Not everyone knows that the safety razor is a superior shaving tool.
In fact, the overwhelming majority of men use cartridge razors because they’re “easy to use” and have been sold the lie that cartridge razors are more comfortable, too.
However, compared to the cartridge razor, the safety razor is well-known as a safe – as its name-shaving for a long time, which means they provide a comfortable shave with less irritation.
Although the safety razor has 2 types: Single Edge (SE) razor and Double Edge (DE) razor, the Double-Edged Safety Razor is more common than another in recent market.
Today, we are here to introduce everything you need to know about how to shave with a double-edge safety razor. If you’re thinking about taking the plunge and trying one, let’s jump right into this!
Pre-shave routine
First and foremost, you must have a pre-shave routine that makes your shave softer, safer, and a lot more hygienic! Take the routine step by step:
Your razor
First on the agenda must be loading your razor:
- Replace a new blade from the last shaving for your skin’s health and hygiene
- Make sure to load the blades straight, and not at an angle, to prevent cuts
Your face
Shaving is a whole lot easier when your whiskers and skin are soft
- Prep your beard with warm water, applied either through showering, or a soft hand towel drenched with clean, warm water.
- Lather your beard with shaving cream: Add a dollop of shaving cream to a mug, and soak your brush in warm water. Create a lather by mixing the shaving cream in the mug with the brush, and apply generously to your beard in a circular motion.
- Flatten the hairs and get ready to shave!
Note: When preparing shaving creams, it’s highly recommended if you could acquire a decent shaving cream with an application brush, instead of a dollar store-branded cream, then apply it on your skin by hand.
The brush and the good cream will support your skin a softer feel when shaving, and leave a much better scent than cheaper options.
Steps To Shave With A Double-Edged Safety Razor
With the preparation out of the way, we can get on with the “good bit” – the shave.
With a double-edged razor, you should split your shave into 2 (maybe 3 if you have particularly long/thick facial hair) stages.
Stage 1: Shave “with the grain”
In less technical terms, shaving in the direction of your hair’s growth. I recommend determining the direction your hair grows and memorizing it, as it is different for every man.
Frankly, shaving with a double-edged safety razor is quite technical compared to the cartridge razor. Each pass needs to be on tight skin, at the right angle with as little pressure as possible.
Now onto the difficult part, “What the hell is the right angle to shave at, and how do I find it?”
The correct angle is between 30 and 45 degrees, and we can’t be getting a protractor out every time we want to shave!
- To find the approximate angle, place the top of the razor against your cheek, then tilt until the razor can cut through your hair.
- Slowly pass the razor through the hair with the least amount of pressure possible, to avoid irritation.
- To keep your skin tight, use your left hand to stretch the skin, exposing your facial hair to the blade.
- For the tight nooks and crevices, you can even push your tongue against your upper lip, just find any way to make your skin taut.
Note
- If you prefer a beard trim to a beard removal, the aggression when shaving should be decreased, which means reduce the pressure you apply. Make more passes, rather than trying to get rid of your beard in one!
- Keep your razor and face lathered as you make each pass. This action would prevent dryness and make your skin feel the extreme freshness, which everyone desires after a shave!
- If you start to feel pulling on the hair, either your blade is dry, or your skin is!
Stage 2&3 – For The Experienced Shaver
Being a more experienced shaver, you may prefer to finish your shave by passing across the grain. At this time, instead of going against the grain, you should shave 90 degrees perpendicular to it.
For longer, thicker facial hairs, shaving may not be done after the 2 stages. Although it is advised against doing this, for an experienced shaver, we can try shaving “against the grain”. This should be your third and final passing.
The 3rd time can make you more susceptible to cuts but can leave you with a baby-faced look.
After a few passes, it would be better to wipe the old cream and dirt on the blade surface with water. This action is for sharper, closer, and clean shaving and irritation protection.
For the first time, it’s recommended to rinse the razor after shaving each side of your face. When you have more experience, you could adjust based on your skin and beard condition.
For the second and third stages, re-apply cream if the rest of the cream on your face is not enough for new shaving.
Post-shave routine
Your post-shave routine can actually be pretty simple.
- Wash your face with cold water to close your pores: Tap water will do the job. This should allow you to rinse out any leftover shaving cream and can benefit your skin by closing the pores off to any bacteria that could leave your skin looking and feeling unhealthy.
- Add some post-shave cream: These can be as fragrant as you like, but the more moisturizing creams are definitely better!
Takeaway
If you are going to take anything from this article, these are the top 3 tips about double-edged shaving stated.
- Shave with as little pressure as possible, you are slowly trimming the beard, not removing it quickly!
- Make sure each pass is at somewhere between 30 and 45 degrees, we do not want to be left cut and bleeding!
- Lathering up your razor and face with shaving cream and warm water is paramount after each pass!
