Just using cold water really helped me! I usually do 2 passes with and then across the grain. If I shave the same way but with warm water I get irritation and ingrown hairs. I learned the cold water trick here so thanks a lot!
I have sensitive skin but corse beard.. I actually use all your steps but go for a one pass shave with either my R41 or a slant razor. Has been an absolute game changer for me
Same here, thick hair around my Chin and mouth, but skin is easily irritated. And being in Phoenix in summer...kinda harder to get cool water from the tap. IFYKYK.
I have a really coarse beard from my upper lip through goatee and down to my Adam's apple. My hair grows in different directions even within the same part of my face and literally a circle on one part of my neck. I cringe and an somewhat jealous when I watch these videos of guys shaving downward on their entire face on the first pass. All that being said I noticed you mentioned using a slant razor. Has that been a game changer for you? I can rarely use a blade twice because of the thickness of my hair follicles.
Story of my life. My face I swear I could shave with a rusty butter knife and have zero irritation, but on my neck it’s coarse but the skin is ungodly sensitive and I’m yet to really figure it out. Every other shave I get it bang on, but sometimes I get it close after one pass but then my neck blows up, or I barely get close at all and not get any irritation.
@@christopheratkinson635yeah unfortunately most wet ever videos is of guys with very thin hair and light growth. Unfortunately not a lot of guys with course think hair pattern giving guys like us good advice.
Same. A slant razor (Merkur 39c) along with Astra Green's were a game changer when I tried them out. Now, I also like Gillette Platinum, Personna Med Prep and Treet blades, but Astra Green is my go-to. I also have a Slim Adjustable that I'll sometimes use for fun and that delivers a great shave. It's just the slant razor is overall better for me, most of the time.
Going to have to try a cold water shave, with more blade buffing, on tomorrow's shave. I do like the feel of a hot blade, but I also see the logic of a cold water shave. I don't suffer from ingrown hairs, but my neck can end up feeling a little raw from a two or three pass shave. Will report back...
Be bold, shave cold! I have a PAA travel scuttle. Slowly fill and freeze. I bowl lather then put into ice scuttle. Shower. Then I apply Arko shave stick. Do a swipe, skip, swipe, half coverage. Then work in lime pre shave oil. It ends up looking like your pre shave bar. I face lather for a full minute. Then wait and brush periodically for four minutes. I put a couple of ice cube trays into the shave water. I use a two quart pitcher of ice and water for rinsing. Another youtube shave guru said it was rough skin that will smooth out after shaving. One of you is correct. That made a big difference!
Hey Matt. Good video with several tips. I want to add thoughts here as well. I have found that allowing your beard to grow for at least 2 days will go a long way towards a close comfortable shave. Shaving every day when you experience skin irritation, will not reduce the irritation. Beard mapping is very important, and my beard grows in several directions. Under my chin it's circular in some areas, and down in others. You can find a template to download and print of a face where you can draw arrows to use a guide. Memory isn't the best way to do this. My synthetic shaving brush will agitate my beard sufficiently, while still maintaining a relatively soft feel. I much prefer a synthetic brush for ease of use and care. Hard shave soaps require more work to create a lather that's not too thin and watery. Creams in a tube or tub are much easier to apply and lather, and they aren't expensive and available everywhere. Long shave strokes look cool on video, but I can never seem to get the hang of them. I use short buffeting strokes and always stretch my skin. Not sure why some don't stretch the skin, but I either grab and pull, or contort my face as needed to flatten out the area to be shaved. The label "sensitive skin" is overused imo. Sometimes the skin sensitivity isn't the issue, but the shave method is. Shaving against the grain, applying too much pressure in an effort to remove maximum beard in minimal strokes/passes, wrong blade or too many uses of it, wrong razor, rushed prep, etc. These things cause irritation and more, and people want a fast cure, so they grab a product labeled "for sensitive skin". Thanks for the prescription. I'll keep it in mind. Greetings from Syracuse, NY. We have 2 seasons here, winter and road construction. The orange barrels are everywhere now. Sigh
Thanks for this advice. I shaved yesterday and my skin was red and a little blotchy. Chasing the BBS shave was my mistake. I will change my routine based on your prescription and see what happens. I will need one of those tee shirts to make sure I eliminate all of the variables 😂
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Started using cold water a couple months ago and it has definitely helped with irritation my sensitive skin. I’ll have to give the pre shave soap a try. By the way, that Fat Boy looks awesome.
Excellent video, as always .👍👍👍 You know, it's a shame we can't convert the likes of Paul H to shave in this manner . I watch far more of your channel than his now, purely because of this unnecessary 'pick up' rubbish . I myself do two passes with the finest vintage Gillette razors with the best blades, and that is more than enough . I do think that this whole BBS technique totally wipes out the true definition of the term "close shave'. Cheers again Razor Emporium 🍷
Thanks very much for the great video! Yes, cold water, learnt that from you, awesome! And 1 pass works perfect for me as well, even with a couple of days heavy beard growth. My new favourite shaving cream is ToOBS organic completely scent free. Of course, people who do not have perfume related allergies can use many other different products, like the lightly scented products from your own brand, which truly look amazing.
Follow most all of what you expressed and cold water was the biggest effect to a successful and irritation free shave for me. One other thing that worked exceptionally for me also was to ride the cap of the razor and not the safety bar. It seems to place the blade at a more perpendicular angle to the hair which seems to cut it off cleaner and also surprisingly, extends the life of the blade. Actually learned most all of this stuff from Dad who was a trained barber from the old country. I still hear some of his wisdom 50 years later. Your videos and information are priceless to beginners and struggling wet DE and straight razor shavers. Keep up the great work. When the questions are answered and the shave is fantastic, it becomes an enjoyable necessary task. Thanks! Shine on!
I finally learned pretty much exactly as you demonstrated for my shaves. Great information! One caveat I'd like to suggest is after shaving use warm water to clean the brush but very hot water to clean the blade, razor, etc. I use exclusively tallow soaps and have had some slow drains issues but hot water always cleared them. I have also seen photos from other tallow soap users who literally had clogged drains from the tallow. soap. Since cleaning this way I haven't had another drain issue.
Great tips Matt. It's important to prioritize a comfortable shave over an extremely close shave. Better for your skin to look healthy and comfortable than razor burned.
I've enjoyed your vids Matt. It's been a 50 year journey and I've come a long way from my grandfather's SuperSpeed and Barbasol aerosol. When I couldn't find DE blades, switched to cartridge razors. Needless to say, I hated shaving since 8th grade! Thanks to the interwebs, a plethora of DE blades were again available and cheap. I dove back into wet shaving about 15 years ago and haven't looked back. Still having some minor irritation issues though. I'll try your "prescription" for a couple of weeks but I'm continuing my quest. I'm tired of shredding all of my collars! Thanks for all you do and have done for us.
After shave balm has been a game changer for me. For years I have done cold water in the summer. Learned that for the movie Good morning Vietnam. In the winter I still use warm but not hot.
I hated shaving after trying Harry's, gilette, and dsc in high school and getting tons of irritation, only trimmed my beard for about 7 years. Then i found you and others a year ago and decided on the leaf twig, I use that + wilkinson sword classic and get 2 2 pass shaves with 0 irritation per half of a blade. Crazy what a difference it makes
I also have the coarse beard and sensitive skin problem and this "prescription" works wonders! Matt has given this information in other videos and it helped me tremendously. And I'd say that the cold water is absolutely the most important part. The first cold shave was awful, but I tried again and changed my soap. Now I can shave with razors that used to be too aggressive for me. One part of the prescription I had to change was shaving against the grain. My beard grows in a spiral/irregular pattern on my neck, so there isn't a single direction to take. Thus, I do multiple passes in different directions. Otherwise my shave will result in irritation for not being close enough. Find what works for you. Thanks to Matt and RE team for the great videos. The knowledge shared changed everything for me. I actually enjoy shaving now!
I seriously for some reason thought you somehow edged into the pharmaceutical business and actually came out with a medication to prevent ingrown hairs 😂 all great tips, you’ve helped so much with your tips in my problems with shaving irritation!
