Shaving and Acne: How to Do It Properly

Shaving is something that, if you have acne, will inevitably irritate your skin, but if you don’t shave then that just makes the acne worse over time because it causes increased oil production and you can’t properly clean your skin….so, it has to be done regardless.  Now, how do you go about doing it while causing the least possible irritation?

First of all, forget about trying to get completely smooth skin (which would requiring coming back and re-shaving against the grain again which will snag on any bumps or pimples you have and cut them open–you just can’t shave against the grain, sorry), that’s just not going to happen as long as your skin isn’t perfectly clear because there’s no way to shave that close and not cut yourself as long as you’ve got acne.

The right razor

I like the Mach 3 I have now, but that absolutely would not have been my choice when I had acne, it shaves way too close and will irritate your skin, so will single-blade safety razors like Merkels.  I’ve tried multiple electric razors and found them all to be very irritating (they all tended to catch on, snag, and rip the pimples).  I’ve tried a bunch of different razors and have found that the least irritating are the Gillette Trac II and the Gillette Sensor Excel.  These are both twin blade razors that will allow you to get a close shave with very little if any irritation. For whatever reason, single blade razors and razors with 3 or 4 blades are all going to cause more irritation and nicks than a twin blade.

The right shaving cream

The important thing to remember is to get a shaving cream that’s specifically designed for people with acne and is non-comedogenic – what does that mean? “Comedogenic”, according to the dictionary, means “tending to clog pores especially by the formation of blackheads”, so a non-comedogenic product (whether it’s shaving cream or anything else) is specifically designed and guaranteed to not clog your pores when you use it, thereby guaranteeing that it won’t cause any clogged pores or the pimples that result from them.  I personally recommend that you use Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (non-comedogenic) as your shaving cream–it’s gentle, non-comedogenic, and you get your face-washing over at the same time.

Pre-shave oil

This is a very effective technique originally intended for people with sensitive skin that I find to be wonderfully useful for people with acne because the oil makes the razor much less likely to catch or snag on any pimples or bumps because it acts as a lubricant and allows the razor to glide across your skin.  You apply this to damp skin (you do know to thoroughly wet your face with warm water prior to any shaving, right?) right before you apply your shaving cream or soap.  The best stuff I have found, by far, is Jojoba oil (it is non-comedogenic).  The key here is that this ‘oil’ is actually a liquid wax ester that has served as a replacement for whale oil in cosmetics because of its very close similarity to sebum (your own natural body oil). It can be used on skin or hair, and is a very powerful and ideal moisturizer that can be combined with your soap and moisturizers using as little as 1 or 2 drops of it . It can also be used with sugar to create a very gentle, skin-softening exfoliator.

What to do

1. Your face and the hairs on it should be as damp as possible; most people, myself included, find that the best time to shave is right at the end of a shower.

2. Wet your face, apply just a drop or two of oil, and then a good lather of the shaving cream or soap that you’re going to use.

3. Shave with the grain, always with the grain.

4. Try to go over each area as few times as possible, only once if you can.  Again, don’t try and get a perfectly smooth shave, not only is it not going to happen but you’re going to tear up your face in the process of trying.  Get it consistent and reasonably close, and be done with it.

5. Rinse. You’re done.