Recipe for a great shave

1. Fill mug with warm water and place shaving brush in the mug.
2. Wash your face with warm water and then place a warm towel on your face for about ten minutes. Alternatively, you can skip this step if you are shaving after a hot shower.
3. Apply a small amount of pre shave oil on to your hands and rub the oil directly on to your face.
4. Put a small almond sized amount of shave cream in to the shave bowl and work into a lather using the shaving brush and a few drops of water. You can also do this straight on the shaving soap bowl if you wish.
5. Apply the lather liberally to your face using the shaving brush. Don’t press the brush against the face, only use the tips of the brush and apply in a circular motion.
6. Using a warm razor, glide the razor down your face (starting at your sideburns) at about a 30° angle to the face. Use only short strokes and apply no pressure, the weight of the razor is all the pressure which is required. Ensure that the skin is pulled tight (not too tight though) while shaving to get a close shave. Make sure to shave with the grain (in the direction the hair grows, not against it) and only on skin which has lather on it.
7. Repeat steps 5 & 6 as many times as necessary to get the shave you require. I find 2-3 passes is more than enough for me and any more results in razor burn. Some people recommend shaving across the grain for your second pass but I find it unnecessary.
8. Wash face thoroughly with cold water.
9. Generously apply after shave balm or lotion to your face and gently rub it in.

Proper Beard Care

1. Beard Oil. Beard oils are generally made up of carrier oils such as Jojoba, Argan, Sweet Almond and usually contain some essential oils like Tea Tree and Cedarwood. These oils combine together to provide nourishment to your beard hair, while moisturizing your skin. Make sure your pores are clear bytaking a shower or splashing some warm water on your face. Then towel-dry your beard because water and oil do not mix, but you do want it to be slightly damp so that the oil will displace the water allowing the hair shaft to retain more oil. Pour the oil in the palm of your hand and rub them together then rub it on your face using your fingers. Remember to start down at the skin under your beard, then work your way out through your beard, getting the rest of the oil on your hairs. Do this daily.
2. Light Trimming. Using a good pair of barber scissors trim only the straggly hairs at the tip of your beard. Do not trim after a shower as you will end up cutting a lot more than you wanted to.Do this every few weeks.
3. Beard Conditioner. Apply conditioner to your beard and let it sit. After a few minutes rinse the conditioner out. Do this daily.

Brush/Comb. Brushing your beard promotes good healthy growth by stimulating the hair follicles. It also helps to spread the beard oil through your beard. Do this daily after you have applied Beard Oil.