Shave this!
Warning, really long post ahead.
I'm kind-of a shaving geek.
Shaving used to be a chore for me; I'd put it off as much as possible, I shaved maybe two or three times per week at most. Now I find it soothing. I still don't do it everyday, but now it's a luxury for me.
That's thanks to switching from the "normal" way of shaving to "wet shaving". Wet Shaving is different.
Wet shaving is appealing to me for a few reasons. The biggest is that Mach 20 (or whatever number they are on now) razor blades are obscenely expensive. Two, wet shaving is better for the skin and is more enjoyable.
To the first point, seriously it's a ridiculously cheaper. A 12 pack pack of Mach3 razor blades costs $19, plus shipping if you want to buy it that way. Whereas I can get a 100 pack of double-edge safety razor blades for $22, plus shipping. Yes, you read that correctly, that's 100 razor blades for twenty-one dollars. So the Mach3 is $1.58 per blade, while the double-edge is 22 cents per blade. If you bought 100 Mach3 blades ($1.58 times 100) that's $158 versus only $22 for the double-edge blades.
That's a huge savings, even accounting for you having to buy a shaving brush and double-edge razor. Once you buy your brush and safety razor, over the long haul, it's incredibly cheaper. Plus at the price of the Mach3 blades, I would try to make the blades longer than I should have, so as to not have to spend more money on them. Thus, I was using a duller blade, which is worse for the skin.
To the second point, the switch to wet shaving also meant for me a switch in shaving gel. The traditional shaving goo that you get at Target and other mass stores isn't good for you. It's full of stuff that dries out your face, which is horrible for your face during the shave.
Right now I'm using Proraso. It's a little more, but it's well worth it. It does last quite a while, the tub I've had since March. The smell is great and also, more importantly than the others, it lathers well. I put my shaving brush into the cup, twist it around, and the lather on the brush that goes on my face is wonderful, helping make for a better quality shave.
Switching from shaving the "normal" way to wet shaving does require a decent amount of learning or should I say "relearning". With the Mach3 type razors, you can do what you want while you are shaving. Not so with the safety razors. If you put pressure down while using them you'll get cuts on your face. The weight of the razor is all you need. So I cut myself quite a few times while learning to wet shave.
Wet shaving is different from "normal" shaving also in that it's not about "beard elimination", but "beard reduction". With the "normal" way you press down on the razor and (hopefully) get everything done right away. With wet shaving, your goal is to gradually get rid of the beard by making multiple passes, which is better for the skin. I myself usually make three passes.
It does take a little more time, what with creating the lather and the multiple passes, so I do my shaving at night. Like I said, it's a luxury for me, so I find it relaxing to do before bed.
Due to all the above, I'm fully sold on wet shaving.
I'm kind-of a shaving geek.
Shaving used to be a chore for me; I'd put it off as much as possible, I shaved maybe two or three times per week at most. Now I find it soothing. I still don't do it everyday, but now it's a luxury for me.
That's thanks to switching from the "normal" way of shaving to "wet shaving". Wet Shaving is different.
Wet shaving is appealing to me for a few reasons. The biggest is that Mach 20 (or whatever number they are on now) razor blades are obscenely expensive. Two, wet shaving is better for the skin and is more enjoyable.
To the first point, seriously it's a ridiculously cheaper. A 12 pack pack of Mach3 razor blades costs $19, plus shipping if you want to buy it that way. Whereas I can get a 100 pack of double-edge safety razor blades for $22, plus shipping. Yes, you read that correctly, that's 100 razor blades for twenty-one dollars. So the Mach3 is $1.58 per blade, while the double-edge is 22 cents per blade. If you bought 100 Mach3 blades ($1.58 times 100) that's $158 versus only $22 for the double-edge blades.
That's a huge savings, even accounting for you having to buy a shaving brush and double-edge razor. Once you buy your brush and safety razor, over the long haul, it's incredibly cheaper. Plus at the price of the Mach3 blades, I would try to make the blades longer than I should have, so as to not have to spend more money on them. Thus, I was using a duller blade, which is worse for the skin.
To the second point, the switch to wet shaving also meant for me a switch in shaving gel. The traditional shaving goo that you get at Target and other mass stores isn't good for you. It's full of stuff that dries out your face, which is horrible for your face during the shave.
Right now I'm using Proraso. It's a little more, but it's well worth it. It does last quite a while, the tub I've had since March. The smell is great and also, more importantly than the others, it lathers well. I put my shaving brush into the cup, twist it around, and the lather on the brush that goes on my face is wonderful, helping make for a better quality shave.
Switching from shaving the "normal" way to wet shaving does require a decent amount of learning or should I say "relearning". With the Mach3 type razors, you can do what you want while you are shaving. Not so with the safety razors. If you put pressure down while using them you'll get cuts on your face. The weight of the razor is all you need. So I cut myself quite a few times while learning to wet shave.
Wet shaving is different from "normal" shaving also in that it's not about "beard elimination", but "beard reduction". With the "normal" way you press down on the razor and (hopefully) get everything done right away. With wet shaving, your goal is to gradually get rid of the beard by making multiple passes, which is better for the skin. I myself usually make three passes.
It does take a little more time, what with creating the lather and the multiple passes, so I do my shaving at night. Like I said, it's a luxury for me, so I find it relaxing to do before bed.
Due to all the above, I'm fully sold on wet shaving.