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Spring Shaving Tips From Old South Barber (with bourbon by IW Harper)

Cator Sparks
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With the warm weather approaching it’s time for a little beard trim and a proper shave to enjoy that spring breeze across our face. We headed over to Old South Barber in historic Charleston, South Carolina to see our girl Darlene and hear (and experience) some of her top shaving tips.

The experience wouldn’t be complete without a nip of I.W. Harper bourbon to relax us into the chair. This bourbon epitomizes old school charm –  like an old fashioned hot shave- and it made this treat all the more special.

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Shaving Tips

Men tend to always be in a rush. If they would take just a couple of more minutes, their shaving experience would be so much more enjoyable and effective. Here are my suggestions:

  • Trim down your facial hair so it doesn’t pull if you are using a straight razor
  • Use hot water or a hot towel to open up your pores before shaving
  • Always use a pre-shave oil before shaving
  • Shave with the grain initially. If you want a closer shave, go against the grain for the second pass
  • After your shave, use cold towels to close pores and reduce irritation
  • Eucalyptus oil has natural healing properties for ingrown hairs and irritation so we recommend a few drops of this added to your aftershave.
  • When trimming your beard, don’t just move the clippers up and down, move them in a every direction (almost in a circular motion) all over your beard to make sure you get every hair.

All photographs courtesy of Jonathan Boncek

Cator Sparks
Cator Sparks
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Cator Sparks was the Editor-in-Chief of The Manual from its launch in 2012 until 2018. Previously, Cator was covering…
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