Have any of you seen the YouTube videos for Dollar Shave Club? They’re awesome. In my (humble) opinion, there are two major problems with the shaving industry in the US: razors and cream/gel/foam (hardware and software). You know how I feel about the expensive and incredibly ineffective shaving creams, foams, balms and gels out there, and how Almaden Shaving Oil is my favorite solution to that problem. But what about razors?

Razors today are okay for the most part. Vibrating handles, multiple blades, lubricating strips, etc. are unnecessary ‘features’ or ‘solutions’ to non-existent problems created by the marketers to sell the extremely overpriced ‘mainstream’ razors.

I have to say that I prefer a Double Edge (Safety) razor to any of the multi-blade behemouths. They are far less expensive than disposable razors, and DE razor blades are easily recyclable while disposable razors are not. Disposable razors and multi-blade razor heads are recyclable in theory. If you happen to live in Sweden they are, but here in the US, they really aren’t.

If you remain steadfast in your decision to use disposable razors, you can at least simplify your life by purchasing affordable razors online from Dollar Shave Club. These guys are tackling the same troubled industry that we are, on the hardware front. They are now working on the software front, making the same mistakes that the big boys are: selling multiple software products when one should do. Dollar Shave club hardware seems to be fairly priced, especially when compared to the big boys.

With the cost savings that dollar shave club provide on hardware, combined with the affordability of Almaden Shaving premium shave oil and its’ incredible shaving comfort, shaving makes a lot more sense.

Kudos to Dollar Shave Club…a job well done guys. The party is on indeed.

How to Shave with the BEST Shaving Stuff

Required Tools:

• Warm to Hot water
• Sharp razor
• Wash Cloth
• Mirror and bright lights

A brief note on these:

• Cold water isn’t bad, but it causes your skin to tighten up whereas warm or hot water helps it to relax and “let go” of the hair in your beard.  Fun fact: did you know that the tensile strength of human hair is higher than aluminum or copper wire?  Water helps soften the hair and it takes several minutes to fully wet.
• A SHARP razor is KEY.  It doesn’t much matter whether you have one, two, three or more blades.  What you want is sharp so that you’re not fighting with your beard.  Every tried to cut a tomato with a dull knife?  Same sort of thing happens with the hairs of your beard.  The razor will pull on them rather than cutting them. Ouch!
• Wash cloth or towel to pat dry your face when you complete shaving.
• Mirror and lights to admire your “mug” as you perform your work.

 Procedure:

1. Wet your beard with warm water.  Ideally, do this several minutes before you start to shave.  If I have time, I shave immediately after my shower without drying my face.  NOTE: you do NOT need to wash your face with soap as this is drying to your face.
2. Put three to five drops of Almaden Shaving Oil in the wet palm of your hand and rub against your other palm.  Apply to your face by gently massaging it into your beard.  If you get the Oil on your fingers, you’ll likely need another drop or two. It also makes it harder to grip the razor.
3. Using short strokes, shave with the grain of your beard.  Generally, this is down your face and up your neck.  Rinse the razor often in plenty of warm water.  If you wait too long, and are using a multi-blade razor, you may need to tap or bang the razor on the sink to clear the particles.
4. When you’re done, simply pat your face dry with the wash cloth or a clean towel.  If you prefer, let your face air dry.  There is no need to wash or rinse the Almaden Shaving Oil off of your face.  It is a natural emollient (moisturizer) and is actually beneficial to leave it on your skin.  For additional conditioning, apply and additional few drops to your face after shaving.
5. Most important: Enjoy!!