Yes you are absolutely right. I use the cube for pre shave with cold water and now i'm shaving daily,only one pass with the grown. No Irritations and no red neck. I can use the Astra blade for 10 to 13times and i'm very happy. Great video as always and greetings from Germany.
This video is awesome! I have sensitive skin but thin beard, and have come to learn that shaving three times per week works for me. I use one blade per week, starting Sunday night with a new blade, then Tuesday and finally, Thursday, all at night. The one ingredient I would add is time. My best shaves are when I take my time (the reason why I shave at night), focus on direction and angle with no rush. I usually add music to my routine, which helps me relax. I may not get a BBS, but I do sleep like a baby after this relaxing routine.
Hi Matt.Thank you for tips, in my experience when I start back with safety razors I had a lot irritation. But after 5-6 shaves starting to feel better and no more discomfort. As always good little things makes difference. 👍
After much experimentation over the years I now switch razors throughout a shave, as I find razors are efficient up to a point and it's hard to find one which easily balances efficiency and comfort. I start with a RazoRock Hawk V3 open comb (with Feather Professional Super Blades) for WTG, then switch to a Classic Shaving adjustable Occam's Razor (on setting three with Feather Professional Super Blades) for XTG, then ending the shave with an iKon Tech ((or Yaqi Beast) with Feather Hi-Stainless DE blades) for ATG -- with a light touch. With several days beard growth, thicker Feather Artist Club blades plow through beard growth more comfortably than thinner DE blades. I also find starting with an aggressive razor, then increasing the aggression through the shave (with much skin stretching) is required. I wonder if a straight razor shaver might find a more comfortable, efficient shave starting with a quarter hollow and ending with a full hollow, but the maintenance might not be worth the effort. Considering one maintains a straight razor by honing it through a progression of coarser to finer grit stones, then ending with a strop, I'm puzzled this hasn't been applied to facial shaving. Using an adjustable seems most comparable, but DE blades at the start of a three-day beard growth can be harsh.
Shaving with a mild DE razor every 2nd day has been the ticket for me. As well using a high-quality soap leaves my face feeling great. I never use an alcohol splash but rather an after-shave balm for sensitive skin.
Great video, been to the shop a few times. Great staff and selection. Started my 18 year old son on his wet shave journey. Even my daughters are using RE soaps for their shaving. And DJ is awesome! No, she didn't pay me to say that.
Coarse beard and sensitive skin guy here, my personal prescription after testing a lot of stuff was a really mild safety razor (Feather ASD2) with a relatively aggressive blade (Wilkinson Sword), plus Proraso pre-shave and sensitive skin shaving cream. Works like a charm for me, though I do use warm water.
The best blades I've found are the Persona Med Prep. They're by far the absolute best blades. They're expensive, though. About 50 cents/blade. Otherwise, I'm using Astra Greens or the Treet Platinums in the orange packaging. The Persona Med preps are a once in a while blade, when I feel I really need a great shave. I can also absolutely vouch for the cold water. It works.
Matt, thanks for posting this, I am on day 11 of this method, and this is now the method I am going to stick with. I am able to shave every day, which is what my face requires, and I get no irritation. Soon I will be able to change one variable at a time and see what really belongs in my shave den. Thanks.
This an excellent prescription! I just started wet shaving and quickly fell down the rabbit hole of thinking I need to try a 3 pass "traditional" shave from a lot of the content I saw, even though I have only ever shaved with the growth before and I don't have the thickest facial hair to begin with. I thought I should try xtg and atg, turns out just cuz the razor cuts easily in that direction DOES NOT mean your skin won't get irritated! Got some mad razor burn on my neck from shaving too much and too often. Following your advice I took a few days off and di my first shave with your blade ebuffing with the grain technique and only one pass. Results are spectacular and almost no irritation. No tingle from my alum block even. The only thing I haven't tried yet is cold water, next shave I will take the plunge! Thanks Matt!
New to the wet shaving game. Only a little over a year in. Had a shaving brush, sharp blades, etc. But switching to cold water was the trick to reducing irritation on my neck. Thank you, good sir!
You really explained everything perfectly. I noticed I have the biggest problem if I push too hard with the razor. I always want that baby smooth face, but I have noticed if I don’t get it perfect it smooths out later on.
I started this summer with their proraso sensitive skin kit which works great! I also have been doing cold water since starting and have no ingrown hairs and have seen minimal irritation if none!
Hit my reset button this afternoon. After a series of not awful shaves but less than desirable results, I went with my tried and true Proraso white line, pre shave, soap, balm etc. my omega boar brush and my Rex Ambassador with a fresh Perma-Sharp blade on setting 3… one pass, with the grain, cool water (can’t get cold water in my apartment tap in the summer) and wonderful amazing results! zero irritation! No burn, no bumps, just a nice and close shave.
Good tips Matt. 2 things to add - for me with dry skin I use Noxema face wash or a pre shave cube like you have. Face scrub or drying soap sets me up for irritation. Also, if people are still getting irritation they should watch how many times they buff without lather. No shame in reapplying the lather with a quick swipe of the brush. Have a good one. Oh yea sweet razor!
Thanks Matt, agree with all steps. I use pre shave cream immediately after shaving and before doing touch ups. Then after shave balm. This helped me a lot on my sensitive skin. Another item I have made good experience with. Using open comb razors like Fatip Grande or R41 and doing only one pass with the grain and one is good to go. Finally use blades only 3 times so that one have always a sharp and clean blade helps
Great video and advice Matt! I am going to try the cold water shaves. I noticed though, as an AZ resident, its about 100+ degrees outside and the "cold" water coming out of the pipes this time of year is a bit on the warm side, but should give better results than the hotter temperature water. Looking forward to the Fall and Winter temps to cold-up the water!
Thanks for your great videos Matt! I haven’t tried cold water from the start yet, but after a tip I got I use hot water and shave soap, but I grab a cup of ice water to temper the razor in while working up my lather. So I start with a cold razor and after I need to rinse it off I return it to the ice water briefly to keep it cold. It’s helped me. Thanks again, and have a wonderful day buddy.
This is a great list of suggestions. I'd suggesting adding a styptic. I enjoy using a shave stone of potassium aluminum sulfate after shaves for nicks and soothing.
Well Matt you hit a homer(not Simpson, homer like baseball) with your information, like that you kept saying this is what works for you. Hope you have also helped others over overcome problem with wet shaving. Mucho Thanks.
Matt, seriously excellent video and everything you mentioned is spot on, I had irritation when I started using DE razors. Part of the problem was my face needed to adjust and when I changed to proraso white my skin felt a lot better. Also razors that are too aggressive can cause irritation especially with sharper blades. But your prescribed method is perfect. The prospector (fatboy) is sweet! Also love the thumbnail design for the video:)
Dear Emporium, you gave us the best advices ever. I am practicing them almost perfectly for about 2 weeks now and miracle happened - I am most beautiful man around the city :D Now if you have some business ideas it would help further :D Now seriously - cold water really helps - better for the skin and then when the skin is normally warm - it looks even better. Not against the grain - once with, and once across DE razor, good quality + new blades every 3-4 shavings Good massaging + soaking with extra layers of soap (with a badger brush), proraso ok A good aftershave - I took some from AYLM, cost more, but this thing remains on the skin for the whole day - better to be good for the skin + to smell good, f.i. for the expensive soap - later on the road + Longer lasting results - even late evenings you look as freshly shaved Mach 300, Fusion 5000, and cheap canned creme + aftershave are dead to me! Only drawback is time - it takes not 2-3 minutes like in the past, but 15, but because of the results, you will find time for it. It really helped, thank you, I had problems with shaving since a kid. Have everything best over there!
Little update - Something as proraso shaving creme/soap is not good enough, at least for me. There are 3 times cheaper ones that are basically the same. Tried the DR Harris one, blown away with the qualities - you just do not feel the blade at all, and the skin afterwards is different.
You recommended the cold water process to me way back when, and for me, it was an absolute game changer. I've used water ever since, even in the dead of Winter when the cold water supply is 🥶
One week of cold water shaves, and I'm a convert. Feels very comfortable and refreshing, and I've tried it for both face and head shaves. Don't think I'll be going back to using hot water on my blade. I even noticed Geofatboy on a recent video used cold water on his razor - and he used to use hot, so maybe the Cold Water Revolution is starting.... ;)
Nice prescription shave...especially for beginners. IMO, the most important part of your prescription is the cold water. You didn't mention using an alum block. Alum is an astringent and antiseptic that will also help with post-shave irritation. I use alum and witch hazel before I apply my balm.
