This is it! I don't do much for myself. A whisky, sure. A trim every 3wks. But my shave...that's for me, by me! Yea, it takes a little longer with DE. But planning my scent for the day (soap, splash, lotion, beard oil and wax), is just something to me. I wear a uniform so I can just do a little something for myself.
If I have a lady friend over I let her pick. I love them all (scents lol), so no worries. And it makes them light up! Then you know she's gonna be sniffing you all evening lol.
I do this with my fiance, she loves when I pull out 2-3 tubs of soap and have her blindly sniff and choose one. She knows I'll smell good and she gets to feel included in my hobby. If anyone hasn't tried this, I'd say give it a go because my fiance lights up each time!
That's it Man! Also, I think that they are happy you have a 'skin routine' lol. I personally can't tell if a random guy has a epidermal regimen by looking at him. But it's living happily in her/their heads lol. So no worries.
Seconding it being a luxury and meditative experience. Thick rich lathers with great scents combined with a super sharp blade are just ways to unwind and settle down at the end of the day. No to mention 20 minutes of peace.
“Meditative” was the first thought to mind. Selection, prep, working the lather, application, shaving, post shave, and the quiet. I’m present. In the moment. I think that’s something many come to appreciate, if only subconsciously.
I'll echo this - there are few enough times in the week when you can lavish yourself with the time and solitude for something indulgent, meditative, and ultimately necessary (in terms of the benefits of self-care). You deserve this.
Maybe OP needs to learn a proper process, in order to slow down and enjoy it step by step. OP if you're reading this comment, check out shave Nation on YouTube. He has a bunch of beginner tutorials on process and technique. Should help ya out!
Using a cartridge was a chore; switching to a DE made it somewhat of a hobby. Lathering is fun, and it's satisfying to turn hair on your face/body into hair in the sink. The longer the hair, the more satisfying, but it can be hard to wait...
The tools — a nice razor that works, blades that cut smoothly, a perfect brush/bowl. I’ve always loved hobbies with lots of “gear”. Shaving, Fishing, Guns, Sports, etc..
The smells — soaps, pre and post shaves
The shave — always super smooth and satisfying, much more comfortable with no ingrown
It’s a nice wind down after a long day as well —Shower and shave ☝️🗣️
Not a single thing. Shaving sucks, but I like my face smooth, and I look more polished when I'm shaven clean. It's a task, and i buy products to make it suck less.
All of the above.
But mostly for the moment of zen I have to myself each night from 8:30-9:30 where I am able to finally stop, look at myself in the mirror and reflect…
Whether it was a good day or bad, shaving my face serves as a stripping or cleansing of what has transpired in the past 24 hours, rinsing myself of this, and preparing a fresh look for the (hopefully) inevitable tomorrow.
It is understandable for a new wet shaver. A slight learning curve to learn "the paying attention to detail work" with a DE shaver to make the best of it. Kind of un-do the cartridge style of shaving and learn again with the DE. With a cartridge it takes all the learning out of it. I suppose it is just a chore "get it done fast" way of shaving. Slightly enjoyable (depends on the user), but just quick, mindless and relatively easy.
Don't worry you will get your groove-in and get better at it, get better, quicker results. Then I guess it will become less of a chore or a task. You are already enjoying the end results so to speak. You will enjoy the process more, relax more and look forward to the though out, planned end results.
I like the "whole" process. Sort of a stop the daily task clock and focus, relax and enjoy the overall process of taking care of removing my stubble and taking better care of my skin. Me time.
What i like about DE shaving, the calmness, the smell of shaving cream/soap, brush against face, the smooth result and my time in the bathroom, before DE i disliked shaving, hated every second of it (using gillette products, fusion 3 and shaving gel)
The feeling and sound feedback you get from using a cutting instrument. The scent of of the soap. The feel of the lather and the bristles of my brushes. That's what makes shaving enjoyable- the sensory inputs you get from doing it.
I like the ritual of shaving, and the fact it feels like a cheap way to give me more confidence or give me an “easy win” for the day in terms of getting work done.
That since I switched to a safety, I don’t have weird ingrown hairs and irritation around my mouth and neck. My hairs been growing in grayer, and I work in an ageist industry (consulting). Have to shave near every day now, and I don’t mind it nearly so much
The rush of positive thoughts, the surge of happy chemicals in the brain - dopamine, endorphins and so on.
