The art of shaving
As a little boy, among the occasional bonding rituals I had with my father that I really enjoyed was that regular trip to our local barbershop. Compared to the luxe, high-end salons of this day and age with their fancy interiors and chic clientele, walk into your local Bruno’s and you will find that barber shops offer no-nonsense, masculine services for every man’s grooming requirements. At four years old I remember sitting on the gigantic barber’s chair getting my sideburns trimmed (with the make-shift bangko to make the seat higher, of course) and being fascinated by the sight of middle-aged, older men reclined in their seats with their eyes closed, their faces covered in white goop, getting a professional shave from the barber with a straight razor. At home I was equally mesmerized by the classic image of watching my dad shave his moustache in the mornings before heading off to work.
As a teenager I found out that I had much more facial hair than my classmates and my dad. I clearly remember thinking, the day I decided to shave off that first “baby” moustache at 14 with a brand-spanking new Gillette Sensor, that somehow I knew there was no turning back. I would be doing this “chore” for the rest of my life, with my facial hair growing at an alarming rate from above my upper lip, soon after appearing on my chin, then my cheeks and finally fading towards my neck. Compared to my friends who only had to shave once a week, I was shaving almost every other day back then. I’ve encountered every shaving crisis known to man. Nicks, major cuts, razor burn, ingrown hairs… you name it, I’ve seen it. So let’s just say that with my industry experience as a makeup artist, encountering countless grooming products almost every day and my personal knowledge of shaving every day for over a decade, I know a thing or two about making the daunting task of shedding unwanted facial hair less of a task and a more brief, enjoyable, pain-free ritual that you can look forward to. Here’s how:
• Always remember that in order to get the perfect shave, your best friend throughout the entire process is water. Oh yes, lots of good old, lukewarm H20 is the only “product” that will protect you from all the problems associated with shaving. Remember that your facial hair is thicker than the hair on your scalp so it will take some time for it to soften, so just splashing your face with cold water in the morning is no good. That is why it is common knowledge that it is best to shave after you shower because the warm water while you bathe softens the beard. If you prefer shaving before you shower you can splash your face with warm water but take a face towel and wet it with hot (not scalding) water and cover your face with it. The heat and moisture will soften your beard as well as taking a shower. In the olden days, men would even apply shaving oil to prep whiskers for shaving and soften it further.
• After wetting the face completely, use an exfoliating scrub or soak face with a warm towel to slough off dead skin cells and smoothen the surface of the skin before you shave. This process also helps prevent the occurrence of ingrown hairs. Ingrown hairs appear when the hair is cut bluntly below the skin’s surface where skin is usually dry. It also occurs frequently among those with curly hair since the hair tends to grow back into the follicle and is sealed in with dry, dead skin. Razor bumps (pseudofolliculitis barbae), which are small acne-like inflammations, also often occur near the jaw line where skin is drier and facial hair tends to create a whorl (puyo in Tagalog). Exfoliation scrubs off dead skin, leaving the epidermis smooth and will help prevent ingrown hairs and shaving bumps from forming. A good one to try with a cooling, minty after-feel is L’Oreal Paris Pure Zone Deep Exfoliating Gel Wash. Its intense acting exfoliating microbeads unblock pores by removing dead skin cells.
• Keeping the face wet, apply a generous amount of shaving cream/gel over the entire area to be shaved. Massage the cream or gel well into the beard to soften it and allow its moisturizing ingredients to be absorbed by the facial hair. Leave the cream on for at least a minute. Shaving creams act like conditioners so you just can’t apply it and go; you have to let it sit on your hair for a while. An excellent shaving cream that I’ve tried for quite some time is Kiehl’s “Close Shavers” Squadron Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream. Its rich and creamy formula enriched with moisturizers softens the beard and is so effective that you only need to apply a thin layer enough to cover the face.
• Now choosing your razor is key to a close, comfortable shave. More blades mean less drag on the skin and faster shaving, helping you avoid unwanted cuts. I’ve tried everything out there on the market and I believe that packing your own razor when you travel is crucial because most hotel disposable razors will almost always result in a bloodbath and razor burn. (Ouch!) Razor technology today really works and those multiple blades, lubricating strips, pivoting heads and microfins are all there to make shaving a more pleasant ritual in the morning. Lubricating strips help the blade glide on smoother. Fins act like miniature combs to brush up the hair allowing for a closer shave. My best bets for Razors are the Shick Quattro and the Gillette Mach 3. Both are extremely handy to use and reduce my shaving time in half because I don’t have to go over certain areas twice.
• The cardinal rule is to shave in the same direction as the hair growth. Begin with the neck area going up, then the cheek and jaw area shaving downwards. Glide the razor downwards over the moustache above your upper lip and along the sides of the mouth. Finish off with the chin area. Always shave the goatee around your chin last, leaving the shaving cream on for a longer period, as these are the toughest hairs on your face. Go over these areas once to avoid irritation and razor burn. Rinse the face well with cool water to close and tighten your pores. I generally recommend avoiding any alcohol-based after-shave preparations as these may irritate the skin, leaving skin taut and dry.
• Never skip the final step of moisturizing the face with a lightweight gel, balm or lotion to help smoothen the skin and alleviate razor burn. A good one to try is Lancome Men Age Fight, which is non-oily and non-greasy and contains Vitamin E and Caffeine.