Interesting video. I’ve never tried a shave with cold water. Will give it a go tomorrow morning. I prefer using Proraso green and I’ve been using the cube from PAA as pre shave. Always get a good shave with Proraso products.
This was great advice, Matt. Thanks especially for the reminder about cold water. I'd gotten out of the habit this winter and went back this morning. Another thing cold water does is enhance residual slickness by keeping fats in the lather more solid. (That's why we rinse with warm, not cold water after washing our hands.) I have a different pre- and post-shave ritual than yours, but that's just personal. I would only add, or repeat, that residual slickness is very important if you're getting rough shaves. As for blades, I shave daily and prefer ones that are smoother rather than sharper. (Indian platinum blades generally suit me.) On razors, I like to stay with one for a week at a time and reacquaint myself with it. I prefer razors that clamp the blade well and have low blade exposure. They require more attention to the shaving angle and indifference to blade feel, but they give me fewer nicks and irritation. Lastly, if I do nick or irritate myself during a shave, I fight the urge to return to the scene of the crime for a day or so afterwards. Thanks again.
The balm for sensitive skin is what you want. Nivea sensitive skin is my go to, it's alcohol free. Just tried Rapira Platinum Lux blades and oh man, what a good sharp blade (sharper than Feather) so comfortable and BBS in one pass. Best shave ever, bar none. Only a light touch is needed, it just glides through hair like a hot knife through butter. And that's using just a Wilkinson Sword classic, their brush (it's o.k., but pretty soft) and their shave soap (again,o.k., but not the greatest) and neither are their blades. lol. It's what the stores here have. But the shave head is perfect for me, mild to moderately aggressive. Most RUclipsrs like you, think it's a pretty good shave head/handle and I like it and it was cheap. I used my Nivea sensitive skin shave foam with it and it was nice too, much better than the Wilkinson shave soap and likely better than any puck shave soap. I will probably try the Prorasso sensitive skin one, it sounds pretty good and now I heard you say it's good, so....... So far, with my variety pack the first and only one I tried was the Rapira, due to it being so sharp in the razor test video I saw. Now Big Ben is in there and we will see how it goes and is also rated as sharper than Feather and a good blade. So make sure to do that, as a beginner, get yourself a variety pack off Amazon, trust me and make sure it has Big Ben, Rapira, Shark, Treet, Volkskod (not sure of spelling), Lord, Astra, Derby, Gillette etc. You're right Matt some of those Russian made blades are just wonderful. Anyway, just go look for a video here in YT of a sharpness test of double edged razors 24 of them I believe. Pick a variety pack with the highest rated ones he had on his video (done with a wire cut test machine he's wearing a dark green band aid on one hand in the beginning). I based may variety pack (at least most of it, you will never get a variety pack of all great razors) on the brands that did best, in his test. And I am quite happy with the pack. Although I do not look forward to trying the really bad ones and may throw them. Like Super Max, apparently the worst and dead last on his list, at 90, out of double edge razor range. But you never know till you try I guess.
I am new to wet shaving and was chasing the BBS, I have found that the BBS may come at the expense of an irritated raw face for the rest of the day. I am recently went to cold water and Konsul slant razor with two passes. I also get less irritation and feel better with some of the less sharp blades such as Treet SP.
Hi Matt. Thank you for your efforts in making this. Really appreciated! Any opinion around the Alum block or Alum stone? I think I must have watch nearly 80% of your videos and you have never mentioned it. I'm just curious about your opinion on it. Thanks again! Keep well from South Africa.
@@RazorEmporium Thank You for Your insight. One day when I'm grown-up (I'm 43 by the way 😅), I'm going to get myself Your Rex Ambassador (I think I'm in love *don't tell my wife) and one day pass it on to my son (he just turned 14). I'm going to plant the wet shaving seed 🌱 early with a Feather Popular safety razor as a gift to him. I just want to take a moment and show You some heartfelt appreciation. With Your dedication to sharing Your knowledge and experience You have changed my life for the better. My shaving techniques improved, which improved my skin and really improved my self confidence. For this, I salute You and wish You many blessings and success with everything You endeavor. 🙏🏾🫡 Sincerely Yours, Ashleigh
I wouldn't say that I have sensitive skin but I have pretty soft skin and a relatively dense/tough beard which is even tougher now that it's gone almost completely gray. I'd say that I have skin that gets mechanically irritated more than chemically irritated. Face lathering is definitely the way to go IMO. Well hydrated lather will flow through the razor and carry the stubble with it so the blade isn't plowing up a pile of stubble and soap. I'm with you on the blades. I like them toward the higher end of sharpness and most of the blades I really like are coated. Many of the blades you mentioned definitely help. I also like some that didn't work for you, e.g. Tiger/Tatra Platinum. Feather is always rough on my face. Even if you don't have sensitive skin, some days BBS isn't in the cards. Just shoot for par. When my allergies are acting up it's not just my eyes and sinuses that are puffy and sensitive, so I also take it easy with the shave and go with a mild razor. Your old method of using the Proraso white line and eliminating variables also makes sense. I recommend new shavers buy the kit in the tin with the preshave, cream in a tube, and balm. It's important to determine if the skin is actually sensitive to items used in the process (chemical irritation), or if the skin is being physically damaged by the process (mechanical irritation), or both. Blades can do both if your face is sensitive to either the metal in the blade or the coatings. I've found that using alum after the shave has a benefit that isn't mentioned enough. The alum will let you know when it's time to toss a blade so it can save your face on the next shave. A blade can often still be sharp enough to cut efficiently but it will be rough on the skin. I find that the alum does a better job of making me feel than than an alcohol based splash does. Having some hydrocortisone cream (not the ointment with the petroleum jelly base) on hand to calm irritated skin down post shave is a good idea. It works well no matter whether the irritation is chemical or mechanical.
Great advice. I thought that my issue was with sensitivity to lanolin, since I had a huge reaction to Mitchell's Woolfat. Upon inspecting labels more closely, I've found that some of my favorite soaps have lanolin listed as an ingredient, so that's clearly not the culprit. My advice would be, when possible, try product samples before committing to a full size purchase.
I totally back up the cold water argument. It is a GAME CHANGER. Once you go cold, you can't really go back because hot water and warm shaving start to become kind of unappealing, at least for me. I've gotten my best shaves with cold water as opposed to a few years ago when I started DE shaving and used hot water with everything. Cold wins the beard wars! 😊😊😊 But I will say a thing that really works for me (personally) over a long, long time and lots of experimentation has been using pre and post-shave oils. I have used pre-shave soaps and creams (the Proraso White pre-shave cream is pretty good), but I tried using the RE pre-shave soap and got irritated (go figure, lol) and I have also used PAA's Cube 2.0, but my skin got a bit too slick and sometimes I ran over some areas of my face with the blades and the hairs didn't catch for some reason. BUT, I use a pre-shave oil from Van Yulay (a natural goods store) and I swear...my shaves have been AMAZING using it. Three small pumps of oil that covers my beard along with my shaving soaps...and when I get to the end of my shave, it is just sublimely magical with zero irritation. I also use post-shave balms (no splashes) and I frequently use this "Good Oleo v2" post-shave oil blend from Chicago Grooming Co. which seals off my shave so, so well and has an amazing woody-like scent to it. The oils are all-natural, plant based blends with essential oils and very few ingredients that give amazing results and they have been my personal "secret weapons" of shaving for quite a while with my skin type.
Hello Matt mate we are in the depths of winter here in Australia and I could not come at cold water shave - sorry not for me. The soap I use is your branded one with charcoal and I find that really pleasant to the nose and helps with the rets of my shave. I always use premium shave soap - Taylors from Old Bond Street London and a Feather AS-D2 with a feather blade and it gives me a good shave. Now I use a synthetic Yaqi Cashmere brush because I don't feel easy about using animal hair for mostly ethical reasons. However I do like some of the tips you present here and will try them out - except for the cold water LOL!! Plus I do like using Thayers medicated after shave lotion which seems to raise the whiskers I have missed or have been lying flat during my shaves (and I like the old school smell of it). I have to add that I cannot daily shave as that really stirs up my skin which at 76 years old sort of expecting it as my skin ages and I get a lot closer shave when my whiskers are at least two days old.
