How to Stop Razor Burn

Nothing ruins a good shave like razor burn – and let’s face it, in a world where first impressions really matter, you can’t afford to walk around with razor burn on your face. Not only is it itchy and annoying, it looks bad. No doubt we’ve all had razor burn at one time or another, but what can you do to prevent it?

  • Do the prep work. The best time to shave is right after you have gotten out of the shower. If you have a lot of facial hair, consider using conditioner to soften hair follicles even more before shaving. Ready your skin with a facial scrub, like Permission Skincare for Men’s Scrub that goes on warm, to remove dead skin cells and lift potentially ingrown hairs.
  • Go old school. Use a badger brush and a safety razor. The badger brush will get shaving cream up under every hair and the safety razor is less likely to irritate skin than the five-blade razors that are so common today.
  • It’s all in the technique. Shave with the grain – I know it takes more time to do it this way, since you’ll have to do multiple passes to get a clean shave, but going with the grain reduces irritation and razor burn. Also, don’t apply too much pressure. If you find you have to push hard to get a clean shave, your blade is too dull and needs to be replaced. Use short strokes to help you ease up on the pressure.
  • Keep it clean. Clean your blade with alcohol before you start to kill any potential bacteria that could cause skin irritation or razor burn. After each stroke rinse the blade sufficiently so that each pass on your face is a clean one.
  • Finish strong. When you’re done, rinse your face in cold water to close up pores and reduce the chances of razor burn. Apply an aftershave balm without alcohol (to avoid drying out skin) and finish with a moisturizer that will keep your skin rejuvinated throughout the day and reduce wrinkles. Lastly, dry your blade and hang your brush upside down (find a stand that will allow you to do this) so it can dry out before your next shave.

When all is said and done, following the above steps should help you get a nice clean shave without any concerns of razor burn.  What do you do to prevent razor burn that’s not already in the list here?

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3 Comments

  1. My girl uses Razor Burn Freedom from Swedish Skin Care and she got me using it because she was tired of looking at the redness under my chin. But it has no perfumes, no pink bottles with glitter or anything like that so I can safely keep it in my bathroom and it replaced my aftershave completely.

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