Wet Shaving, Done Properly
I swapped disposable cartridges for a safety razor and never looked back, and wished I'd had something to learn from at the start. This is it: picking your first razor, building a proper lather, working up to a straight razor, and keeping your skin happy along the way. A master barber checks the technique.
All guides
- Cold Water Shaving: Does It Work, and When Is It Worth Trying?
Can you wet shave with cold water? What warm water actually does for the beard, why some shavers swear by cold, and how to shave well with no hot tap.
- Shaving Dry Skin in Winter: Why It Stings More and How to Adjust Your Routine
Cold air and central heating dry skin out, so the same shave stings in January. How to change prep, lather, passes and aftercare for winter shaving.
- Single-Edge vs Double-Edge Razor: How the Shave, Blades and Learning Curve Differ
One thick edge or two thin ones? How single-edge and double-edge safety razors differ in blade stiffness, feel, cost and learning curve, and who suits each.
- How to Shave Off a Beard With a Safety Razor: Trim First, Then Shave
Trim the beard to a few millimetres, soak it, then shave with the grain in light passes. Taking off a full beard with a safety razor, without the rash after.
- How to Shave With a Shavette: Loading the Blade, Angle, and Why It Bites
Shavette technique from loading half a DE blade to the first pass: the shallow angle, taut skin, why it nicks more than a straight razor, and blade changes.
- Shaving Around a Beard or Moustache With a Safety Razor
How to shave around a beard, moustache or goatee with a safety razor: setting the cheek line and neckline, keeping edges straight, and shaving under the nose.
- How to Do a Hot Towel Shave at Home
A barber-reviewed guide to the hot towel shave at home: why the towel works, how hot it should be, how long to leave it on, and when it is not worth the faff.
- Open Comb vs Closed Comb Razor: Which Safety Razor Suits You?
Open comb razors expose more blade and clear heavy stubble; closed comb razors guide the lather and stay gentler. Which one suits your beard and skin.
- Wet Shaving for Men and Women: The Same Tools and Technique on Face, Legs and Body
How wet shaving works the same for men and women: one kit and method for face, legs, underarms and body, with grain mapping and care for sensitive areas.
- Wet-Shaving Mistakes Beginners Make (and How to Fix Each One)
The common wet-shaving mistakes beginners make: too much pressure, wrong angle, against the grain too soon, thin lather, dull blade, and rushing, each fixed.
- Is Wet Shaving Cheaper Than Cartridges? The Real Cost
A barber-reviewed look at whether wet shaving is cheaper than cartridges: upfront kit, blade cost per shave, refill prices, and how long soap really lasts.
- Switching From a Cartridge to a Safety Razor: What to Expect
A barber-reviewed guide to switching from a cartridge to a safety razor: what to expect, unlearning pressure, your first weeks, and the kit types to start with.
- Head Shaving With a Safety Razor: How to Shave Your Scalp by Feel
How to head shave with a safety razor: map the grain, work by feel over the curves, use two mirrors, go slow, and care for the scalp afterwards.
- How to Store and Dry Shaving Soap So It Lasts
How to store and dry shaving soap: lids off to dry the puck between uses, preventing mush and mould, and getting the longest life from a tin or tub.
- Travelling With a Safety Razor: Flying Rules, Cases, and Packing
How to travel with a safety razor: pack blades in checked luggage, carry the empty razor, and choose a case, soap, and routine that survive the trip.
- How to Care for Your Razor and Brush: Rinsing, Drying, and Storage
How to care for your safety razor and shaving brush: rinse well, air-dry, stand the brush bristles-down, descale hard-water deposits, and make the kit last.
- How Often Should You Shave? Frequency, Skin Recovery, and Stubble
How often should you shave? A barber-reviewed look at skin recovery, daily versus alternate-day shaving, stubble, and sensitive or ingrown-prone skin.
- The Perfect Wet-Shave Routine, Step by Step
A barber-reviewed wet-shave routine, step by step: prep, lather, your passes, rinse, and aftercare, built into one repeatable ritual that protects your skin.
- How to Shave the Neck and Tricky Areas Without Irritation
A barber-reviewed guide to shaving the neck, jaw, chin, and under the nose: map the swirling grain, stretch the skin, go slow, and avoid razor bumps.
- How to Stop a Shaving Nick Bleeding: Fast Fixes That Work
A barber-reviewed guide to stopping a shaving nick bleeding fast: cold water and pressure, styptic pencil and alum, why nicks happen, and how to prevent them.
