Technically speaking, there’s little more to shaving your face than dragging a razor across it. But to ensure the closest shave possible, while also avoiding irritation and ingrown hairs — not to mention painful nicks — incorporating a few key steps can make a big difference. Here’s a guide to upgrading your daily routine, with tips from several experts.
Cleanse
To clear excess oil, sweat and debris — which can not only clog your pores but also cause a razor to snag on your skin — start by washing your face with a moisturizing formula such as La Roche Posay’s Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser. It’s best to avoid any harsh ingredients or textures: “Remember, shaving is also exfoliating,” says Corey L. Hartman, 50, a dermatologist based in Birmingham, Ala., so skip the scrubs or chemical exfoliants in the hours before and after. Washing your face in the shower “is typically best because the heat and the steam do well to open the pores and soften the hairs,” says Jake Murphy, 33, a master barber with the Britain-based shop Ruffians. “But in a pinch, just rinse with some hot water; the steam will be enough.”
Lather
After drying your face, lightly massage your skin with a pre-shave oil that contains hydrating ingredients such as almond oil or vitamin E. Maude’s Moisturizing Shave Oil delivers both. “Pre-shave oil is not just about lubrication,” says Simone Forini, 31, the master barber at Barberino’s in New York City. “Its real benefit is hydration; the oils penetrate the skin and hair, softening them deeply to minimize irritation, redness and microcuts.”
Then, apply your shaving cream. While gel formulas are popular, they often include cooling ingredients such as menthol, which can cause receptors in the skin to respond much like they would to cold temperatures. This “can be a bit counterproductive,” as you’re generally trying to warm up the skin before taking a razor to it, Murphy says. Instead, he recommends using a basic cream with minimal ingredients, like Proraso’s Shaving Soap, which whips up into a creamy lather when you add water. Forini emphasizes that, whichever product you choose, the most important ingredients to look for are humectants, like glycerin, which attract water to the skin.
Murphy recommends applying shaving cream with a brush, such as Aesop’s Shaving Brush, rather than with your hands, because the bristles can get under and around the hair better than your fingertips, resulting in more thorough coverage.
Shave
When it comes to shaving, less is more — fewer passes over the same area will reduce the risk of irritating your skin. Murphy recommends using a high-quality, single-blade razor, such as Mühle’s Traditional Safety Razor. “If your razor has three blades, that’s like three passes,” he says. Though your exact starting point and how you sequence your shave might vary based on personal preference, Forini provides this simple guide:
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Line the blade up just above your cheekbone, or wherever your sideburns end, at a 45-degree angle. Before each stroke, use your other hand to stretch the skin beneath the razor taut.
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Shave down toward the neck, over the jawline, stopping right at the crease where the jaw and neck meet. (This is usually where the growth pattern switches direction.) Rinse the blade with warm water after each stroke.
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Finally, shave your neck with upward motions to follow the grain. If it’s not clear exactly where the grain changes direction, use a sideways or diagonal stroke instead, shaving outward toward your ears.
You may be tempted to cut against the grain for an even closer shave, but Hartman strongly advises against this, especially if you have particularly thick or textured hair. “When you cut the hair too short, that causes it to retract into the skin,” he says. “If the hair is curly, then it’s going to be more likely to [grow inward],” potentially resulting not only in painful ingrown hairs but long-term inflammation that can lead to scarring and hyperpigmentation.
For those with curly or kinky hair textures who frequently battle ingrown hairs, Murphy advises skipping the manual razor entirely and opting instead for an electric one, or a trimmer; Bevel’s Electric Foil Shaver is a safe bet.
If you see any redness or bumps, Forini recommends that you stop shaving the affected area for at least 48 hours. During that time, he says, reach for a pH-balancing moisturizer during your morning and evening skin-care routine. Dr. Dennis Gross’s Alpha Beta pH Balance Replenishing Cream works well for all skin types. And whatever you do, don’t pluck an ingrown. If part of the hair happens to loop above the surface of your skin, “use a clean, disinfected safety pin or other sharp object to get right under the strand — not piercing the skin — and then lift it out,” Hartman says. “Then you can effectively cut the hair. But if you pluck the hair out completely, that’s just going to send a signal to the skin that inflammation is present, which can set you up for bumps.”
Protect
Once you’re done with the razor, gently rinse off any remaining shaving cream from your face and neck, lightly pat the skin dry with a clean towel and then apply a post-shave balm. “Too many people still use alcohol-based aftershaves, as our grandfathers did,” Forini says. “Though alcohol disinfects, it also dries the skin, which, after shaving, is already stressed.” Instead, Murphy recommends Heath’s Post Shave Repair, which includes allantoin and aloe vera. Hydrating ingredients are your best choice for this final step, which is all about soothing and restoring balance.
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