How to Shave Men & Women

How to shave men & women. Shaving is actually an art, but everyone can learn how to become a shaving artist!

Here is a little tutorial on how to shave your face for men and women.

We will not be discussing how to shave your legs or how to shave down there, though technically the same principles and steps apply.

Here we are talking about a how to shave with a straight razor, even though if you don’t have one and prefer a safety razor, you are welcome to modify and use one for yourself.

The Exquisite Find contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of the links listed in our posts, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products and services we use and trust. Please read our disclaimer for more information.

The Rules on How to shave your face without breakouts
Cleanse and wet the skin
Use a warm shaving cream or conditioner (gliding agent)
The Main Event! How to Shave with a straight razor
Using a cold towel
All about Aftershave
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
Clean up your mess

The Rules on How to Shave – Men & Women

Use a sharp blade, a dull blade will remove hair but will scratch the skin and promote breakouts & in-growns
Be sure the skin and cream is still warm
Using a 45 degree angle with your straight razor, hold the skin tight as you glide smoothly removing the hair
Follow the grain ⬇️, don’t shave against the direction ⬆️ the hair grows and rinse the blade often so that you have a clean edge and can see where you are working
Be sure to be gentle with your glide. If the razor isn’t gliding and you have to be more firm, the blade might be dull or you need to apply more shaving cream and warm heat (like a hot towel)
Always apply aftershave to close the pores to prevent breakouts
Hydrate the skin afterward (the most commonly skipped step) to keep the pores closed
Clean your tools to prepare for next time

Men – If you have a long beard (more than stubble), trim it down so that you can see the skin before applying shaving cream to ensure that you can see what you’re doing, and that the cream is able to reach the skin before the shave.

Step 1 Cleanse your skin

Wash your face. The best at-home shaves should be done right after a shower, then your skin is clean and soft from the warm water.

I recommend this cleanser because it’s –

Organic
Vegan
Contains nourishing, hydrating, and healing vitamins E, C, Rose hip, and Aloe Vera – Which is great for pre-shaving!

Eve Hansen Vitamin C Facial Cleanser Gel 8oz for $23.95

🛑 DO NOT use exfoliating cleansers! The last thing you want to do is over expose the epidermis and scratch that fresh skin while shaving. It’ll do your skin no good to remove more than one layer in one day.

Step 2- Heat and Gliding Agent (shaving cream or conditioner)

Heat and softening products such as shaving cream OR conditioner. Better yet, both!

Shaving cream softens both the skin and the hair making it easier for the razor to glide. Conditioner does the same thing! Except conditioner is a hydrating product that is like a lotion that you wash off.

Heat opens the pores and the conditioner softens the hair before a shave so that the skin doesn’t cling so tightly to the stiff facial hair.

Pro Tip – How I apply this technique to my clients in the barbershop is I apply conditioner, hot towel, let it sit for a minute or two to soak into the skin and facial hair, then apply shaving cream on top of the conditioner, and another hot towel.

Shaving your face (or any part of your body) cold and dry will only scratch the skin and leave more stubble. Not to mention it causes breakouts.

Barbers use damp wet hot towels to open the pores and soften the hair close to the skin. If the skin is dry and tight it’s harder for the razor to take off the hair smoothly without scratching the skin and leaving more stubble. You want the skin elastic and warm.

Gliding is key to a smooth shave. If the razor is scraping, your shaving cream and the skin aren’t warm enough.

By professional experience, this is my ALL TIME FAVORITE shaving cream by Reuzel. It seriously is like shaving off butter.

Reuzel Shaving Cream 1oz Can for $7.00

Step 3- The Main Event… How to Shave

AFTER cleansing, softening, and warming the skin, use a fresh blade and you can start shaving.

Always hold the skin taught and tight. Remember you want the skin to be warm and elastic but that means you need stretch it so that it’s tight and you don’t washboard the skin with your razor.

Hold the straight razor at a 45 degree angle, this is optimal for gliding off the hair. Safety razor’s blades are already placed at a 45 degree angle.

When using a straight razor, my professional recommendation is to practice shaving without a blade first. This way you have an idea of what kind of pressure to use with the blade (not too much and not too little) and how to hold your skin and turn your head in a way that you can see what you are doing. It’s hard to learn how to shave your face by yourself with just a mirror.

When shaving only go over the skin with a razor 2 times max. If there are still a few pieces you missed, re-apply warm shaving cream and maybe switch out the blade for a new one.

The same rules and principles apply when learning how to properly shave your legs.

Learning How to Shave – men & women – at Home with a Straight Razor

My personal favorite recommendation when learning how to shave with a straight razor is to start by learning with a nape razor.

A nape razor is a light-weight straight razor with a more narrow blade and it has a tiny little bit of a guard on the blade, but not so much that it can’t still do serious damage.

Give the nape razor a try before going full on heavy straight razor.

Feather Nape Razor for Nape & Body Shaving with Replacement Blades for $46.07

Utopia Black Professional Stainless Steel Straight Razor with 100 Derby Replacement Blades for $7.99

Step 4- Take the Shaving Cream off using a COLD towel

Heat opens the skin, cold closes it. After you’ve gently removed all of the hair on the skin you’ve also scratched off the first layer of the epidermis. Expose the fresh skin to the world after a shave, when it’s still warm and soft, open and welcoming bacteria which, needless to say, causes painful breakouts.

