The Ultimate Guide To Wet Shaving
Take your shaving experience to the next level with our step by step guide to wet shaving.
Wet shaving takes your shaving routine from practical necessity to grooming ritual. It’s a great option for sensitive skin and, if you prepare skin well, can create an incredibly soft and smooth finish. The key to a good wet shaving experience is to take it slow, to go through the stages and give your skin a little love. And you don’t need a straight or safety razor to enjoy a wet shave. The advent of a new generation of wet and dry tools means you can enjoy a wet shave with the convenience and power of an electric shaver. We have brought together everything you need to know to achieve an incredible wet shave experience below.
1. Prep Your Skin
The first thing you need to do is thoroughly cleanse and gently exfoliate your skin. This will get rid of dead skin and reduce the likelihood of ingrowing hairs. Choose an exfoliating gel or simply use a clean, hot flannel to gently clean your face and neck. You may also want to lay a warm flannel or towel over your face and neck for between two and five minutes before shaving. This will open up the pores and soften your facial hair to make it easier to get a close, clean shave.
2. Choose a High-Quality Shaving Cream
A good-quality shaving cream is absorbed into the hair cuticle, causing it to swell and making it easier to cut. Some canned shaving foams and gels use harsh chemicals that can irritate sensitive skin and it’s better to choose a traditional cream if possible – this will better lubricate and hydrate your skin. You also need to really work the cream into the hair on your face and neck, with a brush or your fingertips. This allows better absorption and coverage, making for a closer shave. If you are using an electric shaver you may find you need a thinner layer of lather but it’s still important to work it into your beard effectively. Let the shaving cream sink in for a few minutes before you get to work and begin to shave.
3. Pick the Right Shaver
For a great wet shave, it is incredibly important that you pick the right shaver or razor; a poorly designed product is at best, likely to leave you with patchy results, and at worse, covered in cuts. The Panasonic ES-LV95-S811 Wet and Dry Men’s Shaver uses smart sensors to assess beard density and power, providing an exceptionally close and sensitive shave. With 5 Nanotech™ blades, it offers one of the most advanced electric shaves around. For an incredibly versatile option, the Panasonic ES-SL41-A511 Wet and Dry Men’s Shaver has a pop-up trimmer for precision trimming as well as advanced wet shave functionality with 3 multi-fit arc-foil blades.
4. Always Shave Against The Grain
For a wet shave, it’s important to move against the grain of your beard. And remember that your beard doesn’t all grow in the same direction. Run your hand over your beard to work out the direction of hair growth. If you’re new to shaving, this can take a little time to figure out, but over time you will become comfortable with how (and in which direction) your beard grows. Run against the grain in long, smooth strokes and take care not to apply too much pressure. You may have to repeat passes or apply further lather as you shave. Take it slow and pay attention to your skin, an excessively rough or repetitive motion can damage the skin.
5. Hydrate Skin After Shaving
You may have finished shaving but the job isn’t quite done yet. Even the gentlest shaving experience can dry out the skin and your post-shave routine should be focused on getting moisture back into your cells. Wash your face with cool water and gently pat dry before applying a post-shave product. Choose something moisturising and avoid after-shave products that contain alcohol – they will just dry the skin out.
6. Clean Your Shaver
It’s important to thoroughly clean your razor after use to remove cream and hair that could damage its performance. You should follow the manufacturer’s instructions when it comes to cleaning, but usually, hot water and a mild detergent is all you need. You may also need to occasionally oil your shaver to keep it performing at it’s best. Again, refer to the instructions to find out when and if you need to oil your model. Some shavers like our Panasonic ES-LV9Q-S811 5 Blade Wet and Dry Shaver come complete with an automatic cleaning system.
Ready to try wet shaving for the first time? Visit the Panasonic online store today to discover the most advanced shaving tools around.