Hey all! I guess now I have to start thinking about things to say instead of doing my lists. What to do what to do? Well, since its into July now and summer is starting to creep up on us more and more each day, I thought I would talk about ways to stay comfortable during the summer. I’ll list my ways of doing it, but keep in mind, that they are the ways that I’ve found to work with me. Both in terms of my routine, and my products used. There are a WEALTH of wet shaving products out there today, more so than I ever imagined, so you could find your own favorite and run with it. Also, know that menthol is heavily involved in these shaves so if you’re not big on menthol, a lot of what I say will go in one eye and out the other….since you’re reading this and everything. But I think you can still have a pleasantly cool shave without involving menthol, it may not be as intense. So let’s get into a few products and methods to make those hot summer days feel a bit more manageable.
As I said before, menthol plays a key part in my summertime cool shaves. As a whole, I enjoy mentholated products. There’s something about it that smells good and feels refreshing, even in the cold winter months. One of my favorite products is available most everywhere, and that is Proraso Green (or also repackaged as C.O. Bigelow in Bath & Body Works stores that are found in most malls across the United States). Its simple, not overwhelmingly mentholated and has a vintage man smell to it. Its a soap that I recommend to any new wet shaver and anyone who is looking for something different. It pairs well with a host of aftershaves, which can lengthen its stay in your den. Here’s what to look for:
Proraso also has a green pre-shave as well as a green aftershave, so if you were wanting to put together a full set, then you have a great summertime shave right there with those products. And you won’t be out a lot, as the Proraso and Bigelow products tend to run rather inexpensive. Which is nice. In my opinion, the Proraso products are all top notch performers. They have a bit of a different scent that some people don’t care for, but I personally find them to be great.
Moving forward, a new product that has made its way into the den and has proven to be a snowball in a tin, is the Frost Byte Synergy soap from How to Grow a Mustache. HTGAM, for short, has been launching products left and right over the past year. Just one year, wow, seems like so many! They also have a great podcast to listen to, which features many of the big names in the wet shaving world, as well as good information about products. I received three tins of their Synergy soap for Christmas, including the Cavendish, Lavendar Cedar and Frost Byte. The cavendish was the top on my list, but these others were added bonus. I used the Frost Byte for the first time back in January and I thought I felt icicles forming on my face. It was cold! So cold to the point that it made my eyes water a bit. To some, that may be a BIT much menthol. I found it exhilarating! However, I held off a bit before firing it back up haha. The great thing about the Synergy soaps (now in their second iteration, with many more great scents coming out) is their ease of lather. It seems like it only takes about 5 swirls and you’re starting to build. I’m not sure if it has unicorn dust, some sort of mafia secret or what, but its pretty easy to get a good lather out of the HTGAM line. Worth checking out, especially for the frost byte if you’re really wanting to freeze your face.
Another product that goes well on these hot days is the Clubman Jeris Osage Rub. The Rub, as its lovingly known by many, is a green colored aftershave that has the ability to freeze on contact! Well, maybe that’s a bit of an embellishment on my part, but that stuff has a ton of menthol in it! Sent to us by the awesome folks at Clubman, The Rub is a perfect compliment to any summertime shave, whether your soap is mentholated or not. The scent is the standard mintiness of menthol, but with just a hint of barbershop to it. Think Barbicide and you’ll be in the ballpark of this stuff. It won’t overpower your soap and fades quickly enough that you can still use your favorite cologne without any fighting. But just know that once you commit to slapping some on, get ready to chill. I’ve often used it as a bit of a refresher even without a shave. I will say that, even though its great to rub on your face and even your chest, I wouldn’t recommend it going much further south if you catch my drift. That’s the sort of cold chill that you want to avoid! Having said that, if you want a pair of ice cubes, feel free to ignore my warning and chill those marbles!
If you want to go with a classic menthol product, pick up some Aqua Velva Ice Blue. You can find Aqua Velva at most any drug store, Wal Mart, Target, etc. The big box stores with the “cheap” aftershaves! You know you’ve probably seen these on your grandpa’s, dad’s, uncles or even friends sinks. Don’t let their aura of being cheap fool you, because they are actually some really good products. Maybe not up to the level they once were (I blame the switch to plastic containers for some of that) but they are still great for something that is usually available most anywhere. Often times you can even find something similar in the dollar stores that may be a store brand (Dollar Ice, Dollar Spice, etc) but the same formula. The Ice Blue has a clean scent to it, somewhat chemical, but not overpowering. Plenty of menthol though and it will definitely sting you if you put too much pressure on your razor. Another good option I have found is Skin Bracer, although its not QUITE as chilling. Its cooling, and I love the scent, but it won’t freeze you.
Now that we’ve talked about a few products I own, let’s talk about how to achieve this summertime cool shave! What we’ll be doing is a cold water shave. My first step is to prep my beard. Normally I’ll shower and go from there like normal, but sometimes, I’ll wet a rag and press it against my face. I don’t heat up my wash rag in the summertime. Instead, I’ll run a stream of cooler water on it and then press that up against my face. Sometimes there is a Nivea cooling face wash involved as well, which helps set the stage for the cooling effect. From there, use cold water. Or cool if you’re not wanting to go full on cold. It may seem weird at first, but during the summer, you’ll learn to appreciate it. In fact, there are many people who claim that it helps condition their beard for shaving better and provide a better shave. I’ve yet to really notice much of a difference between the two, but I enjoy doing the cold shaves to help cool me off when its 7000 degrees outside. Rinsing off your face with cold water also helps with calming down your face, making it stop screaming after you just trimmed its hair. I have noticed that rinsing off with cool water during my regular shaves helps with any irritation and has become standard for me year long. Its my step just before applying my aftershave. It really is that simple. Cold water and mentholated products. And you can even order menthol crystals to add to any soap you have to make it mentholated. Bam! As I said before, if you’re not much of a menthol fan, just doing a standard cold water shave can still help you cool off and feel great before heading out into the sweltering heat of the summer months.
Have you tried a cold water shave during the summer? If not, let me know how it goes! It is definitely something I would recommend to change up your shaves here and there. Plus, it’ll give you a new routine to consider. So that’s it for today, but I’m already working on a few things. I threw up some new links, so check out the links page. I also am working on a few updates to the den. I’ll get it all cleaned up and presentable to you very soon! Until next time, stay cool and stay smooth!
Semo Shaving 