The wet shaving thread

eternoMind said:
Based on your and others' recco, I've decided to give this one from Pearl a shot.
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So, this arrived and after 3 head shaves with it, I'm beginning to like it. 2 of those shaves were with the closed comb attachment while 1 was with the open comb one.

Honestly, I didn't like the open comb at all (used on a 2-day stubble). Found it messier and the resulting shave wasn't as close as the closed comb attachment.

Coming to the razor itself, I like how weighty it is, especially compared to the featherweight metal+plastic one from Gillette that I used previously. With a sharp blade, the razor's weight makes shaving an effortless affair, sans any irritation to the skin. Also ordered a pack of Boro Plus aloe vera gel tubes to use as an aftershave.

A caveat though, while using the Pearl razor is a more pleasant experience than my older Gillette, there's no tangible difference in the closeness of the shave itself. In fact, blade life will likely be shorter with the Pearl as I don't think I can use a blade for a 4th round, something I used to do easily with the Gillette. YMMV.

And I noticed something peculiar during the 3rd shave - one edge of the blade was not making contact with the skin. The other edge did and I shaved with it. This was with the closed comb attachment. Does anyone know what's this about? I've never experienced something like this with the older razor. EDIT - Just found out this could be a blade alignment issue that is a known issue with the Pearl razors :(
 
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Just started using the Trigodon Shaving Soap. Oh Boy! It is simply a delight to use. 5-6 swirls of a moist brush, and it lathers like crazy. Great glide, lovely smell. Tad expensive. But worth it.
 
eternoMind said:
So, this arrived and after 3 head shaves with it, I'm beginning to like it. 2 of those shaves were with the closed comb attachment while 1 was with the open comb one.

Honestly, I didn't like the open comb at all (used on a 2-day stubble). Found it messier and the resulting shave wasn't as close as the closed comb attachment.

Coming to the razor itself, I like how weighty it is, especially compared to the featherweight metal+plastic one from Gillette that I used previously. With a sharp blade, the razor's weight makes shaving an effortless affair, sans any irritation to the skin. Also ordered a pack of Boro Plus aloe vera gel tubes to use as an aftershave.

A caveat though, while using the Pearl razor is a more pleasant experience than my older Gillette, there's no tangible difference in the closeness of the shave itself. In fact, blade life will likely be shorter with the Pearl as I don't think I can use a blade for a 4th round, something I used to do easily with the Gillette. YMMV.

And I noticed something peculiar during the 3rd shave - one edge of the blade was not making contact with the skin. The other edge did and I shaved with it. This was with the closed comb attachment. Does anyone know what's this about? I've never experienced something like this with the older razor. EDIT - Just found out this could be a blade alignment issue that is a known issue with the Pearl razors :(
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I contacted Pearl about this blade alignment issue. Amazon, from where I originally bought the razor, refused to replace/refund the item as the return window was over. But contacted Pearl anyway as I saw on their site that they offered a 30-day return period, should you buy off of their site. So, contacting them was a shot in the dark.

They asked me to send over some pictures about the issue and I sent a couple of pictures and one video to them over WhatsApp. Two days later, the customer rep asked me to courier the razor back to them in Jamnagar. He said they'll get the razor examined by their technicians and in case of a fault, would repair it. I was only too happy to not have the money entirely wasted and so, shipped it back to them.

After no further communique for a couple of weeks, I pinged them and was immediately asked for my return shipping address. While I assumed they'd fixed the alignment issue on the razor, turns out they were sending an entire replacement unit. Not just the razor head or the middle plate, but the entire pack. Happy to report that the replacement unit has none of the blade alignment issues of the replaced item.

Would advise everyone who wants to try Pearl to buy from their site directly. Prices are the same as or lower than Amazon, plus you have the luxury of a 30-day return/refund period.
 
Tried a hack suggested in this thread earlier - shaving with hair conditioner.

It works amazing! Immediately after bathing, I slather the conditioner on the entire head and neck regions, leave it for 2 mins, and then start with the Pearl CC razor to end up with a smooth shave in less than 5 mins. This despite me taking my time with it. The conditioner also seems to increase the lifespan of the blades I use, Gillette Platinums, by 3-4 shaves over the previous 3-4 shaves; essentially doubled.

