This is where shaving magic seriously happens. Now that you are lathered up, place that very warm wet washcloth or face towel (from TIP 1) over the lather on your face. YEAH, ON TOP OF IT. YOU MUST DO THIS. Hold it in place for an honest 60 seconds. Particularly over your chin and upper lip where facial hair is densest. If you have heavy/thick facial hair hold the cloth in place for 90 seconds. 

Don’t cover your nose. You got to breathe!  If the towel cools, warm it up. (Or, if a microwave is handy, heat a damp towel for 30 seconds.) Afterward, refresh the lather if you need to. Now you are ready to reach for your razor.

Warmth relaxes and opens your pores. Warm water hydrates your facial hair and hydrated hair is easier to cut, especially with a warmed blade. Because the blade isn’t working so hard it lasts longer. In fact, the life of your blade can be extended, sometimes enough to squeeze out an extra shave.

Start high on your cheek, holding the razor at a 30°-40° angle to your face. Do not apply pressure. Take gentle, slow, 1” strokes, slightly overlapping. Shave with the grain (Grain? See TIP 8).  Again: Do NOT apply pressure. You don’t need to. Pressure comes from the weight of the razor. Let the razor glide effortlessly across your face. Simply shave away the white lather.  

Try a second pass to reach stubborn whiskers. To keep your face warm, quickly lather up a second time, and go! This usually requires shaving against the grain. If you have sensitive skin, we recommend not shaving against the grain. Please be careful. Shave slowly until you nail it.

If you are switching from cartridge blade shaving to double edge (DE) shaving, or you are new to shaving, welcome! 

Getting acquainted with DE shaving there is a brief learning curve (2-3 shaves) as you ease into your shave routine. Blades are sharp. Shave with care. Always hold the handle lightly. Do not apply pressure. Again: Do NOT apply pressure. You don’t need to. Take gentle, slow, 1” strokes,  slightly overlapping. Let the razor glide effortlessly across your face. The weight of the razor does the work. (When to change blades. See TIP 12.)

Bottom line: The first time, no matter how hard you try, you won’t get a baby skin smooth shave. Baby skin smoothness comes with time. And it’s worth it. 

If you get nicks, irritation, razor burn, bumps or ingrown hair when you shave, it’s likely because you applied pressure when shaving. To help reduce or entirely eliminate this shaving sensitivity, use little to no pressure. Only a light hand is needed. Just gentle strokes. The razor does the work. Keep in mind that a single blade passing across your face 1-2 times is a whole lot healthier for your skin than a cartridge with 3-5 blades crisscrossing it multiple times. 

After shaving, splash warm water over your face. THEN run very cold water over your face towel and hold the chilled towel on your face for 20-25 seconds. JUST DO IT. This closes your pores. It’s healthy and won’t hurt. Pat your face and neck dry with a fresh towel. Don‘t rub dry. Skin may be sensitive after shaving. 

Look in mirror. Smile. Touch your freshly moisturized face. Smooth and soft, yes? Note the youthful, healthy glow.

Say it loud: “Hello, handsome!”

Please be careful. Beautiful ladies will start to follow you.

Choose a hefty metal handle razor, rather than plastic, for a balanced shave and no nicks. It’s better for your face and better for the environment. Take slow, slightly overlapping 1” strokes. Let the razor glide across your face. The less pressure you apply the more even the surface of your skin is and the less likely you’ll get a nick. Shaving is closer and you can expect a more comfortable, smoother, longer-lasting shave every time.

Find your grain – the direction your hair grows – just run your hand across your cheeks.  Going with the grain feels less prickly.  Shaving against the grain can remove outermost layers of skin and lead to razor burn, ingrown hairs and irritation. Always try to shave with the grain. Take short 1” stokes. This allows you to shave with the grain and adjust grain direction when you need to as you shave.

Even if you are rushed don’t wash with cold water before shaving. It closes your pores and stiffens your facial hairs. Fact: Men’s facial hair is tough as copper wire. If you try to shave with cold water you can expect a painful shave and to be reaching for bandages.  Always use warm water.  (See TIP 2-1/2.)

Germs are gross! Not face-friendly. Bacteria, bits of skin, hair can accumulate and clog up your razor — ugh! Rinse you razor every few strokes. A double edge safety razor rinses clean in 1-2 seconds. Closely packed blades in plastic cartridges don’t rinse easily. Unhygienic, especially for easily irritated, sensitive skin. You will be surprised at the difference frequent rinsing makes.

Stainless steel double edge blades shave best. Good for your face. And good for the planet every time you shave.

Using a blade too many times (often to save money) gives bacteria and mold time to grow which you definitely want to avoid. And a dull blade can leave blunt whiskers that become painful in-grown hairs. We recommend that you change your blade weekly. Dime Shave blades cost 10¢ a shave (50¢ a blade, $26 a year). So affordable you can replace them weekly. Why bother to squeeze extra shaves from costly plastic blade cartridges?