SHAVING LESSONS FROM DAD
June 13, 2014 by Jack
Few things in a little boy’s life are as memorable as the first time his father hands him a razor and says, “Go ahead, give it a go, son.” Or it might have been a bladeless razor you used to clean the shaving cream off your baby-smooth skin. Either way, there’s something special about the passing down of simple rituals from generation to generation. With Father’s Day drawing near, let’s take a trip down memory lane and remember those first timid strokes.
The Tools
The Razor | Dad was all about quality. You buy a thing once, and you take care of it. Our custom, hand-crafted Jack Black Double Edge Safety Razor is one of those things. This German-engineered razor with a single-blade design and extended-length handle is sure to impress even the most traditional Dad.
The Blade | The Double Edge Safety Razor comes with a blade, but you’ll want to replace it about every five shaves. The good news is, these replacement blades cost anywhere from 10 cents to 50 cents. We recommend starting with a sampler pack like this one available from Merkur on Amazon. $20 gets you 60 blades. Dad would approve.
The Brush | You hear a lot about badger hair, and while a lot of the old way of doing things is still best, technology has brought us a few improvements. One is the Jack Black Shave Brush
, a Silvertip Fibre-bristled brush that outperforms its animal counterparts. It’s also made by MUHLE, and no badgers are harmed in its production. The Shaving Cream We've made a few improvements to Dad's old-school shaving cream. Our Supreme Cream Triple Cushion Shave Lather provides three protective hydrating layers that allow the razor to glide close to the skin for an irritation-free shave.
The Technique
Warm Face, Open Pores | Dad would step out of the shower, wipe the fog off the mirror and start the process. The warm water softens your beard and opens your pores, but Dad forgot one important step—exfoliation. Our Face Buff Energizing Scrub removes oil, dirt and dead skin cells to help the razor get closer to the skin for a smoother, easier shave.
Lather Up | Dip your brush in the cream. Put a teaspoon of hot water in the palm of your hand or the bottom of your shaving dish and swirl the brush around until you’ve got a rich lather. Apply to your face in a circular motion.
Follow the Grain | Hold the razor in line with your face, tilt it about 30 degrees and gently shave in the direction your hair grows. You don’t need to apply extra pressure—the weight of the blade is enough.
Finish the Job | Dad might have thrown on a splash of aftershave. We recommend Jack Black’s Double Duty Face Moisturizer. It moisturizes your skin and protects it from sun damage, which is, unfortunately, something Dad might not have thought as much about. And if you’re looking for a gift to say, “Thanks, Dad,” take a look at the Ultimate Skin-Friendly Shave Super Set. It has all of the Jack Black products mentioned in this article—and it’s not another tie.