Wet Shaving for Women: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

1. First step, preparation

Exfoliate your skin first, to removed dead skin cells and ready your skin for shaving. This Face and Body Soap is ideal.  You also might want to use a Pre-Shave Oil. Pre-shave oils help to protect your skin from razor burn and razor bumps by providing extra lubrication. Massage the oil into the areas you are preparing to shave and then rinse off.

2. Lather

This is the fun part. Soak your shaving brush in warm water. Never use hot water, as this will damage the bristles. When it comes to your shaving brush, you can choose synthetic or badger hair, depending on your preferences. I would recommend this synthetic Medium Size Jock Brush. It has super-soft new generation synthetic fibres, which makes it incredibly soft but is still animal-friendly. The brush is a little bigger than average brushes which is ideal if you’re covering a good amount of area, such as the leg. It’s also fantastically priced at only £24.50 for such a high-quality brush.  Put a small, pea-sized amount of shaving cream into your bowl, squeeze out the water from your brush and begin to lather up in your bowl for 45 seconds – 1 minute. For shaving creams, you can go for a neutral, all-natural product such as this Original Shaving Cream. If you’d prefer a more luxurious scent, there are plenty of gorgeous creams to choose from, such as Lavender, Almond and Rose. Once you’ve made your lather, use the brush to paint it on the areas you are about to shave.

3. Shave!

In choosing a razor, go with one that’s described as having a mild shave. Women’s body hair is not as thick as a man’s facial hair, so avoid particularly aggressive razors. Some good choices are the Merkur 34C or this Long Handle Classic Butterfly Razor. Remember to shave in the direction the hair grows (with the grain) as this promotes less irritation. The biggest change you will have to adjust to is shaving at a 30-40 degree angle. It’s important to maintain the angle as these razor heads do not pivot, so be particularly careful around areas such as knees and ankles. Do not apply pressure. With double-edged razors, the weight of the razor will do all the work. Use short strokes for your first pass, and after every few strokes, make sure to rinse the razor to avoid it getting clogged up. On a second pass, you can optionally shave against the grain, or across the grain, depending on the sensitivity of your skin and how smooth you want your shave to be. For blades, I recommend you start with Personna blades

4. Post-Shave Care

After rinsing off the lather, dry your skin by dabbing gently with a clean towel. Then apply a good aftershave balm or cream to help moisturise your freshly shaved skin. A good option is our Citrus Kiss Aftershave Balm which is alcohol-free and has fresh, lightly fruity scent and absorbs really easily into the skin. You could also go with this Geo F Trumper Coral Skin Food which contains rosewater, a natural anti-sceptic.

It may take a few tries to perfect your technique, so don’t worry if you give yourself a small nick or experience some discomfort starting out. Use a treatment such as Aloe Clear to alleviate any razor burn or bumps if they occur. Experiment with your lathering technique.

Remember, shaving can be a luxurious and relaxing activity. Plus, switching to a DE razor means a better shave, less expense and less harmful waste.

Go on, try it out. What are you waiting for?