I found that rubbing face with a lot of warm/hot water, before shaving, seens to get the job done a lot better.

Any other tips...?

shave oil before you lather it up

and use an alumablock with cold water after you're done shaving.

realm said:

Definitely get the beard wet and the skin moist with hot water and steam. Not only does it make the skin more malleable to the contour of your razor, but it opens the pores, which gives shaving (and any subsequent washing and rinsing) a greater exfoliating capacity. I think the best environment for a good shave is in a hot, steamy shower (with a fog-resistant mirror, of course.)

If you're into luxury, use a badger brush to lather your face. They're cliche, and they can be expensive, but they truly are sooo much better than using your finger, say. If you're not wanting cute little animals to get butchered so you can look good, there are faux substitutes that work fairly well.

Afterward, I always rinse my face with hot water, then with cold water. Makes my skin feel firmer and gets my pores closed again.... And when I'm feeling particularly fabulous, I finish with a splash of bay rum instead of a conventional aftershave. You can buy the cosmetic grade or you can make your own with rum and bay leaves (recipes are online). It's a traditional West Indian thing, it smells incredible, and while the alcohol content is equivalent to that of a commercial aftershave, it's free of all the other weirdo chemicals.
[Edited 8/23/09 0:17am]

Use Philosophy's Razor Sharp shave gel. It's a silacone based gel and you'll get a close shave and your face will feel so good afterwards. Follow it up with Philosophy's Afterglow.

use a shaving gel with aloe...

Any tips on how 2 prevent razor bumps????

nyse said:

a good after shave lotion.

natural ingredients

and change the blade often, it can help.

wash with warm water prior to shaving it helps 2.

the things I do and work best for me...
hot water on the face. a warm shower is best but a HOT wash cloth will do, hold it on your face, 2minutes or so. After shower scrub(not really hard I guess ) the area you'll be shaving with a wash cloth to remove anymore dead skin

leave your shaving creams/gels on for like 2-5 minutes before you start shaving away you might look crazy standing around with stuff on your face for that long but it's worth it maybe there's other stuff you can do while you wait.

COLD water on the face when you're finished to close the pores and cool down the skin. you've just removes layers of skin so PAT your face dry don't rub.

razor blades... THROW THEM OUT. don't fall in love with them, replace them on the regular.

shave every 3rd day if you can, that'll give your skin time to heal and enough hair between your blade and skin.(some people can't do this and have to shave everyday and for work etc.)
[Edited 8/22/09 11:13am]
[Edited 8/22/09 11:14am]

yep my facial hair grows really fast so if i do shave often i wait 3 days in between at the least.

NMuzakNSoul said:

thanks my freind...any specific item you would advise.
I had a good lotion by nivea for men...worked well...but I cant find it any more

nivea is good i use myself and have used if possible you can order online or off amazon if u cant find it in the store, nivea aftershave lotion sensitive skin one is good.

dove has a good one too. either of those.

Go to Philosophy.com and order Razor Sharp gel ($20). You won't be disappointed. It's the best stuff around.

NMuzakNSoul said:

I use Nivea face wash. Stuff feels great. I'm still able to find it here in FL at drug stores.

Place a hot damp towel over your face for a few minutes first. It'll soften the hairs and relax the pores, allowing a closer shave.

I put half a cap of Listerine in the sink basin before I splash water on my face. It stops zits.

some good shaving lotion and a good razor

I like hearing (in this case reading) about guys' grooming habits.
It makes them seem more chick-like

thekidsgirl said:

We're he-men, dang it!!!! GRRRRR!!!!

ThreadBare said:

He-men who smell like bay rum!

Lammastide said:

Yeah, but he-men don't have frou-frou shaving props.

shave before going to bed the skin is more flexible.

I wash my face first to get grid of grease and grim with soap and hot water, then put a hot flannel on my face to soften up the bristles,then apply some moisturizer ( i use e45) to soften the bristles a bit more then use a sensitive shaving cream or gel. put your razor under hot water to make the razor hot then shave with short strokes washing the blade every couple of time to clear the blades.

when finished shaving wash the face with hot water. when drying pat your face with a soft towel don't rub, when dry apply an after shave balm. then add aftershave if needed. this gives me a very good shave and no bloody valentines day massacre with bits of tissue all over my face.

hope this helps

thekidsgirl said:

lol, while i was typing in here i did feel like that.

For special occasions I'll give my face a go-over with some Clinique Face Scrub (not really sure what it's called) and rinse, and then shave. I was very skeptical at first, but the cute counter chick at the dept store set me straight with a free sample. It's guaranteed to give you one hell of a great shave. She made me a hardcore believer and I've been doing it for years. Try it!

abigail05 said:

Special occasions?

I used to love Clinique's post shave healing balm. It's really good stuff. I use Philosoph's "Razoe Sharp" gel and "Afterglow" now. It's the best stuff out there.

PunkMistress said:

I always do this before I shave my face

Wowugotit said:

going out, that sort of thing. Times when rubbing wet sand on my face beforehand seems like a good idea.

Mach said:

PunkMistress said:

[Edited 8/25/09 19:24pm]