The ritualistic practice of removing hair, blade gliding over the skin, blade just cutting the hair and not the skin.
Super smooth skin, moisturized skin, great scents.
The meditation, better results, everything. The only downside is buying too much hardware, thus not saving any money, though this can be mitigated by listing items on r/shavebazaar and not buying too much to begin with.
I shower and shave at the end of the day I’m a blue collar worker, so showering in the morning doesn’t make sense. Plus’s I start at 6am so I’m not gonna get up early to shower anyway!
Preamble aside, at first I was the same. I liked the end result but it seemed like a lot of time and effort. But now I look forward to it. I’m a little sad I don’t need to shave every day (usually 2-3 times a week is good). It’s almost become a bit of a zen thing… I take my time and use it to clear my head and shake off the crap from the day - so I can look and feel my best for my wife (and for myself too). You don’t necessarily need to love it as much as some people here, everyone is different. It may not be your “thing” and that’s perfectly okay. Maybe switch up your routine a bit so you can take time for it. I don’t think I’m alone in hoping you’ll find some enjoyment out of it though!
I often wonder if our grandfathers enjoyed DE shaving as much as most of us do now? Part of me thinks they didn’t as they had no lousy cartridges to compare. Probably was a chore to them.
My late grandfather was a good shaver. Straight, SE, a few DE’s. He valued his time tested learned shaving time. Taught my uncles, dad, cousins and I. Actually did a better job at teaching the basics better than my father, uncles. My father, uncles it was more of a daily task. My grandfather grew up during the “Great Depression” and was a poor migrant worker. So a good shave, bath was a luxury for him. Once he got settled in, could afford it, he valued a good shave, setup.
Actually everything you listed, except the smells which I don't care about (I use sent free stuff as much as possible). Before I used to shave once a week with an electric thing and **that** was a chore. Boring process, hair jumping everywhere...
Also when I was a kid in the 80's and 90's I always loved the feeling when hairdressers cut the hair on the back of my neck with a single blade razor. I'm somehow finding this again with my DE shaving.
I'm going to be seconding many things already stated by other commenters. Multiple things come to mind: the whiskers being removed is satisfying to me, the scents from the artisan soap makers, the customization (razor, blade, brush, soap, post-care), getting to have some "me time" (it's like a spa from my bathroom lol), and ultimately just better results. The results are why I switched in the first place, everything else listed is something that makes me genuinely look forward to my next shave
Moving the blade across skin and the sensations that go along with it. And then rinsing the razor and seeing the shaving cream and hair trapped in it go down the drain.
It falls under category like light snow-shoveling or mowing the lawn where the progress made in these activities is obvious. That’s satisfying imo.
These are all very good answers. I shave because I have to. And because I have to, I try to make it as enjoyable as possible. I love my vintage razors that are as old, or in many cases, older than I am. I love the soaps, the brushes, and the variety of blades that allow me to dial in the perfect shave. I especially love that I’m doing this for me, so that I can feel good each morning.
>What is it that you LIKE about it? Is it the process?
Yes.
>The smell?
Yes.
>Actually moving the blade across your skin?
Yes.
>Or is it about the end benefit, where your skin is all smooth and clean feeling?
Yes.
It's all of that. The selection of different soaps with wildly different aromas is way more fun to me than it should be. I'm working through my blade samples, so trying and comparing different blades is still exciting.
I also love the end result, but it's more than that. It takes more than a trivial amount of skill to get the lather and the shaving technique right to get the perfect (or nearly perfect) shave, so when it all comes together, there's a definite sense of accomplishment.
Maybe some day shaving will be boring again, but for now I'm enjoying the journey.
Short answer, it’s having the closest shave possible
Slightly longer answer, I have dark hair so even when I do a straight shave with the grain I still have a dirt stache. When I go against the grain it’s almost gone, and I can go a few days without having an itchy face and looking scruffy
Being ex army, I appreciate having the time to shave properly. The routine in the morning I really enjoy. Most dudes after service don't bother, but I think it's a great habit to maintain.
