Reddit mentions: The best men shaving creams, lotions & gels

I love sandalwood. My lady loves sandalwood on me. Here are a few of my opinions on sandalwood and sandalwood-inspired scents.

St. Charles Shave Santalum Album Extract: (EdT) This is a one-note sandalwood. Quite sweet and creamy, and almost gourmand in character. US$18 for 2 oz.

St. Charles Shave Limited Edition Sandalwood from Wood: (EdT) still a one-note sandalwood, but deeper and richer. Less sweet, a bit more woody. A friend of mine pronounced that it has "more gravitas."

Herve Leger Homme: (EdT) This is artificial sandalwood (ebonal, and maybe okumal) but smells quite nice. Brightened up with ginger and yuzu (a hint of fruity acidity compared to a creamy sandalwood) and lasts a long, long time. Unfortunately, this has been discontinued. Dangit!

Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Cologne: This is a sophisticated scent, with some lavender, floral notes, and patchouli, with plenty of powderiness (to my nose.) The sandalwood isn't very present at all, though it's a nice scent. Garnered compliments from my lady despite its sweetness and floral notes. Not very long-lasting, and wants a separate atomizer. (Used as a splash, it's too powerful, and cloying!)

MPeG Santal Noble: Edt - A favorite of mine. Not super sandalwoody, but very woody. Smells like freshly-sawn cedar planks, along with amber, coffee, and spices. A superb scent, though not sandalwood-forward.

Karnataka Mysore Sandalwood Soap: This is a soap with actual Santalum Album oil (this is the "true" sandalwood, as opposed to the less complex "Australian sandalwood" and "Hawaiian sandalwood" oils.) Very little sweetness. The "soap" scent comes through clearly, but smells natural, as opposed to artificial. Over time, the sandalwood scent diminishes, but doesn't smell less "real," only less strong.

Every Man Jack Sandalwood Bodywash: This is a gel, in a plastic showergel bottle. It's not real sandalwood, but is pleasant enough. The scent doesn't last beyond the shower, but my lady likes how it smells as I use it. Sweeter than Karnataka, and more artificial, but not bad for everyday shower duty.

Caress Endless Kiss Sandalwood Vanilla body wash: No. Just no. Got it home and was uninspired. I added actual sandalwood oil and actual vanilla extract in an attempt to salvage this, but it could not be done. You'd have better luck adding fragrance oils to an unscented body wash, in my opinion.

Proraso Red (sandalwood) shaving cream: This is a great shaving cream, expecially for the price. The sandalwood is very earthy, and not very sweet to my nose. Lathering is excellent, lubrication is great. The scent doesn't last after the shave, but it's great while it does. I carry a tube in my gym bag, and also use the stuff at home. Very nice earthy sandalwood scent.

Nature de France Sandalwood Deodorant: This is an earthy sandalwood, quite similar to the Proraso cream. Not sweet, not overly creamy or woody. No aluminum, so it's not an antiperspirant, just a deodorant. Still, I love the smell.

Ogallala Bay Rum with Sandalwood aftershave: This is an aftershave, based on Ogallala's spice-heavy Bay Rum scents (cowboy-style, as opposed to pirate-style "pure" bay rum scents.) The sandalwood isn't particularly realistic, but it is pleasant, and has gotten me more than a few compliments. It's a very sweet sandalwood, to the point where I sometimes find it a bit cloying. My lady never fails to compliment me, though, if I've used it, regardless of whether I tell her that I have. Needs to be shaken and -for best result- applied once your face is dry. Good skin conditioning.

There really is no "best" razor, what qualifies as best varies from person to person. The Edwin Jagger DE89 series is widely recommended. Personally I don't like the EJ DE89, and I find that the Parker 99R gives me much more comfortable shaves. I also find the Parker to be much more forgiving when you are just starting to learn to use a safety razor as well. Either razor wouldn't be a bad place to start looking, though.

In terms of soap, I would personally recommend you start out with one of these kits: Van Der Hagen Deluxe Shave Kit. You get a decent bowl, brush & soap for about $10. None of the stuff in the kit is the best of anything, but it is all fairly middle of the road and a great value for the price. Once you have gotten the hang of DE shaving you can upgrade your brush and soap as needed.

The Strop Shoppe also makes great soaps, and they have an incredibly reasonably priced sampler that is worth picking up. I also like Queen Charlotte Soaps quite a bit, and they also have a reasonably priced sampler.

You will need a pack of blades, right now I am enjoying Wilkinson Sword (which you might be able to get locally) but there are various blade samplers that are worth checking out.

• [West Coast Shaving](http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Sample-Packs_c_1.html}
  
• Shoebox Shave Shop
  
• Amazon
  
• BestShave.net
  
  There are tons of places that offer blade samplers if you look around. You will want to try a good number of blades so you can figure out which work best for you.
  
  Preshave treatments vary. Many people just wash their face in warm water and whatever soap they have on hand. Some people use a canned shave cream like Barbasol as a pre-shave soap (I have tried this and it works pretty good). MrGlo is a well respected preshave soap, but it can be hard to find and it is getting pricey due to its increasing rarity. If you are just starting out, you might wanna keep things simple and just use whatever soap you have on hand. You just want to make sure that you use a soap that won't dry your skin and you want your face slightly soap and wet before you apply your shave lather.
  
  After shaving you could follow up with Witch Hazel. Thayers is highly regarded, but you could use normal drug-store stuff as well, just look for low alcohol content. You might also want a styptic pencil which you should be able to get locally for $1-2. You might also consider an Alum Block instead of Witch Hazel.
  
  In terms of aftershave, there is a lot of variation bases on skin types and personal preference. I prefer Nivea for Men Post Shave Balm in the white bottle (not squeezable) as my skin tends to run a little dry and this has a nice gentle moisturizer. It also soothes razor burn quite well. However I know guys that swear by Every Man Jack products (they hurt me) so you will have to try things out to find what works for you. There are hundreds of specialty aftershaves people like, as well as all the common drugstore brands like Old Spice and Aqua Velva. If you have an aftershave that you are currently using, you might as well stick with it for now unless it really no longer meets your needs.
  
  I have a goatee and I have no problems whatsoever shaving around it. I don't know what to say beyond that, using a DE with a goatee is no more challenging than using a Mach3 in the same situation especially once you get your technique down.
  
  TL/DR
  
  My advice in everything is to start simple.
  
  
• Pick a good razor (The EJ & Parker I linked above are a good place to start)
  
• Buy the VDH kit I mention above. It is a good value and you should be able to find locally (Walmart, Target, CVS, most Grocery Stores all carry it).
  
• Buy a blade sampler.
  
• Buy a styptic (its better than toilette paper).
  
• Use whatever aftershave you were using before.
  
  Wait on everything else until you know if you really want to continue with DE shaving. This short list will get you started for about $40, and you can always pick up more stuff as you go along.

Straight razor shaving is a great way to accomplish an irritation-free shave, but it requires a good razor, good lather, and good technique.

Let's start with the razor. Which razor did you buy, and where did you buy it? Most of the straight razors on the market are made with inferior steel that can't hold a shaving edge. And even if you have a good razor, it's going to cause irritation if it hasn't been properly honed. (Note that many vendors claim their razors are "shave-ready" when they're not.) Unless and until you have a good razor with a properly-set bevel and a well-polished edge, good soaps and aftershaves aren't going to do you any good.

For good lather, you'll need a brush and a high-quality soap. You can't beat the ~$10 Maggard Razors synthetic brushes for value, but personally I prefer badger brushes (and broken-in boars, but let's not go down that rabbit hole yet). For $30-40 you can order a Frank Shaving finest or an Ace Shaving silvertip on eBay; just be prepared to wait for shipping from China. A couple of Amazon vendors are currently having a price war on the Semogue Owners Club that has driven it down to the lowes I've ever seen - $57 with free Prime shipping. Thanks to the weak Pound, $85 will now get you a Kent BK4 from a UK vendor. And once you hit $100 you have tons of great options.

Speaking of great options, there are so many fantastic soaps out there that you could write a book about 'em. If I had to pick one for somebody just starting out, it'd either be something from the Barrister & Mann Latha line (I really like Le Petit Chypre) (sign up for the Rewards Program for $5 off your first order) or, if you're already on Amazon, Pre de Provence.

Then there's technique. Getting a good shave with a straight razor is a challenge. You need to make absolutely sure everything else is right, so that your technique is the only variable. Frankly, you'd probably have an easier time with a safety razor, which will accomplish exactly the same thing with a shorter learning curve. But if you want to learn to use a straight, make sure you've got a good edge and a good lather, and then shave with it every day. Every. Single. Day. Maybe not a full shave; maybe just one pass, but use it every day. After 2 or 3 months you should develop competency.

First, for grooming products, it has been my (vicarious) experience that once you convert to using Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving cream you will never, ever go back. I ordered it for my father on the recommendation of a male friend who has since converted others. It's a little expensive as shaving creams go, but that little pot lasts you a good six months or more, especially if you use a shaving brush with it (you want something like boar bristle if you do that). The Sandalwood scent is your safest bet there, but feel free to go for something like Lavender if you feel adventurous.

But now for my real love...cologne. I adore cologne. It's been a while since I've taken someone cologne shopping (I used to always take my brother...which became a problem when I noticed too many attractive men smelling like my brother), and my ex refused to wear it, so I may be a little out of touch. However, I do have some recommendations.

Boss Bottled is excellent if you want a warmer, sweeter scent. It kind of reminds me of vanilla. I had a friend who regularly wore this scent, and I kid you not, my girl friends and I used to gather around taking turns smelling his jackets after he took them off. He would specifically wait to spray it on until one of us was at his place so that we could maul him over it. We LOVED that stuff.

Gucci by Gucci is a stronger, sharper smell - it's got notes of bergamot, black pepper, and leather - very "manly," one might say. Also extremely sexy, and totally ruined for me due to its association with my brother. Though I'm told it has brought him much success.

Aqua Di Gio is very common at this point, but it's popular for a reason. Avoid it if you want to smell unique, keep it if you want a step above the generic "clean man" smell.

Polo Blue is another standby, as is Armani Code...I can't remember either one specifically, but they're also well-known for good reason.

I haven't personally smelled this one, but a good friend highly, highly recommends Versace Man.

If you don't want to get fancy, most ladies like Old Spice.

And no Axe. Never, never Axe!!

(Note: all links are from random Google searches, so you may be able to find better deals elsewhere.)

Edited to add some things to the first paragraph.

Razor: I started with this Merkur razor (and I'm still using it after two years). Edwin Jagger is probably equally popular, but I haven't tried them.

Brush/bowl: I was given this bowl/soap/brush/holder kit as a gift and still use it, but the brush broke after about a year (I could probably fix it with some good glue but haven't bothered yet. The holder is nice, but you might be able to find just a brush and bowl separately slightly cheaper if you're on a budget. I didn't use the soap in the kit because:

Soap: Proraso soap was suggested and I ended up liking it a lot. Some people like to buy sampler packs of soap/cream as well, but this was good enough for me, and it would take me forever to get through samples. This Proraso got me through 15 months with an average of one shave per week.

Blades: I started out with a sampler pack of blades from Maggard Razors, and Gillette Silver Blue and Gillette 7 O'Clock (both yellow and green were the same to me) ended up being the easiest on my face. I tried Feather, but they were way too harsh at first, I think because I hadn't really gotten the technique down yet. Gillette was more forgiving, but once I got better at shaving, I was able to use Feathers.

Other: Lastly, I really like using an alum stick after shaving to help close up pores/tiny nicks (weepers), but they're not necessary. I also now use Shave Secret as a first layer when I start my second pass (against the grain). Again, not necessary, but I think it helps me personally a little to have that extra layer of protection to prevent razor burn. It does gunk up your razor a little, though, so just be sure to keep it clean.

--------------------------

I still only shave once a week, and I have a 3 day minimum in between shaves, otherwise I'll still get razor burn. Read up on some info in /r/wicked_edge. /u/Leisureguy has a ton of great comments in that sub. Sort his comment history by top, and you'll get plenty of good advice right off the bat. He also has a blog. My best tips: Make sure you use a shallow angle (as opposed to the perpendicular/90-degree shave you're used to with cartridge razors), and don't let your lather be too dry. Also, if your area has hard water, consider using distilled water to make your lather. Maggard Razors has been really great at shipping fast and having good prices for me and carries everything I mentioned, but there several reputable online shops. I know lots of people prefer to use Amazon, so I linked everything on Amazon except the blade sampler pack.

Hi, I see some people have given you some advice but I thought I would give you some links and maybe a little more explanation. Firstly here are links to the Maggard and the Stirling starter kits. People like to recommend these because they're very reasonably priced and you can't go wrong with pretty much anything they come with. You can make a nice shaving kit on amazon but overall you're probably going to pay more and you're going to have to be much more careful because it's really easy to get something fairly cheap that is just totally awful.

Just for fun I'll toss up some decent stuff from amazon too if you really want to use up your gift cards. This razor is a good starting razor for a pretty good price, this soap is pretty good and cheap, this brush is solid although it doesn't have amazon prime. After that all you need is a blade sampler and you'd be good to go. So after all that you're looking at about 43.74 for the stuff that comes in the starter kits at the top with minor differences. The brush isn't quite as nice as the ones in the starter kits and most people here would say proraso soap isn't nearly as good as the stirling or maggard's soaps but you would have five ounces of soap instead of two or three.

I know some people who get nice shaves with a cartridge style razor, but I don't know anyone who gets nice shaves with an electric razor. I would pretty much guarantee you'll have a better time with double edge once you get technique down and you figure out what blades you like to use. Just be aware that there is going to be a learning curve, you're working with a single very sharp blade and you have to get used to using it.

Okay, I guess I can jump in here as I had to shave every day for about 13 years (college and then the Army) no matter the conditions, no matter how dirty or oily my skin was, and with no regard to the availability of electricity or light.

• The first rule of shaving (okay, get the Fight Club jokes out of your systems) is to determine what kind of skin and hair you have.
  
  If you're like me, a white guy with very curly and dense facial hair, you're going to face a lot of the same problems that black guys have with ingrown hairs (it's called Pseudofolliculitis barbae when it's widespread and pervasive - many guys in the military get what are called "shaving profiles" and never touch a razor, only trimming the hair with trimmers).
  
  
• If you're like most guys in the United States, as soon as you registered for Selective Service at 18 Gillette sent you a razor in the mail (I know many guys that this was how they were introduced to shaving). A word of warning about "safety razors" of the disposable kind: more than two or three blades is a gimmick. They usually just strip away more skin, and then you're dealing with other issues.
  
  A good first "safety" razor, and the disposable kind are actually less expensive than the ones you replace the cartridges, is the Gillette Sensor (either the 2 or the 3, referring to the number of blades).
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Gillette-Sensor3-Sensitive-Disposable-Razor/dp/B001F51QWK/ref=sr_1_3?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1375152325&sr=1-3&keywords=Gillette+Sensor3
  
  I would stay away from the razors that are hinged at the rear, like the Fusion, as it seems that you need to put unnecessary force on your face to get good coverage, again irritating the skin.
  
  
• If you're wanting to avoid all of this, and get a good electric razor, and I'm talking combat tested (because mine was in Iraq with me and survived bad charging, no blade change, dirty skin and hair, and basically abuse), Braun seems to have broken the code on the "twin foil" system. I currently have a System 5, which I keep as my trimming / travel razor, and you will find that they are both relatively inexpensive and do a good job (as long as you don't have a beard, and then you need a real trimmer, not the little thing attached to the shaver).
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Braun-Series-5-590cc-Shaving-System/dp/B001P5HCKK/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1375152622&sr=1-2&keywords=braun+series+5
  
  This is just my opinion, but the multi-head shavers that are supposed to trace the contours of your face are just more hype that doesn't work well. Same with the ones that are wet/dry and squirt what's supposed to be lube on the blades before shaving and then need cleaning after. This is shaving, let's not get too crazy.
  
