Given the numerous shaving options available today, including the innovative electric shaver (which provides a quick shave) and the multi-blade models sold by everyone from Gillette to Dollar Shave Club, the time-tested method of shaving with a double-edged safety razor is still considered "a cut above." During this session, we'll go over various ways to help you perfect this superior shaving technique.

What is the best way to shave using a double-edged safety razor?

Procedure No. 1: Pre-Shave Routine

I can't stress how important it is to have a pre-shave regimen enough. The question is, what exactly does this mean? For starters, you can take a hot shower, which will leave your hair feeling soft. If you don't want to take a shower, you can use a damp towel as an alternative. I simply wet a towel and heat it in the microwave for a minute to make it hot, then place it over my face and allow it to sit there for a few minutes to absorb the moisture. It's incredibly soothing, but it also helps my hair to become softer and smoother. If that's too much time for you, you can alternatively splash hot water on your face for a minute or two, until you notice that your hair is becoming more supple and manageable.

Take a hot shower to soften your hair before you shave to prevent irritation.

Step 2: Apply Shaving Cream on your face.

Step 3: Begin shaving with the grain, working your way up.

At this stage, fill the razor's head with your preferred blade and make sure it's straight and not crooked (since you don't want to cut yourself when shaving). Don't worry about getting every last strand of hair out in the first pass; a second and (optional) third pass will give you an absolutely flawless finish. When you are just getting started, I usually recommend that you stand in front of a mirror and examine the growth directions of your beard hair before you begin shaving or lathering up. If you're having trouble remembering how your beard grows, take a pen and paper and draw a diagram of the directions you believe your hair will grow. To be quite honest, it's quite straightforward. Just take a good look and you'll see what I mean.

The direction of your hair grain should be followed when shaving because it is significantly less demanding on your skin.

You might wonder why it's so vital to do this. After all, shaving in the direction of your hair grain (also known as "with the grain") is significantly less demanding on your skin than shaving against it. To be honest, every guy develops in a little different way, making it difficult to make broad statements about his development. Personally, I've memorized the directions for my hair development, so I know exactly how I need to shave in any situation.

In order to avoid cutting yourself when making a pass, make sure that your skin is taut or stretched before proceeding. If there is any loose skin, you are far more likely to cut yourself. I always extend my skin in the area where I'm going to shave next with my free left hand, which is always available to me. For example, pulling around your sideburns or reaching overhead to draw up the area right before the razor blade passes over it are examples of how to tighten the area. You can also just blow out your cheeks with enough air to make the skin tight around your cheeks from time to time. You can also tighten your skin with your muscles in the area below your nose and around your mouth, or you can simply use your tongue from the inside to tighten it.

As you first start shaving, hold your razor at a 30- to 45-degree angle, and at a 90-degree angle when you make straight strokes.

You should hold the handle of your double-edged razor at an angle ranging from 30 to 45 degrees, depending on the head of the razor you have. Once you've completed the pass, you'll be able to determine the proper angle. When performing the pass, you should be extremely delicate with the skin. Don't use any significant pressure; instead, allow gravity to pull the blade down onto your face and finish shaving. Make sure that your strokes are short and sluggish in nature. When you first begin shaving, make sure to use straight strokes that are perpendicular to the edge of the blade; this will reduce the likelihood of cutting yourself. In addition, once you've gained a little experience, you may want to consider taking a slight stride, which implies going at a slight angle, because this type of action produces a stronger cutting motion.

Another option is to purchase a handle that is slightly inclined, which ensures that even if you pull your handle down straight, the hair is always chopped at an angle, improving the cutting motion, much like on a guillotine. Because they produce a more aggressive razor, I only recommend those angled heads for persons with really thick beard hair; if you have only very thin beard hair, you can achieve the same results with a less aggressive razor, and your skin will thank you for it.

Razors with angled heads are more suitable for persons who have thick hair since they produce a more forceful shaving experience.

Simply switch to the other side of the blade and repeat the process once or twice more after you've completed one or two strokes.

Step 4: After using each side of the blade, rinse it thoroughly.

You can either do this while running water is present or in a sink that has been filled with water before starting. If you experience any pulling or discomfort while shaving with a DE razor, it is likely that you did not perform a proper pre-shave procedure or that your blade is dull.

When you're through shaving, rinse your razor under running water or in a sink filled with water.

You can see where you've already shaved if you apply shaving cream to your face before shaving. Having a small amount of shaving cream in my free hand allows me to apply it after each pass, which is something I really prefer. When you shave, you can never have too much shaving cream on your skin since the cream protects and lubricates the skin while shaving. As a beginner, it may be tempting to shave over the same area three or four times without reapplying shaving cream; however, trust me when I say that it is best to have fresh shaving cream applied before each and every shaving session.

In addition, when you're learning a method, everything will take you a lot longer, and by the time you've completed the journey from your right side to your left side, you may already be experiencing a drying sensation on your face. You don't want to use a dry shaving cream anymore because it clogs up the razor and inhibits skin protection from being provided. Consequently, if you see that the region is becoming drier, wet your hand and go over it again, reapplying a small amount of lather or shaving cream to ensure that everything is fresh before you shave over it.

When shaving, it is important to use shaving cream to protect the skin.

Once again, I use my tongue and a puff of air to make sure that the skin isn't loose in those difficult-to-reach locations. Also, along your jawline, it can be difficult to achieve a clean finish all the way along, so what I do is pull up my skin so that it is taught, and this produces a nice finish.