- Shaving Acne-Prone Skin: How to Shave Around Breakouts Gently
A barber-reviewed guide to shaving acne-prone skin: working around breakouts, blade hygiene, a sharp blade, light pressure, and when to see a dermatologist.
- Wet Shaving for Sensitive Skin: A Gentler Routine
A barber-reviewed guide to wet shaving for sensitive skin: prep, milder blades, fewer passes, with-the-grain only, soothing products, and patch-testing.
- Razor Bumps vs Razor Burn: How to Tell Them Apart
A barber-reviewed guide to razor bumps vs razor burn: how to tell irritation from ingrown-hair bumps, what causes each, and how to treat and prevent both.
- How to Prevent Ingrown Hairs From Shaving
A barber-reviewed guide to preventing ingrown hairs from shaving: why they form, how exfoliation and with-the-grain passes help, and when to see a doctor.
- How to Prevent Razor Burn: Causes and Fixes
A barber-reviewed guide to preventing razor burn: the real causes (pressure, angle, dull blade, thin lather) and the prep and aftercare that fix them.
- Alum Block and Styptic Pencil: What Each One Does and How to Use It
What an alum block and a styptic pencil do after wet shaving: how alum soothes and flags over-shaved skin, how styptic stops small nicks, and how to use each.
- Pre-Shave and Aftershave Explained: Oils, Balms, and Splashes
What pre-shave oils and creams actually do, the difference between an aftershave splash and a balm, and how to choose alcohol or soothing for your skin.
- Shaving Soap vs Shaving Cream: How to Choose
Shaving soap vs cream, compared by a wet shaver and barber: lather, longevity, ease, and cost, plus how to choose the type that suits how you shave.
- Shaving Brushes Explained: Badger, Boar, Synthetic, and How to Choose
A barber-reviewed guide to shaving brushes: badger vs boar vs synthetic, knot size and loft, how to choose, breaking one in, and caring for it day to day.
- DE Blades Explained: Sharpness, Smoothness, and When to Change Them
A barber-reviewed guide to double-edge razor blades: sharpness vs smoothness, why brand sampling matters, when to change a blade, and how to handle and dispose.
- Safety Razors Explained: Aggressiveness, Combs, and How to Choose
A barber-reviewed guide to safety razors: aggressiveness, open vs closed comb, adjustable heads, handle weight, and how to choose by your skin and beard.
- How to Hone a Straight Razor: Whetstone Grits and the Basics
How to hone a straight razor: how honing differs from stropping, when an edge actually needs honing, the whetstone grits involved, and when to send it to a pro.
- How to Strop a Straight Razor: Technique, Leather vs Linen, and Common Mistakes
A barber-reviewed guide to stropping a straight razor: why you strop before every shave, leather vs linen, the spine-led technique, and the mistakes to avoid.
- How to Shave With a Straight Razor: Grip, Angle, and Technique
A barber-reviewed guide to shaving with a straight razor: how to grip it, the roughly 30 degree angle, keeping skin taut, short strokes, and the learning curve.
- Types of Razors Explained: DE, SE, Straight, Shavette, Cartridge, Electric
A barber-reviewed guide to the main types of razors: how the DE, SE, straight razor, shavette, cartridge, and electric each work, and who each one suits.
- Safety Razor vs Cartridge Razor: How They Differ and How to Choose
A barber-reviewed comparison of safety razors and cartridge razors: how each works, irritation, closeness, running cost, the learning curve, and waste.
- Shaving With the Grain vs Against the Grain: Direction, Closeness, and Irritation
A barber-reviewed guide to shaving with the grain vs against the grain: how to map your beard, why WTG goes first and ATG last, and the irritation trade-off.
- How to Get a Close Shave With a Safety Razor
A barber-reviewed guide to a close shave: build closeness with multiple light passes, re-lather between them, and buff for touch-ups, never with pressure.
- How to Build a Shaving Lather with a Brush
A barber-reviewed guide to building a shaving lather: loading the brush from soap or cream, adding water gradually, face vs bowl lathering, and judging foam.
- How to Use a Safety Razor: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
A barber-reviewed, step-by-step guide to using a safety razor: how to load a blade, hold it, the right angle and pressure, and shave without nicks or burn.
- Wet Shaving: A Beginner's Guide to a Closer, Kinder Shave
A barber-reviewed beginner's guide to wet shaving: what it is, the kit you need, the technique step by step, and how to avoid razor burn while you learn.