  
• Now, if you want to step up to my level, and this will cover male grooming beyond your face, you need to be ready to invest in a few different things:
  
  Oster professional clippers (you can trim a horse, sheer sheep, or rid yourself of pesky hair in places you'd rather not mention). I have a set of A5 clippers with multiple blades (the finer ones will cut skin if you're not careful).
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Oster-2-Speed-Professional-Animal-Clipper/dp/B000LRN31A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375153214&sr=8-1&keywords=oster+a5
  
  A true "double edged" safety razor. I've had a Merkur for almost a decade and it's bulletproof. One point in using this: shave in a quiet room so you can hear the "bite" of the blade on the hairs. Additionally, after every stroke, make sure you turn the razor over and use the other edge. For maximum blade life, do not use hot water.
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Heavy-Double-Razor-Included/dp/B000QYEK88
  
  Finally, ditch that nasty "shaving cream" that's just gunk and get yourself something real to lather your face with (okay, okay, get the jokes out of your systems): a proper mug, good soap, and a badger brush with make what can be a chore something else entirely.
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Col-Ichabod-Conk-Glycerin-Variety/dp/B0071B7XCO/ref=sr_1_3?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1375153718&sr=1-3&keywords=colonel+conk+shaving+soap
  
  Colonel Conk is good, I'm a fan of their almond and bay rum, but there can be many others found out there if you look (try to stay away from repurposed soaps with no oil in them, they can make the razor "chatter" across the face).
  
  Oh, and don't forget to put the soap inside of something presentable: There used to be some really awesome designs for getting the soap wet, and then letting the water drain out, but because of the lost market we seem to be left with a large coffee mug.
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Edwin-Jagger-Traditional-Porcelain-Shaving/dp/B000FIH8XO/ref=sr_1_6?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1375154310&sr=1-6&keywords=shave+bowl
  
  Finally, there's the brush to get it on your face (some people say to just rub it on, but using a brush is like having a swarm of butterflies prepare you for a shave, as compared to putting on the goop with a spatula, so you decide).
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Parker-Safety-Razor-Bristle-Rosewood/dp/B002ET7AZ8/ref=sr_1_20?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1375154994&sr=1-20&keywords=shave+brush
  
  You want a natural Badger bristle brush, but not one that is too soft, or it will just slop suds all over the place. Medium is good, so it's gentle to the face, but soft to the skin, and also holds the suds, seems to be pretty awesome (in other words, paying too much is just a waste).
  
  
• The thing that you'll ask about, so I'd better tell you: the straight razor.
  
  I've owned a Dovo / Solingen straight razor for over ten years and it is both the most useful and useless shaving tool that I own.
  
  http://www.shoeboxshaveshop.com/dostst4585sa.html
  
  One thing to keep in mind is that you're bringing something that is, quite literally, suicidally sharp against your skin. For this reason alone, a straight razor should give you pause. There are no safeguards, and damaging the edge is very easy, and even if you don't do that, keeping the razor sharp enough so you can shave is a royal pain in the ass.
  
  Now, there are some things that a straight razor does very well. If I have a beard, but don't want to get my clippers out and make a bunch of noise and get hair all over the sink, I get some warm lather going with my brush and soap (usually out of tubes as I'm through my supply of soap bars) and let it sit in my beard for a while as I strop my razor a few times to fold over the remaining imperfections in the blade. By the time I'm done with this, my beard is ready for another lather, as the soad is sort of dried, and I'll start near my ears pulling an inch or so of hair off at a time without making a mess (often having paper towel at the edge of the sink to wipe the blade on).
  
  While this will get most of my beard, it will leave me still in need of a finish shave with a regular razor, but I haven't cut myself with the straight razor, and I haven't made a mess.
  
  Each tool to it's own use.
  
  
• An afterword. There a great many sites out there run by people who just aren't good at web design who sell great products, some of them were invaluable in me buying my gear over the years. Even if you're just looking for rare stuff as a gift, ebarbershop.com can be a great resource (I just wish it was easier to find stuff).
  

My shave of the day (night?):

Brush: an Art of Shaving "genuine badger" brush:

• Got it for free from a friend who never touched it, but it came from one of the starter packs that I assume can be bought online or in store. I believe it is a variation of the brush in this starter kit
  
• I have no idea whether or not this is a "good" brush to be honest, but it's the only one I've ever used since I started DE shaving about 6 months ago. Works well for me!
  
  Shave Soap: Proraso sensitive soap
  
  
• Bought from amazon for $10
  
• Bought this after reading a bunch of reviews here. It's been great so far although I have nothing to compare it to except for the canned Brut I used to use before (this is miles better)
  
  
  Pre/After Shave Soap: Brickell Men's Charcoal Face Cleanser
  
  
• I got this from a Brickell Men's starter pack that was about $8
  
• I can't really complain. It smells of peppermint and does a good job, but the full-priced bottle is $25 on their site here...I can't really justify spending $25 on face wash when the black charcoal soap you can see in the background does the exact same thing minus the peppermint scent (for those interested: bought it from amazon for ~$10 for a pack of 3)
  
  Razor: what i believe to be a Gillette Ball End Tech
  
  
• Bought this for a good price from an antique shop
  
• Honestly I have no idea if this is actually a ball end tech, but from what i've read the lack of production code on the bottom of the head means it's from the 50's or so
  
• Works great! The only thing I have to compare it to is a Merkur Futur clone (I think it's called Q-shave) which also suits my needs very nicely. Only complaint is that it seems to get clogged up quickly.
  
  Alum: Phoenix accoutrements alum block
  
  
• Got it from amazon for about $6 (can't find the link sorry)
  
• Comes with a rubber band so the rock doesn't slip from your hands. It started to crumble pretty early on so I won't be buying again. I have a RazoRock alum stick waiting for me so hopefully that lasts longer
  
  Aftershave: Nivea sensitive after-shave
  
  
• Bought from a CVS
  
• Haven't really tried any other aftershaves, but this one suits my needs perfectly and doesn't feel too sticky afterwards. Will definitely buy another one when this runs out
  
• Should note that the brickell men's sample pack does come with a really nice aftershave, but again it's $25 and I'm sure I could find something better
  
  Shaving Beer: Creature Comforts Tropicalia
  
  
• Easily my favorite IPA. Very tropical flavor (as per name) and goes down pretty easy. If anyone has recommendations for other IPAs I'd be happy to search them out and give comparisons
  
  
  Edit: I apologize for the redundant SOTD tag in my title just. Also sorry that the image was linked as an album

Not sure what your budget is, but here are a few soap of the lower-cost, Amazon available soaps that I would recommend.

Pré de Provence

Pré de Provence is an excellent triple- or by some accounts quad-milled soap French soap, and strikes one of the best cost/performance/longevity ratios I've ever seen on a soap. It creates an excellent, slick, protective lather and provides an awesome post-shave feel even after you rinse it off. It comes in two scents:

Pré de Provence is a light, herbal scent that seems to have a strong sage note in it. I haven't used it, but I have used its brother. $11.99USD for 150g on Amazon.

Pré de Provence No. 63 is a warm, spicy cologne sort of scent that has notes of pepper, cedarwood, leather and tobacco leaves among others. $14.04USD for 150g on Amazon.

Cella Crema da Barba

Cella is a soft Italian soap that has a mild scent of cherry and almond. I don't know if it would be considered "manly," but this stuff has been around for nearly 120 years, and men have been shaving with it for all that time, so it has to be doing something right. It's also a great performer with good post-shave feel. $12.00 for 150g on Amazon.

La Toja

La Toja is a Spanish soap in stick form, containing mineral salts. Its scent reminds me a bit of briny sea air and talcum powder. La Toja's claim is that the addition of the mineral salts helps as a skin conditioner. $6.00USD for 50g on Amazon.

Speick

Speick is a German soap whose scent comes from the speick plant and lavender essential oil. It's one of my favorite soaps of all time in terms of both performance and scent. $8.08USD on Amazon.

Chiseled Face Groomatorium

Chiseled Face is one of our US artisans, and his products are among the best performing that I've ever used. He has a handful of different scents that you may find interesting, but my favorite of them is Ghost Town Barber.

Chiseled Face Ghost Town Barber has notes of bergamot, basil leaf, white patchouli, oakmoss, texas cedar, leather, smoke, and gunpowder (I copy/pasted that from his description). $14.99USD for 113g on Amazon.

 

These are all US links, so I hope they work for you. I'm sorry to say that I can't help with the dry skin thing; my skin is fairly oily and not overly sensitive.

The price is reasonable, but you could do better for the same money. The Merkur razor shown is not so good as one of the Edwin Jagger DE8x series (or the Mühle equivalents): the latter have a newer, better head design. The EJ series prices depend on the handle (the heads are all the same) and range from $32-38. If you can afford it, the ARC Weber razor is truly magnificent, but it runs $70.

For the story on blades, read this post.

For a brush, consider a horsehair shaving brush: terrific lather generators and modestly priced. In the US, BullgooseShaving.net has a good selection. The "Bombito" on that page ($15) is actually horsehair despite being labeled "boar" and the Zurito has proved quite popular.

If you really want badger, look at the Wee Scot, and check out Frank Shaving and Lijun shaving brushes.

For soaps and shaving creams, you might want to try samples to see what you like and what agrees with your skin. Check out Garry's Sample Shop and also try some samples purchased from the artisanal soapmakers:


• Al's Shaving
• Em’s Place
• Ginger’s Garden
• Honeybee Soaps
• Kell’s Original
• Mama Bear
• Mystic Water
• Nanny’s Silly Soap Company (in the UK)
• Prairie Creations
• QED
• Queen Charlotte Soaps
• Saint Charles Shave
• Scodioli
• The Shave Den

I just discovered Mystic Water, and their soaps are excellent.

Soaps are quite sensitive to hard water. Unless you know your tap water is soft, try a distilled water shave as an experiment. It's sort of fun, and it can be eye-opening.

I highly recommend a pre-shave soap---it doesn't make lather, but washing your beard with it at the sink after you shower will make for a better shave. I recommend Musgo Real Glyce Lime Oil soap (MR GLO) (or the same thing, Ach. Brito Glyce Lime soap, only cheaper and with a different label), but any high-glycerine soap will do, even Dr. Bronner's. I'm enjoying QED Reserve right now, and also look at Proraso's pre-shave soap.

Also check out the reader reviews of my introductory guide to see whether you think it would be helpful.

Plugging TOBS Sandalwood for a recommended cream... If you don't have a soap, it's notoriously easy to lather. I use it when I rush my shaves, or if I don't have time. Very good shaving cream IMHO, and it always gives reliable shaves.

Not better than my Stirling, but we're talking Amazon here, and TOBS Sandalwood Cream would be my recommendation for something to get latherin'.

For a brush, although I have not tried boar knots, the 10048 looks pretty good, and I've seen someone else recommend it already. If I was buying on a budget from Amazon, that would be my first pick.

The TOBS cream and Omega brush will set you back about what you would have paid for the VdH kit, which is rubbish from what I've heard, although I have no experience with it.

Face or palm lather the TOBS and save yourself a bowl. The mug in the VdH kit is only to put soap in anyway, and shouldn't be used to lather - only to load your brush. Even if you did try to lather in it, it's not really the 5-6 inches diameter you're gonna wish you had.

Also, if you have leftover cash, spring for some Witch Hazel. Stuff is frickin magical. Apply right before you apply aftershave balm, and let it sit for a minute or so to really tighten up your face.

If you have even more leftover funds, or opt to get WH at your local drugstore, apparently Clearly Natural Glycerin Soap is a good pre-shave. I use MR GLO, but people have told me that any high-glycerin soap makes a nearly equivalent MR GLO substitute. And, for the price of less than one puck of MR GLO, you get 3 bars of Clearly Natural. Hooray for hydration and slickness!

And if you're in for a splurge, get a fancy stand. Adds counter appeal - totally unnecessary, but cool.

Good buy on the Nivea Sensitive ASB, and sub the EJ for a Parker 24c, per /u/leisureguy's post. He's never steered me wrong. Both purchases I've made based on his recommendations have worked out great, which were my Plisson brush and MR GLO.

As for the sample pack, you're probably better off spending some out-of-pocket dough on tryablade.com, or any of the other sample pack resellers. Get your money's worth.

P.S. - Don't forget to soak your boar brush (should you select it) in hot water for a few minutes before you try lathering with it. Boar brushes also have a break-in period, so be mindful that your first few shaves/lathers may be less than desirable.

As someone explained, ingrown hairs happen when the hair doesn't actually break the surface of the skin, the most common cause for them is shaving with poor gear or incorrectly. Basically you shave and instead of cutting the hair, the razor pulls it slightly out from the hair follicle before actually cutting it. So when the hair grows back, if it's even slightly off from it's previous position, there's a good chance it won't break through the skin and end up as an ingrown hair.

Some people also have naturally very curly hair which then ends up causing much more ingrown hairs than most others. If they just happen even without shaving then the issue is a bit more difficult to manage and there's actually very little you can do about it. However if they happen after shaving, then solution do exist.

I'm going to detail some things you can do about your shaving routine that should help with ingrown hairs.

First of all, get yourself a double edge razor. If you want something cheap you can get one for about 3$ from Amazon, for something a bit better and more expensive the Edwin jagger DE89 is an excellent razor. There are literally hundreds of other options out there, you can often find DE razors from antique shops, flea markets or just your parents/grandparents place. And vintage razors are often extremely good if they are in decent shape.

Next you'll need some blades, I recommend buying a sampler pack again this one is about 11$. The reason you want a sample pack is because certain blades work better for certain people, so you can try them out and find the blade that fits you.

Now why on earth would you spend the whopping 15$ on technology from 70's when you have the new gilette 20 blade razor that is supersharp technology masterpiece? Mostly because it's not supersharp, well..It kinda is but it won't stay that way. The problem is that blades go dull, and when blades go dull they don't cut well, when they don't cut well they tug the hair and you end up with ingrown hairs. The easy solution is to change the cartridge often, but the cartridges are really goddamn expensive so you don't want to do that. DE blades? You can get a years supply for 20-30$, change it every 1-3 shaves and you can ensure the blade stays sharp and cuts well.

Someone also suggested exfoliating the skin, but you can kill two birds with one stone. You can get yourself a shaving brussh, something simple like the Omega 10077 it's a good, cheap starter brush it's a bit on the harder side so you can easily use it to exfoliate your skin prior to shaving. With that you can get a tube of Proraso shaving cream which is leaps and bounds better than the stuff you get from a supermarket in a can. Then to top it off get yourself some nice aftershave to calm your skin after shaving.

Now you'll also need to change your entire routine a bit. Slap a blade on your new razor, fill your sink up with some hot water and let your brush soak in the water. While your brush soaks rinse the areas you want to shave with plenty of hot water, this helps to open up the pores and soften your hair prior to shaving. If you want you can use some pre-shave to try and keep the irritation to your skin to minimum. Now you'll need to prep some lather, you can use a bowl, your hand or just do it right where you want to shave Here's a good guide on what you can do. The basic idea is to make sure your brush isn't exactly dripping wet but still wet, get about an almond size drop of the shave cream, then just mix up the cream like you'd be mixing eggs, add drops of water if needed. Once you have some lather, apply it in the places you want. You should use rather brisk circular motions, these help to prop your hair up and makes them easier to shave. Applying cream with hands usually has the bad effect of pushing your hair flat on your skin which makes shaving harder.

Now you have some lather so you'll need to shave. There are two main things to keep in mind with a DE: Blade angle and pressure.

Basically there is an ideal blade angle and finding one will take some time. However there is an entire wiki page dedicated to this. The second one is pressure, with a cartridge razor you ten dto press it against your skin, because the blades are dull and you try to shave as well as possible. With a DE, you should not put any pressure on your skin. The blade is sharp enough to cleanly cut the hair with zero pressure. Getting a hang of it is gonna take a week or so, but once you do you will consistently get better shaves. And be sure to rinse your blade often with the water you have in your sink, you don't want too much cream clogging the blade up.

The basic three pass DE shave includes one pass with the grain of the hair, another across the grain and the final pass is done very carefully against the grain and only if needed or you absolutely want to do it. Shaving against the grain gives you the best shave, but also irritates your skin more and is much more likely to end up with reddish skin or small cuts. So you fist shave everything with the grain, then rinse, apply lather, shave across the grain, rinse, and shave against the grain if needed.

Finally rinse with cool water, dry yourself up and apply aftershave. For other post-shave products you can get yourself an Alum bloc. It's a natural astringent that closes up most small razor nicks. After your final pass and after rinsing your face, grab the block and just massage it on the areas where you shaved, then rinse your face again. Another excellent product is witch hazel. It's again an all natural skin care product, it helps to cool, refresh and revitalize your skin. You can also use it daily even if you don't shave. Personally I apply witch hazel after I rinse off the alum. Then wait a few minutes and apply after shave.

