Shave Brush Tips: How & Why To Use A Shaving Brush

Guys, here’s the deal. If you’re going to do something 20,000 times in your life – yes, that’s roughly the amount of times a guy will shave…crazy huh – you might as well use high quality products and tools to make sure it’s awesome each and every time.

And, one of the best ways to ensure a great shave is to use our shaving brush Now we know some of you won’t ever give a shave brush a try. We get it. It takes a few extra minutes which is a lot in the morning and it is a small investment. Maybe applying shave cream with your hand is doing a great job already with no shaving pain or ingrown/bumps thereafter. And, if any of those reasons are the case, keep doing your thing. But if you want to step up your shaving game a bit, keep on listening… 

WHY YOU SHOULD USE A SHAVE BRUSH:

• Brushes get underneath your facial hair, really allowing the shave cream/soap to absorb into the skin and protect your skin from the razor.
• Brushes help build an amazing lather with the shaving cream which will soften the hair much more than just a hand making the shave seamless with no razor tugging or razor burn.
• Brushes help get facial hair to stand upright so the razor can shave off the hair properly. This will help reduce the amount of ingrowns significantly. If you use your hand, you tend to push down the hair for a worse shave!
• Brushes act as a mild exfoliator helping sweep away tiny bits of debris and dead skin from the dermis so you’re skin is cleaner prior to the shave.
• It’s fun. You’ll take more pride in your shave and grooming. And, dare we say it looks awesome and regal in your bathroom. Time to step up your game fellas.

BRUSH BASICS

Hair Type

Shaving brushes come in all different types from Synthetic to horse hair to boar to badger. Badger is widely considered the best of the bunch as the hair is a bit softer and retains the water better making for a fantastic lather and shave. There are different level of badger, of course too, but any and all will provide you the best shaving brush experience out there.

Brush Life

There are some variables involved but all but the cheapest shave brushes should last you for several years of regular use.  Some of the super high-end brushes may last a lifetime but most will show a noticeable decline in performance after five-to-ten years.

A new brush will always shed in the beginning, but after 10 – 15 shaves, a good brush will stop shedding. Proper maintenance of the brush after the shave is critical. Keep it bristles down and use the shave stand.

Knot & Loft Size:

All shaving brushes have different dimensions. The two key ones are knot size – the diameter of the knot base, and the loft height, which is the height from the base to the top. As you can imagine, longer hairs will feel softer, but it also depends on the thickness of the hair. Some people prefer a big loft while others prefer a small one. At the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference, though the big diameter knot brushes with a high loft are generally softer and more expensive than the smaller brushes.

HOW TO USE A SHAVING BRUSH:

The first step to a great shave of course is to make sure your mug is clean and moist via hot water. Clean skin means no infections and the hot, moist skin means softer dermis and open pores. From there, here’s what you need to do:

1. Wet the shaving brush with warm water and shake off any excess water.
2. Apply our shaving cream on the tip of the brush, not too much as our shaving cream is super concentrated…you don’t need much. Use our shave oil too.
3. Lather the cream on your face using a circular motion with the brush. To make it a richer lather, add a bit of hot water to the brush. Not too much though as the shave cream will become too watery.
4. Shave using a clean razor going with the grain. Finish by rinsing your face with cold water to close those pores and apply our After shave splash liberally to heal and soothe.

SHAVING BRUSH MAINTENANCE

If you want your brush to stay high quality and look good you need to take care of it. Doesn’t take much work, but you gotta do the work. Basic steps are:

1. Rinse the brush after the shave with warm water and “flick” brush hairs to shake off any excess water.
2. Place the brush face down (or hair down) on a shave stand (our brush includes one free) so water drops down and not into the brush.
3. Keep on the counter, not in a cupboard, so the brush can “breathe.” Make sure your bathroom is clean fellas.
4. Don’t pull or tug the hair as that will weaken the hair knot and the brush will shed more. Remember, brushes do shed a bit early on.