SHAVING BRUSHES – PART THREE

Q: How do I look after my badger hair shave brush?

A: Prior to using your new brush, wash well with soap and warm water.

• After daily use, rinse the brush under clean, warm water until the water runs clear. Squeeze or flick out residual water before hanging brush in its holder with the bristles facing down. Allow brush to dry thoroughly before storing to avoid any unnecessary damage to the bristles.
• If you do not have a holder or stand for your  brush, be sure to flick out as much residual water as possible and store the brush on the handle base in an open, dry area. Do not keep damp brushes in a closed drawer.
• For optimal care and sanitation, add ¼ teaspoon of Borax to a cup of boiling water.  Submerge bristles and soak for 10 minutes.  Rinse with fresh warm water and store as usual. 
• Sterilize once a month or more if a shaver has a lowered immunity where skin is prone to infection.

SHAVING BRUSHES – PART TWO

Q: How do I use my badger hair shave brush?

A: Soak your brush in hot water. A mug with boiling hot water works well.

• Apply a glob of shave lather directly on to your cheek or body part you will be shaving. Gently flick brush to remove excess water (so it’s not dripping) and begin priming the lather directly against the skin using a circular upward motion. 
• Continue adding hot water throughout the shave to regenerate the lather. Always exercise caution when using HOT water. 
• You could also add your shave lather to a shaving bowl or prime it onto the palm of your hand.  However, keep in mind that the more time you spend priming away from the face, the less time you get to enjoy the heat which is a huge part of the pleasure factor.
• If you prefer to use hard shaving soap, work the soap as if you were buttering a piece of bread or painting a wall. Do not force your brush into the soap causing the bristles to splay outwards like a mop. You will damage you bristles and lose much of the water that should stay within the fibers.

CLICK HERE FOR PART THREE – HOW DO I LOOK AFTER MY BADGER HAIR SHAVE BRUSH?

SHAVING BRUSHES – PART ONE

Q: How do I know what shaving brush will work for me?

A: Whether you prefer using soft shave cream over hard shaving soap, a quality shave brush can make all the difference to your shaving success.  Not only should a quality shave brush retain enough hot water to whip thick glycerin based emulsions into a slurry of rich creamy lather, it should also be firm enough to lift the whiskers without irritating the skin.

While boars bristle, horse hair and synthetic fibers are popular choices for shavers on a dental floss budget, shaving aficionados around the world all agree that badger hair brushes lead the field as the ultimate shaving accoutrement.  

The cost of a Badger hair shave brush can range from $15 to $1500 depending on the quality, density and rarity of the hair that has been harvested.  The type of material and design elements that make up the handle can also be a significant factor in the overall price.  Keep in mind that ornate handles made from exotic materials or precious metals might serve an esthetic need but can be too fragile for the environment or difficult to maintain. The true pleasure and efficacy is found in the quality and density of the fibers themselves. 

Because brush manufacturers have their own methods for determining the grade and corresponding name given to their product, it doesn’t take long for a novice shaver to become confused when they have to chose from pure, best, super, silver tip, extra silvertip, mid grade, bleached, machine cut, hand finished, etc.  Ambiguities like “Silvertip” beats “Best” and “Pure” being inferior to “Bleached” can drive a shaver back to his Propane propelled can of foam in no time.

Like all new regimens, a certain amount of trial and error will have to play out before you are sure you have found the right brush for you.  In the meantime, here are my TOP 3 TIPS to help minimize brush buyer’s remorse.

• Be prepared to spend $30 or more on your first brush.  If you’ve ever wondered what the difference was between a $2 paint brush and a $25 paint brush, chances are strong you’ve never painted a room before.  Don’t let cheap make you think it’s not going to cost you! Budget shavers should look for a mix of pure and super grade badger.  It will be a mottled salt and pepper colored bristle.  If your wallet is more flexible, it should be super badger all the way.
• Choose a brush with a knot size that suits the size of your face and a handle that feels comfortable in your hand.  Too big can be obnoxious; too small can be tedious.
• Don’t get suckered into thinking your brush will work better or last longer because you’ve paid through the nose for a handle made out of Sterling Silver, Shell, Horn or exotic wood.  Poly-resin is a popular material chosen for its ability to bounce off granite vanities without shattering and not crack, warp or tarnish in moist environments. It is available in an array of contemporary colors and attractive patterns often designed to imitate ivory, ebony, horn, etc.  If metal is more up your alley, chose hard chrome over silver.

