The shaving revolution has changed everything. We now know that there’s more to life than scraping single-blade plastic doll razors across your face. But there’s so much available out there. How do you know what you actually need?
Well, we’ve broken it down. You’ve got the essentials, and you’ve got the extras. Six items, lots of good tips. This is the future of shaving:
The essentials
A razor
Choose your weapon, soldier. There are three types of razors to choose from: cartridge, safety, and straight.
If you’re new to shaving, it’s probably not the best idea to go straight to the straight razor, also known as the cut-throat razor (it’s as badass as it sounds). Play it safe and start out with a cartridge razor. It’s easier and requires a much smaller investment. We won’t judge – for the first few months anyway.
Safety razors and straight razors are when you get into wet shaving. You know, the real manly stuff. Wet shaving gives you a super close shave, and very little running costs over the life of your razor. The initial investment is worth it. YOU’RE WORTH IT!
The brush
The razor’s most-trusted sidekick (next to, you know, a Glyder). Some people will tell you that you can shave without a brush. These are the people with rashes and toilet paper covering their face. Don’t listen to these people. You dig?
Your first thing to decide is if you want to go artificial, or au naturel. Synthetics are not quite as soft, but they usually less expensive and can take a pretty good beating. However, they don’t hold water as well as some nice animal hair.
The main options for natural brushes are badger and boar. But to be honest, if you really want your shaving to be on point, you need badger. It’s soft, durable, and holds heat and moisture better than anything else. Don’t skimp out here. You’ll be using this everytime you shave so you might as well do it right. Right?
The shaving cream/soap
Aerosol cans kill. Ok, we don’t know if that’s true, but you 100% should avoid any shaving cream or gel that comes out of a can looking like toxic ooze. It’s full of harsh chemicals that can do a number on your skin.
Whether you go with a shaving cream or a shaving soap is totally personal preference. Just make sure you the one you choose has a bunch of organic goodness like vitamins and essential oils to help improve your skin and reduce irritation.
The Extras
The shaving kit holder
The shaving kit holder is the sign of a true boss. It’s classy, shiny, and it’s practical. You need your brush to dry out properly so it’ll last and give you a great lather each shave. If you’re placing your wet brush next to your toothbrush, you just ain’t doing it right.
Beard trimmer
If you’re a guy that doesn’t always go clean shaven, this is key. With a handheld beard trimmer, you can clean yourself up in less than 2 minutes. Hit the few key spots, make sure there aren’t any weird long hairs, and you’re good to go.
If you’ve got a mustache or a big lumberjack beard, invest in a good pair of scissors. Those stray hairs won’t stand a chance. Neither will the hoards of women.
Anti-hemorrhagic
Don’t let the name scare you. An anti-hemorrhagic stick, or vasoconstrictor, is one of the simplest yet most important tools in a man’s arsenal. Why? It fixes your mistakes.
An anti-hemorrhagic stick is made of powdered alum crystals and a wax binder that presses it into a convenient little chapstick-esque tool. Whenever you cut yourself shaving, simply run it under some water and then press it on the cut to stop the bleeding. That’s it. It’s super easy to use, affordable, and keeps you from looking like a complete rookie.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, what you use to get that hair off your face is personal preference. Take the time to do your research and try a few different products out. When you find a product lineup and a routine that works for you, stick to it.