Doing all that should help to decrease skin irritation and reduce ingrown hairs. And those products are just a dip in he ocean, there are hundreds of soaps, aftershaves, creams and all manner of other things you can get cheap and easy. Check out /r/wicked_edge for more.

Sure. I will offer up this as a super cheap example of a decent way to start. It will provide a decent shave at a very reasonable price and you can always upgrade later if you decide that you want to.

Razor. It is cheap as hell, but works surprisingly well.

Blades. Buying a sample pack is a great way to decide on a blade that suits you. Every blade is different for everyone. A blade that works wonders for me may leave you with razorburn or stubble and vice versa. Unlike most things cost is not indicitive of how good a blade is.

Brush. Some people prefer badger hair brushes, some people prefer boar bristle. I like both and I use both. This is a decent boar bristle brush for someone starting out. The more that boar is used, the softer it gets.

Soap. Believe it or not you can easily spend hundreds a year on soaps and creams alone if you decide you want to try everything out there. Proraso soap is a great one for a beginner though, easy to lather, slick, and protective. It gives a nice tingle to your face due to the menthol so that is something to be aware of though.

For under $45 you can get started with a full kit. For under $25 if you just want the razor and some blades.

Now here is my favorite setup

Razor. The Merkur 39c has a head that holds the blade at a slant, enabling it to cut more like a guillotine. This is good for someone like me that has very tough and wiry beard hair.

Blades. Astra Superior Platinum razor blades are my favorite. Each one will last me for 3-4 days of shaving. Remember, a blade that works for me may not work for you. Blades are a trial and error thing.

Brush. I have more expensive brushes, but this brush is my favorite. Very soft, yet has enough stiffness to easily whip up a lather and it holds tons of water.

Soap. This is a shave stick. You rub the soap on your face and then use your brush to build a lather. This listing is for 15 shave sticks. A single stick can easily last 6-9 months.

For about 130 bucks you can make a big jump in quality. The majority of costs involved are in the razor itself and a more expensive brush. If I wanted I could spend upwards of 200 dollars on a stainless steel razor and over 500 dollars on high end silvertip badger hair brush. As I have mentioned before, this hobby is as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be.

I hope this helps.

Check out a Merkur safety razor (https://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Long-Handled-Safety-Razor/dp/B000NL0T1G) and a sample blade pack from amazon.

Get an inexpensive shaving brush to start with to see how you like it, but eventually drop more money on a nice brush. Spend $10-$15 to start then expect to drop $50+ on a nice pure badger hair brush in a few months. The badger brush that I bought for like $70 I still have with me 4-5 years later (although admittedly I don't shave terribly often). Once you get that pricey brush, get a cheap plastic holder for it as well - keep the bristles pointing down instead of up - after using it leaving them facing upwards allows the water to settle around the base and weaken the glue holding in the bristles, ultimately destroying your expensive brush. Not good.

Check out Proraso soaps in a bowl - more convenient than paste or anything else, I've found. They have multiple types, here's my favorite as it makes my face a little tingly: https://www.amazon.com/Proraso-Shaving-Soap-Refreshing-Toning/dp/B00837YY18

If you prefer your own bowl, Proraso makes a paste and you can get a mug or bowl to mix it in - I found I preferred the ready-to-go stuff as it's faster and makes it more likely I'll shave regularly. :)

Then, after you've done all that and realized it's the best shave you've ever done and it's actually way more fun to shave than you ever thought it'd be, go for a straight razor. Don't do an actual blade, strop, and all that stuff right away. Instead, just go get a disposable straight razor blade holder and some blades: https://www.amazon.com/Equinox-Professional-Straight-Single-Blades/dp/B0118BJ0PA and learn how to use that thing. Then if you're like me and shave once every week or two (super lazy!) you can literally take weeks of beard off in a single pass with a straight razor and a fresh blade. I stopped here, personally, didn't go on to a full straight razor as they're pricey and you need to maintain it (oil, strop, etc) - likely something I'd let slide and ultimately wish I hadn't spent the money on...

Also, get a styptic pencil: https://www.amazon.com/Woltra-Styptic-Pencil-Small-0-25/dp/B000EGIEOE - it stings a bit when you cut yourself but almost immediately stops the bleeding. Unlike cuts/nicks with a multiblade razor, cuts with a safety razor or straight razor are actual "cuts" - and they bleed like cuts. Like, "blood trickling down your face" type cuts. They look worse than they are because you have water on your face and it thins the blood and it runs more, but it bleeds. This will stop that bleeding really fast at the expense of a little more pain right up front. I keep one handy.

I've turned several friends on to at least the safety razor. It's way more fun to shave that way, less expensive, and is better for your skin to boot. If you like a really close shave, too, you can get a better shave overall with a 3-pass technique (I don't do that, personally) as you get better. All sorts of options...

edit: mentioned the brush holder
edit2: styptic pencil

Tl;Dr OP delivers/is a faggot.

Haha, all right, I'll tell you everything I know. First, get these:

http://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Model-180-Handled-Safety/dp/B000NL0T1G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346053195&sr=8-1&keywords=safety+razor

http://www.amazon.com/Tweezerman-2801-h-Mens-Shaving-Brush/dp/B000G647Y8/ref=pd_sim_hpc_1

http://www.amazon.com/Derby-Extra-Double-Razor-Blades/dp/B0032Q41LS/ref=sr_1_5?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1346053303&sr=1-5&keywords=Derby+double+edge

http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Street-Sandalwood-Shaving-Cream/dp/B0007MW2ZW/ref=pd_sim_hpc_13

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-Norelco-BodyGroom-BG2040-34/dp/B0037HP9OA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346053392&sr=8-1&keywords=Body+hair+trimmer

First, shampoo your groin hair with the strongest shampoo you can think off. The drier and fluffier the hair down there, the easier this is going to be.

Second, use the body hair trimmer while in the shower to get all the hair everywhere as short as you possibly can without making yourself uncomfortable. If you want to start above the dick, then start there to get accustomed to how the trimmer works then work your way to all the areas you wish to tame. I also shave my gouche etc, it's up to you. This will make the next part a lot easier.

Get some water and get it boiling hot. Then let it cool until you can touch it without seriously hurting yourself. The hotter the water the better but don't burn yourself. Now take the brush and soak it with the hot water. Then swish it around in the soap until you build up a nice foamy lather.

Lather that shit on there!

Here's the most time consuming part. You want to first go with the grain, shaving wherever you are first comfortable with. You want to use as small of an angle as you possibly can, I shave with the blade almost parallel to the skin. You do NOT push hard! It's a light grazing! LIGHT GRAZING! LIGHT! You use the weight of the head of the razor that is ALLLL the pressure you need! If it isn't enough pressure, increase the angle slightly.

EVERY time you pass by with the razor, you wash the blade in the water and apply new soap with the brush until you're satisfied. This keeps the soap and hair from clogging the blades and cutting something or ripping out a hair.

Always switch sides of the razor with each pass. This ensures near uniform wearing of the edges.

After you have passed by everything going with the grain, do the same against the grain. After you've done that, I go perpendicular to the grain for a grand total of three passes. Always cleaning the blade after every stroke, always re-soaping until you're satisfied.

After you've shaved everywhere, It's supposed to take a long time! Hurrying leads to awful bloody cuts! Then you LIGHTLY apply aftershave. It will always burn some, but not as much as it normally would! You whatever aftershave you have on hand.

For the balls, stretch out the skin as much as you possibly can and DO NOT APPLY PRESSURE! The same goes for the skin on your shaft if you have hair there.

Finally, baby powder that bitch! This will ensure you stay dry and clean and fresh all day!

At first, it will itch. There's no avoiding it. After you've shaved down there maybe 6 times, the itching will reduce until you don't notice it. ALWAYS USE A FRESH RAZOR! They're like less than 8 cents a piece, that's worth not having to worry about bleeding all over the inside of your pants!

And that's how I shave.

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For those of you who don't have the time but still want to get the job done, here was an insightful post by reddit user: OftenStupid

Disclaimer: If you wish to ritualize some portion of your life, the above is wonderful and I can see how it would be very satisfying. However, If your goal is to shave your junk:

I'm with SuccumbedtoReddit, the guide reads like it was purposefully written for hipsters. What the fuck, a brush? a FUCKING BRUSH? Old-school decapitate-yourself razor?

Please, just get a decent razor like you would for say another part of your body that you do not wish to mutilate like say....ummm.. your face.

Use some warm water, you're in the fucking shower just turn the knob goddamn it.

Apply some shaving cream. No you won't make it, nor handcraft it nor pick it from the freshest cream-trees growing on the purest mountain tops. You'll go out and buy a can that reads "shaving cream" on the label. Apply cream. Fap, if the mood takes you there, as smearing warm creamy-like substances on your privates might do.

Shave. Apply some pressure. Shit, with most modern razors you can fucking hate-stab yourself with it without drawing blood. If you want to be cautious, start gently and proceed according to how much time you want to invest.

Wash it off, re-apply shaving cream, shave against the grain.

Trim the hair on the border between penis and belly, because no-one likes the "this area has been nuked from orbit" look.

Wash off, endure the itchiness for a day or two.

Play with yourself whenever and however you wish to, without the excuse that it's somehow a necessarry procedure.

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You may have more nicks if you rush TOO much, but any nicks you get will be tiny and won't hurt or bleed that much. The above is more or less what I do when I'm in a rush, minus the shaving cream.

For the handle it's really up to you, but I would go with the 1/7/11 because you'll get a better grip on those. The 1 is the standard length, the 7 is a little longer, and the 11 is a little shorter.

Soap is also a personal preference. I love London Barbershop, it was my first soap and I still use it regularly. 2oz of artisan soap will probably last you 40-60 shaves. If you want the best value soap, look into a box of Arko sticks on Amazon. They seem to last forever and are only like $1.25 each in quantity. I would recommend smelling one first, the scent seems to be very polarizing. Artisan-wise, Stirling is probably the best value since they have ~6oz tubs for the same price as most 4oz tubs and tons of scents.

As a beginner I would also recommend checking out Try A Blade and getting a couple of their top 10 samplers. Use some of the blades from Maggard's to get your technique down then try the sampler blades. Once you pick your favorite blade hop on eBay and find a 100-pack, usually about $20-$30.

I don't know of any promo codes Maggard's has active right now.

If he doesn't already have experience with shaving with a straight edge, you should go with a double-edge/saftey razor. They require far less upkeep and are easier to learn to use. The general recommendation is something like a Merkur razor.

If you're thinking of going with a badger brush and shave cream, you'll want to get him a nice brush. That will probably be the bulk of what you spend. I personally have a Saville Row brush from QED that I love but I'm sure others can chime in with their favorites.

As for hypo-allergenic shave cream, there's always Prorasso for sensitive skin. Although I don't have exema, I have sensitive skin and my absolute favorite cream is Taylor of Old Bonds Street Avocado. Contrary to the name, it doesn't smell like avocado, but something else incredible.

Lastly, I'm a big proponent of non-alcohol Witchhazel. I have my mom and my gf addicted to this stuff. It's a natural toner and antibacterial. It works great and and doesn't smell like much of anything. It's good enough that I barely use aftershave anymore. Though Nivea sensitive balm is widely accepted as a good aftershave balm.


That's about what I've been using for the last half-decade. The very last bit is razor blades. There are a number of manufacturers from Merkur, to Derby to Feather. Best bet is to buy him a trial pack (5 blades from a number of manufacterers) from a shaving site online and let him figure out his favorite.

This isn't exactly what you're asking for, but it might help. Since I started using a different razor/shaving cream, razor burn is history and my complexion has gotten better.

Get yourself a nice double edged safety razor. I have a Merkur Futur. It isn't cheap, but It'll last a lifetime and blades are cheap as dirt. There are less expensive razors in the ~$30 range. It is easy to justify the cost when you realize you won't be paying much at all for the razors.

Get a brush (to apply shaving cream) - badger hair is the best. I have this: Omega Stripey Badger Hair Brush

Get a quality shaving soap. I used to use just these two: Proraso Eucalyptus and Colonel Conk's Bay Rum. Now, I'm favoring the Sensitive Skin Cream which may be more up your alley too. The proraso creams don't require a shaving bowl to store them in, but the Col. Conk does.

The other bonus is that using such a sharp blade (they are cheap enough to replace every 2-3 shaves w/o guilt) it also serves as a great exfoliant. My face feels awesome after I shave.

Here's what I would suggest:

Razor: either this one if you want to stay frugal or this one if you want to splurge a bit. I'd stay away from the QShave. It's a clone of a razor with a lot of design issues. One being that the head is so large it's hard to get under the nose, etc.; another issue is that it is extremely aggressive even at its lowest setting.

Brush: This synthetic brush. I think it's much better to start with a synthetic than a boar brush. Boar brushes are less comfortable on your face and actually make it more difficult to make lather until they break in. No reason to mess with those variables when you're just trying to get the hang of it. As for this specific synthetic brush, I have one and it is an amazing value for the money. It is one of about a dozen brushes I own, some of which were $200+, and this $12 brush holds its own with them.

Shaving soap: Lots of options here. Barrister & Mann's Latha line performs extremely well and is a great value. Several scents to choose from. Barrister &
Mann's Glissant line is a bit more expensive but has even better performance and more complex scents. Seville is a particularly good starting point with B&M, just an extremely clean, classic, masculine scent. Pre de Provence and Pre de Provence No. 63 are classic french soaps that smell great and perform very well.

Aftershave: Even more options here. You could go with Thayer's witch hazel with aloe, or if you want a traditional high alcohol aftershave, Fine Accoutrements is excellent. There are several scents, all based on popular and/or classic colognes. Or you could splurge and get the world's greatest aftershave product, L'Occitane Cade After Shave Balm.

Blades: Amazon has some good deals on blades in bulk but just sucks for sampler packs, and you want to start with a sampler pack because reasons. So head on over to TryABlade and order two of the "Top 10 Sampler." You can't use your Amazon credit there, but it's going to come to less than $10 including shipping.

So, if you go with the cheapest option in each category, you come out to fifty dollars or so if I'm adding right, which leaves you room to pick out one or more of those splurge options I mentioned.

A Fusion ATG everyday on a coarse beard is going to murder your face. That used to be how I shaved for a long time, and my skin hated me.

My suggestions in the immediate term is to step up your prep and shave products. That alone will make a very big, immediate difference without breaking the bank or requiring you to teach yourself how to shave with a safety razor (i.e. a double-edge razor).

My advice is to buy the following:

• Proraso shaving cream
  
  
• Proraso pre-shave cream
  
  
• Omega boar-bristle brush
  
  All-in, you're looking at about $40 in products. IMO, Nivea makes a perfectly good aftershave balm, so no need to mess with that. If you want to try a splash, you could try this, but it's not necessary.
  
  For the prep and shave: after your shower, soak the brush in hot water for a couple of minutes. In that time, wet your face with hot water, then rub in about a dime to a quarter-sized amount of the pre-shave (however much it takes to get a thin layer of coverage without any gooping). Rinse it off with hot water. Your face should feel slicker after the pre-shave.
  
  Remove the brush, squeeze the bristles to get the excess water out, then give it a 1/2- or 3/4-inch line of shaving cream. Go to town on your cheek with broad, swirling motions, lathering right onto your face (you can use a mug or whatnot, but your face works just as well and saves time).
  
  If the cream feels too thick, just add a bit of water and continue lathering. It'll take some experimentation to get the amount of water right (varies based on water hardness). Too little water and it will not lubricate very well. Too much and it becomes a runny mess that doesn't lubricate at all. Add water in little bits. You'll figure it out by feel pretty quickly.
  
  Shave WTG, hot rinse, lather, XTG, hot rinse, lather, ATG. Use as little pressure as possible and try to let the blades do the work on each pass. It should feel like the blades are just barely touching your face. Rinse cold after you're done.
  
  That should help deal with the irritation and improve your shaves in the short term. When you're ready, feel free to move up to safety razors. Probably the best way to start is to get ahold of a basic Merkur 34C razor and this thing. Switch brands every two weeks and slowly work through until you find one you're really happy with.
  
  Good luck!