CLICK FOR PART TWO – HOW DO I USE MY BADGER HAIR BRUSH?

EXCESS BODY HAIR

How Much Should a Bear Bare?

Lacking the necessary gene for diplomacy, I asked Tony what generation Wookie he was from.  Fortunately he had a healthy sense of self and laughed away the innuendo.  This break in formality paved the way for an open discussion on the many burdens of excess body hair.

While Tony had long since come to grips with the sprouting mass of curls bursting over his shirt collar, he was still open to any suggestions I might have on how to clean, maintain and manage his back-covered coif; particularly during the hotter months.  Not only did he stay moist enough to cultivate mushrooms, rinsing and drying off after a shower or swim was no easy feat. 

Tony had not always taken such a passive approach to his hairiness.  He once tried to endure a professional wax but abruptly ended the session after they pulled the first blood curdling strip.  Depilatory creams seemed less torturous but he quickly learned that any emulsion capable of dissolving hair in seconds should only be used on the dead.

While I’m a huge fan of cartridge razor shaving, when it comes to shaving your back or chest, wet shaving can often leave you with an irritating case of the itches’.  The least invasive yet effective method and tool of choice is an electric clipper or trimmer.  This appliance is quick and easy to use.  Because it cuts the cuticle at an angle, you have a better chance of keeping the tip of the hair soft and more pliable, thereby minimizing friction.  While the end result will not have you winning any “velvet touch” awards you’ll still look cleaner and feel fresher without any drama.  If you don’t have anyone to help sheep-shear your back for you, there’s a tool called the ManGroomer that could be worth a shot.

X-METHOD SHAVING – PART 3

  

 28 Day Whisker Rehabilitation Program Continued

 

 

 

Post-Shave Procedure

Once you have finished shaving, rinse the face with fresh warm water. Now would be a great time to brush your teeth and then splash the face and neck down with fresh cool water. Pat the skin with a clean dry towel so it’s not dripping wet but still damp.

Massage Q=Gel over the entire face and neck including the back of the neck and ears. This naturally pH balanced gel allows the skin to bring itself back into balance by supplying it with the resources it needs for cellular renewal as well as creating a breathable barrier for the ongoing protection of freshly shaved skin.  By providing a complex organ such as skin with the right elements, it will be able to spend more time scoring advantages rather than spending all of its energy playing defense.

X-METHOD SHAVING – PART 1

Shaving, for more men than not, is something they might do to mollify the system, keep a job, win the girl or avoid an uncomfortable itch.  Few shavers realize that wet shaving, done well, can have benefits that guarantee a strong, healthy complexion while in pursuit of a stubble-free mug.

Cartridge razor shaving is proving to be the ultimate exfoliating tool as more shavers learn how to use these multi blade systems to work with the physiological laws that govern skin.  Instead of the sole focus being on how to get the quickest, closest shave regardless of the damage being done to skin, shavers can now have it all once they learn and implement the rules of X-method shaving.

X-method shaving is a razor technique that taps back into your skins natural grid system which should be a series of squares. Obvious signs indicating that the integrity of the skin’s grid system has been compromised include enlarged pores and whiskers that grow along the skin line instead of upright.  These symptoms are indicative of stress caused by the following actions:

• Ripping the pore by shaving against the whisker
• Using chemically inappropriate shaving and skin care products that erode the acid mantle and pollute skin
• Denying the skin sufficient nutrients to replenish optimal cells

The good news is skin is a renewable resource that continuously regenerates itself and can forgive a multitude of sins once corrected. X-method shaving can help speed up the healing process as it forces the skin to regenerate 28 x faster and, at the same time, retrain the whisker to grow upwards. Once the whisker lifts off the skin line, shaving becomes a quick, easy enjoyable process with healthy longer lasting results.

