New Year And Resolutions: Five Shaving Resolutions You Should Make for 2020

New Year And Resolutions: Five Shaving Resolutions You Should Make for 2020

Naked Armor

The clock is winding down for 2019. There’s an unmistakable cheer in the air.

Published by Naked Armor

Every New Year’s Eve is an opportunity to set new goals. That’s why for most of us, this is the time to make resolutions.

Granted though, that not everyone really accomplishes their list of resolutions by the end of the year. But it’s the act that counts. By the end, you would have stuck to some and gave up on others. That’s progress enough.

So go ahead and make your usual resolutions for 2020. But this time, how about adding something different. Along with the usual “I will get a gym membership”, how about adding a shaving-related resolution? As men, we sometimes take our grooming for granted that we don’t give it too much thought. This is why we miss out on the many ways we can enjoy and benefit more from shaving.

Here at Naked Armor, we’ve compiled a list of shaving resolutions that you should add to your list.

I Will Always Prep My Beard Before Shaving

We’ve written about this previously but it’s worth reiterating as a New Year’s shaving resolution. Prepping your beard properly before shaving is one of the secrets to getting an awesome, barbershop clean shave.

This means washing your facial hair clean with some hot water and natural shampoo. You can use a specialty beard shampoo but if you don’t have one, use a natural-based hair shampoo. Commercial hair shampoos have synthetic ingredients and are too strong for facial hair whereas natural-based hair shampoos are gentler and don’t strip the oil away from the skin.

You can also opt to take a hot shower before shaving. The hot moisture not only softens the hair but it also opens the skin pores, making it easy to clean away any acne-causing bacteria living on the skin. The heat also relaxes the facial muscles making your skin smooth for shaving.

As an added tip, we recommend applying some pre-shave beard oil after coming out of the shower. Sometimes, we tend to take long showers and too much heat can dry the skin. Applying some beard oil would ensure that the skin remains moisturized and soft enough for shaving.

I Will Always Exfoliate

Never forget to exfoliate your face gently before shaving. Rubbing a scrub in a small, circular motion on your beard for 30 seconds will help remove the remaining dead and dry skin cells on the skin.

If you don’t exfoliate, you increase the chances of getting razor bumps or skin irritation because the pores are still clogged. Having clogged pores also intensifies the blade friction during shaving, making your skin even more irritated.

Regular exfoliation also helps with acne scars, dark spots, fine lines, and any ingrown hairs. It strips the skin of acne-causing bacteria and draws out the unwanted dirt and oils that build up on your skin.

Over time, the cutting edge becomes dull because the human hair, having the tensile strength of copper, can degrade the bevel. Honing restores this. A well-honed blade results to a more comfortable and easy shaving experience.

— D'Rock, Naked Armor Founder

I Will Become an Eco-friendly Shaver

With the fires in the Amazon rainforest and the bleaching of reefs in the ocean, more and more carbon is being added to the atmosphere. Climate change is real, folks. We should do all that we can in order to reduce carbon emissions in our atmosphere.

One way of doing this is by shaving the eco-friendly way. That means discarding plastic razors and using a straight razor or a safety razor instead. Plastic razors contribute to the problem of plastic pollution in landfills. The EPA has estimated that there are at least 2 billion disposable razors which are thrown into the landfill every year. These razors are slowly leaking toxic chemicals into the environment or breaking down into microplastics which are getting into our food supply.

If you shift to a straight razor, you reduce the demand for these plastic-based products. Plastic production is energy-intensive and results in large amounts of carbon emissions. In doing so, you lessen the production of plastic and help save the environment.

I Will Learn How to Strop and Hone

If you’re a straight razor user but are relying on professional help to do the occasional honing and stropping, you should really consider learning how to do the strop and honing yourself.

Here’s why. You can make a straight razor blade sharper when you strop it before shaving. Stropping realigns the minute deficiencies of the blade’s edge so that it remains really sharp and can easily cut hair. That’s why we recommend to always strop before shave.

Honing, meanwhile, maintains the bevel or the cutting edge of the blade. Over time, the cutting edge becomes dull because the human hair, having the tensile strength of copper, can degrade the bevel. Honing restores this. A well-honed blade results to a more comfortable and easy shaving experience.

I Will Never Skip an Aftershave

Wet shaving pros always remind newbies that an aftershave is a necessity. It isn’t something one can skip in his daily routine. That’s because an aftershave stops the bleeding caused by shaving and helps your skin heal faster. It also has a soothing effect on the skin.

There are two important ingredients of an aftershave - alcohol and witch hazel.

As a powerful astringent, alcohol tightens and seals the skin so that no bacteria can enter the bloodstream. Witch hazel meanwhile, is a natural astringent that has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties.

Unlike alcohol, which dries out the skin, witch hazel is also a moisturizer. It improves hydration, elasticity, and softness in the outer skin layer making it a perfect antidote for razor burn or irritation caused by shaving.

Plus, aftershaves smell good. It also makes one feel good after a shave. So really, this one is a no-brainer. Always end your shaving with an aftershave.

I Will Get a New Razor

We know we said five new resolutions but, heck, there’s always room for one more. If you want a really efficient and world class shaving tool to accomplish your shaving resolutions, consider getting a Naked Armor straight razor.

Our straight razors are made from high quality Japanese steel and valuable timber. They’ll give you a luxurious shave - it’s as if you’re in the hands of a master barber. That’s because it’s designed in between a full hollow and half hollow grind which makes it versatile for all hair textures and skin types.

You’ll never go wrong with a Naked Armor blade this new year. Check out our site to learn more.

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