It is as if he was reinvented. More and more men are switching to one Safety Razor or also wet shave named. Yet the Safety Razor has been around for more than 100 years and it is an item that you probably recognize from your grandfather's bathroom cabinet. Yet this way of shaving comes back completely and we encourage you to give it a try. It is a wonderful morning ritual and gives an unprecedentedly smooth result without irritation. Oh yes, it will also save you money.
A Safety Razor is a luxury holder where you have one razor blade can place. These blades are razor -sharp and easy to replace yourself. The shaving result with the safety razor is perfectly smooth and free of irritation. Then why don't we all shave with this system?
In the 60s a company called Gillette (maybe you have heard of it) with a new type of razor called the cartridge blades. These are the razor blades that everyone sees today in the supermarket or drugstore. A holder with removable crabs that often contain five blades. Shaving takes less time and you can easily replace blades. Sounds like a good alternative, but it isn't. Gillette has at least earned a fortune with it.
Why use a Safety Razor
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Cost less
Firstly, the use of a safety razor is cheaper. It is a larger investment in the beginning because the Safety Razor itself costs quite a lot of money. It is the blades that you will save on. The holders of cartridge blades are cheaper, but the blades that must always be replaced are more expensive than the blades of a Safety Razor. You usually use in a safety razor Double Edge Blades Those two cutting edges have to be thrown away less quickly. Converted, these blades cost on average € 0.30 per blade.
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Better out
Shaving with a safety razor is also much better for your hairs and your skin. The blades of a cartridge do not really cut the hairs but pull the hairs. This ensures that many people get irritation or ingrown hair after shaving or even inflammation. In a safety razor you have one knife that is sharper and easily glides over your skin and actually cuts the hairs. Moreover, you have to shave less often because you achieve a much smoother result.
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Shaving wet experience of wet
Shaving with a safety razor also called wet shaving takes a little more time but is also a wonderful experience. It makes you feel extra man again and it is a comfortable ritual. The delicious warm whipped foam that you are with a soft one shaving brush Masses over your face. The knife that slides effortlessly over your face. The warm wet towel that you get over your face. It's a party for your face. You enjoy the soft smooth feeling all day. Admit that it also looks much tougher.
How to shave with a Safety Razor
We can imagine that you don't know how to tackle this in the beginning. That is why we explain step by step how you can achieve the perfect shaving result. At the end of this blog we will give you advice about buying the right shaving material.
Step 1: Before you start shaving it is important to make your skin supple, to open the hair follicles softer and your pores. This can be done by rinsing your face with warm water or even better pulling a damp warm towel over your face. This way you prevent irritations after shaving.
Step 2: You can now apply foam to your face. We advise one for this shaving soap or shaving cream To use. These contain fewer chemicals than a foam or gel from a spray can. You need a shaving brush for this.
Put your shaving brush in warm water for half a minute so that it can absorb the moisture. Remove your shaving brush and gently squeeze the brush to remove the excess water. Too much water causes poor foam. Now apply the shaving soap or cream to the brush. You can rub or pat the brush in the jar with shaving soap until there is a layer on the brush. You then need a shaving bowl to make the foam. If you don't have a shaving bowl you can first use a normal bowl.
Rub the brush in the bowl in a straight line until a nice foam is created. Rub for as long until there are no more bells to be seen. Don't the bells go away? Then you have too much water in the brush. Prefer not to make a circling movement in the bowl This can be bad for the hairs of your brush. The hairs can then be turned together and let go.
Step 3: Now massage the brush back and forth over your face until your face is covered with a good layer of foam. From below your chin all the way up in your cheeks.
Step 4: It's time to shave. Prepare a bowl with warm water to shake your safety razor clean. This removes excessive foam and lagging hairs between the blade and ensures optimum results.
Always shave with the hair growth direction and never against hair growth. If you do this, you will get ingrown hairs. Always shave in a straight job. Do not press the knife against your skin, but let the knife do the work. Gently slide along the skin. You must always keep the knife at a certain angle to shave optimally. To find the right corner you can first put the knife with the top against your cheek and turn a little more until you hear and feel the hairs cut off. You then found the right angle.
Do not try to shave over the same part too often. Your skin becomes stressed as a result. If you have skipped a hair, apply some foam again and gently go over it again.
Step 5: When you have finished shaving it is important to close the pores. You do this with cold water. With only cold water it can be difficult to get the foam from your face so you can also use a cold damp towel. Then try to dab and not rubbing irritation.
Optionally, an after shave can be used. Then always use an aftershave without alcohol. Alcohol dries out the skin. Preferably also an aftershave that does not contain much or even no perfume. You can of course also one alumstone to use.
Step 6: From shaving your skin can pull or feel dry. We therefore always recommend one beard balm Or to apply moisturizing cream. Your face will now feel wonderfully soft for the rest of the day.
Give it shaving with a safety razor the time. It requires a little more technology than shaving with a cartridge but ultimately gives much more pleasure. The first time it may not go well right away, but after shaving a few times you get the hang of it.
Which safety razor is the best?
The hardest thing is perhaps the choice which Safety Razor you should buy. There is a lot of choice and which safety razor is the best also saves per person. With this Safety Razor you as a beginner are always in the right place:
Which Double Edge Blades buy?
You will see that there are many different Double Edge blades for sale. They differ in strength. To determine the sharpness, there is a scale of 1 to 5 to indicate how sharp the blades are.
As a beginner, we recommend that you do not start too sharp. Your skin still has to get used to it. Of course it also depends on the thickness of your skin hair. If you have very thick and stiff hairs, start with a knife that has a sharpness of 4 on a scale of 5. If you have thinner or normal hairs you can also start with 3 on a scale of 5. You will soon experience whether you should use sharper or less sharp. The next Double Edge Blades are very good:
- Gillette 7 O'clock Sharp Edge (3 on scale of 5)
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Astra Superior Platinum (4 on scale of 5)
Shaving brush and shaving bowl
Shaving brushes are made of different types of material. For example, you have shaving brushes with hair of badger hair, pork hair and synthetic hairs. The badger hairs absorb the most water and will generally work the easiest. To begin with, a brush with synthetic hair is fine. Nowadays the synthetic hairs are almost indistinguishable from other hair species. Some good brushes are:
- Muhle Silvertip Fiber
- Muhle Graudas - Rytmo - M - Essenhout
For the shaving bowl the whole is up to you which you find the most beautiful or convenient. In principle you can use any kind of bowl. Some suggestions are:
Which shaving soap is the best
You can choose from a shaving soap and shaving cream. The soap is still hard and the cream is a bit softer. Both do the same. To start with, a shaving cream is perhaps the easiest. We recommend the Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Shaving Cream On. This shaving cream comes out in almost all top lists as one of the best and is suitable for everyone. It contains no parabens and does not cause irritation. The smell alone is irresistible. View products of our favorite SCHEER brands here: Muhle, The Goodfellas' Smile, Feather and Brandur.
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