Wet Shaving With Soap

Many men’s skin is naturally very dry. This can be due to many things- genetics, diet, lifestyle, etc. When your hair grows out, it will go through stages of being thick and then thinning before it is cut off. This is because as it grows longer, there are less water molecules attached to it, causing it to lose moisture.

When you shave, the razor cuts into the skin with lots of friction which removes the top layer, but not much else. If you want to take more care in grooming, wet shaving is the way to do it!

There are two main types of wet shavers: those that use soapy (or lathering) brushes and brushless ones that rely on foam instead. We will talk about both of these here.

Wet shaving is considered by some to be the better style of shaving because it uses less energy than classic razors. The blades don't have to work hard to scrape away the hair.

History of wet shaving

Photo by Nikolaos Dimou on Pexels

Many men have preferred to use soap for their grooming over dry shaving for various reasons. Using natural oils is better for your skin then dry shaving but can cause the razor to gum up.

Some say that using lathers makes their look more professional with a closer shave or that it’s just plain fun! or that it feels more refreshing and causes less irritation.

With all these different theories, they come together in what we know as wet shavers. A man holds his razor close to his face while applying an adequate amount of liquid (lathering) before sliding it across his skin.

This process can be done with either oil, cream, water, or combination of any of those materials. The choice of lathering material depends on the texture of the hair you want to remove and how much energy you desire to invest into the process.

Wet shavers also vary in whether they apply pressure as they shave or if they don’t add too much stress to the area. This is mostly dependent upon the thickness of the hair and the type of beard being shaved.

Types of razors

Photo by Antonio Arcila on Pexels

Most people agree that there are three main types of safety razors, Cutthroat, and cartridge. Safety razors refer to those which use very sharp blades designed to close quickly and effectively without causing too much drag or irritation. These are typically categorized as either wet or dry.

Wet razor systems apply a lather of shaving lather to your face before applying the blade. This gives you more control over how many cuts you want to make since you can add or take away lather to achieve this.

Cutthroat razors have longer lasting edges which give a smoother shave. The length of the blade is important because it must hold up under frequent usage, but more skill is required to use.

Safety razors brands aim to maximize efficiency by cutting down on the number of strokes needed to produce the same result while provide more safety and required less skill to use. Because they use very fine blades, there are fewer chances of getting stuck or cut. Their thin edge allows close touches without any drag or friction. These use a double-edged disposable blade minimising waste.

Cartridge razor theses razors have replaceable plastic cartridges that hold the razor blades creating a lot of waste. Some of these razors have up to 5 blades that they claim contour to the face and give a closer shave. In reality that additional blade causing more irritation and get gummed up with the cut hair. Cartridge systems use a pre-filled strip that can't be replaced when it’s done. Some examples of safe shavers include the Mach 3, The Gillette Fusion, and the Schick Quasar Pro.

Wet shaving process

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels

Many people begin experimenting with wet shaves by using soap and water as their wash product or with shave cream or oil. Some even add an extra ingredient such as alcohol to help facilitate a closer cut!

While this is a great way to start, in order for your shaving to be effective, you need to remove dry dead shin from your face then the layers of skin will prevent a close shave.

By starting off without use of a pre-shave oil or cream, you may notice uncomfortable bumps and prickly sensations due to in grown hairs. This can sometimes lead to poor quality soft shavings which may hurt or irritate your skin.

Prepare your skin

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels

When shaving with soap, your first order of business should be to make sure your skin is well-prepared for the process. Make sure your skin is clean and wash as much as possible just prior to lathering up to shave.

Ensure that you are using the right amount of product and that your hair does not get stuck in any excess. For more experienced shavers, it is helpful to use a pre-shave lotion or cream to lubricate your face and/or prevent dry patches.

Some people like to apply oil onto their face before a shave to keep their facial hairs soft and smooth. There are now special blends of pre-shave oil to assist the shaving process. This is totally personal preference!

What about after? After you shave rinse off your face and then apply an appropriate after shave moisturiser balm to avoid leaving your skin dried out.

Buy your soap

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels

Now that you have found a wet shave razor for yourself, it is time to invest in some good shaving soap to create a great shave. There are many brands of pre-made shave gels and lotions that contain all sorts of chemicals ingredients. Using a Shaving soap made from natural product is gentler on your skin and better for the environment, shaving soap requires less packaging and lasts longer then gels and lotions.

Most people begin with a face wash to cleanse their face with soap and hot water since this has a lasting effect on the skin. A popular ingredient is activated charcoal as it provides a deep clean this is a helpful tip; we gave you earlier! The next step is to apply the pre-shave oil then using your shaving brush mix up a lather and use the brush to apply the lather more thoroughly to your face a small area. Shaving with the grain of the hair applying lather as required. Some people like to then shave across the grain then against the grain to get the closest shave. when finished shaving rinse your face and apply a moisturising balm. This helps lock in moisture and promote faster healing of dry skin caused by the razor.

Do a shave test

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels

Now that you have all of your products, let’s do a quick review! As mentioned before, there is no rule book when it comes to wet shaving. People will suggest different shaves for different beards and hair textures. What works for one person may not work for another.

So, what you can do now is try some of these tips out for yourself. To see how it performs give yourself a test shave and see how it works for you.

Hopefully you'll find at least one thing that works for you and gives you nice results every time.