Get yourself a variety pack of razors. Your face will react differently to each one and after you've tried several you'll know which to buy more next time you make a purchase.

As for building a lather, check out some of the many videos like this one by mantic59. After some time you'll find what works best for you but this video provides some basics. Once you've committed yourself to wetshaving you'll find all sorts of ways to build lather - mug, palm, stick, scuttle and others. For the college student I'd recommend Proraso's shave soap or one of the many Taylor of Old Bond Street options as they are both in their own bowl, which saves a bit, for now.

Since prep is critical for a nice shave I'd invest in a nice pre shave soap and/or cream. I use Musgo Real Glyco Lime Oil soap and Proraso's pre/post cream.

The Merkur 180 razor you've listed is what I use and I love it. I don't have experience with the Col. Conk soap but I'm sure it's fine. Leisureguy has recommended Proraso's glycerin soap in previous posts. I think I use the same brush you linked to and it's fine. If you'd like to check out some better options Bull Goose Shaving offers some good priced horse hair and Whipped Dog offers some neat options for silvertip brushes. BTW, Larry over at Whipped Dog can make you a brush and bowl combo, just pick out the color options yourself.

*edit: a less expensive sampler pack.

• Maggard Razors MR7 $19.95
  
• Omega 10049 boar brush $9.99
  
• Arko shaving stick pack of two $4.95
  
• Blade sampler, 5 brands 25 blades $5.25
  
  Total: $40.15 + shipping.
  
  But if that is too much then consider the below option
  
  
• Utopia razor +10 Derby blades $10.99
  
• Omega 10049 boar brush $9.75
  
• Arko shaving stick pack of two $4.55
  
• Tryablade, pick at least 3 blades each of these
  
• 3x Astra Superior Platinum
  
• 3x Personna Platinum (Israeli reds)
  
• 3x Feather New Hi-Stainless
  
• 3x Gillette 7 o'clock SharpEdge
  
• 3x Shark Super Stainless
  
  Total: $32.09
  
  I haven't really followed the Utopia razor, but the few threads that I did read had overall positive reviews. One complaint I did see was that some of the users had received a defective razor, bent baseplate for example.
  
  The Arko shaving stick can be used as it is, as an shaving stick, you rub the stick on your face and then use a wet brush to lather it. Shaving stick video. Or you can use it as an regular shaving soap. Cut the stick into smaller pieces with a knife and then press the pieces into a container of some sort. Load the brush over the soap puck and then move the loaded brush into a separate bowl, or directly to your face and start building the lather.
  
  This post has information about shaving brushes in general. Read the parts about boar shaving brushes and watch the lathering videos.
  
  -----------
  
  >In general Mantic59 and Geofatboy have good videos on youtube. There is also a book written by Leisureguy, it is available in all amazon sites.
  
  >This video from Geofatboy basically shows what DE shaving looks like. I also like this video It shows a full shave from start to finish. You don't really need to understand what he says in the beginning.
  
  >---------
  
  >The necessary items are; razor, brush, cream/soap, and blade sampler pack. This article by Leisureguy explains the blade issue very well. For aftershave you can use whatever you currently have, but if you don't have anything you can pick up Nivea sensitive aftershave balm from your local supermarket for $6.
  
  >There are preshave creams, oils, and soaps. These are not necessary, but some users do find them helpful. A cheap glycerin soap like the "clearly natural" or "whole foods 365" can be had for about 2-3 dollars. You use these soaps to wash your face before you start lathering.
  
  >For post shave there is; alum block, afershave splash, aftershave balm, moisturizing cream, moisturizing oil like jojoba oil, unrefined shea butter, and witch hazel. You pretty much have to try which works for you, but I'd start with a cheap aftershave balm like the Nivea sensitive that I mentioned (if you get satisfactory results with it you don't have to explore the other options unless you want to).
  
  >You don't need a shaving stand. If you like how they look you can use/get one, but that's about it. After you are done shaving, rinse the brush well under the running water from the tap, shake out the excess water, gently brush the brush against a towel, stand it on its base out in the open where it can air dry. Mantic59 - Cleaning a shaving brush video.
  
  >For bowl lathering you can use any small sized bowl you have in your house. Approximately 3 inches deep and 5-6 inches in diameter would be a good size. You can also find something from your local supermarket for couple of dollars. Alternatively you can face lather which removes the need for a bowl.
  

Honestly I think you'd see a lot more success with a cheap badger hair brush and some shave soap (Proraso Shaving Soap In A Bowl - Refresh, 5.2 Oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00837YY18/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Eb6qDbAN1EM1M)

I switched about 8 years ago and I'd estimate I've saved at least $400 in shave supplies. (Let's say minimum 2 cartridge packs a year at $25 each). For that alone I'd keep doing it but I also have a significantly better shave.

Another item that might improve your success is the actual razor. I've tried a bunch and these work best (Astra Platinum Double Edge Safety Razor Blades ,100 Blades (20 x 5) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QY8QXM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Bi6qDbR9FZ5HN)

Anywho...be glad to help further if you need...good luck!!

I am a sweaty person. I have tried all the name brand antiperspirants/deodorants. After years of crusted yellow/white stained shirts, I realized that my body seemed to compensate with more sweat, plugged up under the arms, it surfaced on my back and head. Clinical/prescription strength antiperspirants only added to the problem, and my white tees took the damage. Later I found out people, myself included, actually use too much, you only need a super thin amount applied to your underarms, don't go about it like frosting a cake.

Also thinking about the potential harm of aluminum based antiperspirants (you absorb everything through your skin), I moved on to some natural deodorants (brands like Toms) but they just didn't seem to work so well, but i did notice when I applied less deodorant, or didn't altogether, my sweat began to lessen in severity. Anytime I actually smelled (like after yardwork or a any long day in the sun), it was time for a shower anyways. After I was properly applying a thin coat, I settled on Arm & Hammers Essential Deodorant that began to alleviate my problems, notably with my clothing. No more yellow crusty shirts!

But how about some deodorant that will last you several years? Try a Thai Deodorant Stone, I've had this baby for a year now and I can attest that it works great. Nowadays I apply this to my underarms from time to time and lightly powder my feet and groin with a mix of cornstarch and talc. Life is much better now.

TLDR: Use less antiperspirant and try a deodorant stick without aluminum, like Arm & Hammer Natural Essentials, or try a Thai Deodorant Stone cause it rules. Also try applying talc/cornstarch to areas you get moist

And while we're on the topic of saving money on everyday hygienic activities, consider a safety razor (refill blades are $10 for 100 compared to $20 for 8) some nice sandalwood shave soap (I've had this bowl for a year and it doesn't really look like any is gone) and a nice aftershave (I get lots of compliments on the particular scent of this one from those who get close enough to smell it) I always use an after shave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging...

Before I started shaving like this, I had a bit of an acne problem and some parts of my face where I would get spots of dry skin, it's gone now. My skin is mostly clear. You're gonna get a much better shave that doesn't irritate your skin and save a ton of money when you think about the cost of Gillete Quadruple edged razors, plus how much more badass is it to shave like this? This is how your grandpa shaved. The upfront investment is a badger brush, which I called an investment because a good one will last you a lifetime.

That's my hygiene ramble.

Taylor of Old Bond Street and Geo F Trumper are both London-based companies with a very good reputation here. Both companies offer a sandalwood variety of shave soap. For around £10 you should be able to get a 6 oz soap of either in a plastic tub, or you can upgrade to Geo F Trumper in a wooden bowl for about £20.

Edwin Jagger is a company based out of Sheffield that offers very nice razors for around £20. Any that start with DE8_ are good, they all have the same head... it just comes down to the handle for example DE86 has a faux-ebony handle but DE89 is all chrome... the cutting head is the same on both.

A silvertip (highest quality) badger brush will run you at least £20, so as you can probably start to see, getting a soap, brush, and razor all for £30-40 will be tricky. If you downgrade to a boar brush you can get one for about £10 which will bring all 3 products to about £40. A boar brush isn't "worse", it's just different -- many people prefer it over badger. It's also more humane as the badgers need to be killed to harvest their hair. Otherwise you will need to start getting into lower-quality soaps and razors to offset the cost of the badger brush, or spend at least an extra tenner.

For example here are some amazon.co.uk links for you, there are probably other UK-based shaving websites that carry all these as well, or if you live in a major city you might even have a physical shave shop:

Razor

Shaving soap

Boar brush (personally I would look for one with a wooden handle though, I think it's classier than the plastic. If you want to stick with plastic, they come in a variety of colours)

I intentionally picked British-made products for you since you want to incorporate strong traditional and classic themes, but other companies like Merkur (German), Gillette (American), Parker (Indian) also make good razors that you might want to take a look at. I'm also assuming you want a brand new razor and not something vintage. Proraso is a nice Italian soap I use myself that will probably cost you £5 if the others are a bit too expensive.


You can add in an aftershave but that will again be another £10 or so, same with a bowl. If you want something classic and like an aftershave, I'd pick up an alum block instead. It's a naturally-occuring mineral that acts as an astringent and antiseptic -- you run it over your face after shaving to close your pores and prevent razor bumps, etc. Brand generally doesn't matter, it's all the same chunk of rock. I think a bowl is an unnecessary extra cost, any cereal bowl or latte mug can be used. If anything, just go to a charity shop and pick out the nicest mug you can get for £1-2. The bowl is used to produce your lather... you swirl the brush on the soap for 30-60 seconds to load it, and then transfer to the bowl and the lather will grow into something like a normal shaving cream when you stir it for a couple minutes. You can also lather directly onto your face or in the palm of your hand if preferred too.

If he has any questions on how to use the stuff, just direct him our way :)

I am in a similar situation to you. I have a beard which is extremely thick, and somewhat sensitive skin. For reference, on multiple occasions (including a professional straight razor shave) the barber has commented on the fact that my facial hair is like copper wire. If I use a Gillette fusion on 2 days of growth, the blade will be dull before I make it to a second pass.

Here is what I have found works best for me (obv YMMV):

• Merkur 37c. This is a slant bar razor which may not be the best instrument to learn wet shaving, but it makes a tremendous difference in the shave. It cuts my beard in a slicing motion without scraping the skin as much, so it reduces the beard while preserving the skin.
  
  
• Astra SP (green) blades. Everyone has their own favorite, but for me these are the best. They are decently sharp (especially in the slant-bar) but still sturdy enough to take me through 4 or 5 shaves. Many people suggest the feather, but I have found these to be better on a thick beard. The feather is undoubtedly sharper, but it does not hold its edge against a thick beard nearly as well as the Astra in my experience.
  
  
• Taylor of Old Bond Street Jermyn Street collection for sensitive skin (both the shaving cream and aftershave) They are a bit pricier than the regular TOBS stuff, but I have found that they reduce irritation immensely, and I really like the scent (despite having no idea what scent it is). I forgo oil, because I feel that the cream and my prep is sufficient.
  
  
• Beard prep: most important of all. I usually shave right out of the shower, and I make sure to wash the area with hot water and glycerin soap beforehand.
  
  My skin has gotten better over time, but realize that if your hair is as thick as mine is, you may never get to BBS on the neck, no matter how many passes you try. I generally do 3 passes (WTG, XTG, XTG) and I look professional, despite not feeling as smooth as I might ideally want.
  
  Let me know if you have other questions. Also the other answers here have some pretty phenomenal advice too. Good luck!

Thank you very much for your detailed reply!

Thanks for the sterilization tip, I was a little concerned about sanitizing them but that seems like an easy way to do it.

I was thinking of the Super Speed because I heard that they're less aggressive for beginners, which I would like because my face gets irritated easily. Is that true or was I just reading a biased review?

Great idea on letting it grow out to find the grain! I always get irritation on the sides of my neck so I bet they're the swirls you're talking about!

I have a cheapo boars brush that I'm using with cheapo soap and my Mach 3, but I'm planning to get some Pre de Provence soap and some Astra blades. Does that sound like a good plan?

I just looked at your link for the Nancyboy. Is it a lather or just kinda a cream? It looks kinda interesting!

Thanks again!

copy pasting this from the last thread:

I use Magic Shave Powder which works, for me at least, like nair, but better, and with less irritation. It's gotten rid of all the ingrowns and razor burn and the vitamin E/aloe formula doesn't irritate me at all unless I've been chafing..

If you do go with it, some advice:

1. A whole can of the stuff will easily get all the unwanted body hair off of me, someone who's 6'1" but not super hairy above the waist.
   
2. I have a 12 oz cup that I use to apply it. Dump the powder into a cup and slowly add water and mix until you reach a consistency a little thinner than pancake batter. Mixing water into the powder goes much better than mixing powder into water for stirring it up. Once you figure out the proportions for the consistency you like (around 1:1 by volume) you can put the water and powder in a lidded container and shake vigorously to make the whole thing go faster
   
3. I use a 2" paintbrush to apply it. Just brush it on, doesn't need to be super thick. It takes 5-7 minutes to work well so after I apply it everywhere I use the brush to agitate it anywhere hair is real thick to make sure it gets into the nooks and crannies, I don't know if this actually does anything but it gives me something to do.
   
4. Shower afterwards, not before you use it. It's not very irritating but it's a caustic product that dissolves your hair and your skin oils will protect you from it.
   
5. It's water activated, so you have to make sure it doesn't dry out after you applied it. You can do this with a little misting bottle full of hot water, by continuing to run the brush over spots that are drying out, or, my favorite, just running a hot shower to keep the whole place nice and steamy. This prevents you from getting patchy hair removal from spots you didn't notice were dried out.
   
6. After you've had it on for 5-7 minutes, hop in the shower and scrub yourself down. It's all drain and septic safe, and your hair will be broken down enough to easily go down any drain. Then wash, exfoliate, and moisturize
   
   Also: It smells, the stronger the stuff you buy, the worse it smells. Don't do it right before you invite a date over.
   
   as for avoiding bumps: exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. If you wear clothing that rubs against your body, you're drastically increasing the chances of developing red spots. You can tweeze or wax at where your pants sit on your waist to help there, but your upper thighs this is less feasible for that. My advice for the winter is to use clippers at a #1 or a #1.5 for your upper leg hair. The hair will still be there, but it'll be small, and there won't be nearly so much red bumps.

> My opinion of Proraso is that it’s cheap and it’s good to, an opinion a lot of people have on it.

Proraso with all its additives works. But I wonder why anyone would claim that it's "cheap", when it's obviously not, at least not outside Italy. And that is no matter of opinion (which its utterly synthetic smell may be, I won't even call that a "scent", but others like it), but of numbers anyone can check.

Cheap would be Arko (wich also smells divisively synthetic) or - in Europe - the Palmolive stick that doesn't smell luxuriously either, but perfectly acceptable to me. Yes, that's completely subjective. But both make solid lather.

For the 10 bucks you have to pay, you could either get a real traditional triple milled shaving soap like Pre de Provence or variety of pleasantly scented, very good US artisanal soaps. Even with shipping, these are definitely worthwhile.

I'm new to wetshaving, but here is what I've learned in the two weeks since I've started, and the few months before that I spent in this subreddit.

For pre-shave, most people like MR GLO, but any high-glycerine soap works well. I use a pure glycerine soap that I like just fine. Make sure you either shave right after a shower or leave a hot towel on your whiskers for like five minutes before you attempt a shave. I use TOBS shaving cream as well, and the non-sensitive skin cream works fine with my sensitive skin (not sure how sensitive yours is; I normally can't wear scents or use non-glycerine soap without getting itchy).

After a shave, I personally use a hot towel to remove all of the extra cream, clean and dry my straight razor, put cold water on my face, dry it, and use Nivea sensitive skin aftershave balm. Any alcohol-free aftershave works well, but the Nivea stuff is widely available where I live. I've never used an alum block (forgot to order it), so I don't know about them, really.

tl;dr: MR GLO, make sure you get your whiskers warm and wet, TOBS rules, use good aftershave.

Depending on how your skin reacts to shaving, the technique can vary. I cannot shave at all because the irritation is unbearable. It isn't as bad if I go in the same direction as the hair, but that doesn't get as close. Some people are fine, but I end up with vast amounts of ingrown hair that takes months to recover. I found that paying an esthetician to wax it for me is much much better.

Also: PFB Vanish applied before either waxing or shaving, then used twice a day after/during regrowth really does keep the skin baby smooth.

