Performing the perfect shave

The perfect shave can be achieved in three stages - the preparation of the skin before the shave; the shave itself and treating the skin after the shave, says male grooming expert and educator Joseph Lanzante. Preparation • To begin, the face needs to be gently massaged to bring the blood to the surface of the skin. This process should take no longer than 20-30 seconds. • A good quality pre shave lotion should then be applied and massaged in to the face, preferably one with lemon juice, avocado oil and vitamin E. The lemon juice will sterilize the face while the vitamin E will feed the face and give it a glow. • Next, apply a hot towel to the face. It is important to make sure the towel is as hot as is bearable; this is to open the pores of the skin and to soften the beard to help produce a close shave. The towel will preferably be on the face for one to two minutes, any longer and the heat from the towel will be lost and the pores will begin to close. • Use this time to prepare your razor and lather your shaving cream. The shave • Remove the towel from the face and begin to apply the shaving cream with a brush in a stippling motion to get in between the hairs of the beard, wrinkles and creases of the face and to clear any dry skin. • Once the cream has been applied, tightly pull the skin on one side of the face and with your cut throat razor shave with the grain of the beard. The tighter the skin is, the easier the shave will be. • Continue to shave the beard, following and tightening the skin with your free hand as you go. When the shave is complete, reapply the shaving cream to the face and repeat the process again to ensure there are no missed hairs and to create a much closer shave. After the Shave • With the original hot towel (which has now cooled) wipe away any excess shaving cream then get a freezing cold towel and mold it to the face. Never apply a hot towel after the shave. Doing so will pump blood to the surface of the skin and bleeding will occur if there are any nicks, abrasions or cuts. The cold towel closes the pores, locks the shave and soothes the face. • After the cold towel has been on the face for a good minute or so, remove it. The face will now need drying, so with a dry towel rid the face of any moisture. Apply a good quality post shave cream and massage in to the face until it has been absorbed and the skin no longer feels greasy. This adds moisture back in to the skin which is lost during the shaving process. • Finish the shave off with an aftershave or an aftershave gel.