Nobrainer’s Think Tank

There’s not much to report today. I decided that I would space out the major tests in order to A) allow better judging of variables and B) not destroy my face.

Today I went with the Williams Mug Shaving Soap and the ol’ Mach3. The rest of the routine stayed the same.

The first article I read in my search said this:

The perfect shave has three ingredients: a good razor, a good brush, and glycerin-based shaving cream. But the biggest difference between wetshaving and the way most guys shave today is the use of a shaving brush. A good badger-hair shaving brush is the single most important ingredient in getting the perfect shave — if you change no part of your shaving routine except to add a good shaving brush to the mix, you’ll be astounded at how much better and more enjoyable your shaves become.

Today’s shave was about getting used to using the brush. In this case, I can’t say that I purchased a “good” brush. Instead I picked up what I found at Wal-Mart for $4.54.

This mug soap in particular, is glycerin based (or at least I’m pretty sure I read that on the package before I threw it away). It also leads to more of a shaving experience. For the first time in my life, I got to connect with the old Bugs Bunny cartoons I grew up with. I had never understood the mug and brush before, in part because Dad always used the stuff from the can. However the soap doesn’t foam up as much as the common… uh, foam. The brush does feel good on the skin. The whole method provided a comfortable shave on the level that I’ve experienced over the years.

As an additional FYI, I looked at the ingredients of the various shaving creams I purchased. I’ve listed them again, and in parenthesis is the position in which “glycerin” appears in the ingredients list.

Gillette Fusion Hydragel Ultra Sensitive (10)
Edge ActiveCare Deep Cleansing (4)
Edge Advanced Gel Extra Protection (10)
Edge Advanced Gel Sensitive Skin (none)
Shave Secret Shave Oil (ingredients not listed)
Nivea for Men Sensitive Shaving Gel (none)
Williams Mug Soap (5)

On a final note about Williams, the website suggests you also try Aqua-Velva, Just For Men, Brylcreem (which I’d never heard of before), and Lectric Shave (which I’d never heard of until Poot praised it).

To follow up on the shave from Day 2:

After a day, I’m still impressed by the shave oil. I only ended up with a small amount of visible irritation on my face despite having shaved against the grain. My neck was a little irritated, but not much more than typical. Everything felt pretty good throughout the day.

Previous Posts:
Shaving Day 2
Shaving Day 1
Re-learning how to shave