1. Incompatible Razor and Blade Combinations

 

2. Bad Face Preparation

Face and lather preparation are the main variables that actually determine your shaving quality. We've covered the subject of lathering before and you can watch our video here. You should avoid making a too thick or thin lather, and prepare your face thoroughly even if you have a limited time for shave. Remember, the more you moisturize your skin and the better you soften your beard, the easier your shave will go.

 

3. Shaving With Wrong Angle

It’s generally accepted that; the ideal shaving angle is about 30 degrees for safety razors. At this angle, the razor will glide over the face without having a difficulty. If you use too low angle, the razor blade will scrape rather than cutting your whiskers, which inevitably causes irritation. If you use too high angle, it will not be able to catch and cut the whiskers efficiently. At first, beginners may find it difficult to find the ideal angle, but in a month or two, they get used to hold the razor at right angle on every area of their face.

4. Shaving with Too Much Pressure

 

Shaving with too much pressure is one of the last things you want. Those who are accustomed to shaving by pressure with plastic cartridge razors -which are usually very lightweight-, tend to keep this behavior with safety razors too for the first few weeks when they start traditional wet shaving. However, there is no need use any pressure when shaving with safety razors, as the double edge razor blades are very sharp and most of the safety razors are made entirely from metals and have sufficient hefts. On the contrary, it is enough only to hold the razor at the right angle and allow it to do the shaving with its own weight. After a few shaves beginners quickly learn to relieve their pressure and leave the job to the razor itself.

 

5. Shaving the Same Area Over and Over

Even experienced shaving enthusiasts can make this mistake sometimes. It is a common mistake to go through the same place many times during shaving, sometimes with thoughtfulness, sometimes with laxness and sometimes with pleasure from the razor. Shaving the same area over and over does not give you much advantage in terms of shave quality. On the contrary, it may cause razor burns. The reason why we shave more than one pass in traditional shaving is to be able to completely clean the whiskers in each and every different direction. Going through the same area many times in the same direction doesn't help you to shave your beard shorter. For a comfortable shave, try not to go through the same area more than two or three strokes.

 

6. Trying to Shave the Skin Dry

This mistake is similar to the situation above. Sometimes, when a pass is completed, you check your face with your hand and when you feel something, you may shave that area to get it cleaner without lathering. This is a very wrong thing to do and results inevitably with irritation. If you feel that your shave is not close enough, you should do another pass by applying additional lather, or if you think some beard left on a local area, you should retouch that area by first lightly lathering or at least wetting it.

7. Not Shaving with the Grain on the First Pass

Although this is less common than others, we can still encounter it. Some people try to shave across or even against the grain just from the first pass in order to get a close shave only in one pass. However, you should always shave with the direction of your facial hair on the first pass, even if you’re having a one pass shave. If not, you may disrupt your whiskers growth direction and put unnecessary strain on your skin.

 

 

8. Trying to Shave Super Close

This is a shaving  trap, in which even experienced shavers often fall. As RAZORUS.com our statement is; traditional shaving is not super close shaving, but having the most comfortable and enjoyable shave as close as possible. Shave closeness should always be secondary. Our priority is comfort and pleasure. Using many passes, repeating strokes, very aggressive razors and sharpest blades will eventually tire your skin. We don’t want that. Shave efficiently, not crazily.

 

9. Using High Alcohol Content Aftershaves Just After the Shave

 

We all love to use a fresh, refreshing aftershave lotion that cools our skin especially on hot summer days. However, you should not splash your face with a lotion with high alcohol content immediately after the shave.  You should take a few minutes, give your skin some time to relax, settle, regain its balance and only after that use lotions with low alcohol content, specially made for post-shave use.

Colognes and similar high-alcoholic products will not soothe your skin, but will only dry and irritate it. So, stay away from them.

 

 

10. Excessive Use of Aftershave Products

 

Another common mistake in the use of after shave products is using more than necessary. Aftershave products, especially balms and milks contain various nutrients and oils to soothe the skin after the shave and keep it moist. But when you put too much product on your face, they can cover the skin with an oily layer, cutting off its contact with air and leaving a heavy, oily feel on your face. To prevent this, take only a small amount of product, distribute it between your fingers and then apply it to your face thinly. If you feel that, it is enough feel free to apply little more.

Remember, using too much product does not further relieve your skin, it’s just a waste of the product.

We tried to show you all these in detail in the following video. Enjoy!