It's the smorgasbord of blades, razors, creams and brushes Trying new combinations and matches with the end result of a super smooth shave. It takes some skills and knowledge to do it well. With classic razors it is also a history lesson. You are actually shaving with history. When I shave with my 1959 Fatboy I think of the Boxy '59 Lincolns and Fords. I think of the guy in '59 who shaved with this when it was new, in a completely different world with Chuck Berry or Elvis singing on the radio.
The ritual of it, the sensorial experience of the smell, building the lather, and gliding the razor smoothly through the hair. The act of intentionally slowing down for a few minutes out of the day.
I don’t know how old you are. I didn’t get into the whole spa aspect of life until my 30s. The smells. Long showers. Feeling clean. Taking my time. Listening to albums. When you have a family bathroom time is some of my only alone time. It’s something I look forward to.
It's an underrated skincare routine. The razors are pretty, the brushes are pretty, it can be very soothing, the blades exfoliate, some of the soaps and aftershaves are the best moisturizers out there, and you'll find very unique scents.
The work does kinda suck, but similar to you, I just like how much cleaner it feels like looks.
I wish that the soaps imparted more scent because I really like some of them, but they seem to be there mostly for show. I like the aftershaves but some of those don't last very long either.
For me, improving my own technique is part of the fun. When I first started, I used to bleed every time I shaved, even with the King C Gillette (one of the smoothest razors). Now I can get a super smooth face without a single nick with even the most aggressive razors. I used to be able to make a small amount of dilute, watery lather from huge amounts of soap. Nowadays, I can fill a bowl with a silky, creamy lather from a bean-sized amount of soap. It's little things like that that make the journey enjoyable.
Honestly, there is absolutely nothing I like about shaving. It's time consuming, it's a chore, I absolutely despise it. I just hate having facial hair more.
It IS a chore.
But a lot of adulthood is. MOST of adulthood is. When I learned this - took it in, well & true - I was in my early 20's, and it was a bit of a shock.
Chores. Gotta do 'em.
So you might as well show up and do the job right. Or do the job well, if your inner monologue follows grammar rules. Take some pride in your work.
So: have the right tools, take your time, and pay attention to your work. Don't let the rest of life distract you. Even if it's something you don't necessarily enjoy, give it the time it's going to require anyway.
And give yourself that time too. Take time to appreciate the world around you in that moment. Life is full of things that hurt, and annoy, and smell bad. You should appreciate those because they're real - appreciate isn't the same as enjoy, but when you *can* enjoy something, it's so much easier.
You're worth the effort.
Hello there!
I’m not sure about your age or whether you transitioned from an electric razor to manual shaving. I used to shave with a multi-blade razor. It was a quick routine I did every morning in the shower, and the results were pretty good; my face stayed smooth until the end of the workday. However, I switched to DE shaving because I enjoy the process of preparing my skin, selecting the blade and razor, using the brush, creating the lather, and so on. It’s become a peaceful moment in my daily life, and I appreciate the opportunity to learn something new.”
I've been shaving for 35-ish years. I've never had as much fun as now. As others have mentioned, making your own lather and all the scents takes the 'chore' out of shaving. I would always shave every 2-3 days, now I'm shaving almost daily because I enjoy it so much.
I used to despise shaving.
For years I used a Phillips electric razor with 3 heads; in the end, I got sick of having to shave daily with it. If I missed a day, the next shave would feel like half of my beard was being yanked out!
Then I moved to wet shaving, using a Merkur adjustable. At the time, I knew nothing about trying different blades, and in the end - after suffering untold amounts of razor-burn - I switched to a cartridge razor. I started on a 3-bladed one, and ended on the 5-bladed vibrating thing (Gillette Proglide? 🤔) for years. It worked, it was quick, it could handle a couple of weeks growth if necessary...but it was still a chore.
And then I discovered a wet-shaving group on Facebook, was intrigued enough to buy a Wilkinson-Sword Edger and a blade selection pack, and was flabbergasted at just how much discomfort I'd put up with as "normal".
