PROCESS: Wet Shaving with Baxter of California

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As we get closer to the summer months, many of us will return to a clean shaven face, opting to discard our winter mane that has become somewhat of a fashion accessory this past season. Unfortunately, we may have enjoyed the little care that was required to upkeep a beard a little too much, so it’s going to be a difficult transition back to the tedious task of frequent shavings. Appreciating our subscriber’s love for luxury products, personal grooming and heightened steez, HYPEBEAST presents the latest edition of our PROCESS series, “Wet Shaving with Baxter of California.” Having started a business nearly 50 years ago as one of the first men’s grooming lines in the U.S., Baxter of California developed a solid reputation for producing premier products specially formulated to meet men’s skincare needs. Utilizing products for the iconic brands collection we present a ten step process for wet shaving. Conventional wet shaving not only provides the closest shave possible, but nothing beats the luxury or pleasure of a hot towel, premium shaving products, and lathering up with a badger hair brush.

Model: Matt Winter of Winter Design
Photography: Josh Giroux

Steps

01 Pre shave
02 Inspection of hair growth direction
03 Cleanse and exfoliate
04 Hot towel & steam
05 Application of shave formula to beard
06 Side burn & side of face shave
07 Lip and chin area shave
08 Neck – shave in direction of hair growth
09 Cold water or cold towel clean up
10 Aftershave balm application
11 Done

Step 1 / Pre shave

– Super Close Shave Formula
– Towel
– Razor Blades
– Double Edge Safety Razor
– Badger Hair Shave Brush
– Facial Scrub
– Daily Face Wash
– After Shave Balm

Step 2 / Inspection of hair growth direction

Give yourself a few days without shaving to properly inspect the direction of your hair growth – inspect closely and try to remember where the direction changes. In order to reduce razor burn and ingrown hairs, it’s always best to shave in the direction of the hair growth. While this may not provide the closest shave, it will be far more comfortable and irritation free.

STEP 3 / Cleanse and Exfoliate

Cleanse skin with a combination of Daily Face Wash and Facial Scrub. Scrubs contain granules that exfoliate dead skin, lifting facial hairs, resulting in a smoother more comfortable shave with fewer ingrown hairs. Rinse skin free of product before the next step.

Step 4 / Hot towel & Steam

Shave after your shower, or apply a hot washcloth to your beard for approx. 30 seconds. Steam softens facial hair making it easier to shave. (The effort required to cut hair is reduced by 2/3 when hair is wet. Less effort means less friction, which means more comfort).

Step 5 / Application of shave formula to beard

The use of a badger hair shave brush will evenly disperse the cream and lift facial hair. (Allow shaving cream to sit on the skin for at least 30 seconds). No brush? Just use your hands to apply the cream.

Step 6 / Side burn & side of face shave

Start shaving the sides of the face first (remember to go in the direction of the hair growth).

Tip: When cutting the side burn, stand up straight… do not lean forward toward your mirror, leaning in will cause you to cut at an angle.

Step 7 / Lip and chin area shave

Shave these difficult areas last, permitting the cream to soften the hair longer.

Step 8 / Neck – shave in direction of hair growth

The neck area tends to be the more problematic for guys. Reason being is that the hair tends to grow in different direction around the Adams apple. This is why inspecting the hair growth is critical to knowing which direction to shave. This may require shaving in 2 or 3 different directions. Master this and you can pretty much say good bye to ingrown hairs and bumps.