The Myths of Method Shaving

#1 Myth #1: You Have to Use a Shave Cloth

Method Shaving, as it is taught by Charles Roberts to his clients today, utilizes an organic cloth material that he has found to be very effective both in cost and functionality for his system; however, Charles originally developed his mix building system using the shaving brush and many people (including me) still prefer to use a brush.

To properly use Hydrolast products with a shaving brush, you need two products:

1. Priming soap (available in various fragrances, but I recommend the original Hydrolast Olive Oil Shaving Cube), and
2. Hydrolast Wet Shaving Paste (available in three variations, but I recommend using the #2 Pink, which is easy to mix and provides great results for most users).

Do not use the Hydrolast Cutting Balm in the shaving brush as it is oil based and will prohibit your brush from absorbing water properly. While larger brushes typically work best, you can use any size of shaving brush with a little practice.

#2 Myth #2: It Takes 30 Minutes to Shave

Those who regularly use Method Shaving techniques usually complete their shaves in only 6-10 minutes. Although it gets a bad rap as excessively laborious, Method Shaving takes the same amount of time as shaving with other shaving soaps or creams.

1. Start by soaking the brush for a minute and gently shaking away excess water.
2. Swirl the brush on your Hydrolast Shaving Cube until the brush is well loaded with lather, even though the lather will appear thin and runny at this point.
3. Once the brush is well loaded, apply a dime size dab of Hydrolast Wet Shaving Paste to the center of the brush.
4. Return to swirling on the soap to thoroughly mix the two ingredients together.

In a short time, the lather will thicken and look much more similar to a traditional shaving cream; however, when you proceed to shave with it, you will find it to be much more protecting and nourishing to the skin.

For the shave, Charles Roberts developed directional guides that make it easy for any man to shave as quickly and efficiently as possible regardless of your beard growth or skin type. Focusing on small areas of the face allows you to shave faster and with less skin irritation, even with 2 or 3 passes.

After shaving, use Hydrolast Aftershave Conditioner to soothe your skin instead of an aftershave.

#3 Myth #3: Method Shaving is Expensive

Hydrolast comprises many individual shaving products that can be combined to customize your shave, so many people wrongly assume that the costs add up. Here is a side-by-side comparison of the essentials (using a traditional shaving brush, as opposed to the Shave Cloth):

A beginner to Method Shaving can start with these products and achieve outstanding results. Once you understand the basics, you can use these products in combination with other Hydrolast products to customize your shave. You may want to add an additional product if you have dry or oily skin, sensitive skin, or other issues that you want to address. Men with in-grown hairs, razor bumps, and other problems have had a very high success rate with Method Shaving.

Conclusion

Some resist trying Method Shaving because they don't want to try something new. Some avoid it because they believe the above myths to be true. Some stay away because of terminology used to describe the process (e.g., "wet mix" vs. "lather"). Method Shaving consistently proves that no matter what you call it, it works.