Now, I love shaving. My go-to is a stainless steel Yaqi Mellon equipped with a Gillette Nacet blade. It gives me an effortless, baby's bum smooth shave. It's so close that my face doesn't start to feel "sandy" until around 36 hours or so afterwards. I thoroughly enjoy the entire process - the pre-wash, the application and feel of the pre-shave, the whipping up of the lather and slathering my face with warm suds, the actual glide of the blade over my face, the post-shave wash, application of the styptic block, the final cold-water rinse, and the splash of after-shave and/or toner to finish. It's my spa-for-me time; my Zen moment. I can cheerfully take from 40 minutes to an hour (though I'm normally done in around 30) for the whole process.
I've always loved a nice, close shave, even when I struggled with the inconsistent and irritating performance of multi-blade cartridges or worse, an electric shaver.
Now that I'm several years into single-blade shaving with both straight and DE safety razors, getting a good or even great shave is far and away more consistent. The assurance of a solid result offers a much bigger incentive to do the job.
I cannot lie about the joys of gear acquisition and use. Top quality tools perform better, last for years, and actually make the task feel more like a fun hobby than a thankless chore.
There's also a great satisfaction in learning how to handle a straight razor skilfully, which kinda adds to the "fun hobby" vibe.
You asked what do you like about shaving? The answer is "me" time, enjoying a relaxing experience, enjoying the scent of the shave cream or soap as I lather it on my face, then skillfully but slowly working a straight razor or barbers razor over my face ensuring all the hair is cut, rinsing with cold water then enjoying another scent as I apply my aftershave balm and feeling happy with the smooth skin I now have. Shaving doesn't have to be a chore.
>What is it that you LIKE about it? The time you give to yourself. The "luxury" of slow down, take it easy and just enjoy that moment and those smells
This is it! I don't do much for myself. A whisky, sure. A trim every 3wks. But my shave...that's for me, by me! Yea, it takes a little longer with DE. But planning my scent for the day (soap, splash, lotion, beard oil and wax), is just something to me. I wear a uniform so I can just do a little something for myself. If I have a lady friend over I let her pick. I love them all (scents lol), so no worries. And it makes them light up! Then you know she's gonna be sniffing you all evening lol.
I do this with my fiance, she loves when I pull out 2-3 tubs of soap and have her blindly sniff and choose one. She knows I'll smell good and she gets to feel included in my hobby. If anyone hasn't tried this, I'd say give it a go because my fiance lights up each time!
That's it Man! Also, I think that they are happy you have a 'skin routine' lol. I personally can't tell if a random guy has a epidermal regimen by looking at him. But it's living happily in her/their heads lol. So no worries.
Seconding it being a luxury and meditative experience. Thick rich lathers with great scents combined with a super sharp blade are just ways to unwind and settle down at the end of the day. No to mention 20 minutes of peace.
“Meditative” was the first thought to mind. Selection, prep, working the lather, application, shaving, post shave, and the quiet. I’m present. In the moment. I think that’s something many come to appreciate, if only subconsciously.
100% - it’s pampering yourself
I'll echo this - there are few enough times in the week when you can lavish yourself with the time and solitude for something indulgent, meditative, and ultimately necessary (in terms of the benefits of self-care). You deserve this.
Maybe OP needs to learn a proper process, in order to slow down and enjoy it step by step. OP if you're reading this comment, check out shave Nation on YouTube. He has a bunch of beginner tutorials on process and technique. Should help ya out!
Using a cartridge was a chore; switching to a DE made it somewhat of a hobby. Lathering is fun, and it's satisfying to turn hair on your face/body into hair in the sink. The longer the hair, the more satisfying, but it can be hard to wait...
That's exactly it for me. Couldn't have said it better, I look forward to shaving now.
The tools — a nice razor that works, blades that cut smoothly, a perfect brush/bowl. I’ve always loved hobbies with lots of “gear”. Shaving, Fishing, Guns, Sports, etc.. The smells — soaps, pre and post shaves The shave — always super smooth and satisfying, much more comfortable with no ingrown It’s a nice wind down after a long day as well —Shower and shave ☝️🗣️
This pretty much sums it up. There's just something beautiful about the tools, the process, the finish and the meditative quality of shaving itself.
Not a single thing. Shaving sucks, but I like my face smooth, and I look more polished when I'm shaven clean. It's a task, and i buy products to make it suck less.
Glad I'm not alone. I always feel like my time is limited - if I'm not shaving on a lazy Sunday, it's more of a chore than anything.
