By Richmond Truex • 11 Jun, 2021
I will not shave "economy" when "first class" is available. TAOS I will not let my son watch me shave with a plastic razor. TAOS I will discuss my love of shaving freely and without reservation. TAOS I will resist the urge to bring out my shaving brush at parties. TAOS Few skills in life learned early in life are used everyday. Shining shoes, giving a toast, building a campfire, hanging a picture, or giving a speech are skills men could use everyday, but most likely won't. Knotting a tie, shaking hands, making small talk, and performing a proper wet shave are the skills I use every day. So what is the makeup of a perfect shave? The path to smoothness is not hard, just an artful skill learned over a lifetime. We teach men how to improve their tie knot just like improving their shave. For guys, learning the shave is the fundamental rite of passage from boyhood to manhood. Men love the perfect shave. In an attempt to achieve optimal results while trying to maximize the comfort factor, we teach The Art of Shaving 4 step method and sell their products to achieve the comfort and smoothness. When using this method, your face will feel refreshed from using the unique combination of tools, products and techniques. Preparation is the most important step to lubricate the skin, hair and avoid irritation. It starts with proper grooming of your skin and your skin type. The Art of Shaving products has something for every skin type: oily, dry, normal, combination, sensitive, aging, and problem. Each of the Pre-Shave Oils, Shaving Creams or Soaps and After-Shave Balms all address the varying skin types. Know your products for your skin types whether it be Unscented, Sandalwood or Lavender. The most important thing is to wash your face with warm water before you shave. Set up your routine to wash your face in or out of the shower. After the shower, your skin will have been in the steamy water for 10 minutes and well prepared for shaving. I prefer to use the Unscented products so I can choose my cologne and not have scents mix. Applying just the right amount of Pre-Shave Oil can take some time to perfect. A little goes a long way when applying to the main five regions of your face. Around your mouth and chin, right cheek, below right jaw line and neck, left cheek, and below left jaw line and neck. The oil provides the maximum amount of protection so your razor blade glides effortlessly to cut the hair, but not the skin. Use natural oils, which is in The Art of Shaving products, so your skins pores do not become clogged. The use of the oil goes a long way to enhancing skin health. Massage it into your skin before applying the shaving cream or soap. Now you can Lather Up the shaving cream or soap. I've used both, but I prefer the soap at home to the cream. I get the same lather or better using my elbow grease while enjoying the process . When traveling its more convenient using the oil and then cream. At home, I lather up the soap with my fine badger-hair brush and apply it right after the oil. The cream gives a rich lather protecting the skin. Using a brush for either generates a warm lather, lifting the beard hair, and gently exfoliating the skin. And when lathering, a little soap or cream goes a long way. When using a brush, you distribute the shaving cream evenly and it gets underneath and around the hair. The brush does a better job applying than your fingers and results in a better shave. So, to this point you've been preparing the skin. Now we can get on with it and use the razor to shave. Shave with the hair growth and very smooth action. Go over the facial area only once or twice, any more will irritate the skin. You can use a straight razor(old school), safety razor, and multi blade razor. I feel comfortable using the safety razor at home and multi blade when traveling. I have not used the straight razor, that skill I reserve for the professional barber. I have a beard and mustache and still use this method around my face. Facial shave area is reduced to 4 sections- basically above and below the beard on each side of my face. But I have greatly reduced the possibility of irritation and ingrown hairs using the oil and soap. Still prepare your face with warm water to lather the product and get the hairs to stand up. To close the pores on your face, rinse the razor with cold water while shaving. It still gets the hair off and protects my skin. While shaving go around the face and finish above and below the mouth. Your chin will take the most skill and patience to complete shaving. And the total process of wet shaving should take 10 to 15 minutes. Last step to completing your shave and entering the world of smoothness is the correct moisturizes. The Art of Shaving recommends using their oil based After-Shave Balm. When applying like the oil & cream, a little goes a long way. Apply the balm after removing any excess shave cream and oil to ensure you soothe, nourish and moisturize the skin. Avoid balms that have any alcohol, even 2%. The last thing you want to do is irritate the skin and remove a layer of skin after you just removed a layer of skin while shaving. This will not result in smoothness; it can result in redness, irritation, ingrown hairs and razor burn. Always practice good techniques and patience when shaving. There are still challenges to shaving like around goatees or sideburns. However, the head shave becoming more popular in recent years still adheres to the same rules as the face. Use the Pre-Shave Oil, lather cream or soap, and reapply as needed. Always end with a good After-Shave Balm to moisturize the skin. Just as important, use a good razor and exercise patience. A good shave should take 10 to 15 minutes from start to finish. According to popular belief, there is no such thing as a quick shave. Hopefully, reading this will improve your skill of shaving to the land of smoothness. And with Father's Day on June 20th, we carry the full line of products from The Art of Shaving. Introduce your dad to the brotherhood of the Art of Shaving. Or help him improve and upscale his shaving game.
