Shaving is a daily ritual for most men that has dated back long before our time. Some sources suggest that facial hair removal began 100,000 years ago with cavemen plucking facial hair with a tweezer-like object. Shaving as we know it - using a sharpened edge to cut hair at the skin’s surface using polished rock or shell - is a far more modern invention only dating back 60,000 years. Razors made of copper appeared around 3,000 BC.
A tool that cavemen also did not have access to was a shaving brush. It is now commonly believed that barbers (who also doubled as surgeons) began using brushes to apply cream around the middle of the 17th century. So needless to say, there was nothing pleasant about the shaving ritual for many thousands of years.
Using a shaving brush will add another layer of pleasure to your shaving routine and also help you get a closer shave. The right shaving brush will lift your hairs, increasing the blade’s contact with your skin and at the same time thoroughly coat hair follicles with shaving cream to condition the hairs on your face and make them easier to cut.
A good shaving brush has bristles made from natural materials like boar or badger hair, or high-quality synthetic bristles which are soft enough not to scratch your face but firm enough to work up a lather from your soap or cream.
Here are some tips on how to use a shaving brush correctly:
Create a lather with your shaving soap or cream.
The shaving soap or cream you choose should be able to create a rich lather. You can test this by taking a small amount of it in your hand and rubbing it between your fingers to create a lather. If you can’t feel any bubbles forming, the soap or cream is not going to be effective.
Mondial 1908 has a plethora of elegant shaving creams with intoxicating classic fragrances that are still produced according to an ancient recipe with highly select raw materials of vegetable origin and are free from dyes and preservatives.
Check out our shaving cream collection page.
Hold the brush in your hand and shake it.
If your brush is brand new, you’ll have to break it in and soften the bristles a bit before you use it. The best way to do this is by shaking the brush in your hand. This will loosen the bristles and help you create a better lather.
If you’re using a badger hair brush, you’ll want to break it in for about a week before you use it. Mondial 1908 has two options of badger hair brushes. One being pure badger knot and the other being synthetic badger hair.
With boar hair brushes, you can go ahead and use it right away. Mondial 1908 Boar Shaving Brushes are special because of the richly toned marble effect that evokes the beauty of Italy's stone deposits.
When you’re ready to shave, gently wipe off the excess lather.
The first thing you’ll want to do after creating your lather is to wipe off the excess from your face. If you leave it on your skin, it will just end up in your razor and cause you to cut yourself. If you’re using the shaving cream and notice bubbles, you’ve used too much of it.
Shave with the grain of your hair for the first pass.
Once you’ve created your lather, the first thing you want to do is shave with the grain of your hair. This will lift your hair off the skin and make it easier to cut. The best way to do this is to use short strokes with an upward motion. This will give you the closest shave possible, but you should be careful not to press too hard or you risk cutting yourself.
When you’re done, rinse your face with warm water.
Once you’re finished shaving, rinse your face with warm water and apply a soothing after-shave gel or splash such as those from our Florence collection.