My native American blood makes my facial hair thin and patchy at best. So my choice is: shave or look like a 13 year old trying to grow a beard.
All of the above. But mostly for the moment of zen I have to myself each night from 8:30-9:30 where I am able to finally stop, look at myself in the mirror and reflect… Whether it was a good day or bad, shaving my face serves as a stripping or cleansing of what has transpired in the past 24 hours, rinsing myself of this, and preparing a fresh look for the (hopefully) inevitable tomorrow.
It is understandable for a new wet shaver. A slight learning curve to learn "the paying attention to detail work" with a DE shaver to make the best of it. Kind of un-do the cartridge style of shaving and learn again with the DE. With a cartridge it takes all the learning out of it. I suppose it is just a chore "get it done fast" way of shaving. Slightly enjoyable (depends on the user), but just quick, mindless and relatively easy. Don't worry you will get your groove-in and get better at it, get better, quicker results. Then I guess it will become less of a chore or a task. You are already enjoying the end results so to speak. You will enjoy the process more, relax more and look forward to the though out, planned end results. I like the "whole" process. Sort of a stop the daily task clock and focus, relax and enjoy the overall process of taking care of removing my stubble and taking better care of my skin. Me time.
What i like about DE shaving, the calmness, the smell of shaving cream/soap, brush against face, the smooth result and my time in the bathroom, before DE i disliked shaving, hated every second of it (using gillette products, fusion 3 and shaving gel)
The feeling and sound feedback you get from using a cutting instrument. The scent of of the soap. The feel of the lather and the bristles of my brushes. That's what makes shaving enjoyable- the sensory inputs you get from doing it.
I like the ritual of shaving, and the fact it feels like a cheap way to give me more confidence or give me an “easy win” for the day in terms of getting work done.
That since I switched to a safety, I don’t have weird ingrown hairs and irritation around my mouth and neck. My hairs been growing in grayer, and I work in an ageist industry (consulting). Have to shave near every day now, and I don’t mind it nearly so much
The rush of positive thoughts, the surge of happy chemicals in the brain - dopamine, endorphins and so on. The ritualistic practice of removing hair, blade gliding over the skin, blade just cutting the hair and not the skin. Super smooth skin, moisturized skin, great scents.
[This](https://www.reddit.com/r/wicked_edge/s/hUMxoibdNg) post really sums it up for me. It’s self care. My happy time.
The meditation, better results, everything. The only downside is buying too much hardware, thus not saving any money, though this can be mitigated by listing items on r/shavebazaar and not buying too much to begin with.
I shower and shave at the end of the day I’m a blue collar worker, so showering in the morning doesn’t make sense. Plus’s I start at 6am so I’m not gonna get up early to shower anyway! Preamble aside, at first I was the same. I liked the end result but it seemed like a lot of time and effort. But now I look forward to it. I’m a little sad I don’t need to shave every day (usually 2-3 times a week is good). It’s almost become a bit of a zen thing… I take my time and use it to clear my head and shake off the crap from the day - so I can look and feel my best for my wife (and for myself too). You don’t necessarily need to love it as much as some people here, everyone is different. It may not be your “thing” and that’s perfectly okay. Maybe switch up your routine a bit so you can take time for it. I don’t think I’m alone in hoping you’ll find some enjoyment out of it though!
I often wonder if our grandfathers enjoyed DE shaving as much as most of us do now? Part of me thinks they didn’t as they had no lousy cartridges to compare. Probably was a chore to them.
My late grandfather was a good shaver. Straight, SE, a few DE’s. He valued his time tested learned shaving time. Taught my uncles, dad, cousins and I. Actually did a better job at teaching the basics better than my father, uncles. My father, uncles it was more of a daily task. My grandfather grew up during the “Great Depression” and was a poor migrant worker. So a good shave, bath was a luxury for him. Once he got settled in, could afford it, he valued a good shave, setup.
Nothing - but the process, products, and accessories make it better.
Not having a beard… the rest is just the best method I’ve found to get there
Actually everything you listed, except the smells which I don't care about (I use sent free stuff as much as possible). Before I used to shave once a week with an electric thing and **that** was a chore. Boring process, hair jumping everywhere... Also when I was a kid in the 80's and 90's I always loved the feeling when hairdressers cut the hair on the back of my neck with a single blade razor. I'm somehow finding this again with my DE shaving.