If you are going to shave, use a new, good quality razor and keep the skin pulled tight for each pass. First few tries may cause some nicks, but with practice you'll get better. I think it's easiest to sit baddha konasana style with a mirror propped on my feet than to try it standing in the shower. Experiment a bit and you will find what works best for you. Like I said, I eventually resigned to getting waxed every month, though finding someone to wax a male wasn't the easiest at first. It seems like it's getting more common, though.

Informative Video

Informative Website

[Wikihow](http://www.wikihow.com/Shave-Your-Genitals-(Male)

Hope this helps. You should also report your results/lessons learned so that future searchers can learn from you! Thanks!

I really don't know why people are shitting on Amazon. I like supporting artisans and small companies as much as anyone else, but if OP wants to go with Amazon because it's cheaper (and it is cheaper), then let them do it.

To answer your question, the Edwin Jagger DE89bl is a great razor, Proraso Green is a great soap, and the Omega 48 is a good brush. You can also pick up all sorts of blades in bulk.

If you get the Astra blades, the kit is about $60 on Amazon and about $75 on a small site that is popular in this sub.

Let me just reiterate. I like artisans and small vendors, especially for the wider variety of scents and razors. There are better options for less at small vendors, but those are on items that only those vendors sell. for mass-produced products Amazon is often the cheaper option

Something that's important to keep in mind with this safety razor stuff is there is very little (arguably no) difference in quality between something like a $30 Merkur from Amazon and a $100 razor from The Art of Shaving or any other boutique store. Similarly, a $30 Parker badger hair brush does the exact same thing as a $200 brush.

Historically, safety razors started out as a cheap shaving solution to save money from getting shaves from barbers and save time from doing it yourself via straight razors. Like anything vintage/retro, this sort of thing has been fetishized by the internet and there are loads of guides out there singing the praises of all sorts of "premium" safety razor gear which seriously just epitomizes the mindset of "Well I paid more for this so of course it's better."

You don't even really need to go nuts on shave soaps, I've been using this for a decade now- http://www.amazon.com/Proraso-Shaving-Eucalyptus-Menthol-Formulation/dp/B00837YY18/

The only thing I really recommend if you're getting started with this is getting a variety pack of blades before deciding on what you want to buy in bulk- http://www.amazon.com/FEATHER-NACET-BLUEBIRD-Blade-Sampler/dp/B002Z85VJK/ Allegedly, certain blades are better for certain beard or skin types. I just buy Feather blades as they're supposed to be the sharpest.

Seriously though, if anyone is looking to get involved in this, don't over-spend. It's real easy to get up-sold on this junk for no reason other than more money = better than. It's a design from the late 1800's built from the ground up to be cheap. Don't get suckered by boutiques and men's blogs.

I wouldn't buy a ready-to-go kit, especially from a supermarket-type store like Target. However, you can find countless combinations of razors, brushes and soaps all over the internet. My preferred razor is the Edwin Jagger DE89lbl. It is a fantastic razor with great weight distribution, blade expoture and it looks great too. I'm not sure how much you've looked into the different types of brushes but a few good brands that I like are Simpson (pretty pricy), Omega (better price for starters), and Edwin Jagger (in-between the two). For soaps I'd recommend TOBS Sandalwood. You can't go wrong with the scent of sandalwood IMO. If you want to spend less for soap than go with Arko. It's very cheap and will last quite a while because it is hard. Speaking of which, if you have hard water than don't go with the Arko and go with a softer soap/cream that comes in a tub like TOBS. You'll have a tough time trying to create a lather with a hard soap if you have hard water. That's all I've got for you, I don't use any pre-shave oils. One last thing, some antiseptic wouldn't be a bad idea. I hope this was helpful for you and good luck!

• Edwin Jagger DE89
  
• Omega 10049
  
• Proraso Sensitive
  
  You pay a premium for certain things on Amazon, but those are good options. The price of blades is quite high on Amazon, so get a couple of packs of Astras (or a sampler pack) on Maggards before sampling a larger selection from tryablade.com.
  
  Maggards also has build-your-own DE starter kits which you may find to be better value. Also they sell excellent artisan soaps which are better quality than massed produced soap like Proraso, (and much nicer on the skin). Their own soap is very good quality and affordable.
  
  Brands to avoid on Amazon are Escali brushes and Van der Hagen.

To be honest I have had a hard time getting good quality stuff from Amazon. I prefer them, but the smaller shops just don't have their products there. Scent is almost as important to me as the lather and the feel, so you may not enjoy what I do in that aspect.


I prefer soaps over creams I think. With a soap I can lather right from the tub rather than having to put it into a separate bowl.

My suggestions:

• Proraso Sandalwood - Not the best quality but a cheap good starter soap. Lathers in a bowl very easily.
  
  
  
• TOBS Sandalwood - Some people dont like this cream, but I feel like it had a good scent and a decent lather.
  
  
  
• Tabac - Probably more spendy here than you can get elsewhere. I really enjoy this soap. Good lather and will last forever. Has a clean powdery smell.
  
  
• Through the fire soaps - I absolutely love the soap I have from them. My favorite on all fronts. I have the Forged scent.
  
  
• Chiseled Face Sherlock - My second favorite. Very solid soap.
  
  
  
  
  I would suggest avoiding Col. Conk. I did not like any of their soaps.
  
  

I think that you would be better off with a double edge. It's less technically demanding to learn, you don't have to maintain the blade (you'll have to sharpen a straight edge from time to time and strop it daily) because it's disposable.

My philosophy is that shaving is less about the hair and more about the skin, caring for it and leaving it comfortable/not irritated. Even with a light beard, it's worth learning how to shave well because it's good for the skin and it's a pleasant and meditative ritual. The whole process of carefully prepping the skin, applying the soap/cream and doing a multiple pass shave is satisfying. Like a very masculine manicure, manly pampering. Mampering? No...

Anyway, if you click around this sub a bit, you'll notice that it's easy to go overboard and get too into it, and shave gear isn't cheap. But that's as much a blessing as a curse. I have three straight razors and a double edge, and I fully expect them to last me decades.

If I were you, I wouldn't jump in the pool quite that deep though. Here are the suggestions I make to most shave newbies interested in checking out the wetshaving gig:

Edwin Jagger DE 89:https://www.amazon.com/Edwin-Jagger-Kelvin-Double-Safety/dp/B00K6Z24SK/ref=sr_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1469558129&sr=8-4&keywords=edwin+jagger+de

This is a simple, entry level razor. It comes with a few blades, but I'd recommend buying a sampler pack (and yes, I picked this pack because it has Feather blades, they are exceptional, if slightly too sharp for me. I use Sharks.):

https://www.amazon.com/FEATHER-Oclock-SILVER-Blade-Sampler/dp/B004UIZFQW/ref=sr_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1469558238&sr=8-4&keywords=double+edge+sampler+pack

After that you'll need a brush. I'd just check the sidebar there, I use a wee scot and I suspect that not many would push you in that direction.

Then you'll want a nick stick, because dude... you'll cut yourself. It happens. Again, sidebar. But here's the cheap one that I use (don't cut myself much anymore so I don't invest in the good stuff these days):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013H6AVM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And beyond that is the decision between soaps and cream and an aftershave. That one is up to personal preference in terms of scents and consistency.

I use this cream and like it fine: https://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Old-Bond-Street-Sandalwood/dp/B0007MW2ZW/ref=pd_cart_rp_1_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=519dkWyoBqL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_SL500_SR100%2C99_&psc=1&refRID=FTVMYYYARCCYAX4AK72N

I use this aftershave and love it to pieces, enough to spend 50 fucking dollars on it a few times a year: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007XMDQO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This isn't a super cheap set up (about $200) but you could get a cheaper aftershave and brush and be all set for under $100 and make improvements down the line if you decide you want to keep doing this.

Agreed! But I'm partial to BlueBird blades... a little sharper and last a little longer than Shark (which are also good) but they won't shave your face off like you can with Feather blades... and a little cheaper too!

My razor is a Parker 91R Super Heavyweight (I like it)... and it's inexpensive.

And then for my shave cream I use Taylor of Old Bond Street... a little goes a very long way. The stuff is great.

A good badger shave brush and a shave mug.... maybe some pre-shave oil if you really want to take your time. And you got yourself a shave that is far closer and more comfortable than an expensive as hell cheaply-made multi-bladed razor...

Sure upfront costs are slightly higher, but in the long run you save tons of money... plus you get a better shave. What's not to love?

I'm a TAOS employee as well. I recently bought a custom turned brush off of ebay, and I love it. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cocobolo-Wood-Silvertip-Badger-Hair-Shaving-Brush-w-Cloth-Pouch-/231365379422?pt=US_Shaving_Hair_Removal&hash=item35de73855e This is kind of similar to what I have.

If you are looking to switch things up, you could look at a synthetic brush. Here is one from Maggard that I really like: http://www.maggardrazors.com/product/hjm-21p8-black-fibre-synthetic-hair-shaving-brush-blackgrey/
Another option is the Plisson from L'occitane, which has great reviews.

http://usa.loccitane.com/cade-shaving-brush-plisson,82,1,29221,388683.htm


You could also look at a boar brush - Omega is highly regarded.

http://www.maggardrazors.com/product/omega-11574-boar-bristle-shaving-brush-orange/

In terms of the pre-shave options, I think our pre-shave oil is top notch. Other pre-shave options include a high glycerin content bar of soap (i.e. Whole Foods 365, Musgo Real Glyce Lime, http://www.amazon.com/Musgo-Real-Lime-Glyce-Soap/dp/B0007M41YW) Proraso also offers several pre-shave options which I like, though I'm not a huge fan of menthol: http://www.maggardrazors.com/product/proraso-green-tea-oat-pre-and-post-shave-cream-glass-jar-100ml/

From a shaving cream/ soap standpoint, there are tons of artisan soaps on the market which perform just as well, if not better than ours. Check out Barrister and Mann's offerings, Tiki's, Dapper Dragon's and Maggard's own soap line. Maggard's Limes and Bergamot smells amazing, and I'd like to try a few more of theirs.
http://www.maggardrazors.com/product-category/soaps-creams/

Our Aftershave balm is also top notch. You could also look at Geo. F. Trumpers Skin food, which is well regarded and is something I've been meaning to try when I have the money. Fine Accoutrements also has really popular aftershave, but it's alcohol based, whereas ours is shea butter based.

Since you work for AOS, I'm assuming you're using Gillette Platinum Blades or Merkur. Get a sampler pack and see which blades you like the most. Once you find the one that works the best for you, you can order by the 100 pack and you'll be set for a while (this can also be used as a selling point of DE razors, but you need to make sure they get the technique down before they start throwing in variables like different blades). They should keep the blade consistent for a while so any issue with a given shave is attributable to prep and technique, and not the blade. Also, whenever I sell someone a DE, if they have never used one before, I write down Mantic59's youtube channel on one of our cards so they can learn the technique before they jump into it.

If you wanted to try out a bunch of these products at once, at a very reasonable price, and also get a nice stainless razor which is interchangeable with your muhle head, you can pick up one of maggard's budget starter kits, throw in their artisan soap, throw in a sampler pack, and you'd be set. http://www.maggardrazors.com/product/budget-starter-kit/
Let me know if you have further questions.

This is an interesting question!

On the personal front, Col. Conk's Bay Rum Shaving Soap is quite nice and has a tropical vibe. The lime scent is pretty good as well.



For room scents, we had a party this weekend and there was a ton of leftover citrus. So, I have a big bowl of unpeeled lemons and limes sitting on my table that smell great though it doesn't exactly fill the room.

Lastly, if you have ever stayed in a really fancy hotel, a lot of them have signature scents that fill the lobby. Typically they are light, refreshing, and custom made for the hotel and therefore hard to track down otherwise. I stayed in the La Meridian, Bangkok that had a wonderful smell and I fell like it would be amazing for a tiki bar.

I just learned it apparently was created to smell like old books!

It's hard to find a complete starter kit for such a low price here in the UK, especially since we don't have access to the starter kits from Maggard.

One way to save money is with a good quality boar brush. You can't get a decent badger brush for that budget, but you can get a fantastic Omega boar for £9

With soap, Proraso or Arko are low-priced options that deliver exceptional value and performance.

The razor is the most difficult. Without the Maggard or Razorock models, there aren't many quality metal options. My recommendation for the cheapest available DE in the UK would be a Wilkinson Sword Classic, available from Boots for £4.69.

It's a decent way to try out DE shaving for a very low price. Probably the best value DE razor easily found in the UK. You could also look into finding a vintage Gillette razor on eBay, such as the Superspeed. But I haven't been able to find these for much less than an Edwin Jagger.

The Wilkinson Sword, Omega brush and Proraso soap will cost £19.38. Drop that to £15.70 if you replace Proraso with Arko. You can add a few quid for blade samples, or just give the blades that come with the razor.

Ideally, a starter kit will also include an alum block, but that will probably push you past the £20 mark. A razor, brush, soap and blades are all the essentials covered. The kit I suggested is the only one I can think of which makes the minimum of concessions for £20 total. The razor is decent and can be easily upgraded if your friend likes the process. But the brush and soap don't need upgrading, Omega and Proraso are great regardless of budget.

Hey. We're glad to have you. Definitely a worthwhile endeavor. Anything that says sensitive skin on it will (that is of quality) should be good. I'd start here:

proraso

or here:

TOBS sensitive

As far as the DE razor, I've been shaving for over half a year with one DE and absolutely love it- the Edwin Jagger DE86. here


I'm not saying it's the best. It's just the only razor I have experience with. But I am very pleased with it. It helped me find a blade I like and I feel like a DE pro now. But there are others that are good as well. See sidebar for more information.


And of course- the proper legal disclaimer: YMMV.

Arko probably gives the best shave of any soap I've used, including soaps that cost several times as much. The scent is iffy and polarizing, but it's alright, and the soap is dirt cheap. I'd recommend all beginners try it out, it's cheap and incredibly easy to use. The other staple I use is Taylor of Old Bond Street. I use the Sandalwood scent, but I've heard good things about most of their scents. It's a cream rather than a soap, so it offers a very quick and easy lather for a beginner, and the scent is top notch.

I haven't tried them out yet personally, but Stirling also gets a lot of love here. From what I've heard, the scent and performance of their soaps are both fantastic, but they can be somewhat hard to lather. Maybe a soap to pick up once you've got some experience under your belt.

Im not sure if it matters what model you get necessarily as much as the type of blade you use. I don't have the same skin issues you are experiencing so I can't say for sure what would be best for you. I would recommend getting a decent safety razor $20 - $50 and getting a multi pack of blades and seeing which works best. The great thing about these blades is they are so cheap you can use and toss often. Not using the blades for long could help as well with skin issues as well. Lastly consider using better shaving cream. I will recommend this since I have used it for a long time and loved it. Col. Conk Shave Soap 2.25 Ounces (Variety 4 Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0071B7XCO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Lo.bzbADWW02B

1. Safety Razor or Straight Edge barber's blade
   
   -I got mine on Amazon for only ~5 bucks. One person in that subreddit linked it though and I don't think I'd be able to find it. It was so cheap because the shipper was from China and it took 15 days to get here but it has lasted me quite some time. But I would recommend looking at the reviews and getting one in the 15-20 dollar range. With replacement blades (which are cheap...I bought a sample pack which came with like 50 total and I'm probably not even half way through them yet). you can just pop one right in and go...they also will last you about 5 shaves each.
   
   
2. Shaving Soap
   Look into Poraso. I have the green kind. I was sensitive to the menthols in other Shaving Creams but this shaving soap does everything I need it to and doesn't irritate my skin or eyes.
   http://www.amazon.com/Proraso-Shaving-Eucalyptus-Menthol-Formulation/dp/B00837YY18/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1413959827&sr=1-2&keywords=poraso
   
   -It says I actually purchased this item on Jan 7 2014. I will need a new one in prob 2 months but still!
   
   
3. Boar/Badger shave brush
   You can get these for cheap some places, but since I showed you stuff on amazon here's what you'd be looking at:
   http://www.amazon.com/Perfecto-100%25-Badger-Shaving-Brush/dp/B00LDYFGFQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1413959958&sr=1-4&keywords=shaving+brush
   
   
4. If you want to get pre shave lotion go ahead. I don't use pre shave lotion so i can't recommend anything. wicked_edge would know though.
   
