Something I recently learned from my older (by 2 years) brother when I went home for my mother's funeral was that, if you use a disposable razor, you'll want to make sure you use cold water to rinse it off, as you go along. Why the cold water in the sink, instead of hot? Hot water will warp the aluminum blades that are now being used in disposable razors. Cold water will not.
I read in Consumer Reports, quite some time ago, that disposable razors are just as good as the more expensive, blade cartridge-replaceable razors. You should get about 13 shaves from a typical disposable razor.
I, personally, use Gillette CustomPlus razors. They've got a pivoting head, soft, comfortable grip, two blades and a lubricating strip (Aloe & Vitamin E). You might want to try several types of disposable razors until you find one that you're comfortable using.
So... first rinse your face with hot water (or place a hot wash cloth over the area to be shaved for a while), then fill the sink with cold water (no need to leave the faucet running while shaving - such a waste of water), lather up, let it sit about a minute and then shave, taking time, after each pass, to rinse the razor off in the cold water.
Better yet, if you have the nerves, learn how to use a straight razor. They're not just for slasher movies, you know.
A few articles you might want to read:
Saving Face - The New York Times (September 16, 1990)
How to Shave Your Face Without the Irritation - Associated Content (Mar 05, 2006)
Wet Shaving - From Wikipedia
Quote:
Despite the introduction of more and more blades, reviewers accuse giants like Gillette and Schick of taking advantage of consumers' gullibility, maintaining that three (or even two) blades are all you need for a reasonably close (and reasonably cheap) shave. The latest trick up the manufacturers' sleeves is incorporating a battery into these razors -- hence the Gillette M3 Power (*Est. $14), the Fusion Power (*Est. $12) and the Schick Quattro Power (*Est. $13). We didn't find any reviewer that preferred these vibrating razors to their cheaper manual counterparts. |
Razors Reviews - ConsumerSearch.com (Updated April 2008)
Quote:
Back in my undergrad days, a prof showed us photomicrographs of a razor edge with tiny mineral crystals on it. He said the crystals were the reason for "razor burn," as they created an irregular edge.
He said the way to avoid it was to rinse the blade in COLD water only, dunking it in alcohol immediately after rinsing for the last time and placing it to dry with the edges facing up. He said that the old "razor strop" was just a way of clearing the crystals off the edge of a straight razor.
I've been using his technique for many years. It worked with the older stainless blades, but works even better with the newer ones. I routinely get fifteen to twenty really good shaves out of one blade
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Corrosion engineering - Keep razor blades sharp
And there's always sites like
Youtube.com.
I like this video -
How To Shave like a Pro, which somewhat backs up the steps that Modee outlined, above.