CLICK HERE FOR X-METHOD SHAVING PART 2

X-METHOD SHAVING – PART 2

 

 

28 Day Whisker Rehabilitation Program Continued

 

 

YOU WILL NEED:

• Quality Multi-Blade Cartridge Razor (Gillette Mach 3, Sensor, Fusion)
• Q Shave Brush
• Q Prepping Oil
• Q Shave Lather
• Q Equalizing Gel 

LET’S GET STARTED

Prepping Procedure 

1. Take a hot shower and cleanse face with pH balanced facial cleanser. NEVER use exfoliation scrubs prior to shaving.
2. At the end of the shower, massage prepping oil into wet skin and be sure to include the forehead, nose and orbital bone just beneath the eye.
3. Draw hot water into a mug or sink and soak your shave brush bristles down and razor blade.
4. Smear a glob of Q- shave lather directly onto your cheek. Flick excess water out of shave brush and begin priming the lather directly against the cheek until the brush picks up the lather and begins forming a rich slurry of creamy foam.  Using the brush in circular upward movements, coat the entire face including the forehead and nose.
5. Using your free hand as your guide, find out which way the whiskers are lying by running the back of your fingers up the face to determine the direction that gives you the most resistance. Spread your fingers slightly apart and score lines in your lather to help your brain keep your razor on track.

 The Reduction Shave

Prepare the cartridge razor by rinsing in hot water. Flick off excess water. Your razor grip should be firm but the pressure exerted against the skin extremely light.  Too much pressure compresses the whisker making it more difficult for the blades to cut evenly through the cuticle.

Divide your face into sections and follow this order:

• Side burn to Jaw line – left side then right
• Jaw line to Adams Apple – left side then right
• Adam’s apple to collar bone – left side then right
• Chin
• Upper Lip

Be sure to assess the directional growth patterns before commencing a new section. Do not assume the left side grows the same as the right. Follow the lines you scored into the lather during the prepping stage. 

Shave with the grain or lie of the hair using short (1 inch) strokes.  Long continuous strokes damage  pores, bog down the razor and dull the blade.

Avoid unnecessary drag and the risk of nicks and cuts by rinsing built up lather and whisker debris off razor head every 6 strokes. Always use hot water throughout the shave.

The Refining Shave

Once you’ve completed the reduction shave, lather back up and shave across the grain.  This technique is what puts the X in cross-method shaving.  The refining shave is designed to shorten the whisker for a smoother longer lasting shave; but most importantly resurface the skin until it can tap back into its natural grid system.  Once the skins layers are able to form without having breaks between the bands that hold it all together, a tight seal forms around the base of the whisker. Not only does this improve the skin’s immunity, it acts like a stake to support the whisker while it grows outwards or away from the skin line.  

During the retraining period, you will need to shave every day for 28 days. 

It is better to under shave than over shave. If you can’t get it close using the X method, walk away and try again tomorrow. There is always a season to sow and a season to reap. When the time comes, your whiskers will grow in a strong outward direction, allowing you to shave quicker and closer than ever before without eroding the foundation.

CLICK FOR X-METHOD SHAVING PART 3 – POST-SHAVE PROCEDURE

Gorgeous Gams – Quick Glance Guide

Once you learn the secret to shaving your legs, underarms and bikini area, you will start to look forward to this ritual as you moisturize and heal your way to a clean, long lasting shave.

You will need:

• Gillette Mach 3 Razor (stays sharper longer and is not over developed like the Gillette Venus)
• Badger Hair Shave Brush (not essential but it will save on time and shave lather)
• Glycerin Shave Lather
• pH Balanced Plant Based Aftershave Gel

1. Always shave toward the end of a hot shower or bath to increase circulation and soften the hair.
2. Soak your shave brush under shower head until the bristles are fully absorbed with warm water.
3. Add a glob of shave lather to the thigh and prime the shave brush using a brisk whisking motion until a slurry of rich lather forms.
4. Begin using the brush to lather up the first leg . Be sure to keep the pressure light and strokes brisk as the idea is to whip lather up and under the hair. Lather up from the foot to the top of the leg.
5. In a case where follicles have become infected or the hair is long and coarse, start with a reduction shave which involves starting at the knee and shaving down the leg toward the foot using short strokes no longer than 2 inches per stroke.
6. Rinse your razor and begin shaving from the toes then top of the foot using short controlled 2″strokes and continue up the leg toward the knee.
7. Make sure the razor is rinsed often to avoid bogging down the blade. You risk tearing or cutting into the skin if the razor is unable to maintain even pressure through direct unemcumbered contact.
8. Repeat the process on the other leg using the remaining shave lather contained within the brush.
9. Rinse well.

10.  After the shower, gently pat your skin down so you’re not dripping wet.

11.  Massage a pH balanced plant based aftershave gel over the entire foot and leg to close the cuticle, lock in moisture and tone freshly shaved skin.