Have done this thrice now, with no razor bumps or any other issues to show for. Used a cheapo conditioner I bought from the local kirana with the intent to see if the hack works. Now that I've used both a pre-shave oil and the conditioner, have no hesitancy in recommending the latter over the former. It's just smoother and leaves your scalp/skin moist after the shaving. Add a good moisturiser/balm (I use Boroplus Aloe Vera gel) and you've got a sorted routine. Moreover, the conditioner is a hell of a lot cheaper than the pre-shave oil. You can still do the second pass with the regular shaving gel/foam/cream/soap lathered with a brush after the first pass with the hair conditioner, as I do sometimes.

See no reason why this wouldn't work for shaving the face too.
 
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eternoMind said:
I contacted Pearl about this blade alignment issue. Amazon, from where I originally bought the razor, refused to replace/refund the item as the return window was over. But contacted Pearl anyway as I saw on their site that they offered a 30-day return period, should you buy off of their site. So, contacting them was a shot in the dark.

They asked me to send over some pictures about the issue and I sent a couple of pictures and one video to them over WhatsApp. Two days later, the customer rep asked me to courier the razor back to them in Jamnagar. He said they'll get the razor examined by their technicians and in case of a fault, would repair it. I was only too happy to not have the money entirely wasted and so, shipped it back to them.

After no further communique for a couple of weeks, I pinged them and was immediately asked for my return shipping address. While I assumed they'd fixed the alignment issue on the razor, turns out they were sending an entire replacement unit. Not just the razor head or the middle plate, but the entire pack. Happy to report that the replacement unit has none of the blade alignment issues of the replaced item.

Would advise everyone who wants to try Pearl to buy from their site directly. Prices are the same as or lower than Amazon, plus you have the luxury of a 30-day return/refund period.
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Pearl is making stellar shaving products, to be honest. Now seeing they offer such CC is even better. Both my DE razors are from Pearl. One open comb and one two piece. Both run well, and have not rusted till date. I like the heft and weight their razors carry.
 
eternoMind said:
Tried a hack suggested in this thread earlier - shaving with hair conditioner.

It works amazing! Immediately after bathing, I slather the conditioner on the entire head and neck regions, leave it for 2 mins, and then start with the Pearl CC razor to end up with a smooth shave in less than 5 mins. This despite me taking my time with it. The conditioner also seems to increase the lifespan of the blades I use, Gillette Platinums, by 3-4 shaves over the previous 3-4 shaves; essentially doubled.

Have done this thrice now, with no razor bumps or any other issues to show for. Used a cheapo conditioner I bought from the local kirana with the intent to see if the hack works. Now that I've used both a pre-shave oil and the conditioner, have no hesitancy in recommending the latter over the former. It's just smoother and leaves your scalp/skin moist after the shaving. Add a good moisturiser/balm (I use Boroplus Aloe Vera gel) and you've got a sorted routine. Moreover, the conditioner is a hell of a lot cheaper than the pre-shave oil. You can still do the second pass with the regular shaving gel/foam/cream/soap lathered with a brush after the first pass with the hair conditioner, as I do sometimes.

See no reason why this wouldn't work for shaving the face too.
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This is great info. So the conditioner foams enough to shave first pass ? I wanna try on the face.
 
alekhkhanna said:
This is great info. So the conditioner foams enough to shave first pass ? I wanna try on the face.
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Actually, it doesn't foam up/lather at all. You wouldn't even realise it's applied on the skin, unless you touch and feel the slippery surface. The conditioner just does a better job of what the foam/lather is supposed to do, i.e. help the razor's blade glide with as little friction as possible. I'd still leave the job of softening the hair to hot water/warm towel wrap.

The smoother action allows you to shave faster without worrying about nicking or pulling a hair while also leaving the skin moist at the end of it, as opposed to the drying effect of shaving foam. I still sometimes foam up my shave gel for the 2nd pass, but could do just as fine without it.

One tip is to shake the water off of your razor before shaving, more than what you'd usually do when shaving with foam. That's because, with the latter, the foam holds onto the hair/debris as it clings to the razor. With a conditioner, too much water in the razor simply causes the hair/debris to trickle down as you shave, possibly causing a mess.

Judging from my experience of shaving my neck, shaving your face should be as easy.
 