How would you rate the juice of Aloe Vera leaf before & after shaving? In Comparison with all of the balsams, aftershaves, most qualitative shave soaps etc? It is very pleasant, does wonders, but somehow it is not enough for heavy everyday shaving. That is why I am using a quality safety razor for a week now, and a lot of (cheap but maybe ok) shaving creme. And now upgrading the rest.
Hey Matt. Love your content. I'm thinking about getting a straight razor. But I have a mole just above my chin and I was wondering if you had any tips on something like that.
Shaving cream mixed with aloe vera and a bit of shea butter after a hot towel is my shave prep. Shave soap is too dry for me. An ice cube cool down and an aftershave to finish.
The only thing I can add to this prescription is this; if you have to press the razor against your skin to get a few tough hairs, it's time to change out your blade for a fresh one. That comes from personal experience, three or four shaves on a blade is tops for me. My thinking is when the razor slows down and hairs start to get harder to shave off, time for a new blade.
If I shaved daily, I'd be destroyed. Can't do that. Every 48 hours. I save BBS for special occasions and just accept that not every shave will be the best I can do. I shave at night so I have no time pressure. I just really enjoy the process. Weirdo here 😊
I was hesitant to try the cold water just because i have always use dhot or warm water during a shave, the difference is incredible, i have been using cold water for the full process for the past week and i have barely even needed my alum block! My biggest problem areais the neck (like matt and many other commenters) but using cold water has almost completely eliminated the irritation. Glad i saw this video early in my wet shaving experience. I am strongly considering a rex razor for my next purchase, the henson mild is working very well for me, but i feel like im still leaving a bit of hair behind and not getting as close as i would like on the neck. Do you think a sentry or envoy would be better suited to my situation? Im very intrigued by the slabt razors but im not sure if there would be an added learning curve that might throw me off as im still a beginner.
I shower shave, with copious hot water. I learned: 1 - I have a little scar tissue on my neck from a cyst, I hit that with a cartridge razor first; first pass I shave with a milder razor(Brit Red Tip Rocket), 2nd pass with a Fatboy set to 8. Vegan shave soaps can't be used every day for me. if I use vegan, I use a tallow soap every other day. weirdly enough, with the grain doesn't cut my hair at all, I shave against or across the grain. the super sharp blades(Feather, Kai. Bolzano) irritate me. my favorite is vintage Polsilver, Astra Green, 7 O'Clock, pretty much St. Petersburg Gillette blades. I Didn't care for Rapira. I like big brushes. I love my 39mm badger brushes, and my 28mm mixed boar and badger brushes. I have been caught by the perfume, I love Truefitt&Hill West Indian Lime but I can't use it every day. finally, I see the same phenomenon of the shave feeling smoother about 20 minutes after the shave. I have more trouble with the fringe on my head than my face, but that is mostly because the contortion is tough when the arthritis is acting up
I tried Cold Water and it was the worst experience I have ever had. There was so much pulling and tugging, and irritation. I tried it again, and it was even worse. Then a 3rd and 4th time, still. Awful. Having said that, I noticed a lot of people respond to it, or at least it seems this way. I am wondering if this might be due to the type of hair or skin? I don't think this method works across the board, and there has to be a valid reason why it seems to work for many, and also many it doesn't?
I think the only thing really missing here is the hardest thing of all: let your face and neck heal before shaving again. This might take a couple of weeks. You need to work those hairs out from under the razor bumps / ingrown hairs. They've been chopped raggedly and burried themselves under the top layer of skin. Get them clear.
No matter how hard I try, I always get irritation on the third pass on the neck when I go against the grain. I use a Wilkinson Sword Classic razor(the black one), Gillette blue and red blades, a 24mm knot Maggard synthetic shaving brush, a cream(Palmolive, D'amaris, Denim or Proraso green) and an aftershave balm or splash. Anyone else who has irritation after the ATG pass? Could use some advice.
This is great.. Tried cold water in the past, not good for me. However, I use every one of these recommendations. Yet, there is one that you may have overlooked... ALUM. I use alum after I shave. I let the residue sit on my face for a few minutes after I shave and while I brush my teeth. I then use cool to luke warm water to fully rinse off the alum. Then I use the aftershave balm. My prescription: Warm water. Pre-shave lotion (Proraso for me), Shave cream (Proraso), Feather ASD2 razor with Feather razor blades, Lather with a Proraso boar brush, Shave. Two passes, one with grain the other pass across the grain. Rinse lather thoroughly with cold water to tighten up the pores. ALUM to the entire shaved face. You may feel a tingle if you shave to hard. Rinse the residue thoroughly (cool or warm water). Apply Proraso aftershave balm. I haven't had an issue in 10 years.
I just use an all natural vegan soup, and honestly it turns out so smooth after I rinse I don't even need any aftershave/baum, that's because these shaving creams are loaded with chemicals, and then you put aftershave which also has chemicals, I would keep it as natural as possible, all you need is a good cold splash of water.
I'm Irish/German and diabetic. I got tired of spending a lot of money on different products. Now I just let my beard grow and when something comes up like a wedding or funeral I go to a REAL barber and get it trimmed and have them shave my neck etc. If I was rich I would do it regularly. I'm not working anymore so I can get away with this approach now.
Huh... Turns out you actually CAN teach an old dog new tricks... Just finished a two pass shave and went with cold water. It was odd, but I'm already aware of an improvement in the overall experience.
The number is what it is for each person and for each blade. I have tried blades which I cannot get at least 2 shaves; and I have tried blades which gave me more than 12 shaves. Specific blade products, too! Bolzano? BIC? Not even as much as two shaves per blade. But that was for ME. Feather Hi-Stainless? I had about 13 or 14 shaves per blade.
you got my attention when you said "cold water". First one to ever hear that on yt, so you really know your stuff. The rest is legend.
Cold water is not comfortable in my experience. Hot steel is gonna cut more easily.
What worked for me is not rushing the shave. Most of the times I shave at night to enjoy the experience.
Just using cold water really helped me! I usually do 2 passes with and then across the grain. If I shave the same way but with warm water I get irritation and ingrown hairs. I learned the cold water trick here so thanks a lot!
I have sensitive skin but corse beard.. I actually use all your steps but go for a one pass shave with either my R41 or a slant razor. Has been an absolute game changer for me
Same here, thick hair around my Chin and mouth, but skin is easily irritated. And being in Phoenix in summer...kinda harder to get cool water from the tap. IFYKYK.
I have a really coarse beard from my upper lip through goatee and down to my Adam's apple. My hair grows in different directions even within the same part of my face and literally a circle on one part of my neck. I cringe and an somewhat jealous when I watch these videos of guys shaving downward on their entire face on the first pass. All that being said I noticed you mentioned using a slant razor. Has that been a game changer for you?
I can rarely use a blade twice because of the thickness of my hair follicles.
Story of my life. My face I swear I could shave with a rusty butter knife and have zero irritation, but on my neck it’s coarse but the skin is ungodly sensitive and I’m yet to really figure it out. Every other shave I get it bang on, but sometimes I get it close after one pass but then my neck blows up, or I barely get close at all and not get any irritation.
@@christopheratkinson635yeah unfortunately most wet ever videos is of guys with very thin hair and light growth. Unfortunately not a lot of guys with course think hair pattern giving guys like us good advice.
Same. A slant razor (Merkur 39c) along with Astra Green's were a game changer when I tried them out. Now, I also like Gillette Platinum, Personna Med Prep and Treet blades, but Astra Green is my go-to. I also have a Slim Adjustable that I'll sometimes use for fun and that delivers a great shave. It's just the slant razor is overall better for me, most of the time.
Once I had to shave in 42°C heat, I tried cold water... and never went back to hot water. It feels fantastic.