TIPS

• Use a new razor blade every 7 days for 30 days.  After that change as needed which should be about once a month.
• Shave every day for 30 days to retrain the hair and resurface skin.
• NEVER share a razor with anyone
• Avoid Gel strips

Leg Shaving – Get Set for Gorgeous Gams

Silky Smooth Gams

Lana’s legs were so prickly and coarse her husband threatened to clean the grill with them if she skipped a shave.  To spare hubby from being harpooned during the night, she would shave her legs before bed then again in the morning to avoid shredding her pantyhose while getting dressed for work.

Although shaving one’s body parts can be traced back to our primordial sisters, leg shaving became super popular back in WWII when stocking manufacturers were forced to assist the war effort instead of the legs of ladies.  After centuries of hiding fluff covered gams under a bustle of petticoats, liberated hemlines became to legs what the demi cup did for the tah tahs.  Thankfully, Gillette’s breakthrough safety razor and subsequent multi blade razors have simplified shaving to the point that the women today get to enjoy an effortless silky smooth long lasting shave; N O T!

It is estimated that western women shave one third of their body a minimum of two times a week. However, because advertisers make believe there is no right or wrong way to shave as long as you do it with one of their razors and a propane-propelled can of high profit low value foam, women have been hacking up their legs, groin and underarm areas for too long. It seems there is a complete disconnect of rationality when it comes to maintaining skin south of the neck line.  With an average monthly investment in shaving tools whittled down to less than the cost of one lip stick, it’s no wonder prickly pale legs and folliculitis is more common than not.

While many women have chosen to wage an expensive war on their follicular excesses by turning to invasive methods like waxing, electrolysis, laser or depilatory creams, any procedure that involves ripping, burning, electrifying or dissolving hair at the root needs serious consideration. Because delicate lymph nodes reside just millimeters beneath the skins surface, any unnecessary stress and chemically inappropriate pollution is likely to compromise immunity to varying degrees. 

Cartridge razor shaving, when used in conjunction with biologically appropriate shaving preparations, is the best way to exfoliate skin while maintaining the esthetic appeal of a hair free surface.  Because skin is a detoxifying organ, many toxins are trapped in the skin’s outer layers hoping to end up as dust on a dining room table.  Because the blades on a cartridge razor are set at the perfect angle to gently remove about two of these outer layers during a shave, this method won’t over stimulate the skin like scrubs or strong glycolic peels.  Consequently, shaving is the best and most economical way to get  smooth shiny well toned legs with less glamorous health benefits thrown in for good measure.

Lana stopped using chemically inappropriate foams and traded the one time use pink disposable razors for a quality 3 blade razor.  She quickly learned that vegetable glycerin based shave lathers rich with omega oils and healing essential oils allowed the razor to glide effortlessly over the skin and cut silently through the hair like a hot knife slicing butter.  Instead of pulling the razor from ankle to knee in one uninterrupted stroke, she shortened it to 2 inches at a time to avoid bogging down the razor and pulling on the skin.

After the shower, she applied a pH balanced plant gel to close the cuticle, lock in moisture and protect balance and nourish freshly shaved skin.

Because Lana’s legs were so damaged after 40 years of using chemically inappropriate products and a bad shaving technique, it took about 35 days for them to heal and transform to the point that she can now shave early in the morning and still be smooth enough to rub up against her honey in the wee hours of the night without getting the boot.

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR GORGEOUS GAMS QUICK GLANCE GUIDE

“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

–  Albert Einstein

Cancer and Isopropyl Alcohol

I'll have an Isopropyl Martini please - extra dirty

The Truth About Rubbing Alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol has proven (in non-biased rational scientific communities) to be the underlying cause of all cancer. This petrochemical pops up as being the common denominator that ties cancer symptoms together regardless of the culture, age, gender or geographic location of the sufferer.

Because it is accepted as a cheap substitute for grain alcohol, it is used as a stabilizer in most commercial personal care and household products, to clean the machinery that processes food and beverages and is even rubbed on us before the skin is broken by hypodermic injection.

All in all, it is nasty stuff and should be limited to cleaning electronic components that reside outside of the body. Anyone that claims it to be otherwise, should prove the benign nature of this substance by drinking it. After all, if you can’t drink it without a trip to the emergency room, it probably shouldn’t go on your skin.