Ever wondered how to shave without shaving cream?
If you haven’t, no worries. You’re not the only one.
This is the type of question you would ask yourself when you were in high school, right before your first shave.
I remember the first time that I shaved my “moustache”. Or should I say that I wish it was a moustache back then.
I took my dad’s razor and start shaving off the bum fluff on my upper lip. There was no need for any lathering since my beard wasn’t thick at all. Heck, I didn’t even use water and had no problems.
Back to present.
I came across this question in a forum few days ago and made me think. Have I actually shaved without shaving cream? And what does it really mean?
Think about it.
Why would someone want to shave without lathering? But then, more questions popped in my head. And as my girlfriend would add, it’s a big head!
So what is it? Shaving with just water or simply shaving with different lathering products?
Next thing I know, I came up with five or six alternative ways to shave without shaving cream.
So let’s get to it!
But why do you want to know how to shave without shaving cream?
I can think of three good reasons that can satisfy your curiosity. These are summarized as follows:
1. Your facial hair isn’t thick enough
So, what are you going to do if your facial hair isn’t thick enough?
Shaving just your moustache area is the only thing that you want to shave.
If you think about it, this is something that many men have experienced and some others keep experiencing depending on their facial hair growth.
And we’re talking about millions if not billions of men who don’t have thick beards.
When you don’t have too much facial hair on your moustache area, you might think that it’s not necessary to use any type of lathering.
This isn’t necessarily wrong. You can literally get your shaving done in seconds by just shaving that area. Besides, why would you want to get messy with shaving soaps and creams?
Luckily, no matter in which of the above categories you may fall in, I’ll do my best to cover everything and help you shave without shaving cream.
2. You ran out of shaving cream and you’re checking your alternatives.
So you’re presenting at that awesome business event, where you absolutely MUST make a good impression!
You wake up full of energy and excitement and go to the bathroom to take a shower, shave and get dressed for success!
But wait!
The moment you rehearse all this in your head you realise the most atrocious thing of them all!
You forgot to take your shaving cream!
You look at phone – it’s too late to go to a shop right now! You look at your face in the mirror – you MUST shave!
NOOOOOOOOO!
3. You’re out of your mind.
Let’s say that you’re at home, ready to go out and….
Never mind… Let’s just say that you’re completely out of your mind.
You want to shave without shaving cream even though you’ve got shaving cream and thick beard. Go ahead and do it!
What kind of products can you use to shave instead of shaving cream?
There are a few products that you could potentially use instead of shaving cream.
What you want to achieve is to soften your facial hair and give your face enough lubricity so that the razor glides without applying any pressure on your face.
So, what are the shaving cream altenatives that yo can use?
1. Good old Oils (well, not expired old)
Oils such as almond, jojoba or olive oil can do wonders with your beard. All these oils soften your facial hair and help the razor glide on your face easier. On top of this, you reduce the odds of getting a razor burn.
2. Regular Bar Soap
If you still don’t want to use any oils, you can shave with regular soap. Most soaps have some lubricating properties and it can work pretty well as replacement to lather.
Make sure you create a lot of foam and apply it on your face.
3. Hair conditioner.
You know already that hair conditioner make your hair softer. So why wouldn’t it work for your beard as well?
All you have to do is put a fair amount on your hands and apply it on your face. Massage your face just like you would do with any pressurised foam or gel.
4. Baby oil
If you think about it, baby oil offers great lubricity and keeps your face well moisturised.
This method is mainly used by women to shave their legs. But who said that men can’t use it to shave their faces?
The downside is that hair will get stuck on your razor.
5. An insane product
I’m sure that the best way to tell you about this product, is to actually show you. If you’re wondering what are the best shaving cream alternatives, this isn’t among them. In any case. I hope you’ll enjoy it. And what’s better way to find out than the below video.
Let’s find out how to shave without shaving cream, shall we?
Now, here’s the reason why you first came here and started reading this article.
If you still want to shave without any lathering, I take my hat off.
I honestly wouldn’t recommend you to try something like this unless your facial hair isn’t thick.
If your beard is thick and you still want to do this, I can still understand one or two reasons you might want to proceed.
