It's as if he has been reinvented. More and more men are switching back to a safety razor or also known as wet shaving. Yet the safety razor has been around for more than 100 years and is an item you probably recognize from your grandfather's bathroom cabinet. Still, this method of shaving is making a comeback and we encourage you to try it too. It's a delightful morning ritual and provides an incredibly smooth result without irritation. Oh yes, it will also save you money.
A safety razor is a luxury holder where you can place 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 shaving with this system?
In the 1960s, a company called Gillette (maybe you've heard of it) came up with a new type of razor called cartridge blades. These are the razor blades that everyone sees today in the supermarket or drugstore. A holder with detachable cartridges that often contain five blades. The shaving takes less time and you can easily replace blades. Sounds like a good alternative, but it isn't. Gillette has certainly made a fortune from it.
Why use a safety razor
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Lower costs
Firstly, using a safety razor is more economical. It is initially a larger investment because the safety razor itself costs quite a bit of money. It's the blades where you will save significantly. The holders of cartridge blades are cheaper, but the blades that need to be replaced frequently are more expensive than the blades of a safety razor. In a safety razor, you usually use double edge blades which have two cutting edges, so they need to be discarded less quickly. On average, these blades cost €0.30 per blade.
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Better results
The shaving with a safety razor is also much better for your hair and skin. The blades of a cartridge don't really cut the hairs but tear them apart. This causes many people to experience irritation or ingrown hairs after shaving or even infections. In a safety razor, you have one blade that is sharper and easily glides over your skin, actually cutting the hairs. Moreover, you need to shaving less often because you achieve a much smoother result.
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The delightful experience of wet shaving
The shaving with a safety razor, also known as wet shaving, takes a bit more time but is also a delightful experience. It makes you feel extra manly again and is a comfortable ritual. The delightful warm lather whipped up with a soft shaving brush over your face massages. The knife that glides effortlessly over your face. The warm wet towel that you pass over your face. It's a party for your face. You enjoy the soft smooth feeling all day long. Admit that it also looks much cooler.
How to shave with a safety razor
We can imagine that at first, you don't know how to approach this. That's why we explain step by step how you can achieve the perfect shaving result. At the end of this blog, we give you advice on buying the right shaving materials.
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, placing a moist warm towel over your face. This prevents irritation after shaving.
Step 2: You can now start applying foam to your face. We recommend using a shaving soap or shaving cream. These contain fewer chemicals than 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 absorb the moisture well. Take the shaving brush out and gently squeeze the brush to remove excess water. Too much water results in poor foam. Now apply the shaving soap or cream to the brush. You can rub or dab the brush in the pot with shaving soap until there is a layer on the brush. Then you need a shaving bowl to make the foam. If you don't have a shaving bowl, you can also use a regular bowl first.
Rub the brush back and forth in the bowl in a straight line until a nice foam forms. Continue rubbing until no more bubbles are visible. Are the bubbles not disappearing? Then you have too much water in the brush. Avoid making circular movements in the bowl as this can be bad for the bristles of your brush. The bristles can become twisted and 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 up to your cheeks.
Step 4: It's time to start shaving. Prepare a bowl of warm water to rinse your safety razor clean. This removes excess foam and remaining hairs between the blade and ensures an optimal result.
Always shave in the direction of hair growth and never against it. If you do, you will get ingrown hairs. Always shave in a straight line. Do not press the blade against your skin but let the blade do the work. Glide gently along the skin. You must always hold the blade at a certain angle to optimize shaving. To find the right angle, you can first place the blade with the top against your cheek and gradually turn it until you hear and feel the hairs being cut. You have then found the right angle.
Try not to shaving the same area too often. Your skin will become stressed as a result. If you have missed a hair, apply some foam again and gently go over it.
Step 5: When you are done with shaving, it is important to close the pores. You do this with cold water. With just cold water, it can be difficult to remove the foam from your face, so you can also use a cold damp towel. Try to dab rather than rub to avoid irritation.
Optionally, you can use an aftershave. Always use a aftershave without alcohol. Alcohol dries out the skin. Preferably also a aftershave with little or no fragrance. You can also use an alum stone.
Step 6: Shaving can make your skin feel tight or dry. Therefore, we recommend always applying a beard balm or moisturizing cream. Your face will feel wonderfully soft for the rest of the day.
Give shaving with a safety razor time. It requires a bit more technique than shaving with a cartridge but ultimately provides much more enjoyment. It may not go perfectly the first time, but after a few times shaving, you'll get the hang of it.
Which safety razor is the best?
The hardest part might be choosing which safety razor to buy. There is a huge selection, and which safety razor is the best also varies greatly per person. As a beginner, you can't go wrong with this safety razor:
Which double edge blades to buy?
You will see that there are many different double edge blades available. They vary 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 too sharp. Your skin still needs to get used to it. It also depends on the thickness of your hair. If you have very thick and coarse hairs, start with a blade 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 quickly experience whether you need to use sharper or less sharp. 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 are made from different types of material. For example, you have shaving brushes with badger hair, boar hair, and synthetic hairs. The badger hairs absorb the most water and will generally work the easiest. To start with, a brush with synthetic hairs is fine. Nowadays, synthetic hairs 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 is entirely up to you which one you find the most beautiful or convenient. You can basically use any type of bowl. Some suggestions are:
Which shaving soap is the best
You can choose between a shaving soap and shaving cream. The soap is still hard and the cream is somewhat 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 appears 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 scent alone is irresistible. View here are products from our favorite shaving brands: Muhle, The Goodfellas' Smile, Feather and Merkur.
Also read Shaving with a shavette: Everything you need to know