Classic wet shave
for beginners and advanced users

You shave: It doesn't matter whether it's to thoroughly erase all traces of beard growth or to shape the beard into the desired shape. In this context, many men swear by a classic wet shave. This centuries-old tradition is about more than just removing stubble from the face or giving the beard the right shape. A traditional wet shave is almost like a form of meditation, where you can be completely with yourself and escape the noise of the world for a few minutes.

A classic wet shave can be celebrated not only in the morning before work, but also in the evening before going out as a cherished ritual and preparation for the day or nightlife. You should definitely take enough time for this. Because stress and rushing simply don't mix with a good, thorough wet shave and can lead to annoying and painful slips. We'll show you step by step what your personal feel-good wet shave could look like.

1. Pre Shave – all preparations for an optimal shave

Remove dirt and residue
Foreign bodies and residues inevitably accumulate not only in our beards, but also on our facial skin. These can be dead skin and hair cells, but also dirt and dust or the remains of care products that the skin and hair have not fully absorbed. That's why it makes sense to carefully cleanse the skin with a high-quality washing lotion before shaving. So that your facial skin is not unnecessarily irritated, you should - as with body care in general - pay attention to a product that is highly skin-friendly and contains only the best natural ingredients and no chemical cocktail.

Let the heat work
Use the washing lotion together with warm water, even if you are a keen cold showerer. Because the heat not only relaxes your skin, but also the facial muscles and we provide a cool refreshment at the end of the shave - we promise. The relaxing effect can be intensified by pressing a warm towel - either from the heater or straight from the tumble dryer - onto the areas of your face that need to be shaved. This makes shaving even easier and more thorough as the skin pores open.

Use shaving oil and foam
After about half a minute it's time for the shaving oil. Distribute it evenly over the areas of the face to be shaved and massage it in. The shaving oil needs some time to take effect completely. If you don't use shaving foam from a can - which most fans of classic wet shaving reject - you can use the reaction time to make your own shaving foam in style. To do this, put some shaving soap in a jar or a small bowl, mix it with a little warm water and beat the mixture with your shaving brush until a foam with a lot of volume is created. When you're done, the shaving oil has absorbed perfectly into your skin and has covered your facial skin with a thin film. This ensures that the razor blade can later glide better over the skin, making the shave more comfortable and closer. The amount of shaving soap and water required depends on several factors - such as the length of the beard and the area of ​​the face to be shaved.

After just a few wet shaves you will develop a feeling for how much you need. When in doubt, more foam is better, so you don't have to stop shaving later to make a new portion. Now apply the shaving foam with the shaving brush to the areas you want to shave immediately, spread the foam and let it take effect briefly. This ensures that beard hair and stubble are easier to remove. All preparations are now complete.

2. The Shave – works particularly well with a sharp razor or safety razor

Reach your goal with several passes
Disposable razors are hardly suitable for men who enjoy a classic wet shave. Instead, a high-quality razor is the ideal utensil here. As an alternative, a safety razor is also recommended, which often makes it a little easier for those new to wet shaving on their first attempts. For a close shave - especially with long beard hair - several passes are usually necessary. It's best to shave the first time in the direction in which your hair grows. Before starting again, apply another layer of shaving foam to your facial skin and let it take effect for a few seconds. On the next pass, you shave against the grain to cleanly remove the last beard hairs. Beginners in particular should act carefully when using a razor and apply no or only minimal pressure. The last annoying beard hairs should be gone after the third pass at the latest.

Adopt and maintain the correct posture
The key to a perfect shave is the correct positioning of the shaving utensil. When the razor is open, there should be at least one finger on each of the tang and the tang. Don't you understand a word? While the term tang refers to the blade shaft, the tang is the curved end piece that is furthest away from the blade. The thumb is on the other side of the rod and thus ensures stability. If you use a high-quality razor, it will be perfectly balanced, so you will quickly get a good feel for the correct position.

From the outside to the inside
It's best to start shaving on the outside by placing the head of the razor blade under one ear and letting it slide downwards. It is best to rinse the resulting mixture of shaving foam, hair and stubble under the water after each stroke so that the razor blade can also thoroughly shave the next area of ​​the face. Now move the blade slightly to the side, repeat the steps and work your way up to the corners of your mouth. Then it's the turn of the other half of the face, and it's best to start under the ear again. The slightly more difficult central part of the face comes at the end - if you don't want a beard to sprout here.

Tense your skin and find the perfect angle
Clean strokes with the razor blade can be achieved if you tense the skin of your face while shaving so that the surfaces are as straight and smooth as possible. Especially when using a razor, it is important that you get the perfect cutting angle between the blade and the skin as accurately as possible. This is around 30 degrees. You can feel on your own skin how exactly you shave at this angle. Because while at the optimal angle the beard hairs almost disappear by themselves, an angle that is too flat or too steep means that the hair hardly wants to move or is more likely to be plucked out - ouch!

3. After (the) Shave – follow-up preparations for a perfect wet shaving experience

Time for refreshing cold
Men know that after the actual shave there is more to do than just applying an aftershave to the skin of the face. First, you should remove the remaining shaving foam from your face. This time, don't use warm water, but cold water. This not only refreshes and stimulates blood circulation, but also ensures that the pores of the skin close, making it more difficult for harmful bacteria to penetrate.

Drying, aftershave and moisturizer
Then dry your face with a fresh towel. Dabbing instead of rubbing is the motto, after all, you don't want to irritate the stressed facial skin or generate heat. Now it's time for a high-quality aftershave. This should not only smell pleasant, but also contain active ingredients that have a disinfecting effect, prevent razor burn and leave your skin pleasantly soft and supple. Men who attach particular importance to their appearance or suffer from dry skin can then apply a moisturizing cream - also known as a moisturizer - to their face.

Remove traces
Complete? Nearly! A classic wet shave leaves traces that need to be erased. There are medical reasons for this, especially with razors and safety razors. Because without thorough cleaning, the risk of infections can increase. So clean the safety razor or razor thoroughly and ideally also rinse the shaving brush, crucible and sink. You should carefully dry all components that could rust and let the other utensils dry. This also increases the lifespan of your shaving utensils and ensures that you can celebrate your personal wet shaving ritual with them for many years.

Here we go!
When everything is dry, you can perhaps later store the individual items in a stylish box so that everything is always ready to hand. Once the used towels have been stowed away in the laundry bag, you can ideally get a kiss on your clean-shaven face or carefully trimmed beard from the love of your life. That makes you want to have your next wet shave. Now the day or evening is all yours!