Going to have to try a cold water shave, with more blade buffing, on tomorrow's shave. I do like the feel of a hot blade, but I also see the logic of a cold water shave. I don't suffer from ingrown hairs, but my neck can end up feeling a little raw from a two or three pass shave. Will report back...
Be bold, shave cold! I have a PAA travel scuttle. Slowly fill and freeze. I bowl lather then put into ice scuttle. Shower. Then I apply Arko shave stick. Do a swipe, skip, swipe, half coverage. Then work in lime pre shave oil. It ends up looking like your pre shave bar. I face lather for a full minute. Then wait and brush periodically for four minutes. I put a couple of ice cube trays into the shave water. I use a two quart pitcher of ice and water for rinsing. Another youtube shave guru said it was rough skin that will smooth out after shaving. One of you is correct. That made a big difference!
Great information thank you
Hey Matt. Good video with several tips. I want to add thoughts here as well. I have found that allowing your beard to grow for at least 2 days will go a long way towards a close comfortable shave. Shaving every day when you experience skin irritation, will not reduce the irritation. Beard mapping is very important, and my beard grows in several directions. Under my chin it's circular in some areas, and down in others. You can find a template to download and print of a face where you can draw arrows to use a guide. Memory isn't the best way to do this. My synthetic shaving brush will agitate my beard sufficiently, while still maintaining a relatively soft feel. I much prefer a synthetic brush for ease of use and care. Hard shave soaps require more work to create a lather that's not too thin and watery. Creams in a tube or tub are much easier to apply and lather, and they aren't expensive and available everywhere. Long shave strokes look cool on video, but I can never seem to get the hang of them. I use short buffeting strokes and always stretch my skin. Not sure why some don't stretch the skin, but I either grab and pull, or contort my face as needed to flatten out the area to be shaved. The label "sensitive skin" is overused imo. Sometimes the skin sensitivity isn't the issue, but the shave method is. Shaving against the grain, applying too much pressure in an effort to remove maximum beard in minimal strokes/passes, wrong blade or too many uses of it, wrong razor, rushed prep, etc. These things cause irritation and more, and people want a fast cure, so they grab a product labeled "for sensitive skin". Thanks for the prescription. I'll keep it in mind. Greetings from Syracuse, NY. We have 2 seasons here, winter and road construction. The orange barrels are everywhere now. Sigh
Thanks for this advice. I shaved yesterday and my skin was red and a little blotchy. Chasing the BBS shave was my mistake. I will change my routine based on your prescription and see what happens. I will need one of those tee shirts to make sure I eliminate all of the variables 😂
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Started using cold water a couple months ago and it has definitely helped with irritation my sensitive skin. I’ll have to give the pre shave soap a try. By the way, that Fat Boy looks awesome.
Excellent video, as always .👍👍👍
You know, it's a shame we can't convert the likes of Paul H to shave in this manner . I watch far more of your channel than his now, purely because of this unnecessary 'pick up' rubbish . I myself do two passes with the finest vintage Gillette razors with the best blades, and that is more than enough .
I do think that this whole BBS technique totally wipes out the true definition of the term "close shave'.
Cheers again Razor Emporium 🍷
Thanks very much for the great video!
Yes, cold water, learnt that from you, awesome!
And 1 pass works perfect for me as well, even with a couple of days heavy beard growth.
My new favourite shaving cream is ToOBS organic completely scent free.
Of course, people who do not have perfume related allergies can use many other different products, like the lightly scented products from your own brand, which truly look amazing.
Follow most all of what you expressed and cold water was the biggest effect to a successful and irritation free shave for me. One other thing that worked exceptionally for me also was to ride the cap of the razor and not the safety bar. It seems to place the blade at a more perpendicular angle to the hair which seems to cut it off cleaner and also surprisingly, extends the life of the blade. Actually learned most all of this stuff from Dad who was a trained barber from the old country. I still hear some of his wisdom 50 years later. Your videos and information are priceless to beginners and struggling wet DE and straight razor shavers. Keep up the great work. When the questions are answered and the shave is fantastic, it becomes an enjoyable necessary task. Thanks!
Shine on!
I finally learned pretty much exactly as you demonstrated for my shaves. Great information! One caveat I'd like to suggest is after shaving use warm water to clean the brush but very hot water to clean the blade, razor, etc. I use exclusively tallow soaps and have had some slow drains issues but hot water always cleared them. I have also seen photos from other tallow soap users who literally had clogged drains from the tallow. soap. Since cleaning this way I haven't had another drain issue.
Great tips Matt. It's important to prioritize a comfortable shave over an extremely close shave. Better for your skin to look healthy and comfortable than razor burned.
I've enjoyed your vids Matt. It's been a 50 year journey and I've come a long way from my grandfather's SuperSpeed and Barbasol aerosol. When I couldn't find DE blades, switched to cartridge razors. Needless to say, I hated shaving since 8th grade!
Thanks to the interwebs, a plethora of DE blades were again available and cheap. I dove back into wet shaving about 15 years ago and haven't looked back. Still having some minor irritation issues though. I'll try your "prescription" for a couple of weeks but I'm continuing my quest. I'm tired of shredding all of my collars!
Thanks for all you do and have done for us.
After shave balm has been a game changer for me. For years I have done cold water in the summer. Learned that for the movie Good morning Vietnam. In the winter I still use warm but not hot.
Great video Sir. Very informative. Thank you 👍🏻👍🏻🤙🏻
I hated shaving after trying Harry's, gilette, and dsc in high school and getting tons of irritation, only trimmed my beard for about 7 years. Then i found you and others a year ago and decided on the leaf twig, I use that + wilkinson sword classic and get 2 2 pass shaves with 0 irritation per half of a blade. Crazy what a difference it makes
I also have the coarse beard and sensitive skin problem and this "prescription" works wonders! Matt has given this information in other videos and it helped me tremendously. And I'd say that the cold water is absolutely the most important part. The first cold shave was awful, but I tried again and changed my soap. Now I can shave with razors that used to be too aggressive for me. One part of the prescription I had to change was shaving against the grain. My beard grows in a spiral/irregular pattern on my neck, so there isn't a single direction to take. Thus, I do multiple passes in different directions. Otherwise my shave will result in irritation for not being close enough. Find what works for you. Thanks to Matt and RE team for the great videos. The knowledge shared changed everything for me. I actually enjoy shaving now!
so happy to hear that!
I seriously for some reason thought you somehow edged into the pharmaceutical business and actually came out with a medication to prevent ingrown hairs 😂 all great tips, you’ve helped so much with your tips in my problems with shaving irritation!
Yes you are absolutely right. I use the cube for pre shave with cold water and now i'm shaving daily,only one pass with the grown. No Irritations and no red neck. I can use the Astra blade for 10 to 13times and i'm very happy. Great video as always and greetings from Germany.
This video is awesome!
I have sensitive skin but thin beard, and have come to learn that shaving three times per week works for me. I use one blade per week, starting Sunday night with a new blade, then Tuesday and finally, Thursday, all at night. The one ingredient I would add is time. My best shaves are when I take my time (the reason why I shave at night), focus on direction and angle with no rush.
I usually add music to my routine, which helps me relax. I may not get a BBS, but I do sleep like a baby after this relaxing routine.
Hi Matt.Thank you for tips, in my experience when I start back with safety razors I had a lot irritation. But after 5-6 shaves starting to feel better and no more discomfort. As always good little things makes difference. 👍
After much experimentation over the years I now switch razors throughout a shave, as I find razors are efficient up to a point and it's hard to find one which easily balances efficiency and comfort. I start with a RazoRock Hawk V3 open comb (with Feather Professional Super Blades) for WTG, then switch to a Classic Shaving adjustable Occam's Razor (on setting three with Feather Professional Super Blades) for XTG, then ending the shave with an iKon Tech ((or Yaqi Beast) with Feather Hi-Stainless DE blades) for ATG -- with a light touch. With several days beard growth, thicker Feather Artist Club blades plow through beard growth more comfortably than thinner DE blades. I also find starting with an aggressive razor, then increasing the aggression through the shave (with much skin stretching) is required. I wonder if a straight razor shaver might find a more comfortable, efficient shave starting with a quarter hollow and ending with a full hollow, but the maintenance might not be worth the effort.
