I've posted twice chronicling my first two DE shaves, but figured it would be easier to have one ongoing thread so it would be easier for me to look back and track my progress.
To summarize I am using a Merkur HD 34C for no other reason then it seems to get overall good reviews and recommendations. Also have a sampler pack from WCS and an omega brush. Have a Haslingger coconut soap, a few Kiss My face creams and a tube of the Bigelow (Proraso) cream. I mix my lather up in a small glass Pyrex bowl which seems to work really well and am using an Omega boars hair brush and although it's a cheaper brush i see nothing wrong with it and can whip up some nice lather with it.
I have dark blond hair, not a very think beard, but thick in some spots like the mustache area and chin and under my chin, but since i have lighter hair and not as think as a lot of people I probably have it easier than most. I do have a prominent jaw line (see attached pics) that is continuously proving to be a problem area, both with not being able to get very close shaves in this area and with frequent nicks.
First shave went great, aside from some minor burn and the expected nicks. used an Astra blade, Haslinger's soap (which didn't lather up as well as the creams i have but seemed to get the job done). out of the three shaves I've sone so far this was the best, but did get some irritation/bumps on my neck and mustache area. with cartridges i've had this problem in the mustache area in the past if i go against the grain, and seems to be the same so far with the DE, so for now on i am sticking to going WTG and ATG in this area. got a couple nicks that healed very quickly, some minor burning due to too much pressure.
Second shave not as nice as first, used a Gilette 7 o'clock blade and the Proraso. Didint get as close as the first shave especially in my problem spots (jawline and mustache) and still managed to knick up my jawline and neck. The Proraso cream make great lather though, and it felt and smelled good. Refresing but not overpowering.
Third shave tried out a Crystal blade. This shave was probably better than the second shave and close to the first. Very conscious of using no pressure. Used Kiss My Face Lavendar cream, lathered up fast, but felt like it was not as slick as the Proraso, so i whipped up a bowl of Proraso for my subsequent passes. Again, i nicked my neck (the hair on my neck grows in all different directions, which i am finding through this forum is not uncommon) and jawline. My cheeks are always BBS and have never had problems going AGT here, but this are does not grow in nearly as thick as the rest of my face (think of of a 'joe dirt' beard! haha!) In the past i was using Every Man Jack aftershave lotion/balm with decent results, but primarily liked it for the smell (light and clean) but since starting shaving with a DE razor I've been using the Nivea replenishing ASB. Works way better than the EMJ, but don't like the smell at all. IT's too strong for me, so I am going to shop around and try to find the sensitive skin version, in hopes that it has a milder scent.
My pre shave routine (even before using a DE razor) was shaving right after my shower, using a face wash on my face, and occasionally a facial scrub a couple times a week. before shaving i hold a hot washcloth to my face to soften things up even further.
So here is my plan from here on out. Since I have changed variables like creams, soaps and blades every time it is hard to gauge consistency and what may be working and what is not, so from this point on, and after reading a recent post by JCinPA i am going to stick to just one cream (Proraso) and one blade (Astra). and once that pack of Astras is gone, I will move on to the Red Personnas I have, and when they are gone use the rest of the Crystals, since these are on average very popular blades. I am sure one of these will be the ticket, but in the rare event that they are not i will try others. Cutting out any variables and having consistency in the beginning to track progress is key for a noob i think.
Here are some observations..initially i had issues like i said in the mustache area and bumps. Also had trouble getting that spot just under my nose, so today i went WTG for my first pass, and for the second pass I went sort of diagonally ATG just in that area just under the nose, and then for the third pass ATG for the entire mustache area in the opposite direction. seemed to work well.
Consistently i am nicking my neck and area at my jaw hinge/jawline. And no matter how many passes i try (usually am doing three) what i am experiencing is this: no matter what direction i shave i seem to get the same spots really close while i seem to miss the same spots, all regardless of direction or pass number.
Also, one other observation, although my skin feels smoother and shaves are closer on my cheeks my skin looks worse than it did with a cartridge razor. I never experienced nicks or razor burn with a cartridge (Schick Quattro) but also was not getting the closest shaves with them (but was also using gel from a can) and wondering what i wold experience of i used creams and a brush with the cartridges, but am committed to this and will stick it out and hoping for my skin to improve and also my technique to improve as well.
