Closest to BBS yet!

After more than two months, I think I had the best, least irritated shave so far this morning.

Here's what I changed:

- Shaved after the shower. Honestly, I'm not a fan of this, because I'm standing there wet. I always liked shaving before or during the shower, so I could let the shower head do the work in cleaning off all the mess. But maybe the "opening of the pores" thing is really something. Even with "Kyle's Prep" it seems like it's not the same.

- Introduced an aftershave splash into the routine. So, for the last two days, my post-shave plan has been:

• Rinse
• Witch hazel (regular or superhazel)
• Aftershave splash (Dominica Bay Rum, which I don't love, but it fades fast)
• A very small amount of ASB (Feather Kanwa or Gentlemen's Refinery The Standard)

Additionally, I have circled back to IPs, having now tried all of the blades from the West Coast Shaving sampler. I also didn't monkey around with alum or pre-shave oil.

Still not perfect, particularly around the jawline and bottom of my chin. But close and not painful. Tomorrow, I might cut out the ASB, since it seems slightly unnecessary and adds a little shine to my face.

I may be getting the hang of this.

Congrats.. it took me about 6 months before I got a consistent BBS shave with no irritation.

One piece of advice is to not change too many variables at once.. it's tempting, but it makes it hard to zero in on the right combination.

Good for you man!

Dominica Bay Rum always calms my face down after a shave. My favorite.

Big Congrats !

Congrats!!!

Good update!

I wonder if showering before shaving is really making a difference? Or, is it coincidental and I'm just getting better at this?

I gotta do the "after shower" shave. The "before" has never worked for me. Even with a hot towel, hot water, oils, time....just not the same.

yaderhey said:

I wonder if showering before shaving is really making a difference? Or, is it coincidental and I'm just getting better at this?

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It depends, you could do something else than a shower as a prep... I find that it works well in my case to prepare the skin.

Congrats!

yaderhey said:

- Shaved after the shower. Honestly, I'm not a fan of this, because I'm standing there wet.

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Multi-task!
I like to make and apply the lather, then let it sit on my face for about 3 minutes before starting to shave. Seems to need a bit of time to soak into the hairs and properly soften/hydrate them.

Those 3 minutes are perfect for towelling off and grabbing a robe or pair of shorts, along with applying deodorant, maybe brushing my teeth, doing some bathroom tidying.

Congrats.

I am an after shower shaver myself but whatever works best for you.