A self-respecting man shaves no matter what the current trend is trying to dictate. Shaving is often accompanied by the suffering of irritated skin, razor burn and cuts. It doesn’t have to be if you follow a few basic rules. Before blade and skin kiss, the question arises whether wet or dry shaving is your choice. The answer is not you, but your skin type.
If you have sensitive and dry skin, dry shaving is the remedy of your choice. Sensitive skin has major problems regenerating with small cuts. It stays irritated longer and as a result tends to develop small pimples that are left behind by shaving. It is important not to strain the skin too much and electronic dry shavers do this better than the blades of their wet brothers.
Why? The blade does not lie directly on the skin. This reduces the risk of injuries. If you have problems with acne, you also want to reach for the dry shaver. Plus point of the dry shave: it is significantly faster and easier than its wet likeness.
A suitable model for dry shaving is the Braun Series 6. The razor is one of the premium devices of its kind. For a particularly gentle shave, you can apply shaving cream despite the electronics. With one battery charge, the Braun Series 6 lasts 50 minutes. That’s enough to shave for several days without having to recharge your batteries. In addition, the shaver is waterproof. (You can find a beard trimmer test here)
In addition to the right device, dry and sensitive skin also needs other care after shaving. Avoid using aftershave that contains alcohol. It dries out the skin and compromises its natural protective covering. A gel that moisturizes and supports the skin in its regeneration process is better. The Biotherm Homme Aquapower is perfect for this. It is a refreshing gel for dry and normal skin that is said to provide moisture for up to 48 hours.
It is better to shave wet if you have more resistant skin. Wet shaving is more thorough than dry shaving, but takes longer and is more risky. Even minor carelessness can lead to unsightly and painful cuts. Anyone who shaves wet needs not only good preparation, but also the right tool and subsequent care. Before we start preparing, let’s take a closer look at the tool.
Various manufacturers offer disposable and multi-blade razors, but they refrain from doing so. The triple or quintuple blades are disproportionately expensive compared to safety razors or knives with good blades. Disposable razors are cheaper, but the quality of the blades is not convincing.
That leaves knives and planes: Beginners are advised not to use a straight razor. For inexperienced hands, the risk of injuring yourself is much higher than with a safety razor, which does the job just as well. A suitable planer for beginners is the Störtebekker model.
It is very easy to use: there is a thread on the lower side with which you can open the planer to insert the blades. The planer closes by turning in the other direction. Nice plus point: It comes with a chic travel case. Inside is a small mirror and storage space for razor blades.
The blades determine whether shaving becomes an ordeal or not. Warning: blunt blades do not separate the hair, they pull it out and irritate the skin. Be sure to change the blades regularly. Because as a result of blunt blades, the hair root can become inflamed by the plucking and unsightly pimples can develop. If everything goes wrong, the hair roots become even more severely inflamed.
If there’s one thing you don’t want to skimp on when shaving, it’s the blades. An absolute premium product of this type are the Feather New Hi Stainless razor blades from Japan. Sometimes they are three times as expensive as similar products, but they are also harder. Perfect for trimming and not plucking bristly whiskers. And compared to triple or quintuple blades, you still get away with it cheaply. Nice plus point: You can push used blades into the underside of the small packages. So they are safely stowed away.
The shaving brush is optional. You only need it if you want to foam shaving soap yourself. Compared to shaving foam from a can, shaving soap is more economical. Plus, it’s a nice ritual to lather yourself if you have enough time. You don’t need to pay much attention.
You can stand up most shaving brushes by the handle, some are held in place by a holder. Vegans use shaving brushes without animal hair (usually badger hair). A bowl for foaming the soap is not absolutely necessary. Most shaving soaps come already in a bowl to lather with circular motions of the wet brush.
Before you shave your beard, you want to wash your face. Also, make sure your razor is always clean and clean it after every shave. If this is not the case, it can happen that small wounds become infected through the unclean work tool.
Once the face and plane are clean, the bristly hairs need to be softened and raised so that the blade can separate them cleanly. Part of this work is done by a pre-shave cream that you apply to your face. It also ensures that the safety razor glides comfortably over the skin. A suitable pre-shave cream is the Proraso Crema Pre Barba.
Apply the shaving cream to the cream, which softens and raises the hair. Let the foam do its job and take effect for about a minute. Otherwise you run the risk of starting to shave before the hair is softened and raised. As a result, the shave is not as thorough and you may have to go over some areas because you didn’t get all the hair. The matching shaving soap for Crema Pre Barba is the Sapone da Barba from the same manufacturer.
Proraso divides its products into the colors white, green and red. The white product line is aimed at sensitive skin, green for normal and red for thick hair and resistant skin. The green line is recommended for getting started. It pleasantly refreshes the skin and your cheeks feel nice and cool after shaving.
Once the face is free of hair, many men use a towel to wipe the remaining lather from the cheek, chin and nose area. Don’t make this mistake. It is better to dab off the foam residue with a cloth that you have previously moistened with warm water. Only use the towel for your face, otherwise there is a risk of infection in small wounds. Remember that shaving is pure stress for the skin! If you wipe carelessly, it wears them out even more.
Once the face is free of foam, you want to take care of it properly. Your skin type decides what is the right care for you. Sensitive skin cares for a refreshing moisturizing gel, more resistant skin can also be disinfected with a classic aftershave. An insider tip for oily skin is baby powder: the zinc oxide it contains has an anti-inflammatory effect and prevents razor burn. Nice side effect is that it avoids shiny skin. Extremely dry skin types should avoid baby powder.
A suitable aftershave for sensitive skin types is again Biotherm Homme Aquapower. It provides the skin with the necessary moisture and gives it a pleasant feeling of freshness.
Resistant skin goes very well with Proraso Red. The aftershave smells a bit obtrusively of tonka beans and, according to the manufacturer, does not contain parabens, silicones and mineral oils.
A classic from Italy is recommended for velvety soft skin after shaving: Felce Azzurra. The body powder comes with a tassel. Perfect to powder the skin after shaving.
When shaving with a safety razor, the most important thing is not to press hard. If you let pre-shave cream and foam do their job, that’s not necessary either. It’s enough just to hold the plane and slide it along the cheek, chin and nose. If you notice that the razor is hanging, this is an indication that the blade is either dull or the steel is not hard enough. Then you start plucking. Another reason for the snagging could be that there is not enough shaving cream in the area in question. This often happens just under the nose.
If you do cut yourself, you need to stop the bleeding. Not an easy task; the obligatory scrap of handkerchief paper is usually not enough and nobody wants a small plaster on their face. But there is a solution for this too: Proraso the Gel Riparatore on offer. Just a tiny drop on the affected area is enough to stop the bleeding. If the gel comes into contact with air, it dries extremely quickly and closes the wound. On the face it is almost not visible.
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