(Part 2) Best products from r/shaving

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 frequent /r/wicked_edge. if you're just looking to break into wet shaving, I would look at something like this. I have this razor, along with far too many others for my wife's liking. it provides a very good shave, and is quite affordable. The Astra blades you linked are a good price, but the same blade doesn't yield the same result for everyone, so you might want to stat with a blade sampler pack and see which blade feels best on your face. When it comes to brushes, the sky really is the limit, I like big, thick hair knots on my brush, others like them a little floppy(ok, that sounds slightly dirty) anything in badger should do you fine to start out.

>cornerstone low foaming gel

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

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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

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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.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BVO6RT2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8LMHAb9EGFJJ8

Tend Skin. It’s amazing and saved me so much money honestly because I was going to just go to a doctor but a friend recommended it and I have such sensitive skin I was worried but it worked like a charm. Seriously. Took about a week ish to really get it going but best money I spend every few months because I also use it downstairs.

It could very well be the electric razors, bud. Have you been to r/wicked_edge? I suggest going there and reading the FAQ bar on how to shave with a DE safety razor. I've been doing it for a few months and it's completely transformed my face (although I switched from disposables, not electric). My best friend has been using an electric for years though and complained about irritation. I got him to try the DE safety razor and he really loves it. His face has cleared up and he doesn't get ingrowns anymore.

If you try the safety razor, I recommend these starters:

Razor
Shave kit

Or you could try this system which got positive reviews by a user on wicked edge. Bevel

I recommend shaving after a shower, using a thick lather with a brush, and shaving with the grain only. Study your face before you shave. Notice which directions the hair grows on different parts of your face, and be careful to shave with that growth pattern. Use some alum and an after shave with alcohol in it afterwards to reduce redness and ingrown hair.

Could be the razor. 6 blades... yeah, idk... Could maybe try a different razor just to see if you get the same results, perhaps one with less blades, like a Gillette Sensor or Sensor3.

Also, I haven't personally used this, but I've heard great things about (and I very well may try in the future) this after-shave gel lotion that supposed to work well for razor burn and irritation.

You could also try a pre-shave. I really like the Proraso white pre-shave. It's lightly mentholated, works well, formulated for sensitive skin and rinses easily.

Could also try a shaving cream/soap with more slickness. This could help your razor have more glide and cut you less.

As some other comments mentioned would definitely recommend a quality double-edge razor with a solid comb (and use short strokes when shaving!)

Personally would recommend either:

> Merkur is tried and true though can get frustrating due to their guard set-up (https://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Long-Handled-Safety-Razor/dp/B004VBISXU?th=1)
> Have been quite impressed with the quality of some of the newcomers (i.e. RZRBLD [https://www.rzrbld.com], WestCoast Shaving [https://www.westcoastshaving.com/collections/safety-razors], etc.)
> If in Europe the Muhle razors work well though again make sure you get a good notched guard with correct spacing etc.

Years ago (around 2005), I fell for the Gillette M3 Power razor. After my first shave, I felt so ripped off. Plus, blades were expensive.

I researched safety razors and made the switch to a Merkur razor, Derby blades, Trumper shaving soap, and a 100% badger brush. I haven’t looked back. Yes, I paid a lot for my razor (and I would go with a more traditional one today if I could redo it). I have 100 blades for $9, which will last me over 2 years. I’ve been using the same soap since 2012. And I replace the brush whenever it feels like it needs to be replaced.

It does take a little while in getting used to, but it took me only a couple of weeks to get the swing of it. And with shaving soap, it won’t lather like the stuff in an aerosol can. But you don’t need lather. All you need is enough of a film to glide the blades over the skin to trim the whiskers.

I’d also recommend a travel case for the razor. That will protect the blades in transit. And I’d get a nick stick. I’ve been wet shaving with a safety razor for nearly 15 years, and an occasional nick does happen.

To be honest, I'm not a bay rum fan... but check out some of the options at Maggard razors. Barrister & Mann, LA Shaving Soap, Reef Point, and Strop Shoppe would all be good choices.

I've heard good things about the sandalwood in Proraso Red. Again, check out the options at Maggard. Barrister & Mann Latha, Castle Forbes (this one is mostly cedarwood), DR Harris, and Haslinger would all be great choices.

I use a pre shave cream...it is in my opinion less messy and for me, it works better. http://www.amazon.com/Proraso-Irritation-Pre-Shave-Oatmeal-Ounces/dp/B003VS5O3Q My technique: I wash my face with warm water and regular hand soap. Then (on my wet face) I apply an almond size amount of pre shave cream. Then I take a nice warm shower. After a shower, I apply shave cream (Arko) over the pre shave and then I shave. I have a pretty rough beard and very sensisitve skin, especially on my neck. The pre shave has helped me a lot in minimising iritation :)

Normally I recommend people steer clear of shavers less than $80 USD. The exception to this is for teenagers/young adults whose beard has not fully come in yet. I am going to assume that when you call your beard "young" it is made up of softer hairs and is somewhat patchy? If so you will be able to get away with a lower end shaver.

Don't be put off by your brothers rotary, electric shavers should not be shared and if he has had it for a while the blades will have dulled according to his beard growth and shaving pattern which will always result in an inferior shave for another user. It is likely your brother has a lower model rotary or it is incredibly old if it got to the stage where it pulls/ discharges too quickly.

Now my experience is with united states models of electric shavers. However, most electric shaver manufactuers will re-release their products internationally with different names,colors and claims. This makes research an incredibly difficult task. By and large they are the same shavers however the included accessories often vary, however these have little impact on the shaving experience.

So for the purpose of my recommendations I am sticking with UK equivalents of the US models I have tested. If there is a shaver release unique to the UK then I am unable to comment on it.

If you want to give rotaries a go, the current starting point would be the Aquatouch (Our 5300). Even though lower models of Philips Norelco rotary will cut through younger hairs, their quality is suspect relative to the price.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-S5420-06-SmartClick/dp/B00WGNQOH2/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1464557593&sr=8-1&keywords=philips+aquatouch

If you want to go the more traditional route, a Braun Series 3 would be the best bet. While it struggles to cut through thicker, coarser hairs it will have little difficulty cutting through your beard. The next step down is a far inferior single blade shave for a minimal price drop.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Braun-3040-Mens-Electric-Shaver/dp/B00J05R9DW/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1464557975&sr=8-3&keywords=Braun+Series+3

Despite all this, electric shaving is not for everyone. Your skin and hair type is not your brothers and just because it works for him does not mean it will work for you. Then there is the break in period. Your skin and hair will need to "adjust" to the electric shaver. In the early days you may experience red blotches, skin irritation, missed hairs etc. This is all normal. It's not until 2-3 weeks of use that you will know if the electric shaver is right for you.


It is very much a trial and error thing. To assist with this, all electric shaver manufacturers have a satisfaction guarantee. I am unfamiliar if this is also present on UK models but it essentially allows you to test a shaver for up to 60 days (varies from manufacturer) to find out if its right for you. If it isn't you ship it back to the electric shaver supplier and receive a full refund on the purchase price. Refund typically takes up to 8 weeks but it is a nice safety net to ensure you do not waste your money on a product you will never use again. Please research the satisfaction guarantee if you are interested, I do not know how it works in the UK.