Considering one maintains a straight razor by honing it through a progression of coarser to finer grit stones, then ending with a strop, I'm puzzled this hasn't been applied to facial shaving. Using an adjustable seems most comparable, but DE blades at the start of a three-day beard growth can be harsh.
Shaving with a mild DE razor every 2nd day has been the ticket for me. As well using a high-quality soap leaves my face feeling great. I never use an alcohol splash but rather an after-shave balm for sensitive skin.
Howdy Matt and Co!
Great refresher training for us peeps with sensitive skin issues. Thanks!
Have a blessed 4th of July Weekend. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Great video, been to the shop a few times. Great staff and selection. Started my 18 year old son on his wet shave journey. Even my daughters are using RE soaps for their shaving. And DJ is awesome!
No, she didn't pay me to say that.
Coarse beard and sensitive skin guy here, my personal prescription after testing a lot of stuff was a really mild safety razor (Feather ASD2) with a relatively aggressive blade (Wilkinson Sword), plus Proraso pre-shave and sensitive skin shaving cream. Works like a charm for me, though I do use warm water.
The best blades I've found are the Persona Med Prep. They're by far the absolute best blades. They're expensive, though. About 50 cents/blade. Otherwise, I'm using Astra Greens or the Treet Platinums in the orange packaging. The Persona Med preps are a once in a while blade, when I feel I really need a great shave.
I can also absolutely vouch for the cold water. It works.
Matt, thanks for posting this, I am on day 11 of this method, and this is now the method I am going to stick with. I am able to shave every day, which is what my face requires, and I get no irritation. Soon I will be able to change one variable at a time and see what really belongs in my shave den. Thanks.
Fantastic! Glad it's working
This an excellent prescription! I just started wet shaving and quickly fell down the rabbit hole of thinking I need to try a 3 pass "traditional" shave from a lot of the content I saw, even though I have only ever shaved with the growth before and I don't have the thickest facial hair to begin with. I thought I should try xtg and atg, turns out just cuz the razor cuts easily in that direction DOES NOT mean your skin won't get irritated! Got some mad razor burn on my neck from shaving too much and too often. Following your advice I took a few days off and di my first shave with your blade ebuffing with the grain technique and only one pass. Results are spectacular and almost no irritation. No tingle from my alum block even. The only thing I haven't tried yet is cold water, next shave I will take the plunge! Thanks Matt!
New to the wet shaving game. Only a little over a year in. Had a shaving brush, sharp blades, etc. But switching to cold water was the trick to reducing irritation on my neck. Thank you, good sir!
Good stuff!
You really explained everything perfectly. I noticed I have the biggest problem if I push too hard with the razor. I always want that baby smooth face, but I have noticed if I don’t get it perfect it smooths out later on.
I started this summer with their proraso sensitive skin kit which works great! I also have been doing cold water since starting and have no ingrown hairs and have seen minimal irritation if none!
Hit my reset button this afternoon. After a series of not awful shaves but less than desirable results, I went with my tried and true Proraso white line, pre shave, soap, balm etc. my omega boar brush and my Rex Ambassador with a fresh Perma-Sharp blade on setting 3… one pass, with the grain, cool water (can’t get cold water in my apartment tap in the summer) and wonderful amazing results! zero irritation! No burn, no bumps, just a nice and close shave.
Good tips Matt. 2 things to add - for me with dry skin I use Noxema face wash or a pre shave cube like you have. Face scrub or drying soap sets me up for irritation. Also, if people are still getting irritation they should watch how many times they buff without lather. No shame in reapplying the lather with a quick swipe of the brush. Have a good one. Oh yea sweet razor!
Thanks Matt I’m definitely going to try this prescription for shaving. I’m always getting pimples after shaving. I hope this helps!
Thanks Matt, agree with all steps.
I use pre shave cream immediately after shaving and before doing touch ups. Then after shave balm. This helped me a lot on my sensitive skin.
Another item I have made good experience with. Using open comb razors like Fatip Grande or R41 and doing only one pass with the grain and one is good to go. Finally use blades only 3 times so that one have always a sharp and clean blade helps
Great video and advice Matt! I am going to try the cold water shaves. I noticed though, as an AZ resident, its about 100+ degrees outside and the "cold" water coming out of the pipes this time of year is a bit on the warm side, but should give better results than the hotter temperature water. Looking forward to the Fall and Winter temps to cold-up the water!
Use some ice in your hands.
Thanks for your great videos Matt! I haven’t tried cold water from the start yet, but after a tip I got I use hot water and shave soap, but I grab a cup of ice water to temper the razor in while working up my lather. So I start with a cold razor and after I need to rinse it off I return it to the ice water briefly to keep it cold. It’s helped me. Thanks again, and have a wonderful day buddy.
This is a great list of suggestions. I'd suggesting adding a styptic. I enjoy using a shave stone of potassium aluminum sulfate after shaves for nicks and soothing.
Well Matt you hit a homer(not Simpson, homer like baseball) with your information, like that you kept saying this is what works for you. Hope you have also helped others over overcome problem with wet shaving. Mucho Thanks.
Matt, seriously excellent video and everything you mentioned is spot on, I had irritation when I started using DE razors. Part of the problem was my face needed to adjust and when I changed to proraso white my skin felt a lot better. Also razors that are too aggressive can cause irritation especially with sharper blades. But your prescribed method is perfect. The prospector (fatboy) is sweet! Also love the thumbnail design for the video:)
Dear Emporium, you gave us the best advices ever. I am practicing them almost perfectly for about 2 weeks now and miracle happened - I am most beautiful man around the city :D Now if you have some business ideas it would help further :D
Now seriously - cold water really helps - better for the skin and then when the skin is normally warm - it looks even better.
Not against the grain - once with, and once across
DE razor, good quality + new blades every 3-4 shavings
Good massaging + soaking with extra layers of soap (with a badger brush), proraso ok
A good aftershave - I took some from AYLM, cost more, but this thing remains on the skin for the whole day - better to be good for the skin + to smell good, f.i. for the expensive soap - later on the road
+ Longer lasting results - even late evenings you look as freshly shaved
Mach 300, Fusion 5000, and cheap canned creme + aftershave are dead to me!
Only drawback is time - it takes not 2-3 minutes like in the past, but 15, but because of the results, you will find time for it.
It really helped, thank you, I had problems with shaving since a kid. Have everything best over there!
Little update - Something as proraso shaving creme/soap is not good enough, at least for me. There are 3 times cheaper ones that are basically the same. Tried the DR Harris one, blown away with the qualities - you just do not feel the blade at all, and the skin afterwards is different.
You recommended the cold water process to me way back when, and for me, it was an absolute game changer. I've used water ever since, even in the dead of Winter when the cold water supply is 🥶
So happy to hear!
One week of cold water shaves, and I'm a convert. Feels very comfortable and refreshing, and I've tried it for both face and head shaves. Don't think I'll be going back to using hot water on my blade.
I even noticed Geofatboy on a recent video used cold water on his razor - and he used to use hot, so maybe the Cold Water Revolution is starting.... ;)
Happy to hear
Nice prescription shave...especially for beginners. IMO, the most important part of your prescription is the cold water. You didn't mention using an alum block. Alum is an astringent and antiseptic that will also help with post-shave irritation. I use alum and witch hazel before I apply my balm.
works great great for some, not me.
Great explanation. Looking forward to trying this.
Interesting video. I’ve never tried a shave with cold water. Will give it a go tomorrow morning. I prefer using Proraso green and I’ve been using the cube from PAA as pre shave. Always get a good shave with Proraso products.
Tried the cold water shave this morning. Irritation free soothing shave. I followed the shave with Nivea balm and a splash.
This was great advice, Matt. Thanks especially for the reminder about cold water. I'd gotten out of the habit this winter and went back this morning. Another thing cold water does is enhance residual slickness by keeping fats in the lather more solid. (That's why we rinse with warm, not cold water after washing our hands.)
