Tedious, boring, monotonous, are all words that used to come to mind when I would think about shaving. I have pitch black hair, and I grow a really thick beard. Back in highschool, when I was able to start shaving, I thought it was really cool. In my adult life it has become a daily task because I need to be clean shaven being in the Military. However, I would like to show you how to turn that mundane daily ritual into 20-30 minutes of relaxation, self reflection, indulgent stress relief, and give you the mental preperation and self confidence to conquer the day!
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A year ago I stumbled acrossed something called wet shaving. It is a style of shaving that stays away from the plastic razors and chemical laden creams. It is shaving like your Grandpa used to: a mug, a brush, high lather soap, and a stainless steel blade accompanied by an ornate handled tool.
Some of you may have visited a store called, "The Art of Shaving," in some upper class malls. They sell over priced mens goods, and try to sell classic shaving as a brotherhood. Well, what most people are not aware of, is that they are owned by Procter & Gamble, who also bought out Gillette. Marketing is what they do best. I am here to tell you that you do not need a $200.00 shaving set from a fancy mall to get your whiskers to be as smooth as a baby's bottom.
Now you maybe be asking your self, "Why would I want to spend 20-30 mins shaving? I can shave in 3-5 mins with my Mach 23, a 7-bladed, 2-handled, tripple smooth applicating, vibrating head razor; therefore, why would I want to spend more time then that if I didn't have to?"
I am going to tell you, you owe it to yourself. As men, we have many stressors in our lives. We experience stress on the job, traffic to the job, tending to all of the needs of our family, deadlines, finances, mortgages, health, and friends. There are a million things that can cause stressors to men . As men, we think we are invincible and if there is a problem, we need to fix it. This MENtality causes stress.
So why not take a little time for yourself, clear your head, and flat out just pamper yourself a little bit? I know that does not sound manly; however, we need a bit of that too. Women go to the salon, receive nail treatments, relax in the spa, tan, put those weird cucumbers things over their eyes. Why? It is because women have multiple stressors too but they are better at taking time out for themselves to release it.
One of the best way I have found to release stress, recharge my batteries, and clear my mind is by shaving the classic way.
Here is my Shave of the Day
Here is a shot of my shaving den, the place I can relax for a few moments before starting my day. It has all of the accoutrements I need for a close classic shave.
I start out by filling my scuttle with hot water inside and out, to warm the ceramic. This is not a necessary item, an old mug will do the trick. However, my wife was nice enough to have this custom scuttle made for my birthday, and it warms the lather for just a bit of extra comfort on those cold mornings. I will also prepare my double edged safety razor with a blade. Here I am using a Merkur 34C and a Feather Stainless blade. Feather is one of the sharpest blades you can buy, so I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner. But I have yet to find a closer shave.
I decided to go with the Razorock XXX today. Its an Italian Soap with a fragrance that is a mix between a top-shelf Italian cologne and a traditional barbershop smell. It also lathers really well. I will also soak my brush and the new razor blade in the hot scuttle water. While that is soaking, I am taking a warm wash cloth, as warm as I can stand, and holding it against my face and neck. This will open the pores and soften the whiskers to get that buttery smooth shave.
I will also use a dash of preshave oil. This is another non-necessary item, but I had some, and decided to go all out this morning. It will help create slip for the blade to glide on, but if you have a good lathering soap you will be fine. I also have my morning coffee readily available. This can also be substituted out for a good craft beer, just depends how you want to start your day.
Next you will load your brush with soap. The warm water held within the hair of the brush will help it to pick up the soap and transfer it to your scuttle or mug ready to lather. I usually load my brush vigorously for 10-15 seconds. I am using a Parker badger hair brush with a weighted stainless steel handle. This is a very nice brush, and once its broken in it will lather like a champ. Also purchased by my wife for my birthday, she treats me very well. :)
Lather! This skill can take some time to perfect, practice makes perfect. Mainly I keep spinning the brush in the bowl, back and forth, until I see the lather start to form "Peaks", once it begins to give me peaks, I know that it is dense enough to shave with.
Apply! Use the brush to rub the lather into your skin and soften up your beard. I like to apply it generously, it smells good, its warm, and the brush is doing its job standing the hairs up getting ready for a close cut.
This is Alum. This will help with any knicks and cuts, it promotes clotting and will help stop any bleeding so your don't show up to work with those embarrassing pieces of toilet paper stuck to your face. When I shave I will usually do 3 passes, first pass with the grain of my beard, second pass a crossed the grain, and then a finishing pass against the grain lightly to pick up any stubborn areas. I apply a fresh coat of lather before each pass. Let the weight of the razor do the work. No pressing or pushing, or you are going to need lots of alum! These blades are sharp!
I finish up the shave by rinsing my face with cold water to remove any excess shaving cream, and then a splash of aftershave to close those pores. Try not to scream like the kid in the "Home Alone" movies. Come on tough guy.
A little bit of post shave lotion. Especially in the winter time with the cold dry air. I like to use a unscented lotion so its not clashing with my after shave. I try my best not to smell like a stripper. haha.
And there you go, feeling like a new man ready to conquer the day.
Gents, there is nothing wrong with taking some time out of your busy day to spend on yourself. Sometimes it is just what is needed. At the beginning of this post I stated that you didn't need a fancy shaving set to get a great feeling close shave. In my shave this morning I went a little above and beyond, but thats because after a year of "shaving like my grandfather used to", I have accumulated some extras. However, in reality if you just want to stick to the basics wet shaving will actually save you money compared to shaving with brand named cartridges. Why spend 100's of dollars a year on the newest product Gillettes' marketing department can come up with, when you can get a better shave at a fraction of the cost? The blades I am using for this shave cost 20 cents a piece, and those are the really expensive ones. You can get a great quality blade for 10 cents a pop, and they can last a week depending on how thick your beard is. Remember the blades have 2 sides. I know everyone already has an old mug, a decent razor handle can be had for 20 bucks. Amazon stocks some pretty great shaving brushes for around 20 dollars as well. Try not to go too cheap on the brush. I like badger hair brushes, but they also make some great synthetic brushes as well. Do some research and give it a shot.
Shave Handsomely, turn that old chore into a new detoxifier for your life. Let me know how it goes guys!
-steemengines