   
5. For after shave I just use Cetaphil moisturizer and it works perfect for me, but look at wicked_edge again for after shaves.
   
   That covers pretty much all of the basics I think. Some of the stuff seems expensive but it's a very worthwhile investment and will save you money in the long run. I remember going through 3-5 blade gillette razors every month which at 10 bucks a pop adds up, plus they irritated my skin and the shaving cream sucked. So i definitely recommend making an investment in these certain products, they've helped me quite a bit.
   
   In the preview my numbering is screwed up, so idk what to do about that, but yeah.

I might suggest shaving after a shower (make a point to wash your whiskers before shaving to make sure they're clean). You should also try to use a hot towel.

Soak a towel in very, very hot water (the hottest you can handle, but not hot enough to scald), gently wring out and hold it on your beard for a minute or so. Your hands are more sensitive to heat than your face is, so don't worry about that much. This will greatly soften up the hair.

Another option is to wash your beard with MR GLO or similar soap. Aside from smelling fantastic, this will also do a great job in prepping your face.

You're getting a lot of great advice here, a lot of which would work when shaving with a cartridge razor and canned lather.

The most important thing is feeling for your face's natural grain and only shaving with it, never against (at least with a cartridge).

I'll include links but by all means shop around...

• Edwin Jagger DE89 - popular three piece starter razor
  
  
• One of the many creams by Taylor of Old Bond St. - inexpensive and quality
  
  
• An alum block like RazoRock - you can also find some of their artisan soaps
  
  
• A synthetic shaving brush - this one looks to have the same fibres (Plisson clone) as some other very good ones. You could also get a boar brush by Omega or Semogue for eg but these will have a break-in period. Do NOT get a badger brush on your budget; it will be shite. The exception might be this mixed loft Omega 11047 "mixed midget" which is a fantastic little brush; works out of the box like a badger but gets better over time like a boar.
  
  
• Go to your local drug store for Nivea Men Sensitive after shave balm - inexpensive, effective, and widely available.
  
  This is a more than decent starter kit and affordable but you'll also need skills. Check out this poster from /u/mmosh and search for tutorial vids on Youtube by Mantic59 and/or "Nick Shaves".
  
  EDIT: Completely left out blades. You want to sample many kinds to find what is right for you. Something like this.
  
  
  
  

I went on amazon bought a brush for 10.00, a relatively cheap DE razor for about 27.00 a stand for 10 and a soap for 10.00, I would recommend trying a soap sampler to find one you like. You can find starter packs as well, and I would do that. I was trying to be somewhat frugal but ended up needing more than I thought. Most razors come with a free pack of blades, usually at least 5, and that should last you approximately 15 shaves, so at least two weeks. After that I recommend going with some kind of blade sampler since a lot of packs come with a hundred blades and if you buy the wrong blade you might be out the 10 or 15 that it cost.

It takes longer than a cartridge razor to shave, and requires more skill and attention, but the whole process is much more enjoyable with better results.
I recommend going the cheap route until you're sure you like it, and as you wear out the items you buy (bristles comes out of my brush almost every shave, a couple at a time) then buy the next level up. It can be extremely expensive, but like anything there's also regular people versions of all the expensive stuff too.

For your reference:
Razor
Soap
Brush
Stand
Blades

I made the switch about 2 months ago to a safety razor, brush, and nice shaving cream. I love it. It takes a while to get used to, but I watched mantic59's videos before starting and they helped a lot. I used to use those crappy multibladed razors, then tried an electric razor, but safety razor is by far the best.

I use Taylor of Old Bond and it's great. If you do go this route, make sure you also grab a nice alcohol free aftershave, I use some Proraso aftershave.

Merkur Long Handled Safety Razor (MK 23C) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NL0T1G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_O90CzbSJ0E07Y .
.
Proraso Shaving Soap in a Bowl, Sensitive Skin, 5.2 oz (150 ml) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001JHEY14/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Y-0CzbYSCM0MT .
.
Taylor of Old Bond Street Jermyn Street Luxury Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin, 5.3-Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003VZPTAC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_bb1CzbP65TJRP .
.
100 Astra Superior Premium Platinum Double Edge Safety Razor Blades Personal Healthcare / Health Care https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EXPTR0W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_7b1CzbPDNCYAR .
.
Perfecto 100% Pure Badger Shaving Brush-Black Handle- Engineered for the Best Shave of Your Life. For, Safety Razor, Double Edge Razor, Staight Razor or Shaving Razor, Its the Best Badger Brush. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VF1NI5M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_zd1CzbRXDRTVE .
.
Crown King Victorian/Western Style 12 oz Shaving Scuttle - Durable Porcelain - Hierloom Quality - Dishwasher Safe - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MTF145J/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_9e1Czb0XEH37V .
.
Proraso After Shave Lotion, Refreshing and Toning, 3.4 Fl Oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085UECY2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_4f1Czb32JE3AZ

Hey there - I started off with the same shave set as you did. Have upgraded since then, but it did a great job for a long time. My first upgrade was to some proraso Shave cream (link 1 below) and then some art of shaving cream (link 2). I LOVE and highly recommend the AOS cream, the sandalwood smells amazing. You will get more for your money with the first one, but I personally think the 20 bucks for AOS is worth it.

What kind of razor are you working with?

1. http://www.amazon.com/Proraso-Shaving-Eucalyptus-Menthol-Formulation/dp/B00837ZOI0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375907425&sr=8-2&keywords=proraso
   
2. http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Shaving-Cream-Sandalwood/dp/B000I2XL4M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375907434&sr=8-2&keywords=art+of+shaving
   
   
   
   

Cool!

Generally online is the better place to get this stuff. There's a few brick and mortar stores that carry good stuff, but online is just easier.

Some soaps can be a little expensive, yes, but keep in mind they generally last longer than the canned gel.

There's a lot of options if you're price conscious however.

Razorock is an Italian shaving soap that's really easy to whip up so it's ideal as a beginner. They have sales on some of their soaps in the $7 to $9 range.

Also consider Arko. It's definitely not as "fun" as some of the other artisan, uniquely scented soaps, but if price is super important to you, it's definitely the way to go. That link is a 12 pack. I have absolutely no idea how long that would last someone using exclusively that product to shave, but I would guess at least 3-5 years, maybe more.

Arko is a shaving stick, so it's a little different. Again, have him watch a video in how to properly lather that stuff if that's what you end up going with, otherwise he'll probably end up frustrated.

There's tons of places to get blades. Here's West Coast Shaving's inventory of them. This is where you'll save money in the long run.

Tell him to consider getting a sampler pack. Blades are very different and everyone has a personal preference.

Those cremes are not that expensive I use this one and it lasts almost a year. I bought a ton of razor blades cheap but its fun to try out a ton and find the one you like. I recommend this site. We all all different and I used to think just like you and then I tried it this way. Its nice to get up in the morning, make some lather and enjoy a nice shave.

I just use barbasol with aloe (the green can). It's not the best but it's super cheap and lasts forever. Fairly neutral smelling too. It globs on thick straight out of the can so I just work it with a bit of water til it's the consistency I want.

When I wanna be more fussy with it I use proraso shaving soap that I lather up with a brush (I wet the brush itself and work it into the soap. I press a bit of soap into the lid that it comes in, no need for a dedicated bowl). I'm still on the first one I bought like 3 years ago, that stuff lasts forever too since you need very little soap. It's nice cause you can really control how wet/thick you want it to be. Apparently they have a "sensitive skin" version now too. proraso soap

A lot of guys swear by shave butter. That stuff is nice cause it's clear so you can see what you're doing. They tend to be odorless and perform really well from what I've heard. That stuff might be up your alley. I don't use it just cause I'm cheap; between the barbasol and proraso I probably spend $1/year on shaving supplies.

The simple answer is, yes.

The benefits, in my opinion, are twofold. First, the amount of money you save. I was at my local retailer (walmart) and some of the replacement cartridges for the mach5 quatro xtreme^r were $28. WTF? So, last year for my birthday I went to amazon and got a Parker 71R. It came with the blades. You can continue to use your edge progel or whatever but I also got a bowl and brush and some Colonel Conk's shaving soap. It's a bit of an investment but those cartridges never seem to last. The blades can be purchased on line for as little as 25 cents a piece or cheaper depending on how many you buy at once.

The second benefit is environmental. It takes a lot of time to break down and recycle the blades and plastic. With a DE blade you are simply discarding the blade which can easily be recycled.

So, good luck. I highly recommend searching out a video or two about how exactly to shave. Though they are dubbed "safety razors" they will cut you like you owe them money.

That's going to be an excellent razor. If you can afford it, go for it. I got the same deal from SRD, except I bought the 6/8 instead, and 3 inch strop. The 5/8 is much better suited for beginners, as it's easier to handle, so go with that.

As a great alternative, I recommend you get a restored vintage razor from MaggardRazors.com, and buy the strop separately. I've only had great experiences with MaggardRazors.

I don't really like Col. Conk soaps as they don't go well with my water (I'm in the Chicago area). I always had a hard time shaving with my SR when I used Col Conk soap. Instead, I recommend you go with some shaving creme. Proraso sandalwood works like a dream. If you really want shaving soap, Arko is the only one that truly works with my water for SR shaving. I can use all other soaps just fine with my DE, just not with SR. I actually use Arko 70% of the time, and the remaining 30% I use some sort of shaving creme, or other new products I want to try. It's that good.

Another thing I found helps is some form of pre-shave oil or creme. I've tried regular olive oil from my kitchen, and it works great - no need to spend tons of money. The trick is to use a small amount on your wet face before you start lathering (I lather on my face); too much, and you'll start to experience drag. I'm currently using Proraso pre-shave creme which is excellent.

The alum block you're getting is also a must in my opinion (I have sensitive skin), but I would also recommend getting an actual styptic pencil on the side, because you WILL cut yourself in the beginning. The alum block isn't too effective for larger cuts.

Good luck and keep the cartridge handy for the chin area in the beginning! :)

Merkur's are pretty solid, you shouldn't have a bad time with it.

I wouldn't take your blades lightly. Instead of "some blades", look at getting a sampler, like this. Give them a shot, find the one you like best, and stick with that one while you're mastering your technique.

I personally prefer soaps to creams. Soaps give you a little bit more "cushion" and "slickness." For soaps, Arko is a good, cheap choice.

Personally, I prefer a badger brush, but that's up to you, really. It's a bit biased, but this shows my feelings on it. This is what I'm currently using. It was a gift, and it's a good brush. You could have better success at a lower price point. Be careful though, in this community, the phrase, "you get what you pay for" is generally very true.

Honestly I'd recommend a decent brush, a de, soap and blades. Exfoliation in general is good, moisturizing in general is good, and witch hazel feels kinda amazing afterward. I've never used a styptic (I don't bleed that badly), pre-shave oils and such seem to not work as well as shaving after a shower, and I've never noticed a great difference from any after shave besides witch hazel.

You should be able to find more feminine scented (or unscented) recommended soaps from /r/ladyshavers. Also I don't know that I'd recommend it on your face but lady's shave gel (or any of the canned stuff) also works fine with a de. So if you just want to start out on the real cheap you can skip the brush and the soap and just get stuff in a can. Basically for a razor(just about any of these should do, I'd stay away from slant types at first) you're looking at $15-20, and blades (best to start with a variety as everyone had different skin/razor preferences) $10, soap maybe $12, and a good brush $15-20. But the razor with a little care will outlive you, the brush should last many years. Soap a few months and blades a few shaves each and they're only like $.20 a pop anyway. Witch hazel ~$9 and probably will last about a year. Hope this wasn't too overwhelming and gives you a good idea of how to get started.

Hair that grows back is always going to be prickly because it's so short. Only way to avoid that would be laser treatment.

Best way (imho) to avoid razor burn is to use good products.

I shave with a safety razor and use a nice shaving cream. You'll need a shaving brush and a small shaving bowl as well. I change the blades frequently (available online or at drug stores) and pretty much every time before I do my legs.

I will never go back to disposable razors and canned shaving cream. I had to use both on vacation recently and it gave me the shittiest shave and worst razor burn.

Now shaving for me is less of a chore and more like a mini spa trip. :]

Full Disclosure: using a safety razor takes a little practice and I promise you will nick yourself a few times before you get it right. Be patient, it's totally worth it.

edit: I also find this helps with razor burn, bumps, and ingrown hairs: I exfoliate, shave, exfoliate (again), towel dry, use moisturizer.

This will leave your skin soft and smooth and also helps prevent bumps! :)

Good luck!

I'll add to this, especially for the Afro-Americans out there.

 

Shavers...

 

After all of the cordless electric shavers I've used over the years, my Remington F5-5800 Foil Shaver gives me the smoothness shave I've ever had without using an actual razor. I finish off by edging up and trimming with a [Philips Norelco G370] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FED5DU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_F702AbWT46ATE) (it was <$100 and it's probably outdated by now) I've used it for ~4-7 years and dropped it a few times. It leaves the skin a bit rough, though, but I've rarely ever nicked myself with it (if at all).

 

Instructions & Maintenance...

 

Read the instructions and follow proper maintenance (brush, clean, oil, etc.). Always.
And for the record, both of my shavers are easy to clean. The Remington requires more effort, especially once a month, but the Phillips only requires a quick brushing (I add Andis Clippers Clipper Oil). The "hardest" part is letting the Remington dry for so long before putting the head back on. Don't brush the clippers while it's on, btw. Seriously, you'll ruin the brush and end up needing to replace it.

 

Battery Life...

 

If the instructions say to let the battery die before its first charge, I do so. If it says to fully charge it for X hours before its first use, I do so. Now, people of Reddit had a particular conversation about battery life once. I never looked into the matter myself, but I started practicing it with all of my chargeable devices. After the initial required drain (if instructed), I always charge it after it hits 30-50%. I do my best to never let it drain completely to 0%. The idea is that the battery will actually degrade much quicker if it drains to 0% and will need to be replaced sooner. Feel free to call me a fool on this one, but please explain your reasoning.

 

Razers & Magic Shave...

 

This one requires a story or warning.
I wet shaved with my brother's razor when I was in high school because my cordless one (probably a Phillips) wouldn't work properly when I put it back together after taking the top apart for a full-ish cleaning for the first and last time (the school started reinforcing its facial hair policy).

Though it was my first time, and I shaved against the grain, I didn't cut myself or apply anything to my skin before or after. My face was so smooth that I kept touching it. Three days later, I start noticing bumps. By the fifth day, I had full on razor bumps everywhere I originally shaved. Bump Stopper II took a month or so to really any progress and around three months to really make an impact, but it left my skin dry and very flaky. Eventually, I moved to Skin Tight Razor Bump Ointment Extra Strength. It burned like hell in the beginning, but showed better progress. That and washing my face daily with soap and a towel of course.

Since I still had to shave, I just went over the bumps with a shaver and routinely wiped the blood away. Due to a barber's suggestion, I started using Bump Fighter Razors. He warned me that they were going to miss some hairs, but it worked well enough.

At some point, I was recommended (powder blue) Magic Shave because it would "eat those bumps up" (oh, boy). This stuff stinks, flakes all over the place, and can tear up your skin if you aren't careful. I tore a descent sized section of my skin off when I dragged a wet towel down my chin at the wrong angle once. I could see the skin sitting intact in the towel with the inner-end of my hairs barely sticking out of it. Was a really weird moment. That section of my face was pink and hairless for awhile before it healed over. Looked funny on my lovely complexion. For the record, I only used it every three or four days. Three is the minimum, IIRC.

If you're going to use Magic Shave, use a wet towel to wipe it off (prepare to rinse repeatedly), designate a magic shave cup that is to be used for nothing else, consider only wearing boxers, bring a broom and dust pan, and stay in one room or outside. Hell, turn the vent on, you stinky mutt. Overall, I do not recommend Magic Shave's original formula (powder blue). I cannot speak for its powder gold fragrant or creme light fresh scent version, though.

Now for razers...
I started using the cheap pack of (dark blue) Gillette dual-blade razers from Walmart in high school. They worked very well. Here are my instructions: Shave with the grain, rinse the blades after every stroke, thoroughly rinse the blades after you're done, wipe them carefully with a toilet paper to get extra crud off, and let air dry somewhere. Hell, thanks to another Reddit conversation, I kept a short round plastic container of isopropyl alcohol around in college to "shake" the razer in as a finishing touch of cleanliness. Supposedly, the alcohol evaporates after awhile, so I just let it air dry after that (read the 4/24/18 edit at the bottom). The blades lasted a pretty long time doing all of this before I need to pull out a new razor. That combined with how cheap they were...

