How to shave off your beard!

Finally time to shave the beard? As fashionable as beards are, sometimes they have to go! Whether you have grown a charitable beard, warmer weather making it itchy, or the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has forced you to shave it off for hygiene reasons – we give you the easy way to shave off your beard.

Beard to stubble

Shave that beard off in one go and you are in for a tough ride! The worst thing you can do is go from all out beard to clean shaven overnight as you put yourself at risk from ingrown hairs – the last thing you would want when you are getting used to having a bare face again is irritation!

If you have more than 4 weeks growth, you should shave it over time. Trim your beard down to short stubble, then leave it for a week before going clean shaven (If you can!)

In your week of stubble, prepare your skin! The skin under your beard will be sensitive when you shave so try to build some resistance. Exfoliate and moisturise, Sandalwood is a good choice as it can help prevent ingrown hairs.

Plan your shave

A week later, plan your shave. Do not leave it to the last minute, plan when you will have time. A Sunday night is usually a good choice as you are not rushing for work. As they say, fail to prepare, prepare to fail!

Pop a clean wet flannel in a zip-lock bag in the fridge at this stage. You can thank us later!

Prepare your stubble for wet shaving

Steam it! A hot shower is excellent preparation for a shave. The heat will soften your stubble, thus making the shave easier.

Next, exfoliation is the key. Apply shaving cream or soap using a shaving brush in circular motions. The shaving brush naturally exfoliates the skin cells under your beard, ridding it of razor clogging grease and grime.

The shave

Remember your skin is going to be super sensitive, so despite your desire to get the closest shave possible, go with the grain for the first few shaves. Make sure that you hold the skin you are shaving taught to minimise nicks and cuts. If you are using a safety razor this may mean 2 - 3 passes. Re-lather between each pass.

Gently pat your face dry, avoid ferociously towel drying as this will cause blood to rush to the skin, which in turn will cause redness. As your newly shaven skin is sensitive, use a post shave lotion or balm, rather than aftershave. The alcohol content in aftershave has more potential to irritate your skin. Now remember that flannel we put in the fridge earlier? Take it out & put it over your face, the coolness will lock in moisture from the balm! 

Make sure you wear loose fitting shirts for the first few days to avoid irritation & remember sun cream as your face will have had natural sun protection from your beard. Most importantly - enjoy your freshly clean shaven face!