Yes, there might be a chance that you’re out of lathering products. Or maybe you lost a bet. Otherwise, I see no reason.
In any case, if you already took your decision and you’re convinced that you want to go ahead with it, it’s good to keep in mind a couple of things and pull this off.
1. Your facial hair isn’t dense or thick.
This isn’t part of the process but it surely is the most important thing to consider before you begin.
If I take into consideration my personal experience, you better have facial hair that isn’t thick at all. Otherwise, there’s a high chance that this shave won’t be the most pleasant of your life.
2. Make a good razor selection
For this shaving project, you should think about using a razor with as less blades as possible. If you have a razor that has only one blade, it’s your best choice.
You ideally want a razor that you haven’t used before so that it’s sharp. This way, you’ll make less passes on your face with the razor and reduce the chances that you get skin irritation.
I would recommend a safety razor for shaving without lathering. However, if you’re not an experienced wet shaver, don’t even think about using one. This razor is much sharper than any cartridge razor you used (so far).
3. Prepare your face thoroughly for a shave
By preparation, I mean that you have done all the necessary to soften your facial hair.
More specifically…
Since you’re looking to shave without any lathering, first take a warm shower and make sure that you wash your face very well.
If you don’t want to take a shower, soak a small towel in warm water and then place it on your face for a minute or two.
You want to soften your facial hair and open up the pores of your skin so that your shaving experience is smoother.
4. Keep your face clean and your beard soft
If you didn’t take a shower as described in the previous step, make sure that you wash your face.
By washing your face, you remove any accumulated dirt and this will give you a better, smoother shave.
5. Lubricate your skin
I will assume that most guys will go for regular soap as a shaving cream alternative. In such case, make sure you create a lot of foam and apply it on your face.
Still not the ideal, but it’s you who wants to know how to shave without shaving cream, not me.
6. Shave with the grain
This is super important and you may want to remember it. Don’t even think of shaving your face without shaving cream and against the grain.
Unless you’re feeling adventurous.
You want to shave with short, gentle moves without putting any pressure towards your face. If you see that the razor gets stuck, rinse the razor and repeat.
7. Keep your face hydrated while shaving
While you shave, you need to keep your face wet and/or lubricated. I can assure you that you don’t want to shave your face when it gets dry.
Even when you use a good shaving cream, once lather is gone, you don’t shave the same spot without applying lather on your face again. With lather, the razor glides on your face. This way you avoid razor bumps and reduce the chances of having ingrown hair.
So, keep your face wet and lubricated.
8. Rinse your razor with cool water frequently
We talked about rinsing your razor and repeat shaving. Since you’re not building any lather on your face, your razor might accumulate hair very fast. Therefore, you need to rinse as often as necessary so dry hair doesn’t stay stuck on the razor.
I mentioned rinsing with cool water.
Rinsing your razor with cold water, reduces skin irritation and extends the life of your razor. Personally, I don’t like rinsing with cold water and I prefer it cool, but certainly not hot.
9. Moisturise immediately after you finish shaving
Finished shaving? Does it look like a minefield?
If the answer is no, you did a great job!
What you need to do now, is prevent skin irritation. Besides that, I’m sure you want your face soft and well moisturised.
Once you’re done shaving, wash your face with cold water. Cold water will close your open pores. Then, you want to dry your face with a towel.
Now that your face is dry, apply after shave. If your face isn’t sensitive, you can consider using alcohol based products. Otherwise, there quite a few alternatives available.
Still want to shave without shaving cream?
There you have it! Now that you know how to shave without shaving cream, it’s time to put the theory into practice.
Unless you’ve done it already.
Even if you try and shave without any lathering products, bear in mind that this isn’t ideal.
I don’t think there will be any long term negative side effects from doing so. However, you increase the risk of cutting yourself with the razor. Not to mention with a sharp safety razor. Besides that, shaving just with water, doesn’t give you a comfortable shave.
And the question is: Do you feel comfortable shaving without lathering products?
If you answered yes, no expert should tell you if it’s right or wrong!
Nevertheless, if you want to do this, do it with caution and enjoy shaving!
Have you ever shaved without shaving cream?
Image Courtesy: BigStock.com/koufax73