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eternoMind said:
Used a cheapo conditioner I bought from the local kirana with the intent to see if the hack works. Now that I've used both a pre-shave oil and the conditioner, have no hesitancy in recommending the latter over the former. It's just smoother and leaves your scalp/skin moist after the shaving. Add a good moisturiser/balm (I use Boroplus Aloe Vera gel) and you've got a sorted routine. Moreover, the conditioner is a hell of a lot cheaper than the pre-shave oil. You can still do the second pass with the regular shaving gel/foam/cream/soap lathered with a brush after the first pass with the hair conditioner, as I do sometimes.

See no reason why this wouldn't work for shaving the face too.
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Do you have a link to this product?
 
eternoMind said:
Didn't even look at its brand/name till your question - https://www.amazon.in/Himalaya-Anti-Hair-Fall-Conditioner-100ml/dp/B074M17RW1

Dear me, the irony of using a supposedly anti-hair fall product for easier shaving of one's head!
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One of the causes of hair fall is hard water. A hair conditioner works because it's acidic or of lower pH. It neutralises any hard water residue that might be in the hair.

Hair is protein. Silk & wool are protein fibres. You can wash all three in a slightly acidic medium. An alkaline medium is not good for them or only for short periods.

The skin's pH is around 5.5. Neutral is 7. Any conditioner or balm will seek to restore skin ph by being slightly acidic to counteract the slightly alkaline shaving foam.

Alum works on the same acidic principle.
 
blr_p said:
One of the causes of hair fall is hard water. A hair conditioner works because it's acidic or of lower pH. It neutralises any hard water residue that might be in the hair.

Hair is protein. Silk & wool are protein fibres. You can wash all three in a slightly acidic medium. An alkaline medium is not good for them or only for short periods.

The skin's pH is around 5.5. Neutral is 7. Any conditioner or balm will seek to restore skin ph by being slightly acidic to counteract the slightly alkaline shaving foam.

Alum works on the same acidic principle.
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Nice!

I, for one, pray/wish for all my residual hair to fall off as soon as possible. And there's a lot of it still, enough for my dermat to suggest a hair replacement option because of the sheer hair density in all the non-crown areas. Instead, I asked him for any long-term/permanent hair removal option, only to evoke a metaphorical 'Dei!' response.
 
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PoBoy said:
Just to clarify, you use only the hair conditioner (that is, instead of a shaving soap/foam) ?

If that's the case, must try this, thanks.

EDIT : You wet your face before applying the conditioner, right ?
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Yes, just the conditioner on wet skin. It's cheap and easy to apply, so I take a generous amount and swipe it all over my head right after bathing, which is when I shave. I started balding prematurely in the crown area, so decided to shave the entire head.

For the 2nd pass, I sometimes use my shaving gel/brush, though that's not necessary. The conditioner just speeds up the shaving process and leaves the skin nice and moist.

I tried the alum stone test to see how good a shave I got with the conditioner, and there wasn't any difference in the burn that I usually get/don't get after shaving with a gel. Next up, going to try a disposable razor and straight-edge razor to see how much I can push it in terms of speed and closeness of shave, respectively.

If you want to shave your face, just relax the pores with hot water/towel application for a few minutes, before slathering the conditioner. The razor will just glide and you'll get a great shave in lesser time, sans any nicks/cuts.
 
eternoMind said:
Yes, just the conditioner on wet skin. It's cheap and easy to apply, so I take a generous amount and swipe it all over my head right after bathing, which is when I shave. I started balding prematurely in the crown area, so decided to shave the entire head.
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The thing that gets me with your technique is you are using an acidic or finishing product at the start.

Usually, the process is something alkaline or neutral so soap or shaving cream and finish with something acidic or closer to body pH which is around 5.5

The question is why is the soap/foam used at the start. It does not need to be but that is the practice and there must be good reasons for it.

Soap helps with blade glide which reduces skin irritation. Is the hair conditioner you use slippery too?

Soap also cleanses, its surfactants reduce the surface tension of water (makes water wetter) so it penetrates hair better making it softer in less time.

eternoMind said:
I tried the alum stone test to see how good a shave I got with the conditioner, and there wasn't any difference in the burn that I usually get/don't get after shaving with a gel.
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Alum is acidic. You feel the burn more if you get nicks. Will you feel it using a conditioner in case of a nick over a soap is to be seen
 
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blr_p said:
The thing that gets me with your technique is you are using an acidic or finishing product at the start.

Usually, the process is something alkaline or neutral so soap or shaving cream and finish with something acidic or closer to body pH which is around 5.5

The question is why is the soap/foam used at the start. It does not need to be but that is the practice and there must be good reasons for it.

