What is the best way to combat razor burn?
A double edge razor and a badger brush are the way to go. I always had razor burn and never felt like those multi blade cartridges did a very good job, especially for $4 each, so I went old school several years ago. I recommend a Merkur razor and a Vulfix brush, both around $35 for basic models. This probably seems a bit steep but since the blades are around $6 for a 10 pack you'll actually save money in the long run. Blades very in sharpness by manufacturer so try several differnt brands. There are a plethora of soaps and creams for use with a brush but a few basics are Musgo Real from Portugal and Italy's Proraso, both around $10 a toothpaste style tube which will last quite a while. A good aftershave is the last piece of the puzzle. Again Musgo Real and Proraso have great products as do "the three T's" (Truefit & Hill, Geo Trumper, and Taylor of Old Bond Street) but you can start with plain witch hazel.
One important caveat: do NOT use any pressure with a safety razor! Merkurs have a bit of heft to them compared to their multi-cartridge cousins so let the weight do the shaving for you or you will have the worst razor burn of your life. Let your beard grow for a few days then take a good look at it. It will grow in different directions at different places on you face. Hold your brush under the hottest water you can stand then work up a good lather with your cream or soap. Different products work best with different amounts of water so a little experimentation will be necessary. Work up a good lather and apply to your face in a circular manner, this will exfoliate your skin. Your fist pass should always be with the grain, or in the same direction that your hair grows. Lather up again and your second pass should either be across the grain or against it. Some guys even go for a third pass. I usually use two in the winter, one with one against, and three in the summer, one with, one across, and one against.
Always rinse with cold water. You will nick yourself a lot more but unless you're pressing to hard, they won't hurt and the cold water rinse, which closes pores, should be all it takes to stop them. In the event of a serious nick you should keep a styptic pencil on hand.
This may seem like a bit of work to do on a daily basis but most men find the ritual enjoyable once they get used to it. Its one of the few way you can be masculine and pamper yourself at the same time. If you are serious about a great shave this is really the only way to go. Products available from:
www.classicshaving.com
www.emsplace.com
23 Answers
Try a preshave oil such as "Prepare" from Zirh. There's many others available.
Showering before a shave is probably the best baseline for a bump free shave. The steam moisturises and softens the hair. The problem is, your skin is softer too and more sensitive. Razor burn happens when the hair is cut shorter than the surface of the skin (multiple blade razors swear by this, but it freakin hurts. Looks good though...), so you may want to try a different razor. But one product I found EXTREMELY helpful in the razor burn area was Bump Patrol. It's on Amazon.
Learn to NEVER shave AGAINST the grain. You beard grows in different directions on different parts of your face. Try to only shave in the same direction the beard grows, or ACROSS the the grain.
The day I stopped shaving AGAINST the grain is practically the last day I got razor burn about 2 years ago.
Watch Mantic59's Introduction to Wet Shaving youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/user/mantic59?feature=chclk
If you watch the part where you map your face and shave in the same direction as the growth you can learn a lot. You don't need to change your life to brushes and soaps and single blades, but if you follow the technique he uses with Canned Shave Cream and a Mach 3, your results will improve massively.
Lastly, shave in passes. Lather, run your razor over your face to remove the lather, rinse, lather again and shave over the same places. Stop running the razor over the same spots 5-10 times in 3 directions without rinsing and lathering.
This makes shaving about 5-10 minutes longer, but it is well worth the effort.
I used to have a red neck and small pimples all over the neckline until i stopped dragging my razor against the direction of my beard growth.
I seem to only get razor burn on my neck area. What works best for me is to actually shave in the shower, and to use a three blade razor. I also prefer a good gel to a cream based lubricant. The shower helps to condition the skin, and the three blade razor is just enough to get a close shave, without actually pulling the hairs (like a 5 blade razor might do). Afterwards I use Anthony Razor Burn Repair. This combo works pretty well for me.
My winning combination is a Schick Quatro (blades changed regularly, don't skimp on this) + Kiehl's shaving cream. I wash my face in the shower first, then shave, then apply Kiehl's blue lotion as an aftershave. After a few days of this routine my razor burn was down considerably.
Shave after a shower.