The Symphony of Shaving Accessories

Technorati Tags: dry shaving, perfect shave, shaving, Wet Shaving

I recently came across this study and thought that it might be of interest to many of you who experience irritation and/or discomfort when shaving.  A kind of How to Shave. While I had a couple of problems with how the study was conducted (more on that later), the overall conclusions about shaving accessories are certainly worth noting.  The study was conducted by a dermatologist at Wake Forest University, financed by Gillette (ne Proctor and Gamble).

The Study

The study was composed of 40 men who reported that they suffered from sensitive skin and irritation when shaving.  Two shaving regiments were designed.  The first was composed of regular bar soap to clean the face, canned shaving cream for beard prep and a popular razor.  The second was composed of a proprietary pre shave cleanser, a gel type shaving cream, a high end razor and a post shave balm.  The study participants shaved half their face with each shaving regiment for a period of 14 days.  The results of the study showed that the second regiment produced a significantly more comfortable shave.    They based it on three measures: the participant’s reports of less irritation, their skin was more hydrated and when skin samples were examined under a microscope, less flaking was in evidence.

Although I’m neither a demonologist nor a researcher there do appear to be a couple of things about the study that give you pause.  Fact that P&G financed the study.  Different razors were used in the regiments.  The same razor was used throughout the 14 days.  But in spite of these issues the results do pass the basic logic test.  If you prepare you face by cleansing it properly, use  high quality beard softening/ lubrication soap, cream or gel, use a hydrating post shave balm and you employ a high quality, sharp razor you will get a more comfortable shave, guaranteed.

Conclusions

The result of the study clearly demonstrates the following:

• Cleansing the skin prior to shaving removes all the dirt, oils and dead skin cells from around the hair follicle.  This improves the  hair water absorptions properties, i.e. fatting  and softening it up, enabling the razor to cut the hair closer to the skin without excessive tugging and pulling.
• Using a high quality lubricant (cream, soap or gel) will minimize tugging and pulling and will help hold moisture in hair during the shave.
• Along with the beard, skin cells and moisture is removed during the shaving process which can lead to dry irritated skin.  A quality moisturizing balm will assist and re-moisturizing and protecting the skin.

Although significantly increasing the time spent and the expense of your daily shave.  Paying attention to these extra steps will surely ensure that you get the closest most comfortable shave possible.

Technorati Tags: pre shave cleanser, razor, Shaving Accessories, shaving balm, Shaving Cream, shaving gel

Hey its’ happened to us all.  We get up early in the morning, still half asleep.  We start shaving and #@!!? we cut ourselves.   Blood running everywhere.  It always seems to happen when we’re in a hurry or have an important meeting that day, doesn’t it?  Early on many of us learned that the quickest way to stop the bleeding is to apply a small piece of toilet paper, right?  Yes, that usually does the trick until such time as you remove it from your face.  With the paper usually comes the scab and it starts bleeding all over again.  Or worse yet you forget it’s there and you show up for that important meeting with a wad of bloodied toilet paper stuck to your face.  Not quite the impression you were looking for.

There are better ways you know.  Probably the most common method to stop the bleeding from a razor nick is the good old fashion styptic stick applied directly to the cut.   A styptic or hemostatic pencil is a short stick of medication, usually anhydrous aluminum sulfate (a type of alum) or titanium dioxide which stops the bleeding by constricting the blood vessels and promoting coagulation at the site of the cut. Readily available at most drug stores.  It will put you back about $1.75 or so.  A shaving accessory that should find a home in every bathroom drug cabinet.

But just suppose you’re on the road and forgot to drop it in your dopp kit.  What then?  Well there are a couple of lesser known but effective ways to approach the problem.

• Try applying an ice cube to the cut.  The ice will  cool the affected area, constricting the blood vessels and stem the bleeding.

• Apply a dab of Vaseline jelly to the cut.  This serves to clog the cut allowing the blood to coagulate quickly.

• Apply witch hazel.  Apply with a Qtip or cotton ball.  Witch hazel is an astringent which,like a styptic stick and ice constricts, the blood vessels.

