Ace the acne
Acne or acne-prone skin can make shaving a bit of a nightmare. Not only can it be painful, it’s easy to make things worse. Do it wrong, and you may increase the irritation on your face and provoke even more pimples. But fear not - there are a few things you can do to navigate your way through the bumps:
1. Clean your face thoroughly before you shave
Wash your face with warm water and a cleanser that’s right for your skin type, and will help to prep your skin for the shave. But be gentle, just lukewarm water. Curb your alpha genes. Hotter is NOT better. If the water is too hot, it can leave your face too dry, and irritate your skin even before you start shaving.
Use GQ award winning Cleanse & Shave to gently remove impurities.
2. Lather up
Shaving cream or a smooth shaving gel is your friend here. And it will work even better if you apply it in a circular motion. Try to lift up your facial air to lessen the chance of ingrown hairs and razor bumps.
Find a cream or gel that doesn’t irritate your skin, and is not comedogenic ie likely to block your pores and cause blackheads – you have enough problems without adding any more! And check that it is alcohol free. What you’re looking for here is SD alcohol, denatured alcohol, or, less often, isopropyl alcohol. They are all murder on your skin.
3. Your razor matters
Try and avoid electric and multiple-blade razors if you have acne-prone skin. Put your nine-blade Formula 1 Super Turbo aside at least for the time being. You’re looking for less friction on your skin right now to avoid provoking more breakouts.
5-Blade safety razor cut with precision without causing too much fiction on the skin.
4. Keep your razor spotless
Your razor is likely home to lots of dead skin cells and bacteria, both of which are guilty as charged when it comes to skin irritation. And that, as you know better than anyone, can lead to… eeergh… more pimples. Water is not going to cut it when it comes to removing the unwanted dirt. So now you can reach for the alcohol, or alcohol wipes. Keep your razor pristine. Your face will thank you.
5. Right directions are right for a reason
Yes, we know you want a close, smooth shave, and it’s tempting to shave against the direction of hair growth, but that can be more irritating, so go with the flow when it comes to shaving at least at this stage.
6. Less is less
This is one case where less isn’t more. If you feel that shaving is really making things worse, try shaving less often. Just give your skin a break. Yes, we know women are trending away from facial hair these days, and even Brad is clean shaven again. But first lets help your skin to normalise. Or at the very least, go gently in the problem areas.
7. Moisturise after every shave
Moisturising is the key to keeping your skin healthy, so get a good moisturiser to keep it hydrated and soothed and apply after every shave. Yes, it’s perfectly manly to moisturise. Don’t be a wimp. In fact, in this case, moisture make the man.
So there you are. Now you have a few tips on dealing with this particularly tricky shaving issue, why not get the right tools (link to the product page) to go even further for a stress-free and pain-free shave! Just remember, smooth and gently does it.
