Nine Tips for Traditional Wet Shaving

In this tutorial, I teach you how to shave using the traditional wet shave (safety blade, not straight razor) thanks to the incredible men’s products over at Glory and Shine.

Once you click here to the products recommended in this video, use the coupon code COFFIN at checkout to get the PCS listener discount on these fine products. (See below.)

That’s for starters. Check them out. I promise you won’t be sorry. I only wish I discovered this company earlier. Bravo!

Please note: I’m only showing the shave gear side of what the company offers. They have line after line of high-quality men’s grooming products (lip balm for real men, lotion bar deodorant, beard oil, soaps, etc). I do NOT endorse anything I don’t personally use, and I use these daily.

The traditional wet shave, if done properly, means you’ll never go back to goopy stuff that comes out of an aerosol can using disposable razors. Have you seen how much those “five-blade holder” refills from Schick or Gillette will run you these days?

Each product comes with traditional prayers in Latin to help create a kind of manly spiritual ethos to the morning ablution routine. (Fact check: true.) No need to rush your ritual. Slow down and enjoy the reflective time away from the noise. Get a short prayer in as you administer the closest shave of your life without going to a professional barber.

Here are the nine easy steps to shave like your grandpa.

1. Find your hair direction, using your palm or the edge of a credit card. Every man is different, and each part of the face creates different directions of hair growth. See # for what this matters.”

2. Prepare your face. Splash with hot water, but not “ouch, that’s too hot” hot, or soak a face cloth and apply to your mug for 30 seconds or more. If you start with a hot shower, that more than suffices. You want your beard growth to be supple and tame.

3. Lather the soap and apply it on both cheeks, chin, above the lips, and your entire neck. Watch for bubbles in the lather. Bubbles mean your mixture is too diluted and needs a bit more lathered cream. Truly, a little goes a long way. Solid whipped cream is the consistency you’re going for.

4. Do the first pass. Keep your razor strokes to under three inches of blade-to-skin contact. Take your time. You’ll notice a massive difference from the Walmart stuff you’ve been using all these years. A safety blade shave is a hot knife plowing through butter with ease. And the first pass goes in the same direction as your beard pattern.

5. Rinse off all signs of lather. Enough said.

6. Apply another round of lather and do the second pass. This time, the blade goes against the direction of your beard. Go over areas you missed.

7. Cold rinse. As cold as you can take it, close up the pores! You are DONE, brother!

8. Apply balm. Even if the shaving cream doesn’t have a drying effect on your face, skin balm is highly recommended.

9. Aftershave is the lighter version of cologne. Some men find cologne too harsh smelling or harsh feeling on your face. That’s a personal thing. Check out the website link for some mild scent options.