up over the course of the week (whether shaving straight or otherwise). I keep my shaves to the bare minimum required to get a decent shave, but I've noticed that over time, "decent" has gotten closer and closer with no added irritation. Taking a day off every week is nice too: the next day is wonderfully comfortable and serves as a reminder of why I love my straight razor.