 

Razer Bumps / Ingrown Hairs...

 

I found that daily shaving, Skin Tight creme, and actually washing or just wiping my face with a clean damp paper towel kept the bumps from fully returning. A trick I discovered to get rid of the ones that lingered was to grow my facial hair out. It looked awful for a month since the bumps returned as the hair grew (they might have been curling into the skin), but there's a point where the bumps start to recede into the skin and all you have is a full beard (minus some areas of the lower neck). Now just maintain it or shave it off. What you'll find is a smooth face with practically no bumps. You must keep the hairs from growing back, though (and maybe wash your face?). Mess that up, and the lingering bumps will return.

Oh, to hell with Bump Stopper II and don't bother with Skin Tight. My physician recommended Tend Skin Solution after I graduated college, and, let me tell you, it works better than both. I hear the ingredients aren't that bad for your health either.

 

My Routine...

 

I wash my hair (including facial) with Bubble & Bee's hard water shampoo (the price is worth it, especially since it lasts for a surprisingly long time), pour on and rub in their vinegar rinse ratio (a fourth of the bottle tops; it's optional when you purchase the shampoo), wash that out, apply Nature's Way Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil to my facial and scalp hair while still damp/wet (I'm not 100% certain about using it on the scalp yet; used to use AVEDA Dry Remedy Daily Moisturizing Oil twice or thrice a week), brush my facial hair (soft bristles for the cheeks and neck; medium bristles for the beard and moustache) once in the morning, and apply Tend Skin Solution twice a day with cotton balls.

I should be using the foil shaver daily, but I don't always. Hence why I brush my cheeks and neck.

 

In closing...

 

If you're close to (or cool with) any Afro-American males, especially ones who've just started growing facial hair, consider having them read this so they can learn from my mistakes. Those razor bumps were rather unsightly.

 

tl;dr: Use Tend Skin Solution for razor bumps, wash your face, follow instructions, foil shavers leave smoother skin, read the section on battery life, don't shave against the grain with a razor, and don't use magic shave or bump stopper II.

 

EDIT (4/24/18):
About my shaving cleanup steps. I later realized that letting the isopropyl alcohol dry on the razer caused the blades to dull quicker, so I started rinsing them off and wiping them with toilet paper a second time as the final step.

Then in that case if you want to up the ante of gift giving, (i ordered all my supplies on Amazon since i have Amazon student and 2 day free shipping) but i also ordered a stand. Like you can build your own kit really nicely and then arrange it for him as a surprise!

Razor

Blades

Badger brush

Stand

Shaving cream, my favorite

And as for a cup to mix the shaving cream? Don't bother buying one just use a short mug it's much easier

Also, think about it this way, when you are using a regular 4 bladed razor you need to go over each spot at least 2 times right? That's as if 8 individual razors went over that spot. With a single blade you usually get every hair in one pass but sometimes you need 2-3 but still, 2-3 is less that the original 4 so you're regardless way less likely to get razor burn

Here you go

Edwin Jagger De89lbl Double Edge Safety Razor Chrome Plated Lined Detail

Dovo Stainless Steel blade BLACK Handle Shavette Straight Razor Uses Replaceable DE Blades and a Brut Styptic Pencil you're going to need it

Edwin Jagger Razor Stand for Double Edged Razor or Colonel Conk Evernice Model 775 Chrome Safety Razor Stand

Double Edge Safety Razor Blade Variety Pack - 100 Blades! and/or 115 BEST Blade Sampler FEATHER SHARK ASTRA BLUEBIRD LORD GILLETTE

Edwin Jagger 1ej946sds Traditional English Best Badger Hair Shaving Brush Faux Ebony With Black Drip Stand

Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Shaving Cream Bowl, 5.3-Ounce

Proraso Shaving Cream 5.2 oz (147 g)

Bloc Osma Natural Alum Block

Ogallala Bay Rum Bonanza Sampler!

And just use a kitchen bowl to make the lather.

Edit : Made an Amazon List

Not really artisanal soap, but this and this are excellent values. Those are 5.25 ounce pucks of hard milled soap that will last incredibly long even with daily use. I can’t compare these to Proraso since I have never tried it. These soaps though will no doubt last way longer than a tub of Proasomthough. I have both of these pucks and enjoy them both very much. They represent what I consider to be one of the best values available. Every once in a while you can catch the original scent for under $10 on Amazon.

Safety razor, real shaving soap, and a after lotion. I use method shaving which is just the best way IMHO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSv_0MpKJU4

Watch his whole series. They're awesome.

EDIT: I should explain some of the process in method shaving is that you should first have a moist surface to shave as to reduce irritation. Second, attempt to reduce the number of passes over the same area to reduce the chance of razor burn. And third, probably the most important USE GOOD PRODUCTS! Don't cheap out here you're going for a good clean shave.

Personally I like Proaso products, my shaving kit has the following items in it:

• Shaving Soap
  
• After-Shave Lotion
  
• Merkur Razor
  
• Shaving Brush
  
  I'm not saying drop a ton of money into this but don't cheap out. Get stuff that will last you a lifetime it will be well worth the investment and you'll enjoy the shaving experience.

I don't think you'll get any good straight razor from Amazon, especially at that price point. You can get a straight handle with disposable blades (look for Shavette) from there. Amazon has one or two good brands but they're most likely not properly sharpened by Amazon and I can almost assure that you'd have to send it out to someone before using it.

You can check out this article on Straight Razor Place about getting items on a budget. I usually suggest these full straight razor kits, which start at $160 and include a proper straight razor (sharpened), strop, brush, brush stand, soap, mug and styptic.

Things you can get on Amazon are this brush for $11, and Proraso soap for $9. This $32 strop would work well. If you get a strop from Amazon make sure it's Fromm as some of the other brands I saw on the first few pages were made in Pakistan and probably lousy.

Lastly you can check out the SRP classifieds for deals. Most of our vendors are active members who also sell through their websites: Dylan, Ben, Glen, and Larry should all have affordable shave-ready razors listed.

http://imgur.com/05VH10o
here ya go:3
i love my puppy, shes so fricking adorable!s he falls asleep right on my lap, and she has the cutest little yawn!

shes such a snuggle bunny, and i love her:3



[id love this] (http://www.amazon.com/Not-Your-Mothers-Beach-Texturizing/dp/B004UL0GTK/ref=sr_1_131?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1371396685&sr=1-131) or maybe [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Proraso-Shave-Soap-Sensitive-150ml/dp/B001JHEY14/ref=sr_1_231?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1371396763&sr=1-231), [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Gillette-Venus-Embrace-Womens-Cartridges/dp/B000XVSNTQ/ref=sr_1_275?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1371396825&sr=1-275), or [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Jelique-Pure-Instinct-Pheromone-Cologne/dp/B000LCETUO/ref=sr_1_290?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1371396868&sr=1-290)

thank you!

About $6.22 USD (I'm Canadian), free shipping on orders over $35 (probably $25 USD) that include other free shipping eligible items (doesn't matter what it is). Works well, same amount, probably smells better, not sure about ingredient differences in terms of if one's healthier. If I'm gonna ask for free stuff like shaving cream, I'd be doing the people helping me a favor by at least doing my research. Looking for deals, not luxury items that cost several times (4x in this case?) more than it could if one was willing to use alternatives. Spend smart.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00837ZOI0

I have a very similar situation, a wire brush for a beard and fairly sensitive skin. I found that more than any particular blade (I use straights or a Feather shavette and rarely a DE) that face prep is the biggest single factor in irritation and closeness of shave.

What works for me (others will have different recipes, you should experiment):

1. Start either immediately after a shower, or use a hot-washcloth for a minute or two (hot as you can tolerate, hold it to your face with your hands over the sink). This softens the beard, and is a super important step.
   
2. I use pre-shave oil. You don't need much, just a few drops, work it all over your wet beard with your fingers. I hear that oil doesn't make any difference for some, but it helps for me.
   
3. Use a brush and whatever soap you like, although I'm partial to Proraso sensitive skin (the white tub). It lathers well in our very hard water. I do change it out from time to time, just for fun, but usually come back to it.
   
4. Whether or not you're using a straight, a shavette, or a DE, keep the blade sharp! I get 4-5 shaves out of my Feather Professional shavette blades, but only 2 shaves out of a DE, and of course the straights have to be stropped and periodically rehoned. Don't use too much pressure when shaving - if the blade is as sharp as it should be, it will get very close and smooth and take off your beard without using much pressure. Blade angle matters, too, try adjusting a bit at a time and evaluate your results.
   
5. I like to use alum block after wiping my face when finished. Cold water splash on your face, wet the block, then rub it all over where you shaved. I have an electric toothbrush that runs for 2 minutes, so I brush my teeth afterwards, and when that's done, I use a cold washcloth to wipe my face.
   
   Of all the steps above, having a moisturized face and a sharp razor of whatever type are the most important points.
   
   On the rare occasion I do get a bit irritated, I like to use Anthony Logistics After Shave Balm. It's a bit expensive, but I find it works pretty well to soothe irritation.
   
   Good luck!

I browsed /r/wicked_edge for a bit before diving in. Their FAQ should be a good place to get you started.

I've improved my pre- and post-shave routines as well as using a brush and non-canned shaving cream. Anecdotally, the learning curve wasn't very steep for me (a few nicks and cuts starting out) and I'm noticing that my issues with sensitive skin and ingrown hairs are resolving.

Your start-up costs may seem a little steep, but you can find some deals or cheaper gear and upgrade later. The fact that I actually enjoy shaving and feel better after doing it more than makes up for the initial purchase.

I started with the following:

Razor Emporium Sensitive Skin Blade Sampler pack

Musgo Real Lime Glyce Soap

Parker Safety Razor SYNTHETIC Bristle Shaving Brush

Taylor of Old Bond Street Avocado Shaving Cream

Edwin Jagger DE89bl Chrome Plated Double Edge Safety Razor

Gentleman Jon 3.5 Ounce Alum Block

A DE set will be cheaper (about $40 for everything) and easier to start with, but if you want to go with a straight razor the following is about as cheap as you can go:

Straight razor from /u/RocTraitor, you can see his list here and he has this shave ready razor for $40

You can get a strop here for $25 ($19 if he has a flawed one in stock) with shipping.

Here's a brush for $11 and a soap for $5

Total set for around $80. That is as cheap as you can go and still have something worth shaving with. Really it would be best to get $100 together and get a 3" big daddy strop from star shaving for $40, but that is not 100% necessary.

edit: read /u/papander suggestion - $16 laptop strop would be a good buy. That would bring your total to $72 and change. That is the absolute cheapest you can go and still have good gear IMHO.

A key is to change a little bit of the routine at a time. First prep, then products, and finally equipment.

The first step: addressing skin and beard preparation.

The hair on the face needs to hydrate as much as possible in order to shave with reduced tugging (this tugging is a large component to ingrown hair issues).

A proper glycerin based soap found at whole foods, or this popular one will clean the skin, remove oils that are barriers to hydration, and impart a layer of water attracting glycerin.

Once the hairs are hydrated, apply your usual shaving lather generously on the skin.

Shave as normal, but only in one direction - with the grain. With the grain means that the hair mats down when you run your hand across it. It's like petting a cat or dog without ruffling their fur.

See if this routine improves the shaving experience. If not, I'd suggest going to a dermatologist for advice.

If you do see an improvement, post back to this thread, and we'll help you find a good shave soap. If you dive into this alone, a quick disclaimer for sensitive shavers: avoid regular proraso.

It's highly recommended, but I believe that the eucalyptus and other extracts used are suspicious for use on facial skin, and around the face's sensitive mucus membranes.

Instead of a hot shower you could use a pre-shave such as this. This, applied after splashing your beard with some water should decrease the time used for prep. During the time you have it on your face, you could get all your gear ready for the shave.

Also, slant razors have the reputation of doing the job quicker, in less passes, so that is something you could look into. I don't have one so I won't be of much help in this case.

I don't know what your prep and shaving routine is, however if you don't face lather you could try that. In my opinion, it takes less time to face lather rather than bowl lathering.

Also, don't try to get a BBS every time!!!

That is all I can come up with at the moment. I wish you all the best during your service and good luck with your shaving! :)

>cornerstone low foaming gel

I could not find an ingredient list on their website, so I cant be sure how good the product is.

​

If you are in the UK, truly excellent shaving products are available to you locally.

Here is a list of worldwide vendors, including the UK.

https://www.reddit.com/r/wicked_edge/wiki/stores_vendors

​

For example here is a set of an Omega boar brush & Arko soap on Amazon UK. The scent of the Arko isn't anything to write home about, but it is truly an excellent performer.

Palmolive shaving stick is available in most malls for less than £1 & is an excellent product.

If you want to go slightly more upmarket, see here & here.

Switching to a safety razor literally changed my outlook on the world in the morning. Much better shave, not a lot more time, no ingrown hairs, smells a lot nicer. Here's what I would recommend for starters:

• Merkur razor. There are many models, so pick one you like the price/look of
  
  
• Tweezerman brush
  
  
• Colonel Conk shaving soap. Again, many kinds but I like this one.
  
  
• Feather blades
  
  
  You can shop around and see if anything suits you better, but I highly recommend all of these. Also, this video is a good starter if you've never used a safety razor before. I've never seriously nicked myself, but I have with a Mach 3 (which I still use to shave my head).
  

The brush you got can be hit or miss, some people have great results with it but I've seen quite some complaints as well. This brush would be my first choice, this is a nice budget brush and the soap is identical to the (old) Proraso.

Derby blades are well liked, but blades are very individual. I'd recommend a sampler instead of just buying one brand.


1 The pre-post can be found cheaper, so can the shaving soap

2/3 This razor is a great starter razor. After you master it and still want something more aggressive you can try a slant or a Muhle R41.

I had the same reaction to Maggard's Barbershop. The few soaps that didn't give me any irritation include Proraso Sensitive (the white one), Sterling's Sandlewood, and TOBS Avocado. Maybe one of these may work just as well for you as they have for me, but it seems like everyone reacts differently to each individual scent and/or brand of soap if there is any sensitivity issues. Best of luck hunting down what works best for you.

Oct 8, 2019

Pre: Proraso Pre-Shave Cream
Lather: Barrister and Mann Leviathan - Soap
Brush: Parker Safety Razor Handmade Deluxe "Long Loft" 100% Pure Badger Shaving Brush 22mm
Blade: Lord Platinum Class (1)
Razor: Merkur 38C
Post: Thayers Alcohol-free Unscented Witch Hazel Toner & Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream
Fragrance: Barrister and Mann Leviathan - AS Splash

Sweet baby jesus! I can smell again after a 2 week cold I can finally smell. And what smells to come back to. I love the scent of Leviathan. I'm hoping it lasts a good portion of the day.

Also, I reaffirmed what I already knew today: slow shaves are the best shaves. Taking your time makes them more enjoyable and creates less irritation.

They work awesome if you have some good soap and a good razor.

Colonel Conk is really good and cheap. It will last forever.

You will need a bowl for it though. I got this combo

If you need more help, let me know. Enjoy!

There's guides for the ladies at /r/wicked_edge if there's more interest in shaving tips.

Some more suggestions from a /r/wicked_edge subscriber:

-Pre-shave soap. Musgo Real Glyce Lime Oil (MR GLO) is the standard go-to. It gets everything nice and slick to start with. A major help to a smooth stroke.

-I really love my Thayer's Witch Hazel. I've got the alcohol-free cucumber one, and it really does smell like cucumber (just for a little while, it fades pretty quickly). But there is a myriad of scents available.

-And to mention as others have, there are several better options for shaving cremes or shaving soaps to use, particularly if you are willing to get a brush.

What razor blades are you using? Different people have different skin and hair types, and find that different blades work for them. If you're cutting up your face like that, maybe try a different brand of blade. I'd suggest getting a sampler pack so that you can try a bunch and figure out which ones work the best for your skin.

