As most of you hopefully know, preparing your skin before shaving is of the utmost importance. If your skin is flaky and dry, shaving will be an exercise in skin irritation. To prepare your skin before shaving, the following re the steps I recommend.
Exfoliating
the area to be shaved is essential for good results. Exfoliation gets
rid of dead cell buildup on the surface of your skin. This buildup is a
factor if you are feeling dry. If you are a woman who has trouble
shaving your legs, try exfoliating beforehand and see if this helps you
get a smoother shave.
For men, you are actually
exfoliating every time your shave, so it may not be practical to
pre-exfoliate your face every time before you shave—unless you are having problems shaving due to dehydrated skin. Using an exfoliant
(like a scrub or gommage) at least once or twice a week on your entire
face will give your skin a smoother texture , setting up the optimum
environment for shaving. Keeping your skin well-moisturized day and
night will also help the cause.
I do not recommend using
soap (especially bar soap) to shave with. Usually soap is alkaline,
causing dryness on the surface of your skin. It also does not give you a
thick, creamy-textured substance for the razor to glide across. Stick
to shaving gels. You can even find some that heat up on your skin. In
emergencies I have used cream rinse (hair conditioner) as a substitute
shaving cream. I don’t recommend this as a regular practice, but in a
pinch it works better than soap, creating a smooth surface to work with
without drying out the skin.
Note: If you find your skin becomes irritated after using a shaving product, discontinue use and try something else. Irritation may be your skin telling you it is sensitive to something in a product, and irritation is not the goal. But before blaming a product, please make sure your razor has a sharp edge. A dull, overused razor spells disaster for even the best-prepared surface.
Note: If you find your skin becomes irritated after using a shaving product, discontinue use and try something else. Irritation may be your skin telling you it is sensitive to something in a product, and irritation is not the goal. But before blaming a product, please make sure your razor has a sharp edge. A dull, overused razor spells disaster for even the best-prepared surface.
Finally a triple (or more) blade razor
is a must in my opinion. Years ago I had a client who shaved his head. I asked him what he used to get such a
close shave without nicking his head.
He said triple blades made all the difference in the world. A few days
later one of my employees said about the same thing for shaving concerns
for women. I immediately ran out and got a triple blade razor and have
been singing its praises ever since. If you haven’t ever used a triple
blade, give one a try. Once you do, you won’t go back to a double
blade—I promise! You can find razors with 4-5 blades now.
If
you are shaving your bikini area, ladies, no doubt you have run into
some problems—namely irritation and ingrown hairs. Shaving with a triple blade
razor may bring some relief, but due to the delicate nature of that
particular skin, shaving is not the optimum way to remove hair at the
bikini line. It is, however, the cheapest way. So if money is a factor
(and you don’t experience the pain of irritation and ingrown hairs),
shave on. But if you are a woman who does have problems when shaving
this area, waxing or even electrolysis may be something to consider.
These services will cost varying amounts of money, but will give you
fewer problems than shaving that delicate area. Aftershave. Whether you are male or female, using something on your skin after you shave (wherever you shave) will greatly increase your chances of having smooth and soothed skin. As long as you are not allergic to it, aloe vera gel makes a great aftershave skin soother. Slather it over the area just shaved. Aloe vera has tremendous healing and soothing abilities; it is used for sunburns, so it will help with your after-shaving needs too. Another alternative would be to use your toner in a spray bottle as an aftershave. As long as you use a toner without alcohol, this product will hydrate and soothe just-shaved skin.
Of course there are many aftershave products on the market, but be sure to use one without alcohol—the bad kind (isopropyl alcohol)—in its ingredient list. Alcohol will be anything but soothing, although it does have antiseptic abilities. Alcohol will probably cause a burning sensation, which is the opposite effect you are looking for after your have run a razor over your skin.
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