• shaving routine for men

What is the right shaving routine for men?

I carried out a small survey on Instagram this week. It was about men’s skin and, in particular, how it differs from women’s skin. To start with men’s skin is thicker. But besides that it is also oilier, the skin sweats more, is more acidic and also has more facial hair. And the latter is precisely what makes up the most important and “almost” daily skin care routine for men. Not washing, but shaving! A man does this on average 20,000 times in his lifetime. So it’s quite important that it is done in the right way.

Neck and jawline full of red bumps

Whether you opt for a close shave, trimming or shaping, a good routine, or rather the right procedures and products are actually key. Did you know that a lot of men are left with a jawline and neck full of red bumps and irritation after shaving? This is often connected to the follow-up treatment, more specifically, a “fresh” aftershave with alcohol or perfume. And that is not a good idea on ever so slightly damaged skin. Because that is what shaving does to the skin, damages it a little bit. But sometimes things also go wrong in the preparation stage.
Basically, what can you do to prevent irritation? Have a look at the following routine.

Before shaving – Cleanse the skin with a mild cleanser. Sebum, dirt and dead skin cells can cause the hairs to lie flat. Cleansing will help the razor to glide over the skin more easily and so reduce the risk of irritation..

During shaving – Wet the skin thoroughly and ideally use a perfume free shaving foam (you could also use your facial cleanser). Wet hairs are easier to cut through. You can also use an electric shaver instead of razors. This reduces the risk of micro-cuts.

After shaving – As a mild aftershave you can use a toner with soothing ingredients and then a cream suitable for your skin type. You can store these products in the fridge if you want a cooling effect. It works well!

Tip! The regular use of an exfoliant helps to reduce ingrowing hairs. Why? By removing dead skin cells the hairs will have less resistance to growing outwards and the razor can glide more easily over the hairs.

Leave your hair on?

If you want to keep your beard, you do have to maintain it. You can follow the above routine for shaving the contours. Other tips for a beautiful beard? I would say stay tuned. Because I’ll be coming soon with a new post and blog about special oils that promise you a fuller beard (or bush).