Process of Shaving

If you are a male like me you may hate shaving as much as I did.  I saw it as a chore.  Something that had to be done because I didn’t want a huge ZZ Top beard.  Because I didn’t want to do it, I took the short cut.  I used an electric razor and then used a multiple blade hand razor to get what was left.  The results…lots of ingrown hairs, a super sensitive face that stung when any lotion was applied and bleeding through my neck area.  Not cuts but blood seeping through almost like a scrap.

A few weeks ago, my wife talked me into going into a shave specialty shop.  I spent a good 30 minutes with the sales woman.  She showed me their natural shaving products and then talked about the proper process for shaving.  I learned that for most men, the multi-blade hand razors are still very irritating to the skin.  The best are the old school single blade razors that you screw into the handle, not the cheap disposable kind.

So what is the proper process for shaving?

1. Wash your face
2. Apply an essential oil to help the hairs stand up and to lubricate
3. Apply shaving cream to a shaving brush in a small amount.  I learned that badger hair is naturally anti-bacteria.
4. Use the shaving brush to apply the shaving cream to your face
5. Shave face going WITH the grain.  Use short strokes and rinse.
6. Apply more shaving cream with the shaving brush
7. Shave face going AGAINST the grain.  Use short strokes and rinse.
8. Rinse face and dry
9. Apply after shave balm for soothing and moisturizing

If you are like me, you are thinking, “really?!  That seems like a lot and over the top.”

My wife convinced me to give it a try, so I bought the brush and the oil, shaving cream and after shave balm.

It has been a few weeks and I have to say the results are amazing.  I get a much closer shave so I don’t have to shave as often.  I have had zero ingrown hairs, my face is less sensitive and I don’t bleed when I shave.

You might be thinking, “Great to know, but in the world does this have to do with lean?”

The answer is…a lot.

Too often we don’t want to follow the process because it seems long, over done or a pain, so we take short cuts.  We may end up getting some good results once, but that won’t be repeatable.  Take the problem solving process.  We may short cut investigating the current state and what the problem truly is.  One time we may get a good solution in place, but other times it is patchy results at best.

As tedious as it may seem at times, we should always follow the process when we know it will give us good, sustainable results.

Advertisement