It's like he's been reinvented. More and more men are switching back to a safety razor or also called wet shaving . Yet the safety razor has been around for over 100 years and is an item you probably recognize from your grandfather's bathroom cabinet. Still, this way of shaving is making a comeback and we encourage you to give it a try. It is a wonderful morning ritual and gives an unprecedented smooth result without irritation. Oh yes, it will also save you money.
A safety razor is a luxurious holder in which you can place a razor blade . These blades are razor sharp and easy to replace yourself. The shaving result with the safety razor is perfectly smooth and free of irritation. So why don't we all shave with this system?
In the 1960s, a company called Gillette (you may have heard of it) came out with a new kind of razor called cartridge blades. These are the razor blades that everyone sees in the supermarket or drugstore today. A holder with removable crabs that often contain five blades. Shaving takes less time and you can easily replace blades. Sounds like a good alternative, but it isn't. Gillette certainly made a fortune out of it.
Why use a safety razor
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Lower costs
Firstly, using a safety razor is more beneficial. It is a larger investment in the beginning because the safety razor itself costs quite a lot of money. These are the blades that will save you a lot of money. Cartridge blade holders are cheaper, but the blades that need to be replaced are more expensive than the blades of a safety razor. In a safety razor you usually use double edge blades that have two cutting edges so that they do not have to be thrown away as quickly. These blades cost an average of €0.30 per blade.
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Better result
Shaving with a safety razor is also much better for your hair and your skin. The blades of a cartridge do not actually cut the hairs, but tear the hairs apart. That causes many people to get irritation or ingrown hair after shaving or even inflammation. In a safety razor you have one blade that is sharper and glides easily over your skin and actually cuts through the hairs. You also have to shave less often because you achieve a much smoother result.
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The wonderful experience of wet shaving
Shaving with a safety razor, also known as wet shaving, takes a little more time, but is also a wonderful experience. It makes you feel extra man again and it is a comfortable ritual. The delicious warm whipped foam that you massage over your face with a soft shaving brush . The blade that glides effortlessly across your face. The warm wet towel that you put over your face. It's a party for your face. You can enjoy the soft smooth feeling all day long. Admit that it also looks a lot tougher.
How do you shave with a safety razor
We can imagine that you do not know how to handle this in the beginning. That is why we explain step by step how you can achieve the perfect shave. At the end of this blog we will give you some advice on buying the right shaving equipment.
Step 1: Before you start shaving, it is important to make your skin supple, soften the hair follicles and open your pores. This can be done by rinsing your face with warm water or, even better, by putting a damp warm towel over your face. This way you prevent irritations after shaving.
Step 2: You can now apply foam to your face. We recommend using a shaving soap or shaving cream for this. These contain fewer chemicals than a foam or gel from an aerosol can. You need a shaving brush for this.
Put your shaving brush in warm water for half a minute so that it can absorb the moisture properly. Take out your shaving brush and gently squeeze the brush to remove the excess water. Too much water will result in poor lather. Now apply the shaving soap or cream to the brush. You can rub the brush into the jar of shaving soap or dab it until the brush is coated. Next you need a shaving bowl to make the lather. If you don't have a shaving bowl, you can also use an ordinary bowl first.
Rub the brush in the bowl in a straight line back and forth until a nice foam is created. Continue to rub until no more bubbles are visible. Are the bubbles not going away? Then you have too much water in the brush. Do not make a circular movement in the bowl, this can be bad for the hairs of your brush. The hairs can then be twisted together and let go.
Step 3: Now massage the brush back and forth over your face until your face is covered with a good layer of foam. From under your chin all the way up to the top of your cheeks.
Step 4: It's time to shave. Have a bowl of warm water ready to shake your safety razor clean. This removes excessive foam and residual hairs between the blade and ensures optimal results.
Always shave in the direction of hair growth and never against hair growth. If you do this, you will get ingrown hairs. Always shave in a straight path. Do not press the blade against your skin, but let the blade do the work. Glide gently along the skin. You should always hold the blade at a certain angle for an optimal shave. To find the right angle, you can first put the blade with the top against your cheek and turn it a little more and more until you hear and feel the hairs cut. You have then found the right angle.
Try not to shave the same area too often. Your skin gets stressed as a result. If you have skipped a hair, apply some foam again and gently go over it again.
Step 5: When you're done shaving, it's important to close the pores. You do this with cold water. Cold water alone can make it difficult to get the lather off your face, so you can also use a cold damp towel. Then try to dab and not rub to prevent irritation.
Optionally, an after shave can be used. Always use an after shave without alcohol. Alcohol dries out the skin. Preferably also an after shave that does not contain much or even no perfume. Of course you can also use an alum stone .
Step 6: Shaving can make your skin pull or feel dry. We therefore recommend always applying a beard balm or moisturizing cream. Your face will now feel wonderfully soft for the rest of the day.
Give time to shaving with a safety razor. It requires a little more technique than shaving with a cartridge, but in the end it is much more fun. It may not go right the first time, but after a few shaves you'll get the hang of it.
Which safety razor is the best?
Perhaps the hardest part is choosing which safety razor to buy. There is an enormous amount of choice and which safety razor is the best also makes a difference per person. As a beginner you are always in the right place with the following safety razors:
- Feather Safety Razor Popular ( for a small budget )
- Merkur Safety Razor 34C (Our choice, suitable for beginners and advanced)
Which double edge blades to buy?
You will see that there are many different double edge blades for sale. They differ in strength. To determine the sharpness, there is a scale from 1 to 5 to indicate how sharp the blades are.
As a beginner, we recommend not starting too sharply. Your skin still has to get used to it. Of course it also depends on the thickness of your skin hair. If you have very thick and stiff hairs, start with a blade that has a sharpness of 4 on a scale of 5. If you have thinner or normal hairs, you can also start with 3 on a scale of 5. You will soon experience whether you need to use sharper or less sharp. The following double edge blades are very good:
- Gillette 7 O'clock Sharp Edge (3 on scale of 5)
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Astra Superior Platinum (4 on a scale of 5)
Shaving brush and shaving bowl
Shaving brushes are made of different types of material. For example, you have shaving brushes with badger hair, pig hair and synthetic hair. The badger hair absorbs the most water and will generally work the easiest. For starters, a brush with synthetic bristles is fine. Nowadays, the synthetic hairs are almost indistinguishable from other hair types. Some good brushes are:
For the shaving bowl, it is entirely up to you which you find the most beautiful or most convenient. In principle, you can use any kind of bowl. Some suggestions are:
Which shaving soap is the best
You can choose from a shaving soap and shaving cream. The soap is still hard and the cream is a bit softer. both do the same. To start with, a shaving cream is perhaps the easiest. We recommend the Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Shaving Cream . This shaving cream is one of the best in almost all top lists and is suitable for everyone. It does not contain parabens and does not cause irritation. The scent alone is irresistible. View products from our favorite shaving brands here: Muhle , The Goodfellas' Smile , Feather and Merkur .
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