How To Avoid And Treat Razor Burn
Seldom does a day pass without someone emailing us with this question: ‘How can I avoid and treat razor burn?'
Razor burn is a rash that appears after shaving, it can be very itchy and unsightly. Although there are products that treat razor burn we always mention that prevention is better than cure.
Here are some golden rules to avoid shaving burn:
• Use a safety razor, safety razors are much kinder to the skin than cartridge type razor blades such as Gillette Fusion and Mach3. The blades are sharper and therefore cut the bristles cleanly at skin level and fewer passes are needed to get a clsoe shave, fewer passes leads to less irritation.
Before shaving wash the face with soap and water, preferably with an exfoliating soap that will gently cleanse the skin and remove dead skin cells to prepare the skin for shaving.
• Apply Executive Shaving Pre Shave Oil, massage gently into your beard to soften the bristles.
• With a synthetic hair shaving brush apply shaving cream to the bristles. Some people with sensitive skin may have a reaction to animal hair, in which case opt for a synthetic brush. Make sure the lather is creamy in its consistency so it cushions and lubricates the blade when you shave.
• Make sure your blade is sharp; shaving with a dull blade is a major cause of ingrown hairs and razor burn.
• Shave in the direction the hair grows in (with the grain) twice and once across the grain. Do some little touch ups if needed. If your skin is is tender, do not shave against the grain until your skin has recovered.
• Shave with a light touch, let the weight of the razor do the work if you have to press into the skin to get a close shave you need a more assertive razor.
• Wash the face in lukewarm water after shaving to remove all traces of shaving cream.
• Use a clean cotton towel to dab dry your face and neck.
• Apply an alcohol-free after shave balm to the shaved area. If you prefer a traditional, alcohol-based aftershave apply to the shaved area to tone and freshen the skin.