For example: http://www.amazon.com/FEATHER-Oclock-BLUEBIRD-Blade-Sampler/dp/B007OL72B8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422349875&sr=8-1&keywords=safety+razor+sample+pack

It took me a bit of practice and a bunch of razors to get it right, since some tugged on my skin and others were too sharp (hello nick city). My favorite is Blue Bird, they work perfectly for me. Skin prep is really important too! I use Arko shave sticks and an Ecotools brush. The shave sticks lather nicely and last forever (one stick lasted me about 4 months of shaving my legs).

http://www.amazon.com/Arko-Shaving-Stick-White-Count/dp/B000VAWZ2U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1422349852&sr=8-2&keywords=arko+shave+stick

http://www.amazon.com/Ecotools-Bamboo-Finishing-Kabuki-Pounds/dp/B004W17O7A/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1422349923&sr=8-21&keywords=ecotools+brush

Afterglow is great. The owner is usually the waxer, and she's really efficient and friendly. Your first time is gonna be the most painful, but it gets easier the more you go.

Also, this stuff is your best friend. It'll keep you from getting ingrown hairs.

I possess extremely long, extremely thick, extremely coarse, extremely curly hair. Think somewhere between Claudio Sanchez of Coheed & Cambria and the fat guy from Lost except halfway down by back.

Every day, I shower. When I do so, I wet my hair then rub it down with a cedarwood/rosemary shampoo bar (solid-form shampoo composed mostly of saponified shea butter and jojoba oil without any natural-oil-stripping sulfates) and lather it up. I let it sit for awhile, then rinse. After that, I apply a thick coat of dandruff-defense conditioner (liquid form) and let that stand while I wash my body (with a fancy loofa and a really nice bar of cold-pressed, natural soap called "Desert Sands"). I rinse the conditioner out, wring most of the water out of my hair, and then step out of the tub.

I apply a mist of leave-in spray condtioner and let it stand while I shave (using a variety of natural shaving soaps and/or creams with a badger hair brush, a German safety razor, and a number of facial care products including an alum block, witch hazel splash, and moisturizer) and brush my teeth. I finally run a large brush (with scalp-protecting beads on the bristles and a malleable backing to allow it to shape itself to the contours of my head as I brush) through my hair until there are no more knots or tuggy spots..

On work days, I'll throw on my shirt, pull my hair back, then brush it back into a ponytail that I'll hold up with a hairtie. Otherwise I let it airdry into a gloriously fluffy, unbelievably soft, and delicious-smelling mane that encircles my entire head and neck and draws the eye of every woman I pass.

-------

What else would we use indeed!

My favorite brand of soap is Arko because it's nostalgic, cheap as dirt, and absolutely foolproof. Highly recommended if you don't prefer fancy fragrances. I just saw it's now offered in cute containers if you would like a bowl over a shaving stick. Cheers and good luck with your new shaving technique/hobby.

Blades

• So far, I've had best luck with Astra Stainless and Sharp. I usually just use a new blade for every shave (once a week). I do see the 1-4 numbers on the blade, does that indicate anything important? Haven't tried shimming the razor yet, I'm a bit too amateur I feel like.
  
  Soap
  
  
• Now that I think about it, the Eucalyptus Menthol-Formulation could be a factor to the irritation.
  
  
• I definitely will skip on the alum block next shave, and look into getting more blades. Could you recommend a good soap/cream??
  
  
• Thank you for your helpful input!!

I transitioned to wet shaving about 4 years ago, and now you'll have to pry my Merkur Progress out of my cold dead hands (a great transitional razor because the blade depth is adjustable!).

Info:

There are lots of resources out there to help you learn all you need to know, from youtube videos about wet shaving to other guides.

Hardware:

I already had a brush my grandfather used, got some great soap, purchased a sample pack of razors (You'll find some blades are better than others). (I'm linking to westcoastshaving because I had a great experience from them, of course you can get this stuff wherever you want.)

Tips:

• It looks like a big upfront cost to get into it, but the payoff is that once you have all your stuff, you just need to replenish soap and blades, both of which are waaaay cheaper than "modern" equivalents.
  
• Lather up well.
  
• Go slow, you can nick yourself easier. Meditate; use this time to reflect on this action as a time honored thing all your male ancestors participated in.
  
• Only use the weight of the razor (i.e. don't push it against your skin). Use small (1-2") up down strokes without lifting it off your skin (largest chance for nicks is when blade first contacts your skin).
  
• You'll find you get a closer shave and may be able to go a day longer than with "modern" multiblade razors.
  
• Rinse blade and brush well and then flick dry (standing moisture on a blade is its worst enemy).
  
• I get about 10 shavings from each blade.
  
• After a week you'll have the hang of it and never look back.

• Merkur Razor
  
• Derby Exra Super Stainless DE blades
  
• Omega "Pura Setola" Brush? Googled it. Means Pure Boar.
  
• Omega Crema da barba
  
  From what I've seen while looking around here, Omega is made by Proraso which is good, Merkur razors are generally good, and as far as blades go get a sample pack (EDIT: or HERE). I have watched /u/betelgeux's guide on face mapping and what not to do with Irish Spring. I watched a Lathering tutorial by /u/cadinsor.
  
  What I am not sure on is I don't have Alum nor a non-alcoholic aftershave, and some pre-shave stuff such as a good face wash. I have ordered from Amazon:
  
  
• RazoRock Alum
  
• Proraso Pre-Shave
  
• and even a stand to keep my shiny new razor off the counter.
  
  What are some good recommendations for face wash? As well as a decent aftershave, or is the Alum enough?
  
  EDIT: Brush info and blades link.

Hi there. I started shaving with a DE about 1-2 months ago. Some things I recently leaned:

• Put some good effort on your prep. I recently bought 2 towels at walmart for the sole purpose of shaving. I shave x2 during the work week and the hot towels really help with the prep. Also, get some pre-shave. I use Proraso on the first 2 passes and it works really well.
  
• Don't shave where there's no foam: make sure you lather up the area to be shaved.
  
• Focus on reducing your whiskers, not on eliminating them on a pass: This is really important. you can always get 3-5 single passes to reduce your whiskers. So make sure that you take it easy and avoid putting pressure on your DE, that's only going to make it worse.
  
  I hope this helps you a bit. As a newbie, I sometimes get overwhelmed with the huge FAQs and guides, so take it easy and learn at your pace. Just keep learning, that's a good advice on life overall.
  
  Edit: added context
  
  

Edwin Jagger DE89- $32.50. You can also get handles with different colors wit this model.

Taylor of Old Bond Streetshaving soap- $20.18(I have this it is fantastic) and you can also get different scents and creams as opposed to a hard puck of soap, just search for Taylor of Old Bond Street on Amazon

Omega Pro 48 shaving brush $15.65 good boar bristle brush as recommended by Leisureguy.

Alum block- 9.59. This will help stop any bleeding and has mild antiseptic properties. You could also get a styptic pen for about $5 but they do more or less the same thing so it's probably overkill.

I also recommend Leisureguys book for $11.00, he's also on /r/wicked_edge but there is a lot of good information in here for beginning shavers.

I would recommend you get this Ogalla Bay Rum aftershave sampler for $20.00

and finally a blade sampler- $18.00. This will give him a variety of blades to try so he can decide which ones are right for him.

Total price- $131.09, if he takes care of the razor, brush, and bowl it can last him for life. Plus it will pay for itself in savings over time given the price difference between DE blade less than 0.99 cents apiece vs ~$20.00 for four or five regular cartridges. I can also put together a cheaper kit if you are not willing to spend this much.

Redditing at work is AWESOME and I am writing this from work!

You are a great person, and I wish you all of the best things in life.

But seriously how cool is [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Proraso-Shaving-Eucalyptus-Menthol-Formulation/dp/B00837ZOI0/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=ZVFNWVOU83Z&coliid=I178CEPOI0J2IE)

Looking good, brother! When I finally fully shaved my head, it was a truly liberating experience.

Don't use a Bic, pick one of these up as well as some Proraso shaving cream. If you want, you can also pick up an exfoliating scrub as a pre-shave.

I shave my head in the shower and go by feel; I don't need a mirror until after when I touch up my sideburns to make it even. Using warm/hot water, I get my head wet and scrub with my hands, then use the exfoliator and scrub the oils/dead skin off. Rinse. (The wicked_edge subreddit users may wanna look away here) Use about a nickel-size dollop of Proraso on my left hand and lather it up on my head real well. I keep the lather on my left hand and with my right hand, start shaving with the grain. After that first pass, I add a little more water to my lathered hand and lather my head again for the second pass WITH the grain. This is where I go by feel; I use my left hand to feel and my right hand to shave until smooth all around.

Once I feel that I've gotten everything, I rinse off and use a beard shampoo to help get all those shaved bits outta my beard; they tend to cling onto the beard oils otherwise and I just use a bit of extra beard balm to keep it hydrated.

So yea, you may or may not need a 3rd pass since it'd be your first time shaving like this but I've been shaving this way for the past 4-5 years and I rarely need to anymore.

I really, really recommend you consider buying an old-fashion double-edge safety razor like this one along with a blade sample pack. Once you find the right blade and adjust to the new type of razor, you'll wonder how disposable razors ever became a thing. Even my wife couldn't believe how awesome they are and it took me forever to even get her to try my razor.

• I have sensitive skin and would constantly get razor burn, my skin would turn bright red, and I'd get bumps after each shave. It took a week or two for my skin to adjust and for me to find the right blades but once that happened, I haven't had skin issues since. The first few shaves did suck but it got a lot better.
  
• The blades are absurdly cheap. You can get Feather blades which are among the most expensive for about $0.10 a blade.
  
• Since the blades are so much cheaper, you're more likely to switch them out properly and get a much cleaner shave.
  
• The razor itself will last for a lifetime and then some
  
• All of those cartridges and packaging are no longer headed to the landfill
  
  If you want an even better shave while saving even more money, consider getting shaving soap + a brush. I've had one of those for like 2 years now.. it's insane how long they last.
  
  There are plenty of sites, forums, and even a subreddit that you can find out much more about DE shaving. Some people really, really get into it so you kind of have to wade through a lot of fanboyism but it's well worth it, I promise.

Yeah you really don't have to press at all. I usually don't have to do much to my face. Wet it with some warm water. Then I wet my brush with warm water, then apply some shave butter to the brush. While doing this I keep my razor under hot water. You can get some pretty good shaves not going against the grain, so don't think you have to. Take your time. You will cut yourself many times. The neck is the easiest part, you just can't apply any pressure and have to take it easy. The hardest part is the chin/jaw line. Oh, and for gods sake don't use normal shaving cream. It's some of the worst stuff you can use. I just bought this about three weeks ago and is easily the best I've used so far. It has such a manly smell too.

I've been with a straight razor for two years.

If you're up for it and willing to spent ~50$ I'd suggest you switch to safty razor. It really is gentler to the skin, mostly because of the better lubrication and ingredients of the lather from the shaving soap/creme. The guys at /r/wicked_edge can sure help you with that.

Even if you want to stay on your disposables I highly recommend a good lather product like this and an omega boar brush.

I just got some C&E Sienna shaving soap. I loved it, it smells wonderful and the lather is quite good. It takes some time to get it to lather but it's worth it. If you have a spare bowl with a lid you can buy the refill for $9 either from a store near you or online (seems to be out of stock right now though). I also recommend Proraso shaving cream and Taylor of Old Bond Street sandalwood.

Happy shaving!

Using a sharp blade and shaving with the grain is what is going to make all the difference.

I have a double edge safety razor that I bought from amazon. The blades for it are SUPER cheap and way more sharp than cartridge razors. There is a higher initial higher cost with using a DE razor because you have to buy some more expensive hardware, but it's cheaper in the long run.

Use good soap
http://www.amazon.com/Proraso-Shave-Soap-Sensitive-150ml/dp/B001JHEY14/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382915459&sr=8-1&keywords=proraso+white
You will need to get a brush to make lather with that soap, but it's pretty good for sensitive skin. The aerosol stuff doesn't come close.

also check out /r/wicked_edge/ for everything there is to know about shaving.

If you're on a budget, I can definitely attest to arko! you can get 12 sticks for 12 bucks and can just squish 'em into any bowl of your choice! Arko is tallow based, so I definitely wouldn't recommend melting it, as that can break down the tallow, but arko is super soft so it doesn't matter much. Arko is one of my favorite soaps, and it definitely performs way above its price range! With this much, you won't have to worry about running out anytime soon (though don't let that keep you from trying other soaps...)

I second /u/Blasphemy4kidz . I started with his suggestion, and it's been working fabulously so far! My top picks for razor blades are

• Feather, sharpest and most expensive of these
  
  
• Merkur, you'll start with these, very good but not as cost efficient
  
  
• Astra (I own these, do not confuse with Atra!!!), sharp and durable
  
  
• Gillette Nacet, or any other Gillettes are good, too, idk why they have so many types
  
  You'll save a ton of money buying these; a 100 pack of razors is $10 ish, and if you're like me you'll only use one per week, or two weeks. That comes out to about two years' worth of razor blades.
  
  I use Proraso Shaving Soap, but I've been eyeing this one for a while, Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Shaving Cream Bowl.

Before I head to sleep, I'll post what looks like a good "starter kit". Please tell me if anything is missing! -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Throat-Shaving-Factory-Straight-Professional/dp/B003DRL6KK/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Classic-Wilkinson-Sword-Shaving-Brush/dp/B0012XTHXU/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arko-Shaving-Cream-Soap-Stick/dp/B000VAWZ2U/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nix-497842-5g-Styptic-Pencil/dp/B00289GUQO

Thanks everyone for all your really helpful advice. I was partially expecting disgruntlement with some links to the FAQ or something but I was pleasantly surprised. You've all been really helpful, and I'll be online tomorrow to check again!

On this topic, I have a 'hard' beard. My current set up is the Merkur 39C slant (with the sample blade they include) + shave brush + either a TOBS cream, New York Shaving Cream (came with my Christmas present from the wife - the Bespoke Post box), and a vegan shaving soap I got as my reddit secret santa gift.

The Merkur is by far the most aggressive razor I've used so far, and as a result, seems to be giving the best shave. However, even it fails to get everything on my face! My shaves are pretty good, and better than with cartridges, but you can still clearly see teeny tiny hair tips on my face.

My lathering is pretty damn good, most of the time, and I do two passes. I usually wash my face pre-shave with Dr. Bronner's liquid soap + a drop of either jojoba or cocoa oil. I feel like it doesn't help much, though, which is why I've ordered Proraso's Pre shave cream off of Amazon. I'm getting it tomorrow, but I'm curious. . . Is it worth it? Does it do anything? Should I try one of the soaps you've listed above instead?

FWIW, I have no razor burn at all with my shaves. I rub all over with the alum block, and it doesn't sting at all (except with the Merkur, mostly because I'm still learning how to wield it properly).

Free shipping with no minimum purchase is provided for all the following items in the CONUS:

For blades:
Personna Blues
&
ASTRA Superior Platinums.

Here's an inexpensive Omega Boar Brush for $15.50. I bought it myself and it's effective and highly reviewed on Amazon. Not cheap enough? Try this @ just under $10.

Here's some inexpensive, great and well reviewed shave soap for face lathering that'll last you a lifetime. Use a cheese grater to break it up to squish in the bottom of your mug (though some are soft enough to crush).

If I had to guess it isn't your brush so much as your soap. Williams has a reputation for being very difficult to for a good lather, especially for beginners. I would check out some other soaps. When I began I liked Col. Conks glycerine soaps. I found them easy to lather and had some nice scents. Now I mainly use Arko shaving sticks, mainly because I got a box of them for my Cake-day last year. Both soaps are very easy to get a good lather.

As far as badder brushes I have a Col. Conk that, I first want to from boar, I still use in my rotation. It is a work horse. And I have the Van der Hagen badger as well that isn't bad either. Both are between $15-$25 so if you still wanted to upgrade you're not putting much in.

edit Put in the correct "you're"

I can't seem to find the Omega brush on Amazon. How about this Badger Hair one? It's also 1/2 the price. Any reason you suggested artificial rather than real?


How's this one for a beginner? Here.


Plus, some blades.


The beard is pretty normal, regular thickness, hair tends to curl when growing longer (hence the in-growns, I presume). This looks like a natural choice.


Finally, the pre-shave soap.


Could I get a final "OK" and I'll go ahead an order. Hoping to start finally enjoying shaving rather than just existing through inevitable experience every 2 days.