Shaving tips for men

Men – if you’ve been shaving since a teen, do you know if you’re doing it the right way? Nothing beats a proper cut throat shave, so in order to get the same sensation at home, make sure you follow these tips, courtesy of Men’s Health.

Exfoliation

First of all, you should be exfoliating, whether you shave or not, and regardless of the season. However, it’s especially important in winter, and even more important before a shave. In fact, if you’re a frequent shaver, like twice a week, just migrate the habit over from shower to sink ledge. Here’s why Simone says it’s good to do just before you polish your cheeks: Humidity drops significantly during the winter, so your skin gets cracked, irritated, and dry. Then to top it off, you go in and out of the overheated indoors, which can cause even more skin discomfort.

Skin cells dehydrate, so in order to rehydrate and get rid of those razor-clogging dead skin cells on your face, you need to buff them away by exfoliating in order to get a smooth shave. By exfoliating about twice a week you are allowing your other grooming products to work more efficiently. Your shave oils and post-shave balms also can’t do their job properly if dead skin cells are in the way.

Shorten your pre-shave prep, and save the shower for later

Hot water and cold, dry air are a recipe for brittle, irritated skin. Even though a hot shower sounds like an appealing way to begin the shaving process in the winter, you need to skip it. It will just dry out the skin. You don’t want to wash away all the natural oils in your skin that seal in the moisture you need.

However, you still need to open the pores with hot water, so abbreviate the process: Simone says to splash some hot water on the face, or soak it for 10-20 seconds with a hot, damp towel, but nothing longer. This will still soften the hairs, open the pores, and prepare the skin for the shave.

Add some oil to your routine

In winter, skin prep is paramount to having a safe, healthy shave. In warmer months, you may not typically apply anything before the shave, since your skin doesn’t get nearly as dehydrated. But shaving a raw, chapped face in the winter isn’t going to give you the result you want. Use a pre-shave oil after the hot water splash. The oil is something you ought to do year-round out of good habit. It can soothe the skin and soften the hairs, making it easier and less painful to shave.

Make sure you use post-shave balm

Dr. Spiller Manage Your Skin Calming After Shave Balm is a soothing balm with patented Glycamon® compound and regenerative actives such as devil’s claw and panthenol. The balm provides immediately calming and regenerative balm to instantly soothe irritations after shaving.