Hot water instead of cold water finish

**Turboy** · 06-09-2009, 05:58 AM

Hi gents,

I lurked on this site for quite a bit and throughout my first month of shaving I kept reading and practising the standard given info about starting with hot water on the face and finishing up with cold water at the end.

I noticed that the cold water splash to finish up would not stop nicks and weepers but seem to aggrevate them even more. The redness on my neck would also increase with the cold water.

This week I decided to finish my shaves with warm water (like I have been doing after 11 years of electric shaving) and it was great!
It stops any blood much quicker and the irritation is much less.

I'm curious as to why everyone on here recommends a cold water finish? Could it have something to do with the fact that it is now winter here in Australia and perhaps I might have success with cold water in the summer time?

I think it would be good advice for newbies to try a warm water finish in case it is better for them like it was for me.

What does everyone else think?

T.

**O.G.** · 06-09-2009, 06:02 AM

It sounds like the cold water is sealing debris in your pores from your shave. Some say that you should do the warmn water rinse first to remove that debris, then follow it with a cold water splash to close the pores and restrict bleeding.

**Walter Sobchak** · 06-09-2009, 06:03 AM

I almost always use a warm water rinse. I've found no real benefit from using cold water. It might be because I always use an alcohol based splash after my final rinse and dry. Maybe the splash braces the skin and slams those pores shut. If I didn't have a post-shave product available to me, I'd probably go with the cold rinse.

**Andy** · 06-09-2009, 06:03 AM

I do a warm water rinse followed by a cold water rinse.
My way of thinking is that the warm water will clean off any weepers and then the cold water would close the pores up.
Just my 0.02c
Andy.

**Turboy** · 06-09-2009, 06:09 AM

Yeah, previously for me it was warm water splash to clean off the lather and rinse and then the cold to finish (just like most people here recommended).
I would feel good after that initial warm rinse, then the cold finish would ruin it and nicks, weepers and irritation increased.

The warm water rinse to finish seems to work wonders for me at the moment.

**FreezerBurns** · 06-09-2009, 07:51 AM

Originally Posted by Andy

I do a warm water rinse followed by a cold water rinse.
My way of thinking is that the warm water will clean off any weepers and then the cold water would close the pores up.
Just my 0.02c
Andy.

+1 ...then follow that up with some AS or ASB or witch hazel or Mandom or whatever you use.

**ratcheer** · 06-09-2009, 08:02 AM

I also prefer a warm water rinse at the end of a shave. I tried cold water many times and just did not like it. After my warm rinse, I towel my face dry and then apply alcohol-based witch hazel for a wonderful cooling effect.

Tim

**niko_p** · 06-09-2009, 08:48 AM

my theory is....the coldwater rinse closes your pores..so any ASB/Splash won't be properly absorbed...

Hence I finish with a warm water rinse..

**Gringo** · 06-10-2009, 04:50 AM

Hello Turboy and welcome to the B&B forums!

First of all, I'd like to point out that pores do not open or close. I didn't know this for a long time either, until I saw a discussion about this recently on B&B here: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=92739

Washing with cold water after shave really helps stopping the blood for me, but it might not for others. I really don't know what makes the difference, to be honest.

**Turboy** · 06-10-2009, 05:16 AM

Yeah, I read the info about pores not being able to be opened or closed.
I think it's just the temperature that has an effect on the skin and I guess in my case the expanding and relaxing skin is stopping the weepers.

Best of all, it feels wonderful.

I suppose the tables could be turned at the end of the year when summer arrives.

**kingfisher** · 06-10-2009, 06:40 AM

I like the feel of a cold-water rinse. To each his own, I guess.

**mammoo** · 06-10-2009, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by Andy

I do a warm water rinse followed by a cold water rinse.
My way of thinking is that the warm water will clean off any weepers and then the cold water would close the pores up.
Just my 0.02c
Andy.

This is exactly what I do. I first do a warm rinse to get rid of any remaining lather. I then pat dry with a towel to fully ensure there is nothing left on the skin and then I do a cold water rinse. I then apply my aftershave balm while the skin is still wet. I don't think I've ever tried without a cold rinse - I'm going to give it a go to see what happens.

**mammoo** · 06-10-2009, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by niko_p

my theory is....the coldwater rinse closes your pores..so any ASB/Splash won't be properly absorbed...

Hence I finish with a warm water rinse..

This was also something I was wondering about. It always seemed odd to me to try and close your pores before applying something you want to soak into your skin. But after reading that link apparently pores don't close anyway? I guess this is one of those things that comes down to simply what people prefer to do themselves.

**Yushiro** · 06-10-2009, 06:18 PM

I do a warm/hot rinse and then a cold rinse. But as the water from the tap comes from the tank on the roof, sometimes theres no difference between hot and cold rinses. Especially on hot days

**MotoMike** · 06-10-2009, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by niko_p

my theory is....the coldwater rinse closes your pores..so any ASB/Splash won't be properly absorbed...

Hence I finish with a warm water rinse..

+1, I feel that if there were any germys getting into the poors or freshly scraped micro wounds, that rinsing with cold water may close them up trapping the germs and preventing the wholesome goodness of the alcohol based after shave from getting to them and doing it's job.

**SRock** · 06-10-2009, 07:33 PM

I always do both. First the warm/hot water rinse to remove all lather residue and then the cold water rinse to tighten the skin and close the pores. I've never had any trouble.

**Wilpar76** · 06-10-2009, 08:17 PM

As others have stated, a combination of the two works seems to have the most success.

I use warm/hot to clean any soap/cream/weepers. However, I do not use a splash. I use a hot compress just like the early part of Kyle's prep.

Conversely, after having used 3 or 4 passes with a warm/hot compress, I usher in the Ice Age with 3 or 4 cold compresses. I use another towel, so as not to keep mixing in soap and the like. By the end of the 4th ice cold compress, all weepers have stopped, inflammation has already started to subside, and I am ready to apply my ASBs, which is a combination of 3.

Hope this helps.

**Walt Whitman** · 06-10-2009, 08:42 PM

For me, warm first to clean, then cool to cold to finish.

**The Knize** · 06-10-2009, 08:59 PM

I use a high enough alcohol AS or AS equivalent, which probably cools done as well as acts as an astringent. But I do not like the feel of or the idea of cold water on my face, I guess.

**Gooseduck** · 06-10-2009, 09:08 PM

After I have made sure I have rinsed well with warm I get in the shower and use the cold for 10 seconds (we only get 10 seconds of cold) before the tank supply at 35'C reaches the shower. I leave my face wet and then use ASB.

If I dont use cold my face feels soooooo dry for hours.