Minimalist shave

[New Orleans]

We all enjoy the process of the DE shave, which can be as complex as you wish to make it. Are there those who have a streamlined routine? For instance:

1. Wash face
2. Lather with favorite shaving soap or cream
3. Shave
4. Rinse and apply AS

What is your simplest routine?

[erudolph]

Right now, I'm trying to establish a minimal, baseline routine; I was getting some redness and am trying to figure if it was an allergic reaction.

The idea is to stick to using the fewest and the same products every day until the redness either goes away or gets better. In my case, it's getting quite a bit better, so now, if I switch soaps for instance and it returns, I can stop using that particular soap. So.... the routine is:

1. Wash face and massage beard with mild soap.
2. Rinse and lather (currently with Nancy Boy Replenishing Shave Cream) (I wish they made a soap instead of only creams)
3. Shave, two passes 1 WTG, 1 XTG
4. Rinse thoroughly
5. Nancy Boy Replenishing After Shave Gel

The Nancy Boy shave cream does not seem drying in any way, so I suspect I could skip the After Shave Gel.

[grouse79]

That pretty much comprises my routine (preceded by a shower, but I'd shower anyway so I don't count that as shaving prep!). I apply AS balm and if it's a morning shave aftershave also.

I tried applying shaving oil a few times but it wasn't a great success (especially when I had the nozzle turned the wrong way and squirted the stuff directly into my eye).

I try to keep the number of steps involved in shaving to the minimum. Most enjoyment is derived on my hour long bus journey to work afterwards when I often rub my fingers across my face, amazed at just how smooth I am.

[erudolph]

...I often rub my fingers across my face, amazed at just how smooth I am.

Yes, I find myself doing that too...... maybe a little too much.

[Suzuki]

There's no need to make it complicated - here's my routine:

Shower
Lather - almost exclusively with shave sticks or face lathering, so no bowl/scuttle
Shave - 2 - 3 passes
Rinse
AS splash
Moisturizer/balm

[ladfrommanc]

Yes, i'm only a couple of months (DE shaving) in but have tried to keep it simple.

1) Face wash with decent soap
2) Lather with the cheapest soap / cream (i can find)
3) Shave
4) Cheap moisturiser

My variable at the moment is the blade. The routine above gives me a decent base to judge the blades from.

[pal]

We all enjoy the process of the DE shave, which can be as complex as you wish to make it. Are there those who have a streamlined routine? For instance:

1. Wash face
2. Lather with favorite shaving soap or cream
3. Shave
4. Rinse and apply AS

What is your simplest routine?

Hey that works for me!

[Ruvane]

I've only DE shaved a few times, but this is what I've done:

1. Shower, with brush soaking in hot water mug. Use hair conditioner on beard.
2. Make lather, and apply pre-shave oil
3. Apply lather and shave
4. Rinse and repeat as necessary
5. Rinse with cold water and apply aftershave balm

I mixed a few steps, but that's the gist of it.

[Ignatius]

My current routine is quite minimalist:
Splash face with warm water
Apply soap with shave stick
Lather for a couple of minutes, this is good enough prep for me
Shave one pass
Apply stick to tricky areas and add a little water using just fingertips; very slick
A little blade-buffing
Splash face with cold water
Apply aftershave

[bokaba]

My baseline is a Mama Bear's soap, Slant or GEM, rinse, and an aftershave.

[in the know]

I'm a minimalist.

Rinse face.
Lather up.
Shave (one pass with DE or two with straight).
Rinse face.

Sometimes aftershave. Sometimes not.

Rarely cologne.

[OldSchoolYoungin]

Slowly, one evolutionary step at a time, I've become a minimalist. You're right, it does NOT need to be complicated. I've also started to realize that one doesn't need to spend a lot of shaving to enjoy it to the fullest. I now do two passes and get a 95-100% BBS shave every time. My routine is as follows...

1. Hot shower, rub EVOO/Castor Oil/Essential Oil combination into beard. I let hot water splash all over my face during the shower. Meanwhile, my brush and soap are soaking in hot water.

2. Load brush, lather face.

3. Two passes; both are XTG. I normally blade buff for my entire first pass and in more stubborn areas.

4. Splash face with cold water.

5. Apply Witch Hazel, alcohol-based aftershave, then balm if needed/wanted.

Sans shower time, this takes me around ten minutes. As great as it is, I no longer use Kyle's Pre-Shave Prep and don't use a bowl anymore, either.

[in the know]

I think there has been a trend to elevate what is basically part of a man's morning ablutions into something akin to the Japanese Tea Ceremony.

If some of our Grandads ever managed to get themselves computers and saw some of the threads on some of the shaving forums they would blow a gasket.

[New Orleans]

Kyle's prep, which is very well thought out, is "endorsed" by B and B. This has put a lot of people onto this, and then they have to work their way back. I'm wondering if the site should offer an "alternate" prep, for those who don't have the time or inclination to do this. The Mantic prep, for instance, seems to be:

1. Wet your face
2. Lather for several minutes
3. Let it sit briefly
4. Start shaving

I have a thought that the excessive use of hot water can cause some shavers some problems with their skin. The hot water doesn't just soften your beard, it softens your skin as well. That's one reason I'm moving to a more minimalist approach. I don't say this to insult Kyle, but to bring out another point of view. I think Kyle is actually looking for input; he seems to be an "evidence based" shaver.

[kzoo1]

We all enjoy the process of the DE shave, which can be as complex as you wish to make it. Are there those who have a streamlined routine? For instance:

1. Wash face
2. Lather with favorite shaving soap or cream
3. Shave
4. Rinse and apply AS

What is your simplest routine?

This works for me...although I have been using Noxzema as a preshave while I get my gear in order.

[Light Beard]

We all enjoy the process of the DE shave, which can be as complex as you wish to make it. Are there those who have a streamlined routine? For instance:

1. Wash face
2. Lather with favorite shaving soap or cream
3. Shave
4. Rinse and apply AS

What is your simplest routine?

Nair

[SRock]

We all enjoy the process of the DE shave, which can be as complex as you wish to make it. Are there those who have a streamlined routine? For instance:

1. Wash face
2. Lather with favorite shaving soap or cream
3. Shave
4. Rinse and apply AS

What is your simplest routine?

You nailed it. When I'm not going for broke or just trying to enjoy a long pleasant shave, this is exactly what I do. No fancy pre or post routines.

[kingfisher]

I have a thought that the excessive use of hot water can cause some shavers some problems with their skin. The hot water doesn't just soften your beard, it softens your skin as well.

Not only that, but it probably makes the skin actually SWELL somewhat, which might make it harder to get to the base of the hairs. I use hot-ish water rather than HOT water in order to avoid this problem.

[erudolph]

I think there has been a trend to elevate what is basically part of a man's morning ablutions into something akin to the Japanese Tea Ceremony.

LOL...

[kingfisher]

I guess I've been minimalist since the beginning (all of two weeks ago, LOL).

My prep consists of a hot shower and then rinsing the face prior to lathering. I have been using T&H preshave oil because I got it with some samples; I kind of like it but it's not absolutely necessary.
Lather, shave, rinse, moisturize.

That's it.

Even being only 4 days into DE shaving, I am finished in about 10-15 minutes.