I have a different pre- and post-shave ritual than yours, but that's just personal. I would only add, or repeat, that residual slickness is very important if you're getting rough shaves. As for blades, I shave daily and prefer ones that are smoother rather than sharper. (Indian platinum blades generally suit me.) On razors, I like to stay with one for a week at a time and reacquaint myself with it. I prefer razors that clamp the blade well and have low blade exposure. They require more attention to the shaving angle and indifference to blade feel, but they give me fewer nicks and irritation. Lastly, if I do nick or irritate myself during a shave, I fight the urge to return to the scene of the crime for a day or so afterwards.
Thanks again.
Cold face with cold lather + hot blade was a solid trick for me
The balm for sensitive skin is what you want. Nivea sensitive skin is my go to, it's alcohol free. Just tried Rapira Platinum Lux blades and oh man, what a good sharp blade (sharper than Feather) so comfortable and BBS in one pass. Best shave ever, bar none. Only a light touch is needed, it just glides through hair like a hot knife through butter. And that's using just a Wilkinson Sword classic, their brush (it's o.k., but pretty soft) and their shave soap (again,o.k., but not the greatest) and neither are their blades. lol. It's what the stores here have. But the shave head is perfect for me, mild to moderately aggressive. Most RUclipsrs like you, think it's a pretty good shave head/handle and I like it and it was cheap. I used my Nivea sensitive skin shave foam with it and it was nice too, much better than the Wilkinson shave soap and likely better than any puck shave soap. I will probably try the Prorasso sensitive skin one, it sounds pretty good and now I heard you say it's good, so.......
So far, with my variety pack the first and only one I tried was the Rapira, due to it being so sharp in the razor test video I saw. Now Big Ben is in there and we will see how it goes and is also rated as sharper than Feather and a good blade. So make sure to do that, as a beginner, get yourself a variety pack off Amazon, trust me and make sure it has Big Ben, Rapira, Shark, Treet, Volkskod (not sure of spelling), Lord, Astra, Derby, Gillette etc. You're right Matt some of those Russian made blades are just wonderful.
Anyway, just go look for a video here in YT of a sharpness test of double edged razors 24 of them I believe. Pick a variety pack with the highest rated ones he had on his video (done with a wire cut test machine he's wearing a dark green band aid on one hand in the beginning). I based may variety pack (at least most of it, you will never get a variety pack of all great razors) on the brands that did best, in his test. And I am quite happy with the pack. Although I do not look forward to trying the really bad ones and may throw them. Like Super Max, apparently the worst and dead last on his list, at 90, out of double edge razor range. But you never know till you try I guess.
I am new to wet shaving and was chasing the BBS, I have found that the BBS may come at the expense of an irritated raw face for the rest of the day. I am recently went to cold water and Konsul slant razor with two passes. I also get less irritation and feel better with some of the less sharp blades such as Treet SP.
Great Video Matt
Hi Matt. Thank you for your efforts in making this. Really appreciated!
Any opinion around the Alum block or Alum stone? I think I must have watch nearly 80% of your videos and you have never mentioned it. I'm just curious about your opinion on it.
Thanks again!
Keep well from South Africa.
It's nice for many people. For me is just seemed irritating over time.
@@RazorEmporium Thank You for Your insight. One day when I'm grown-up (I'm 43 by the way 😅), I'm going to get myself Your Rex Ambassador (I think I'm in love *don't tell my wife) and one day pass it on to my son (he just turned 14). I'm going to plant the wet shaving seed 🌱 early with a Feather Popular safety razor as a gift to him.
I just want to take a moment and show You some heartfelt appreciation. With Your dedication to sharing Your knowledge and experience You have changed my life for the better. My shaving techniques improved, which improved my skin and really improved my self confidence.
For this, I salute You and wish You many blessings and success with everything You endeavor. 🙏🏾🫡
Sincerely Yours,
Ashleigh
I wouldn't say that I have sensitive skin but I have pretty soft skin and a relatively dense/tough beard which is even tougher now that it's gone almost completely gray. I'd say that I have skin that gets mechanically irritated more than chemically irritated.
Face lathering is definitely the way to go IMO. Well hydrated lather will flow through the razor and carry the stubble with it so the blade isn't plowing up a pile of stubble and soap.
I'm with you on the blades. I like them toward the higher end of sharpness and most of the blades I really like are coated. Many of the blades you mentioned definitely help. I also like some that didn't work for you, e.g. Tiger/Tatra Platinum. Feather is always rough on my face.
Even if you don't have sensitive skin, some days BBS isn't in the cards. Just shoot for par. When my allergies are acting up it's not just my eyes and sinuses that are puffy and sensitive, so I also take it easy with the shave and go with a mild razor.
Your old method of using the Proraso white line and eliminating variables also makes sense. I recommend new shavers buy the kit in the tin with the preshave, cream in a tube, and balm. It's important to determine if the skin is actually sensitive to items used in the process (chemical irritation), or if the skin is being physically damaged by the process (mechanical irritation), or both. Blades can do both if your face is sensitive to either the metal in the blade or the coatings.
I've found that using alum after the shave has a benefit that isn't mentioned enough. The alum will let you know when it's time to toss a blade so it can save your face on the next shave. A blade can often still be sharp enough to cut efficiently but it will be rough on the skin. I find that the alum does a better job of making me feel than than an alcohol based splash does.
Having some hydrocortisone cream (not the ointment with the petroleum jelly base) on hand to calm irritated skin down post shave is a good idea. It works well no matter whether the irritation is chemical or mechanical.
Great advice. I thought that my issue was with sensitivity to lanolin, since I had a huge reaction to Mitchell's Woolfat. Upon inspecting labels more closely, I've found that some of my favorite soaps have lanolin listed as an ingredient, so that's clearly not the culprit. My advice would be, when possible, try product samples before committing to a full size purchase.
Great recommendations. Thanks for doing this. Greetings, Heiko-shaves
I need hot water, sorry. Tried cold, but can't get used to it. Also, applying a pre-shave oil has helped my sensitive skin. As always, great video!
I totally back up the cold water argument. It is a GAME CHANGER. Once you go cold, you can't really go back because hot water and warm shaving start to become kind of unappealing, at least for me. I've gotten my best shaves with cold water as opposed to a few years ago when I started DE shaving and used hot water with everything. Cold wins the beard wars! 😊😊😊
But I will say a thing that really works for me (personally) over a long, long time and lots of experimentation has been using pre and post-shave oils. I have used pre-shave soaps and creams (the Proraso White pre-shave cream is pretty good), but I tried using the RE pre-shave soap and got irritated (go figure, lol) and I have also used PAA's Cube 2.0, but my skin got a bit too slick and sometimes I ran over some areas of my face with the blades and the hairs didn't catch for some reason. BUT, I use a pre-shave oil from Van Yulay (a natural goods store) and I swear...my shaves have been AMAZING using it. Three small pumps of oil that covers my beard along with my shaving soaps...and when I get to the end of my shave, it is just sublimely magical with zero irritation. I also use post-shave balms (no splashes) and I frequently use this "Good Oleo v2" post-shave oil blend from Chicago Grooming Co. which seals off my shave so, so well and has an amazing woody-like scent to it. The oils are all-natural, plant based blends with essential oils and very few ingredients that give amazing results and they have been my personal "secret weapons" of shaving for quite a while with my skin type.
Great advice!
That is great tips bro
I follow everything as per your prescription just do two passes with the grain. It works for me
Hello Matt mate we are in the depths of winter here in Australia and I could not come at cold water shave - sorry not for me. The soap I use is your branded one with charcoal and I find that really pleasant to the nose and helps with the rets of my shave. I always use premium shave soap - Taylors from Old Bond Street London and a Feather AS-D2 with a feather blade and it gives me a good shave. Now I use a synthetic Yaqi Cashmere brush because I don't feel easy about using animal hair for mostly ethical reasons.
However I do like some of the tips you present here and will try them out - except for the cold water LOL!! Plus I do like using Thayers medicated after shave lotion which seems to raise the whiskers I have missed or have been lying flat during my shaves (and I like the old school smell of it). I have to add that I cannot daily shave as that really stirs up my skin which at 76 years old sort of expecting it as my skin ages and I get a lot closer shave when my whiskers are at least two days old.
Thanks for the vidos!