Soap helps with blade glide which reduces skin irritation. Is the hair conditioner you use slippery too?

Soap also cleanses, its surfactants reduce the surface tension of water (makes water wetter) so it penetrates hair better making it softer in less time.

Alum is acidic. You feel the burn more if you get nicks. Will you feel it using a conditioner in case of a nick over a soap is to be seen
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Not an unpopular technique, if one goes by internet wisdom. And it is wisdom, now that I've experienced it first-hand.

The conditioner is a better lubricant than the foam, which is why you'll almost never get nicks/cuts/razor burns while shaving with the conditioner. The razor just glides, aiding with quicker and longer strokes.

As for cleansing, you could always do it before shaving with any cleansing product you prefer. I usually do it after shaving as soap/face wash cleans up the mess better.

When I used to visit the barber weekly for this shave (stopped going because of the time and money cost), he just wet and massaged the stubble and got to work with his straight-edge razor. So, it really is up to the shaving technique. So, why is soap/cream used, I wouldn't know.

I've found out that the conditioner hack is a good complement to my shaving skills, better than any alkaline shaving lubricant. And I've got a decent technique, enough to warrant using a SE razor on my head without any nicks, provided I have more time.

I'll try to see if the conditioner burns the same way alum does, as theory dictates it should.
 
eternoMind said:
The conditioner is a better lubricant than the foam, which is why you'll almost never get nicks/cuts/razor burns while shaving with the conditioner. The razor just glides, aiding with quicker and longer strokes.

As for cleansing, you could always do it before shaving with any cleansing product you prefer. I usually do it after shaving as soap/face wash cleans up the mess better.
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I have used hair conditioners at hotels for shaving long time back and found it to be better than shaving cream in terms of making the blade glide over the skin and prevent the "scrubbing action" which irritates the skin causing red bumps.
However, the advantage with shaving cream is the way shaved hair disperses. The surface tension in shaving cream causes the hair to disperse and fall out from the blades immediately upon contact with water. This doesn't happen as effectively with the conditioner or any other soap also.

The best shaving experience I've had is with thick oil (I think I had spare castor oil with me), but it was quite a pain to remove the shaved hair. Anyway I used castor oil with "cut-throat" razor so didn't face big enough challenge to remove the hair.
 
ssslayer said:
I have used hair conditioners at hotels for shaving long time back and found it to be better than shaving cream in terms of making the blade glide over the skin and prevent the "scrubbing action" which irritates the skin causing red bumps.
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Couldn't have summarized it better myself. I used to get the occasional bump while shaving with cream/gel, but it's been silk smooth with no irritation after switching to a conditioner.

However, the advantage with shaving cream is the way shaved hair disperses. The surface tension in shaving cream causes the hair to disperse and fall out from the blades immediately upon contact with water. This doesn't happen as effectively with the conditioner or any other soap also.

The best shaving experience I've had is with thick oil (I think I had spare castor oil with me), but it was quite a pain to remove the shaved hair. Anyway I used castor oil with "cut-throat" razor so didn't face big enough challenge to remove the hair.
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Okay, I see what you mean but haven't faced this issue, and I've shaved over 6 times till now using this method. If anything, the dispersed hair sinks to the bottom of the shaving water mug after I dip the razor into it, making it easier to clean the mug. Do you use a mug or clean the razor under running water? I'd agree with your experience if it's the latter.

Do you still use a CT razor? Agree that those are the easiest to clean, just wielding them has a learning curve.
 
eternoMind said:
Couldn't have summarized it better myself. I used to get the occasional bump while shaving with cream/gel, but it's been silk smooth with no irritation after switching to a conditioner.


Okay, I see what you mean but haven't faced this issue, and I've shaved over 6 times till now using this method. If anything, the dispersed hair sinks to the bottom of the shaving water mug after I dip the razor into it, making it easier to clean the mug. Do you use a mug or clean the razor under running water? I'd agree with your experience if it's the latter.

Do you still use a CT razor? Agree that those are the easiest to clean, just wielding them has a learning curve.
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Though I have a cut-throat and used it a few times, in my above post I was referring to shavette (I didn't have the proper word earlier while posting).
But I shifted to Gillette Guard due to ease of use.

Can't use any multi-blade apparatus because it chafes the skin.
 
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