If you don't grow a beard, chances are you shave yourself every day, or every other day. A common problem is skin irritation after shaving. This often manifests as redness, small wounds and a stinging sensation. This is not pleasant and should not be necessary at all!
To prevent skin irritation during and after shaving, there are products like shaving soap, shaving cream, shaving oil, shaving gel and shaving foam that can help make your shave comfortable! In this article, we will explain what these products do and which one is best for you.
Shaving soap
You probably knowshaving soap from the old traditional way of shaving. With a safety razor. As such, the product has been around for a very long time. A shaving soap can help you give yourself a comfortable shave, without irritation. Shaving soap is often packaged in a small round container.
You don't apply shaving soap with your hands, but with a shaving brush designed for that purpose. This is because shaving soap is a somewhat harder soap that requires a bit more friction with a shaving brush.
We also recommend using a shaving bowl. In it, you whisk the shaving soap into a rich lather after wetting the shaving brush with lukewarm water and running it through the shaving soap with circular motions. Creating the perfect, rich lather does take a little more time and skill than, say, using a shaving cream.
Advantages:
1. Shaving soap lasts a long time
2. Shaving soap contains fewer chemical ingredients than other shaving products
3. Shaving soap has more complex fragrance profiles
4. Shaving soap is very environmentally friendly
5. Shaving soap prevents wounds and irritation.
Shaving Cream
Shaving cream is a bit softer than shaving soap, making it easier to lather and it stays on the skin for a long time; ideal for beginners among us! Also, with shaving cream you don't necessarily need a shaving brush, you can just apply the cream with your fingers. Shaving cream also ensures that the razor blade is less close to the skin, allowing you to take less skin with you while shaving.
Shaving creams come in many varieties, which makes a shaving cream therefore suitable for more specific purposes. For example, a shaving cream is especially suitable for men with dry skin. Ingredients such as Aloe Vera and Shea Butter are often found in a shaving cream for dry skin.
Benefits:
1. Shaving cream is easy to whip into a lather.
2. Shaving cream is available in different packaging such as a jar or tube
3. Shaving cream is more suitable for dry skin
4. Shaving cream has a stronger scent
5. Shaving cream is less close to the skin, which prevents irritation and wounds
Shaving oil
Oil has long been used for shaving.Shaving oil provides a layer on the skin, nourishes the skin and softens facial hair. Also, shaving with a shaving oil is less work than shaving with, say, a shaving soap or a shaving cream; in fact, you don't have to whip up a lather! Shaving oil is a transparent product, so you can easily see what you are doing, making it ideal for shaving your sideburns and/or mustache.
Shaving oil contains less harmful and chemical ingredients than other shaving products, this makes a shaving oil nice and gentle on the skin.
Advantages:
1. Shaving oil does not need to be whipped
2. Shaving oil is transparent, making it easier to see what you are doing
3. Shaving oil makes nourishes the skin
4. Shaving oil makes facial hair softer
5. Shaving oil makes your shave comfortable and prevents irritation
Shaving Gel
Shavinggel is very similar to shaving foam, but has a thicker texture that ensures your face is better protected by the extra layer applied. You can simply apply shaving gel with your fingers; it is a thick substance that will lather up as soon as you rub it on your face.
Do you have heavy beard growth? Then that's a good reason to choose a shaving gel instead of a shaving foam. This is because it gives the best protection and covers every hair well. Shaving gel can also be a godsend for oily skin. The gel then also conditions the skin immediately.
Advantages:
1. Shaving gel can be applied with the fingers and immediately foams
2. Shave gel gives very good protection due to its thick structure
3. Shave gel feels fresh and contributes to a fine shaving experience
4. Shave gel is suitable for oily skin
5. Shaving gel prevents cuts and irritation during shaving
Shaving Cream
Using a shaving foam creates a fine layer of foam between the razor and the skin. This makes the blade better able to glide over the skin, preventing irritation and wounds. Using shaving cream is very easy.
You simply squirt a small amount of foam onto the palm of your hand and apply it with your fingertips to the skin you want to shave. Shaving foams come in many varieties, so there is always one that suits your skin type and needs!
Shaving foam contains more water than, say, an old-fashioned shaving soap. The disadvantage of this is that the foam is somewhat colder and is not as capable of softening the beard hairs and opening the pores as a shaving soap does.
Advantages:
1. Shaving foam is easy to use, you don't have to whip up a lather
2. Shaving foam is ideal when you are short on time
3. Shaving cream is relatively inexpensive to purchase
4. Shaving foam prevents irritation and wounds during shaving
5. Shaving foams come in many varieties for every skin type.
Were you able to make your choice?
Now you know what shaving soap, shaving cream, shaving oil, shaving gel and shaving foam can do for your shaving experience! Do you go for traditional shaving with shaving soap, a shaving brush and a shaving bowl? Or do you choose the easier route and a quick-foaming shaving gel suits you better? Whatever your choice, you'll find what you need at The Alpha Men!