If necessary, reapply the shaving cream.


Every man has a particular set of issues to deal with. For example, I constantly have to go in a different route underneath my right ear, otherwise it doesn't reach all of the hair. Another region that can be a little tough to contour is the chin and jawline. Once again, use your fingertips and the muscles in your face to keep the skin taut. All you have to do is shave in different directions while reapplying shaving cream. After you've finished with the first pass, there will very certainly still be some leftover hair in some areas. That's when it's time to make a second pass through the system.

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5) Make a second pass across the grain, this time against it.

After applying shaving cream with your hand (or lathering it up and using a shaving brush), cut "against the grain" to avoid cuts. What exactly does this imply? Not directly opposed, but at a 90-degree angle to the direction of hair development, perpendicular to it. Using the same technique as before, pull your skin taut and shave in the same manner as before, but this time at a 90-degree angle.

Make a second pass through the material at a 90-degree angle.

6th Step: Optional Third Pass Against the Grain (If Available).

Even if you have thicker hair or want an even better and closer shave, a third pass "against the grain" is recommended if you have thicker hair or want an even better and more precise shave. The results are that my hair is chopped below the skin's surface and my face is as smooth after 24 hours as if I had just used an electric shaver to get the job done. Every time my wife touches my silky, baby butt-like skin on my face, she is amazed. I know it seems too nice to be true, but my wife is constantly amazed.

Sven Raphael Schneider's skin is smooth and baby-like because he uses proper DE shaving techniques.


The skin can feel more harsh when you shave against the grain, and you can hear the cutting motion more clearly when you shave this way. Using a razor to shave against the grain may cause more discomfort in some locations, since the hair may be cut below the surface of the skin; experimentation and trial and error should be your guide here. Following the completion of the third pass, it is time to go onto the following stage.

Step 7: Fill the pores with cold water and close them.

Cold water should be used to seal the pores on your face. Some people prefer to use ice water instead of warm water because they believe it performs a better job of shutting the pores and preventing any bleeding. I've discovered that regular cold tap water is sufficient for my needs.

With cold water, you can close your pores.

Step 8: Apply a post-shave product to soothe the skin.

Following that, it's critical to apply a post-shave balm or product to your skin. Every brand that sells shaving creams also sells things to use after you've shaved. It is possible that some will be more fragrant than others. Traditional, old-school, all-alcohol variants are not suggested due to the fact that they dry out the skin when consumed. I've discovered that an inexpensive Nivea aftershave balm for sensitive skin is a fantastic product that is also reasonably priced.

Remember to use a post-shave balm to soothe any discomfort that may have occurred.

How Can You Get a DE Result More Immediately?

It is far superior to any cartridge razor shave . Those who use a straight razor may argue that it isn't quite as good as using a wet razor, but wet shaving takes a lot longer and requires even more skill and practice. Straight razors, in my opinion, are not something I would use on a daily basis simply because they take too long to sharpen and are therefore inconvenient. Rather, it's something you'd use on the weekends when you want to take your time and truly enjoy the shaving process.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Straight Razor Shaving

In this case, the key concern is how to obtain the same outcome as a DE shave in a much shorter amount of time. Allow me to share with you my shaving method, which is designed to produce the greatest possible results in the smallest period of time.

Procedure No. 1: Pre-Shave Routine

My first step is to either take a warm shower (without performing any further prep work with towels) or simply spray some water on my face. Simply having a regular shower in the manner in which I would normally do so is sufficient to maintain the proper condition of my hair.

The hair is better condition after a warm shower before shaving.

Step 2: Using your hands, apply shaving cream.

I use my hands to apply shaving cream out of the container since it saves me time because I don't have to lather it up or clean a brush, and it's also incredibly quick.

Shaving cream is applied by hand, which saves you a significant amount of time.

Step 3: Shave with an electric shaver for the first pass

When it comes to getting rid of all the superfluous hair on my face, I use an electric shaver. This is the equivalent of the first, and possibly the second pass, but it's much faster–and you don't have to worry about cutting yourself because electric shavers are quite good at minimizing this risk of injury. Simply checking that your electric shaver is intended to be used in damp conditions is sufficient; otherwise, you will have a problem.

Excess hair can be removed with the use of an electric shaver.

If I have the choice between a wet and dry electric shave, I prefer the wet electric shave simply because it produces a much closer finish and can be done with shaving cream.

Step 4: Using a Safety Razor, make a pass against the grain.

Then, after I've finished shaving with the electric shaver, I reapply shave cream to my face with my hand and shave against the grain with my double-edged razor once more. Along with saving time, another advantage of this method is that my blades last significantly longer than they would otherwise because only one pass is required rather than two or three.

When shaving with a DE razor, make a pass against the grain for a smoother finish.

Step 5: After-Shave Care Routine

Following that, I rinse my face with cold water and apply my post-shave balm. That's all there is to it! All of this may be completed in approximately five to six minutes. Although it may take a bit longer when you're first starting out, this method does have the disadvantage of requiring you to purchase a waterproof electric shaver, which might add $200 or $300 to the total cost of the project up front. However, for me, it is well worth it because it saves me a lot of time. If you're honest with yourself about how much time you have, I believe it will be worthwhile for you as well. Simply calculate how much time you would save over the course of a year, two years, or five years. You will be surprised at the results.

Use cold water to clean up after yourself.

Conclusion

You now know how to shave with a DE razor the traditional manner, as well as my unique time-saving method for shaving with a DE razor. Want more tips check out our Youtube Channel.