When I first started to shaving it always crossed my mind “do I need a shaving brush?” Since I always used my hands. Never hand anyone around to show the right way either. I learned from movies like “Home Alone”. Until I went to a barber and he started to use a shaving brush on me, then the world started to open up for me.
Do you need a shaving Brush?
Yes and No. It depends on your preference. Using a shaving brush can help apply the soap, cram, or foam around your face and push the hairs a little so it’ll be easier to shave them.
You can use your hand like almost all men do, but your hand may not be the best choice to apply the shaving cream around your face. Brushes help to add moisture and air to your soap. This will have a good benefit to you because the lather will become thicker as a result. There are a few brushes that offer exfoliation also. This is something you can necessarily do with your hands.
Shaving brushes are necessary for a great shave such as pre-shave oils or a good shaving cream. See, what makes the brush somewhat special are the bristles on the brush, combined with the movement of them going against your facial hair allows them to stand up straighter than if you were to use your hand. This can mean closer shave, less stubble, and smoother skin.
If you want to add some enjoyment to your shaving routine and avoid those shaving creams that come from an aerosol can that can filled with god knows what. Also using a shaving brush can help you get intouch with the old ways of shaving, like how your grandfather and his father before him shaved. Also you can try out a variety of handmade shaving soaps and creams.
What is a shaving brush?
It’s a little brush that is used to whip up your shaving cream and spread around your facial hairs. Three parts enable the shaving brush to do its job. That is the handle which is made from wood, resin, bone or metal. The type of handle is mostly about preference and isn’t a big metric of performance. Then, you have the knot of the brush. The knot is around 24mm. When you have a wider knot, you have a shorter loft and vice versa.
The loft is a measurement of from the bottom of the handle to the tip of the brush. These two together are the brushes backbone. The backbone is the stiffness your brush has.
The stiffness of the backbone can determine a lot, like the more stiff it is then you will get more of an exfoliation from the brush than a softer one. The soft ones can carry more lather.
What are the types of shaving brushes?
Badger
The most popular of the bunch, and can be the most expensive. Badger brushes are popular because they are nice and soft and it can hold a lot of water.
Boar
Boar is a lot more affordable and can be easily produced other than badger. Boar hair is much stiffer but doesn’t hold as much water as badger hair does. But overtime the boar hairs soften and when that happens you might not be able to tell the difference between boar and badger.
Synthetic
Now synthetic is the best if you’re conscious about animal safely and don’t want to own products that come as a result of an animal being in danger. Synthetic doesn’t come from an animal. They can work well like badger and boar.
How do you break in a shaving brush?
When you first start to use the brush it’ll smell like the animal that it came from. I know that is a little nasty. And that smell will become even more noticeable once you start to get it wet. But like all things when you first open them, the smell goes away. I like to wash my brushes with some dish detergent or shampoo since shampoos always smell good. After that I then put some of my shaving cream on the brush and let it rest overnight and dry off by itself.
In the morning or whenever you get back to it, I wash it off. When it’s too stiff and rub it on my hands as though I’m spreading shaving cream on the palm of my hand.
Do shaving brushes make a difference?
They absolutely make a difference. There’s no exact science to it. But the benefits are obvious. There are smaller bubbles that help protect the skin from irrigation. This comes from the process of creating the lather from the shaving soap. The bristles from the brush give it a little bit of exfoliation by pumping up the top layer of skin.
You most likely experience fewer ingrown hairs as a result of lifting up your hairs and removing some of the dead skin. When your stubble becomes soft, it can mean a smoother shave and a shave with less irritation. The razor glides through without anything stopping it. More hairs are pushed upward making it easier for the blade to catch them.
Now compare that with a regular conventional shave without a shaving brush. Then there will be a definite difference and it can be more efficient, fun, and effective.
Is there a difference in the cost and time consumption of shaving with a brush?
Well it doesn’t really take long to lather up the foam, the shave is a lot better. The time won’t be long once you get the hang of it and learn which direction you should be shaving in how or how hard you should press the razor into your skin.
Shaving brushes don’t really have to be expensive at all. Badger and boar hair shaving brushes may cost a little more since it comes from an animal. But synthetic doesn’t. So they may be cheaper, durable.
What is the point of a shaving brush?
The point of a shaving is a brush to help spread around the shaving cream or soap on your face, this creates an even plane field of lather that your razor can glide across. It can also help exfoliate the skin a little before you start to shave. But probably the most important is that it helps to lift the hairs on your face. Lifting the hairs on your face makes it easier to shave, and can provide a closer shave.
Can you use shave soap without a brush?
Yes, but it would be very difficult. Your better option if you don’t have a brush or don’t want to use one is to use a shaving cream. Since shaving soap is dried and cured because that is how it’s made. You’ll most likely have a thin and runny lather attempting to lather a soap puck with your hand.
How to Use a Shaving Brush?
When you use a shaving brush, it’s required you use it with the shaving mug, cream or soap.
- Soak the brush in hot water. When finished you want to flick off any excess water from the top of the brush.
- Put the brush in your shaving mug or your bowl and swirl it around. Doing this you can start to create a lather
- I like to use a circular motion when swirling it around in the shaving mug, then take the brush out the mug and proceed to rub it on your face, and use that same circular motion on your beard area and neck
- Once you’re done shaving, rinse the brush off. Then hang it to dry.
Read More:
Okay, so now you got the shaving brush and you should know by the end of this article whether or not you need a one. But another accessory alot of men have problems with is the shaving soap. So I wrote an article about how you should store shaving soap? Give it a read!