Shaving your face is a sacred procedure for a man and, in addition to basic household items, such as a razor or shaving foam, seemingly insignificant accessories play a significant role. Continuing the series of articles on shaving, we will consider what shaving accessories are, what function they perform and learn how to understand them.
As soon as you start shaving at the age of 19-20, you still use awkward movements to describe the contours of your chin, cheeks and even neck with a razor. All these pirouettes with a razor are inconceivable without the main assistant – an ordinary mirror.
Shaving mirror
Since time immemorial, people have used water to look at their reflection. Gradually, people invented new surfaces that could better and better reflect the appearance. Tried everything: polished silver, bronze or pewter surfaces. Now it is a great blessing to have a flawless mirror, which is indispensable for any personal care, especially when shaving. With the help of a mirror, we can more accurately see the growth of facial hair, control the pressure of the razor on the skin and, which is also important, pay attention to the details of the beard (if any).
At the moment, there are 2 types of mirrors on sale: an ordinary mirror or an anti-fog mirror. If you prefer to shave in the shower, then the anti-fog glass is definitely your choice, but there are several nuances here.
A convenient option for an indispensable attribute of the bathroom is a mirror with a heating element located on the back of the reflective surface. It is enough to turn on the heating before taking a shower and then there will be no problems with a fogged mirror. Installing such a mirror will require wiring, since the system is powered by electricity, like the backlight. It is good if you provided this opportunity at the stage of repair.
If it is not possible to install a “smart” mirror, then there is an alternative that does not require electricity. Such mirrors are small ovals, unfortunately, it is not always convenient to look into them because of their size. Technically, these are not mirrors at all, since they are not made of glass, but of special plastic. The material is not very practical, it is easily scratched and damaged, which greatly reduces their service life.
Anti-fog plastic shaving mirrors are comfortable but not durable
If you prefer to shave outside the shower, you can use a regular wall mirror or a small one on a stand. The latter come with different magnification factors. I recommend a 3x magnification of the mirror, because a small magnification does not make it possible to see all the details, which is very important.
Shaving mirror with stand
If after taking a shower in your bathroom the steam has not yet evaporated, then ordinary mirrors will fog up in an instant. There are special means for misting mirrors or glasses. These are used by scuba divers and divers when diving under water. Unfortunately, such funds are not cheap and will be used up quickly. By the way, there are several very effective life hacks on how to deal with a foggy mirror. The best way to deal with a foggy mirror is to use hot air from a hair dryer.
Anti-fogging mirrors, glass or plastic
The second way is to lather the soap and apply the foam mass to the mirror, and then pour it over with hot water. The mirror will be clean after that for another ten minutes, which is enough for a shave. The soap contains an alkali that prevents the mirror from fogging up.
There is a third way: just spit saliva on the mirror and rub evenly over the surface, then rinse thoroughly with water. It looks, of course, not very nice, but effective! This is how divers wash the mask when there is no spray can with a special anti-fogging liquid at hand.
Shaving bowl
You can take a mug or a bowl of soup in the kitchen to make foam, but is that cool? No! It will be much better if you have a special men's shaving bowl that no one else will use except you. If you have some spare time and free funds, you can look at some online flea market or visit a vintage store for hipsters and other connoisseurs of all kinds of aesthetics. There are often hand-made clay shaving bowls. Prices vary quite a bit, especially if yesterday's teenager imagines himself Tsereteli and gives the world his art for a dear. The optimal price is from 400 to 3000 rubles. You can find a product that perfectly complements the bathroom design and is generally pleasing to the eye.
Handmade shaving bowls can be purchased at online flea markets at a bargain price
Using the shaving bowl is fairly easy. First you need to heat it up. This can be done by filling it with hot water for 2-3 minutes. When the bowl is warm enough, pour out the water and put in shaving soap or shaving cream from which we will make lather. After diluting the soap or cream with a few drops of water, start lathering with a shaving brush until you feel the lather has reached the proper consistency and density. Be careful when adding water. You can add too much and the foam will not work.
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Many people also face the problem of shaving soap and cup compatibility, because not every soap fits the width of the neck. However, this is all solved with a knife (you can scrape off the required amount of soap into a bowl and foam the shavings) or by purchasing a mug for soap from your favorite manufacturer. If scrubbing is not convenient for you, you can purchase a bowl of shaving soap inside. Many expensive brands make bowls out of wood or porcelain with branded soap inside.
Shaving soap in a wooden bowl by Penhaligons
There is a lot to tell about the shaving bowl, and we will do it in one of the following articles, but for now let's move on to the next accessory for a comfortable shave.
Alunite or alum stone
Shaving is a dangerous process if you think about it. You run a sharp blade over your face, around the carotid artery, over the Adam's apple … If you, God forbid, suddenly cut yourself, then the blood must be stopped immediately! No after-shave product that has a healing effect will work as well as alunite or alum stone. This is a natural stone, which has recently become an integral part of the tools of every hairdresser.
Alunite (alum stone) from EShave cuts
Alunite helps stop bleeding from minor scrapes, cuts and burns by narrowing blood vessels and tightening skin pores. Under the influence of water, it acquires antiseptic properties, because it contains mineral salts, which were used as an antiseptic by the ancient Egyptians about 4000 years ago. There is, however, and this has its own drawback. Minerals have moisture-absorbing properties, and therefore men with dry sensitive skin need to minimize contact with alunite.
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In addition to the above properties, alum stone can be used as an antiperspirant (in the east, such minerals have been actively used as antiperspirants for several centuries).
Hemostatic pencil
Unlike a block of alunite, which can cover a very, very large cut, a styptic pencil or alunite pencil is designed for pinpoint damage to the skin and has exactly the same properties as the alum stone itself. Just moisten the tip of the pencil and place it directly on the cut or scratch and wait a few seconds. The protective cap and packaging of the pencil helps to transport it and makes it an indispensable travel tool.
Muehle styptic pencil
Shaving stand
In addition to a mirror, cup, alunite block and pencil, it is worth purchasing a shaving rack. Most men often ignore the idea of buying such a stand, as it seems to many a very stupid waste of money. However, the stand is really important.
Shaving holder by Muehle
Everyone needs a stand on which to store a razor and a toothbrush, and if you also have a shaving brush, then a stand is a must for its long service. Only with the help of the stand can you effectively dry the natural bristle brush after use. It is important that it hangs down with bristles and the water does not flow down to the base of the mount. The natural bristle brush simply needs to be dried to maintain the quality of the bristles for years to come, and the stylish chrome base perfectly complements any bathroom interior, so this purchase is hardly a waste.
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Waffle towel
Anyone who has visited a barbershop or hairdresser knows how to prepare for shaving. You are seated in an armchair and a warm waffle towel is applied, which has only been soaked in hot water. A warm towel compress helps soften skin and open pores to prevent irritation and cuts while shaving.
Waffle towel dipped in hot water
At home, of course, you can just take a shower or rinse your face with hot water for a while. However, if you approach the shaving process carefully, you can do otherwise. Soak a waffle towel in hot water, squeeze it out a little and apply it to your face or neck for a few minutes. While shaving, you can reapply the towel by re-soaking it in hot water.
Finally
Today we looked at some of the shaving accessories that bring comfort to the process and have been used for many years. These and some other accessories are considered essential for a classic shave. In our next articles, we will repeatedly refer to products that help to improve the level of comfortable shaving, while avoiding injury and irritation. Thank you for reading the article and welcome your comments! Good luck!