No alum block? 🤔
Not for me
How would you rate the juice of Aloe Vera leaf before & after shaving? In Comparison with all of the balsams, aftershaves, most qualitative shave soaps etc? It is very pleasant, does wonders, but somehow it is not enough for heavy everyday shaving. That is why I am using a quality safety razor for a week now, and a lot of (cheap but maybe ok) shaving creme. And now upgrading the rest.
Never tried
Hey Matt. Love your content. I'm thinking about getting a straight razor. But I have a mole just above my chin and I was wondering if you had any tips on something like that.
That would certainly be an obstacle. Maybe a dermatologist could give insight into possible removal?
Matt you guys ever going to do a open comb Rex razor?
Maybe 🤔
@@RazorEmporium Matt don't make me buy a pearl flexi open. I want to stay 'merica. 🦅
Can you try this even if you’ve already got ingrown hairs and bumps? Or should I let them heal first and then try this?
Try what I said. But definitely dig them out
O.k. Mat, how do you get cold water in Phoenix in the Summer? I remember the cold water was hotter than the hot water in the Summer.
Shaving cream mixed with aloe vera and a bit of shea butter after a hot towel is my shave prep. Shave soap is too dry for me. An ice cube cool down and an aftershave to finish.
Thanks for sharing!!
The only thing I can add to this prescription is this; if you have to press the razor against your skin to get a few tough hairs, it's time to change out your blade for a fresh one. That comes from personal experience, three or four shaves on a blade is tops for me. My thinking is when the razor slows down and hairs start to get harder to shave off, time for a new blade.
If I shaved daily, I'd be destroyed. Can't do that. Every 48 hours. I save BBS for special occasions and just accept that not every shave will be the best I can do.
I shave at night so I have no time pressure. I just really enjoy the process. Weirdo here 😊
Used to be there too. Keep searching for the right products.
Dang, how do you get cold water here in phoenix during summer? Lol
This cold water thing totally contradicts what I have been told my whole life. Why do barbers use hot towels then?
Do you think barbers use the best products and deliver the best shaves?
@@RazorEmporium I’m not sure, do they? Why are we told to use hot water and to shave right after a shower? I’m still confused.
I was hesitant to try the cold water just because i have always use dhot or warm water during a shave, the difference is incredible, i have been using cold water for the full process for the past week and i have barely even needed my alum block! My biggest problem areais the neck (like matt and many other commenters) but using cold water has almost completely eliminated the irritation. Glad i saw this video early in my wet shaving experience. I am strongly considering a rex razor for my next purchase, the henson mild is working very well for me, but i feel like im still leaving a bit of hair behind and not getting as close as i would like on the neck. Do you think a sentry or envoy would be better suited to my situation? Im very intrigued by the slabt razors but im not sure if there would be an added learning curve that might throw me off as im still a beginner.
Sentry. Learning curve is 1 shave
Great video! I appreciate the technique tips, and it is cool to see a Fat Boy put to work.
I have a question on a vintage razor you have for sale on the website. Wondering the best way to go about that?
Email me sales@razoremporium.com
Now the real question would be would you consider doing a 1955 aftershave balm?
Yes
I shower shave, with copious hot water. I learned: 1 - I have a little scar tissue on my neck from a cyst, I hit that with a cartridge razor first; first pass I shave with a milder razor(Brit Red Tip Rocket), 2nd pass with a Fatboy set to 8. Vegan shave soaps can't be used every day for me. if I use vegan, I use a tallow soap every other day. weirdly enough, with the grain doesn't cut my hair at all, I shave against or across the grain. the super sharp blades(Feather, Kai. Bolzano) irritate me. my favorite is vintage Polsilver, Astra Green, 7 O'Clock, pretty much St. Petersburg Gillette blades. I Didn't care for Rapira. I like big brushes. I love my 39mm badger brushes, and my 28mm mixed boar and badger brushes. I have been caught by the perfume, I love Truefitt&Hill West Indian Lime but I can't use it every day. finally, I see the same phenomenon of the shave feeling smoother about 20 minutes after the shave. I have more trouble with the fringe on my head than my face, but that is mostly because the contortion is tough when the arthritis is acting up
I haven't gotten can ingrown hair in the longest time thanks to single blades.
Thank you Matt. If you get rid of the moustache and the goat beard, your very useful shaving demonstration will be even more informative.
Ask my wife 🫡
Everyone needs Shave every other day or is that more so for the people with ingrown hair?
I would say give it a shot and see if it helps improve the quality of your complexion
I tried Cold Water and it was the worst experience I have ever had. There was so much pulling and tugging, and irritation. I tried it again, and it was even worse. Then a 3rd and 4th time, still. Awful. Having said that, I noticed a lot of people respond to it, or at least it seems this way. I am wondering if this might be due to the type of hair or skin? I don't think this method works across the board, and there has to be a valid reason why it seems to work for many, and also many it doesn't?
Never heard that experience before but I'm sorry it doesn't work for you
My secret is using preshave oil. I buy MCT coconut oil from Walmart. And a new tip from Geo fat boy is: reapply shaving oil before a second pass!
I think the only thing really missing here is the hardest thing of all: let your face and neck heal before shaving again. This might take a couple of weeks. You need to work those hairs out from under the razor bumps / ingrown hairs. They've been chopped raggedly and burried themselves under the top layer of skin. Get them clear.
Finally someone in the wetshaving world who isn’t running around like a madman chasing BBS lol
No matter how hard I try, I always get irritation on the third pass on the neck when I go against the grain.
I use a Wilkinson Sword Classic razor(the black one), Gillette blue and red blades, a 24mm knot Maggard synthetic shaving brush, a cream(Palmolive, D'amaris, Denim or Proraso green) and an aftershave balm or splash.
Anyone else who has irritation after the ATG pass? Could use some advice.
Maybe don't do an atg pass?
@@RazorEmporium Thanks.
I'm new so I don't have advice, just the same issue
This is great.. Tried cold water in the past, not good for me. However, I use every one of these recommendations. Yet, there is one that you may have overlooked... ALUM. I use alum after I shave. I let the residue sit on my face for a few minutes after I shave and while I brush my teeth. I then use cool to luke warm water to fully rinse off the alum. Then I use the aftershave balm.
My prescription: Warm water. Pre-shave lotion (Proraso for me), Shave cream (Proraso), Feather ASD2 razor with Feather razor blades, Lather with a Proraso boar brush, Shave. Two passes, one with grain the other pass across the grain. Rinse lather thoroughly with cold water to tighten up the pores. ALUM to the entire shaved face. You may feel a tingle if you shave to hard. Rinse the residue thoroughly (cool or warm water). Apply Proraso aftershave balm. I haven't had an issue in 10 years.
I just use an all natural vegan soup, and honestly it turns out so smooth after I rinse I don't even need any aftershave/baum, that's because these shaving creams are loaded with chemicals, and then you put aftershave which also has chemicals, I would keep it as natural as possible, all you need is a good cold splash of water.
Can we see u getting full.clean shaven one day? That's a great tutorial
ruclips.net/user/liveVnt8ck_0bm4?feature=share
I'm Irish/German and diabetic. I got tired of spending a lot of money on different products. Now I just let my beard grow and when something comes up like a wedding or funeral I go to a REAL barber and get it trimmed and have them shave my neck etc. If I was rich I would do it regularly. I'm not working anymore so I can get away with this approach now.
Huh... Turns out you actually CAN teach an old dog new tricks... Just finished a two pass shave and went with cold water. It was odd, but I'm already aware of an improvement in the overall experience.
You didn’t talk about how many shaves per each side of the blade before replacing a new one. Bummer, it would have been a complete video lol
Completely arbitrary number. Each to their own. Some get 2 shaves some get 20.
The number is what it is for each person and for each blade. I have tried blades which I cannot get at least 2 shaves; and I have tried blades which gave me more than 12 shaves. Specific blade products, too! Bolzano? BIC? Not even as much as two shaves per blade. But that was for ME. Feather Hi-Stainless? I had about 13 or 14 shaves per blade.
My face is not a baby’s butt. I don’t need a BBS shave.
😂
You s(h)aved me ❤
If you have a Yugoslavia name please say it like your ancestors
You didn’t talk about how many shaves per each side of the blade before replacing a new one. Bummer, it would have been a complete video lol