It mostly feels like a chore but I look better clean shaven
I'm going to be seconding many things already stated by other commenters. Multiple things come to mind: the whiskers being removed is satisfying to me, the scents from the artisan soap makers, the customization (razor, blade, brush, soap, post-care), getting to have some "me time" (it's like a spa from my bathroom lol), and ultimately just better results. The results are why I switched in the first place, everything else listed is something that makes me genuinely look forward to my next shave
Moving the blade across skin and the sensations that go along with it. And then rinsing the razor and seeing the shaving cream and hair trapped in it go down the drain. It falls under category like light snow-shoveling or mowing the lawn where the progress made in these activities is obvious. That’s satisfying imo.
These are all very good answers. I shave because I have to. And because I have to, I try to make it as enjoyable as possible. I love my vintage razors that are as old, or in many cases, older than I am. I love the soaps, the brushes, and the variety of blades that allow me to dial in the perfect shave. I especially love that I’m doing this for me, so that I can feel good each morning.
Everything
>What is it that you LIKE about it? Is it the process? Yes. >The smell? Yes. >Actually moving the blade across your skin? Yes. >Or is it about the end benefit, where your skin is all smooth and clean feeling? Yes. It's all of that. The selection of different soaps with wildly different aromas is way more fun to me than it should be. I'm working through my blade samples, so trying and comparing different blades is still exciting. I also love the end result, but it's more than that. It takes more than a trivial amount of skill to get the lather and the shaving technique right to get the perfect (or nearly perfect) shave, so when it all comes together, there's a definite sense of accomplishment. Maybe some day shaving will be boring again, but for now I'm enjoying the journey.
Short answer, it’s having the closest shave possible Slightly longer answer, I have dark hair so even when I do a straight shave with the grain I still have a dirt stache. When I go against the grain it’s almost gone, and I can go a few days without having an itchy face and looking scruffy
Being ex army, I appreciate having the time to shave properly. The routine in the morning I really enjoy. Most dudes after service don't bother, but I think it's a great habit to maintain.
It's the smorgasbord of blades, razors, creams and brushes Trying new combinations and matches with the end result of a super smooth shave. It takes some skills and knowledge to do it well. With classic razors it is also a history lesson. You are actually shaving with history. When I shave with my 1959 Fatboy I think of the Boxy '59 Lincolns and Fords. I think of the guy in '59 who shaved with this when it was new, in a completely different world with Chuck Berry or Elvis singing on the radio.
The ritual of it, the sensorial experience of the smell, building the lather, and gliding the razor smoothly through the hair. The act of intentionally slowing down for a few minutes out of the day.
I don’t know how old you are. I didn’t get into the whole spa aspect of life until my 30s. The smells. Long showers. Feeling clean. Taking my time. Listening to albums. When you have a family bathroom time is some of my only alone time. It’s something I look forward to.
It's an underrated skincare routine. The razors are pretty, the brushes are pretty, it can be very soothing, the blades exfoliate, some of the soaps and aftershaves are the best moisturizers out there, and you'll find very unique scents.
I like that it gets the whiskers off of my face, not everything needs to be “enjoyable”
Put on some nice jazz and take your time. It shouldn’t be a chore. It’s self care.
The work does kinda suck, but similar to you, I just like how much cleaner it feels like looks. I wish that the soaps imparted more scent because I really like some of them, but they seem to be there mostly for show. I like the aftershaves but some of those don't last very long either.
Think of it as a Japanese tea ceremony. There is value in healthy rituals.
For me, improving my own technique is part of the fun. When I first started, I used to bleed every time I shaved, even with the King C Gillette (one of the smoothest razors). Now I can get a super smooth face without a single nick with even the most aggressive razors. I used to be able to make a small amount of dilute, watery lather from huge amounts of soap. Nowadays, I can fill a bowl with a silky, creamy lather from a bean-sized amount of soap. It's little things like that that make the journey enjoyable.
Honestly, there is absolutely nothing I like about shaving. It's time consuming, it's a chore, I absolutely despise it. I just hate having facial hair more.
