Shaving Before or After Showering: Tips from the Beard Expert

Preparing your skin for shaving is more important than you think. Simply starting with the razor is not a skin-friendly idea.

Your pre-shave routine doesn't have to be time-consuming. We’ll show you how to do it right.

Why is it so important to prepare your skin for shaving?

With your pre-shave routine, you prepare skin and beard hair optimally for the upcoming shave. This means you'll have an easier time shaving and achieve a better, smoother result.

Primarily, it also means you protect your skin and it will suffer less damage during shaving.

Good shaving preparation can help you avoid stubble, as well as

• redness,
• irritations,
• razor burn,
• ingrown beard hairs,
• tips against razor pimples
• or cuts.

With good preparation and our Störtebekker shaving products, you are well-equipped.

How do I prepare my skin for a wet shave?

There are some important steps you should always follow when preparing for a wet shave. We explain them here.

1. Cleanse Your Face with a Scrub

Good preparation is important: Now use a scrub or a milder cleanser.

A scrub before a traditional shave is beneficial for several reasons:

1. There are germs and dirt in your beard. If you do not clean them thoroughly before shaving, there is a risk of infections and skin irritations during wet shaving.
   
   
2. Additionally, you open your skin's pores and prepare it well for shaving. Always use a facial cleanser - and every few times use a scrub to remove even coarser dirt and dead skin flakes.

The scrub is not strictly necessary, but it will give you the best results in the end.

Note: Many men wonder whether it’s better to use a scrub before or after shaving. Although this is a matter of personal preference, we recommend using the scrub before shaving.

2. Determine the Growth Direction of Your Beard

Once your skin is optimally cleansed, take a look at your beard and identify the growth direction of your beard. This will help you shave in the growth direction and be more gentle on your skin.

Additionally, we recommend the following article: Shaving against the grain.

3. Soften Your Beard

Now you should soften your beard by soaking it. Only when the beard hairs are supple and soft will you achieve a smooth and skin-friendly shave without skin irritations. Stubborn beard stubble leads to a rough shave with a risk of injury.

Several pre-shave treatments are possible:

1. You can moisten a towel with warm water and place it on your face and beard for two minutes. This ensures that your beard hairs become nice and soft.
   
   
2. An additional positive effect can be achieved with shaving oil, a gel, or a lotion. These products not only soften your skin and beard hair but also create a sort of protective film on your skin, which further protects it from the razor.

We personally recommend shaving oil - especially the Störtebekker shaving oil. Shaving oil softens your beard hairs not only optimally but also makes them stand out better, making them easier to cut. By making your skin particularly smooth, it also reduces the risk of ingrown beard hairs.

4. Use a Skin-Friendly Shaving Soap

Now to the next step: Applying shaving foam, shaving cream, shaving gel or foam to your skin.

One thing is clear: we strongly recommend shaving soap. It contains only natural ingredients and is much gentler on your skin than shaving foam or gel. We have a very high-quality product in our Störtebekker assortment.

Then comes the heart of the wet shave:

• Shaving bowl,
• some warm water
• and a good shaving brush.

We wouldn’t skip the pre-shave ritual of mixing a good shaving soap. This procedure is one of the core elements of a genuine shave.

It also makes the shave smoother. Shaving cream tends to foam more coarsely and sticks more stubbornly to the razor blade, making the shave a bit more cumbersome.

No matter which product you use - let the foam sit for about three minutes before you apply the razor blade.

Still have questions about how to use shaving soap correctly? Here’s the article.

Expert tip: In the Störtebekker assortment, we have the shaving brush set, which includes a shaving bowl, shaving brush, and shaving soap.

How do I prepare my skin for a dry shave?

A dry shave is named for a reason. Your beard hairs should be really dry and stiff and protrude as much as possible from your skin.

There are also suitable pre-shave products for preparing for an electric shave. They contain high-alcohol solutions like ethanol.

The alcohols have a dehydrating and stiffening effect. It is also possible to use regular rubbing alcohol instead of a special product, but then you miss out on any moisturizing effects - which is not a good idea for your facial skin combined with a razor blade.

The pre-shave products also contain essential, astringent oils.

If you’re still deciding between wet and dry shaving, feel free to read this article.

Additional Questions About Shaving Preparation

Should you shave in the evening or in the morning?

Whether you shave in the morning or in the evening is basically up to you and your daily schedule.

However, it has been found that a morning shave on an empty stomach actually results in fewer injuries to the face.

The later in the day, the less elastic and more sensitive your skin becomes to the cuts from the razor or electric shaver - simply because it gets worn out from the day's stresses.

Over night, on the other hand, the skin regenerates and therefore has more elasticity in the morning.

This means less risk of cutting yourself while shaving and a better result, achieving perfect contours in your beard hair. 

Shaping beard contours for a flawless beard? This article shows you how.

And also check out our shaving products in the Störtebekker shop, which support you in every shave.

Should I shave before or after showering?

Shaving before or after showering is easily answered: after showering! Because then your beard hairs are softened from the contact with warm water, and you can shave them more safely.

What should I avoid when preparing my skin for shaving?

You should definitely avoid rubbing or scratching your skin too hard, as this could lead to unnecessary irritations or injuries.

Additionally, you should not use aggressive cleaning products. These dry out the skin and can cause redness, itching, or pimples in sensitive individuals.

Conclusion

Just jumping into shaving is not a good idea. Always prepare your skin well for shaving. Your skin will thank you.

This is the only way to ensure that you achieve a truly optimal result. And, aside from that: Make shaving your wellness ritual! Handling shaving oil and shaving soap is your Me-Time!

What is particularly important to you when preparing for shaving?

Here are a few more articles for you on the topic of shaving:

• Proper shaving with a safety razor
• Shaving beard correctly
• Shaving legs with a safety razor: Smooth and gentle