It's like it's been reinvented. More and more men are turning back to a safety razor or also called a wet shave. Yet the safety razor has been around for over 100 years and is an item you probably recognize from your grandfather's bathroom cabinet. Still, this way of shaving is making a comeback and we encourage you to give it a try. It's a wonderful morning ritual and gives an incredibly smooth result without irritation. Oh yes, it will also save you money.
A safety razor is a deluxe holder that holds a razor blade. These blades are razor-sharp and easy to replace yourself. The shaving result with the safety razor is perfectly smooth and free of irritation. So why don't we all shave with this system?
In the 1960s, a company called Gillette (you may have heard of them) came up with a new kind of razor called the cartridge blades. These are the razor blades everyone sees in the supermarket or drugstore today. A holder with removable scratches that often contain five blades. Shaving takes less time and you can easily replace blades. Sounds like a good alternative but it's not anyway. At least Gillette has made a fortune with it.
Why use a safety razor
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Less cost
First, using a safety razor is more economical. It is a bigger investment at first because the safety razor itself costs quite a bit of money. It is the blades that you are going to save quite a bit on. The cartridge blade holders are cheaper but the blades that need to be replaced all the time are more expensive than the blades of a safety razor. In a safety razor you usually use double edge blades that have two cutting edges so they are less likely to be discarded. On average, these blades cost €0.30 per blade.
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Better results
Shaving with a safety razor is also much better for your hair and skin. The blades of a cartridge do not actually cut the hairs but pull the hairs apart. This causes many people to get irritation or ingrown hairs after shaving or even inflammation. In a safety razor, you have one blade that is sharper and glides easily over your skin and actually cuts the hairs. Plus, you don't have to shave as often because you get a much smoother result.
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The wonderful experience of wet shaving
Shaving with a safety razor also known as wet shaving takes a little more time but is also a wonderful experience. It makes you feel like an extra man and it is a comfortable ritual. The wonderful warm lather that you massage over your face with a soft shaving brush. The blade gliding effortlessly across your face. The warm wet towel you pull over your face. It's a feast for your face. You enjoy the soft smooth feeling all day long. Admit it, it also looks much cooler.
How to shave with a safety razor
We can imagine that you don't know how to go about this at first. That's why we explain step by step how to achieve the perfect shave. At the end of this blog we will give you some advice on how to buy the right shaving equipment.
Step 1: Before you start shaving, it is important to make your skin supple, soften the hair follicles and open your pores. This can be done by rinsing your face with warm water or even better, running a damp warm towel over your face. This will prevent irritation after shaving.
Step 2: You can now start applying lather to your face. We recommend using a shaving soap or shaving cream for this. These contain less chemicals than a foam or gel from a spray can. You will need a shaving brush for this.
Put your shaving brush in warm water for half a minute so it can properly absorb the moisture. Take out your shaving brush and gently squeeze it to get the excess water out. Too much water makes for bad lather. Now apply the shaving soap or cream to the brush. You can rub or dab the brush in the jar of shaving soap until there is a layer on the brush. Next, you need a shaving bowl to make the lather. If you don't have a shaving bowl, you can also use a regular bowl first.
Rub the brush in the bowl in a straight line back and forth until a nice lather forms. Continue rubbing until no more bubbles are visible. Don't the bubbles go away? Then you have too much water in the brush. Do not make a circular motion in the bowl this can be bad for the hairs of your brush. The hairs can get twisted together and start to come loose.
Step 3: Now massage the brush back and forth over your face until your face is covered with a good layer of foam. From under your chin all the way to the top of your cheeks.
Step 4: It's time to start shaving. Have a bowl of warm water ready to shake your safety razor in. This removes excess lather and hair left between the blade and ensures optimal results.
Always shave in the direction of hair growth and never against it. Doing so will result in ingrown hairs. Always shave in a straight line. Do not press the blade against your skin but let it do the work. Glide gently along the skin. You should always hold the blade at a certain angle for an optimal shave. To find the right angle, you can first put the blade with the top against your cheek and turn a little more and more until you hear and feel the hairs cutting off. You have then found the right angle.
Try not to shave over the same area too often. It will stress your skin. If you do skip a hair, reapply some foam and gently go over it again.
Step 5: When you are finished shaving, it is important to close the pores. You do this with cold water. With cold water alone it can be difficult to get the lather off your face so you can also use a cold damp towel. Try to dab mainly and not rub to avoid irritation.
Optionally, you can use an after shave. Always use an after shave without alcohol. Alcohol dries out the skin. Preferably also an after shave that does not contain much, if any, perfume. Of course, you can also use an alum stone.
Step 6: Shaving can leave your skin feeling tight or dry. Therefore, we always recommend applying a beard balm or moisturizer. Your face will now feel wonderfully soft for the rest of the day.
Give shaving with a safety razor time. It takes a little more technique than shaving with a cartridge but in the end gives much more pleasure. It may not go quite right the first time but after a few shaves you'll get the hang of it.
Which safety razor is best?
Perhaps the hardest part is choosing which safety razor to buy. There is a lot of choice and which safety razor is the best varies greatly from person to person. With this safety razor as a beginner you will always be right:
Which double edge blades to 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 from 1 to 5 to indicate how sharp the blades are.
As a beginner, we recommend not starting out too sharp. Your skin still needs to get used to it. Of course, it also depends on the thickness of your skin hairs. If you have very thick and coarse hair, start with a blade that is 4 on a scale of 5. If you have thinner or normal hair, you can also start with 3 on a scale of 5. You will soon find out if you need to use sharper or less sharp blades. The following double edge blades are very good:
- Gillette 7 O'clock Sharp Edge (3 on a scale of 5)
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Astra Superior Platinum (4 on a scale of 5)
Shaving brush and shaving bowl
Shaving brushes come in different types of material. For example, you have shaving brushes with hair made of badger hair, hog hair and synthetic hair. Badger bristles absorb the most water and will generally work the easiest. For starters, a brush with synthetic bristles is fine. Nowadays, synthetic bristles are almost indistinguishable from other types of hair. Some good brushes are:
- Muhle Silvertip Fibre
- Muhle Graudas - Rytmo - M - Ashwood
For the shaving bowl, it's entirely up to you which one you like best or find most convenient. You can basically use any kind of bowl. Some suggestions are:
Which shaving soap is 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 thing. To start with, a shaving cream might be the easiest. We recommend the Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Shaving Cream. This shaving cream comes out as one of the best in almost all top lists and is suitable for everyone. It contains no parabens and does not cause irritation. The scent alone is irresistible. Check out products from our favorite shaving brands here: Muhle, The Goodfellas' Smile, Feather and Merkur.
Also read Shaving with a shavette: Everything you need to know