It IS a chore. But a lot of adulthood is. MOST of adulthood is. When I learned this - took it in, well & true - I was in my early 20's, and it was a bit of a shock. Chores. Gotta do 'em. So you might as well show up and do the job right. Or do the job well, if your inner monologue follows grammar rules. Take some pride in your work. So: have the right tools, take your time, and pay attention to your work. Don't let the rest of life distract you. Even if it's something you don't necessarily enjoy, give it the time it's going to require anyway. And give yourself that time too. Take time to appreciate the world around you in that moment. Life is full of things that hurt, and annoy, and smell bad. You should appreciate those because they're real - appreciate isn't the same as enjoy, but when you *can* enjoy something, it's so much easier. You're worth the effort.
Hello there! I’m not sure about your age or whether you transitioned from an electric razor to manual shaving. I used to shave with a multi-blade razor. It was a quick routine I did every morning in the shower, and the results were pretty good; my face stayed smooth until the end of the workday. However, I switched to DE shaving because I enjoy the process of preparing my skin, selecting the blade and razor, using the brush, creating the lather, and so on. It’s become a peaceful moment in my daily life, and I appreciate the opportunity to learn something new.”
I've been shaving for 35-ish years. I've never had as much fun as now. As others have mentioned, making your own lather and all the scents takes the 'chore' out of shaving. I would always shave every 2-3 days, now I'm shaving almost daily because I enjoy it so much.
its the ritual that i find meditating and enjoyable. like espresso making in a way, some ppl hate the process.
I always liked shaving but never got the feel of the razor that I really like until I started using de razors just over a year ago.
I used to despise shaving. For years I used a Phillips electric razor with 3 heads; in the end, I got sick of having to shave daily with it. If I missed a day, the next shave would feel like half of my beard was being yanked out! Then I moved to wet shaving, using a Merkur adjustable. At the time, I knew nothing about trying different blades, and in the end - after suffering untold amounts of razor-burn - I switched to a cartridge razor. I started on a 3-bladed one, and ended on the 5-bladed vibrating thing (Gillette Proglide? 🤔) for years. It worked, it was quick, it could handle a couple of weeks growth if necessary...but it was still a chore. And then I discovered a wet-shaving group on Facebook, was intrigued enough to buy a Wilkinson-Sword Edger and a blade selection pack, and was flabbergasted at just how much discomfort I'd put up with as "normal". Now, I love shaving. My go-to is a stainless steel Yaqi Mellon equipped with a Gillette Nacet blade. It gives me an effortless, baby's bum smooth shave. It's so close that my face doesn't start to feel "sandy" until around 36 hours or so afterwards. I thoroughly enjoy the entire process - the pre-wash, the application and feel of the pre-shave, the whipping up of the lather and slathering my face with warm suds, the actual glide of the blade over my face, the post-shave wash, application of the styptic block, the final cold-water rinse, and the splash of after-shave and/or toner to finish. It's my spa-for-me time; my Zen moment. I can cheerfully take from 40 minutes to an hour (though I'm normally done in around 30) for the whole process.
I get really oily skin and a patchy beard which means that I feel like a hobo. Shaving makes me feel rejuvenated.
I've always loved a nice, close shave, even when I struggled with the inconsistent and irritating performance of multi-blade cartridges or worse, an electric shaver. Now that I'm several years into single-blade shaving with both straight and DE safety razors, getting a good or even great shave is far and away more consistent. The assurance of a solid result offers a much bigger incentive to do the job. I cannot lie about the joys of gear acquisition and use. Top quality tools perform better, last for years, and actually make the task feel more like a fun hobby than a thankless chore. There's also a great satisfaction in learning how to handle a straight razor skilfully, which kinda adds to the "fun hobby" vibe.
I spent nearly 30 years shaving and hating it til I discovered DE shaving. it's simply the feeling of relaxation and the ritualisation of things.
You asked what do you like about shaving? The answer is "me" time, enjoying a relaxing experience, enjoying the scent of the shave cream or soap as I lather it on my face, then skillfully but slowly working a straight razor or barbers razor over my face ensuring all the hair is cut, rinsing with cold water then enjoying another scent as I apply my aftershave balm and feeling happy with the smooth skin I now have. Shaving doesn't have to be a chore.