1. Blade Choice – Blade choice is the #1 cause of razor burn. Contrary to popular belief, the amount of blades on a razor does not increase the closeness of the shave. The opposite is actually true… Think about it this way, the ABSOLUTE CLOSEST shave you can get is with a straight edge from a barber. Hands down. So if that’s the case, why do Gillette, Schick and Dollar Shave club sell you these “Cartridge Systems”? Simple, it’s marketing. The end goal is for you to buy a handle that requires specific heads, once you’ve done that; you’re locked in (literally). I made the switch to a safety razor about 3 years ago and haven’t looked back. Honestly, they seem a bit “Intense” at first glance but after using one for a few days you’ll wonder why you’ve been using cartridges all along; plus the blades cost about $0.05.

2. Don't Use Thick Shave Cream – Barbasol is the WORST shave cream you can use, period. I know, I know, it’s $2.50 a can, but thick lather shave creams are designed for single blade use (as in barbershops). If you’re using a cartridge razor, this will clog your blades even further. By mixing with cut hair and skin particles, the thick shave cream becomes almost impossible to rinse and renders most blades less affective. This was one of the main reasons we formulated our shave cream to have a lite lather and ready for any blade type.

3. Non Alcoholic After Shaves – There has been a pretty large movement from the Niveas and L’Oreals of the world to remove the key ingredient to aftershaves and that reason is to increase the amount they can charge you. An aftershave is supposed to cool and heal your skin, not be a cologne. When you’re shaving, no matter what type of blade, you experience tiny cuts and nicks from imperfections in your blade and also the varying thickness of your facial hair. The only way to sanitize these are with alcohol, point blank.

4. Poor Technique – Depending on your blade of choice, there are numerous ways you should be shaving. If you’re using a cartridge system, you should 100% be using a shave butter or Lite Lather Shave Cream. Also, you should avoid multiple passes on the same area of skin. Each time you pass over an area of skin, you remove a layer, thus making razor burn that much more possible. Also, the number one mistake is that your skin should be flexed at about 80%. By that, I mean you if shaving the side of your face, it should be pulled tight but not so tight that it’s painful. This exposes deeper skin layers to a blade passes and will cause razor burn.

Razor burn is completely un-avoidable for some. Sensitive skin with thick facial hair is a recipe for disaster (like myself). But, if you take some of these tips and apply them to your daily routine I promise you’ll see positive results almost immediately. Ditch the cartridge system and get a safety razor, throw away that Barbasol from CVS and try something lighter. Happy grooming gents!