Closing the skin with a cold towel is the first step to preventing those breakouts. The chilled towel will slightly close the pores, just enough to get the product off and not clog up either the follicles or the pores.

Step 5- Aftershave

The most underrated part of a proper shave. And ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE!

Aftershave is typically alcohol-based, which is why it’s know for it’s classic sting. But normally it’s not so dramatic as Kevin in Home Alone makes it seem.

Being alcohol-based aftershave closes the pores all the way. Preventing the invitation for bacteria to come into the skin.

If aftershave is forgotten, the skin is left open, welcoming ❌ bacteria and dirt which causes ❌ breakouts, ❌ pimples, ❌ blackheads, and ❌ rashes.

In my professional experience, I’ve found the most success actually to be the application of aftershave 3 times!

Yes, 3!

After performing a shave on any of my guests, I use liquid aftershave twice. But the last time I use a cream aftershave.

The Clubman Classic Aftershave is what you’ll find in most barbershops.

Clubman Classic Aftershave 6oz for $7.48

I prefer finishing the shave with a cream aftershave because it hydrates the skin after the alcohol-based aftershave dries out the face, inviting the pores to re-open to look for moisture in the air, thus welcoming bacteria again.

Burts Bees Aftershave Moisturizer 2.5oz for $11.99

Suavecito Menthol Aftershave Cream 8oz $10.99

Step 6- Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!

Moisturizing the skin after a shave, yes, it’s another step but it’s so important to prevent breakouts and for optimal facial skin health!

You have this beautiful baby face with fresh skin that you should definitely want to take care of!

Burts Bees Aftershave Moisturizer 2.5oz for $11.99

Step 7- Clean up your mess!

Gentlemen… Whether you are single or not, start good habits, make the lady happy.

Clean up the extra towels, shaving cream, and putting away whatever you scraped the razor full of hair and shaving cream onto.

Remove all the loose hair left on the counter and the sink, and wipe any smeared shaving cream that may have spilled or splashed on the countertop.

You’ll thank me later.

And voila! A professional step by step guide to how to shave your face properly!

For the Barbers Learning How to Shave Faces

Get yourself a towel warmer for your barbershop or studio. It’s easier to have a wet hot towel already ready to go when your client arrives rather than trying to make one hot while in the middle of the service.

8 Towel Hot Towel Warmer Cabinet for $79.99

Pro tip- If you wet the towels beforehand and wring them out slightly and roll them, you can fit up to 20 towels into this warmer.

FAQs How to Shave – Men & Women – Guide from a Barber

Is There a Correct Way for a Man to Shave?

Yes, by following the above steps is the correct way to shave.

The wrong way to shave is to –

Shave dry, dirty skin
Use an old, dull, dirty blade
Not use shaving cream or aftershave
Not hydrate, leaving the skin open to accept any and all bacteria

How do Men get the Smoothest Shave?

The smoothest shave is against the grain, but most men’s skin can’t handle against the grain because it ends up causing ingrowns and can be painful.

The best way to achieve the smoothest shave is to use the Foil Shaver.

It is gentle on the skin as well as has a battery that will last for ages! (Using it in the barbershop, I didn’t have to charge it for months!) The Foil Shaver gives you the closes cut without pulling, pinching, or leaving any remnants or even a hint of stubble left.

Andis Foil Shaver for $52.98

But professionally, with a straight razor, I have achieved an almost foil-like smoothness by shaving with the grain and then diagonally. It doesn’t cause ingrowns because it’s not against the grain but it’s just enough to get rid of any remnant stubble.

Should Men Shave Up or Down?

With the grain. So for most, men should shave down. Unless you have facial hair that grows upwards.

Most men have cowlicks in their beard, where you have to shave multiple directions. Especially under the chin.

How to Shave Down There – Men

Honestly, by using a trimmers or a safety razor. Gents, don’t attempt a straight razor down there, especially when you’re just learning how to shave.

Shaving with trimmers though, you don’t have to use shaving cream, aftershave, or wet the skin because that will gum up the tool. And it’s faster and easier to use trimmers.

How to Properly Shave your Face for a Woman

Exactly the same as a man.

However a woman’s skin is generally softer than a man’s (it’s just chemistry ladies, it’s how we’re built) and you have to be extra intentional to be more gentle and a lot more gliding than men because we aren’t shaving off thick, coarse facial hair but fuzzy, peachy hair.

You do have to still use aftershave though! Don’t skip that step!

How to Properly Shave your Legs

The same principles and steps apply in this article to properly shave your legs. It is easier to shave legs with a safety razor than a straight razor, though.

Simply keep in mine that the knee and ankles tend to have extra skin that you have to be sure stays taught.

How to Shave your Beard

To trim your beard you should use a trimmer with either no guard or to reach a specific length, a guard. There are specific instructions and suggested guard lengths in the 2024 Ultimate Beard Length Chart.

How to Shave Men & Women – Guide by a Barber