To summarize I am using a Merkur HD 34C for no other reason then it seems to get overall good reviews and recommendations. Also have a sampler pack from WCS and an omega brush. Have a Haslingger coconut soap, a few Kiss My face creams and a tube of the Bigelow (Proraso) cream. I mix my lather up in a small glass Pyrex bowl which seems to work really well and am using an Omega boars hair brush and although it's a cheaper brush i see nothing wrong with it and can whip up some nice lather with it.
I have dark blond hair, not a very think beard, but thick in some spots like the mustache area and chin and under my chin, but since i have lighter hair and not as think as a lot of people I probably have it easier than most. I do have a prominent jaw line (see attached pics) that is continuously proving to be a problem area, both with not being able to get very close shaves in this area and with frequent nicks.
First shave went great, aside from some minor burn and the expected nicks. used an Astra blade, Haslinger's soap (which didn't lather up as well as the creams i have but seemed to get the job done). out of the three shaves I've sone so far this was the best, but did get some irritation/bumps on my neck and mustache area. with cartridges i've had this problem in the mustache area in the past if i go against the grain, and seems to be the same so far with the DE, so for now on i am sticking to going WTG and ATG in this area. got a couple nicks that healed very quickly, some minor burning due to too much pressure.
Second shave not as nice as first, used a Gilette 7 o'clock blade and the Proraso. Didint get as close as the first shave especially in my problem spots (jawline and mustache) and still managed to knick up my jawline and neck. The Proraso cream make great lather though, and it felt and smelled good. Refresing but not overpowering.
Third shave tried out a Crystal blade. This shave was probably better than the second shave and close to the first. Very conscious of using no pressure. Used Kiss My Face Lavendar cream, lathered up fast, but felt like it was not as slick as the Proraso, so i whipped up a bowl of Proraso for my subsequent passes. Again, i nicked my neck (the hair on my neck grows in all different directions, which i am finding through this forum is not uncommon) and jawline. My cheeks are always BBS and have never had problems going AGT here, but this are does not grow in nearly as thick as the rest of my face (think of of a 'joe dirt' beard! haha!) In the past i was using Every Man Jack aftershave lotion/balm with decent results, but primarily liked it for the smell (light and clean) but since starting shaving with a DE razor I've been using the Nivea replenishing ASB. Works way better than the EMJ, but don't like the smell at all. IT's too strong for me, so I am going to shop around and try to find the sensitive skin version, in hopes that it has a milder scent.
My pre shave routine (even before using a DE razor) was shaving right after my shower, using a face wash on my face, and occasionally a facial scrub a couple times a week. before shaving i hold a hot washcloth to my face to soften things up even further.
So here is my plan from here on out. Since I have changed variables like creams, soaps and blades every time it is hard to gauge consistency and what may be working and what is not, so from this point on, and after reading a recent post by JCinPA i am going to stick to just one cream (Proraso) and one blade (Astra). and once that pack of Astras is gone, I will move on to the Red Personnas I have, and when they are gone use the rest of the Crystals, since these are on average very popular blades. I am sure one of these will be the ticket, but in the rare event that they are not i will try others. Cutting out any variables and having consistency in the beginning to track progress is key for a noob i think.
Here are some observations..initially i had issues like i said in the mustache area and bumps. Also had trouble getting that spot just under my nose, so today i went WTG for my first pass, and for the second pass I went sort of diagonally ATG just in that area just under the nose, and then for the third pass ATG for the entire mustache area in the opposite direction. seemed to work well.
Consistently i am nicking my neck and area at my jaw hinge/jawline. And no matter how many passes i try (usually am doing three) what i am experiencing is this: no matter what direction i shave i seem to get the same spots really close while i seem to miss the same spots, all regardless of direction or pass number.
Also, one other observation, although my skin feels smoother and shaves are closer on my cheeks my skin looks worse than it did with a cartridge razor. I never experienced nicks or razor burn with a cartridge (Schick Quattro) but also was not getting the closest shaves with them (but was also using gel from a can) and wondering what i wold experience of i used creams and a brush with the cartridges, but am committed to this and will stick it out and hoping for my skin to improve and also my technique to improve as well.