• · Got a tube of Chapstick around?  Try that.  It works like Vaseline jelly clogging the cut.

• · Check your deodorant.  Many contain aluminum chloride or a derivative like aluminum chlorohydrate.   It helps a blood clot to form quickly.

• Although I’ve not tried this one, I’ve heard that applying a bit of sugar to the cut will stop the bleeding immediately.  Not sure what it is about sugar that makes it so, but worth a try if nothing else is available.

• · What if you don’t have any of the above handy, then what?  Take a dry wash cloth or towel and apply pressure to the cut.  It will stop eventually but your significant other may not be too pleased with to find the towels spotted with specks of blood.

Of course, the best way to solve this problem is to prevent a nick from occurring in the first place.  Slow down and pay attention to what you’re doing whenever  you shave.  If you are nick prone try moisturizing  your face before you shave.  That may help lessen the occurrences.

Pick you poison.  There are a lot of different shaving accessories that will help to avoid nicks and the dreaded toilet paper fix.

Technorati Tags: chap stick, shaving, Shaving Accessories, shaving nick, styptic stick, vaseline, witch hazel

What’s the key to a great shave?  Can anyone guess?  Simply put, it all starts with a great lather.  Why? Because the basic function of the lather is to moisten the whiskers and lubricate the face for a nice, smooth razor pull that gets the entire beard quickly and effectively. 

What medium works best?

Opinions differ between the chief shaving accessories contenders: cream, foam, gel or soap.  My personal opinion?  It’s creams and soaps hands down.  With foams and gels you really can’t affect the outcome.  You get simply whatever comes out of the can or tube.   Since creams and soaps need to be whipped into lather, they can be manipulated to deliver the maximum benefit.  Performed correctly a well whipped soap or cream lather can dramatically impact you shave’s comfort and results.

Preparation

The first phase is the warm up.  This is a key step toward enhancing the basic comfort of your shave.  Two basic items need to be warmed in preparation for a shave: the brush and the mug.  Insuring that both are warm, will ultimately result in a warm comfortable lather applied to your face….one of the truly pleasurable aspects of a classic wet shave.   If you use a cream heat the bowl and brush in hot water for 30 seconds, the hotter the better. If you are a soap user and employ the same mug for soap  storage and lather generating, add hot water to the mug  and soak the brush and soap, again for about 30 seconds or so, remember, the hotter the better. Some suggest that the soap be kept in a container other than the one in which it’s lathered but I’m not quite the purest.  Shaving cream users should add a small dab of cream (about the size of a pea) to the warm mug.  

Lathering

After the preparation soak, empty the bowl and shake off the excess water from the brush.  Be sure to give it a good shake.  Too much water in either the bowl or brush will give you a runny lather.  You can always add more water if necessary.  Whip the soap or cream by turning the brush in a rapid circular motion, alternating clockwise and counter clockwise.  Continue this for about 30 seconds or so until the bristle tip of your brush has a ¼” layer of foam, covering it completely, and the lather is stiff enough to come to a nice peak.   If you’re having difficulty getting enough lather, try adding a tiny bit more water to the mug.  A tiny splash will do.

Application

The final step is to apply the lather to the face.  The best results are achieved by rubbing the foam onto the face is a circular motion, again alternating between clockwise and counterclockwise motion.  Work it in.  If you’ve got a warm lather the experience will be worth spending a little time at it. Massaging the lather into the face enhances the beard moisturizing, acts a mild defoliant and opens pours and cleans the skin. Don’t apply the lather in a paint brush fashion you won’t get the in-depth coverage you need for a great shave.  Once that’s accomplished it’s on to the shave.

A good shave starts with a good lather.   I’ve found he best lather comes from a shaving soap or cream.  It takes a bit more time than pressing an aerosol can button but as shaving accessories go the results can’t compare. 

Technorati Tags: brush lather, How to Shave, mug, shaving, Shaving Accessories, Shaving Cream, shaving soap, Wet Shaving