Shaving is part of the grooming ritual of most men. It takes time, but the end result will be worth it when you eventually get it done. A key factor that decides how pleasant and successful your shaving experience is comes down to the products you use.
Using a good shave gel can make a big difference in your grooming routine. It ensures you have a clean and smooth shave while helping you reduce the chance of having flakiness or irritation. Since shave gel is so good for your skin, are you wondering if you can use a shaving brush to distribute gel on your face?
Yes, you can use a shaving brush with gel, but it isn’t ideal. Generally, gels are synthetic, and the chemicals can negatively affect your brush. Other options, such as soaps and shaving creams are more natural and will have less effect on a shaving brush.
Using a shaving brush with gel isn’t that awful, but it comes with some obvious downsides, as I will explain in this post. First, let’s take a look at why you need shaving brushes.
Why You Need Shaving Brushes
It’s easier for some men to just squeeze out gel or foam from their dispenser to their hand and apply it on the face. They are ready to place the blade on the skin and start shaving with a smudge of gel or foam here and there. They might not be aware, but a good lather is important in having a good shave. So, using a shaving brush to create lather from shaving cream or foam is important.
Your shaving brush bristles will work your shaving cream or soaps into your facial hair and properly spread it to all angles that need a shave. The bristles mix shaving cream to form a smoother paste that will aid lubrication. This will prevent your razor from bruising your skin and therefore reduces your chances of having skin irritation.
A shaving brush also helps in exfoliating your skin. Those dead skin particles that could clog up your brush and razor will be removed. These effects and more contribute to giving you a professional shave that gives you a nice look.
Benefits of Using A Shaving Brush
A shaving brush helps in lathering your face up so you get a clean shave. Now that you know why you need brushes, let’s look at the benefits of using them.
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Getting The Right Lather Consistency Is Easier
Though it isn’t mandatory to use a shaving brush to get the right consistency of lather, it makes it easier. Some things are faster and more efficient when there is support. It is the same thing with using a brush, you can use your bare hands to lather your face, but your brush gives you the ideal consistency and is faster.
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Using Brushes Will Lubricate In Spots Where Your Fingers Can’t Access
Using a shaving brush will give you a better amount of shaving cream coverage than using your hands. To find out how true this is, you can try out a little experiment with your friend. Get him to lather up his face with a shaving brush while you use your bare hands to do the same. After a few minutes, check if you guys achieved the same amount of lather thickness and if it properly covered both of your faces the same way.
It may appear that you both have adequate coverage of shaving cream when you look, but trust me when I tell you that may not be the case. Your friend’s brush bristles will definitely reach places where your fingers can’t reach. The bristles will lift up hairs and perfectly lubricate every area around your facial hair.
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Brushes Lather Up Real Quick
A neat and great shave requires a nice and thick rather, right? Yes, you need that. Getting a thick lather means your face is well hydrated, and you have an emollient lubricant on your face. When this is done, your facial hairs are softer, and it becomes easier for the razor to glide over and cut the hairs.
Using your hands will always get the work done at a satisfactory level, but if you are looking at getting a perfect lather that will keep your face well-hydrated, you need a shaving brush.
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Brushes Clean And Exfoliates
Well, exfoliating isn’t for the ladies alone. Men need it too!
I know many people don’t see the need to add exfoliating their skin to their daily routine. You can absolutely ignore this while you are still young, but you will need it as you get older. When you eventually see the need to exfoliate, know that shaving brushes can exfoliate your skin without doing much work.
As you exfoliate, you are removing the dead skins and dirt from your face to have a younger and fresh look. If you can’t find the time to exfoliate, you can just make things easier by doing it while shaving.
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Brushes Will Help You Save Money As You Use Lesser Shaving Soap Or Cream
You will save money if you use shaving brushes. You may be wondering how since you need to purchase the shaving brush with money, right? But do you know that using hands to lather up your face requires a higher quantity of soap to give a good lather? Yes, you need that much. Using a shaving brush requires a lesser amount and will save you a lot in the long run.
Just see this brush as an investment that will save you money in the long run.
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Brushes Give An Enjoyable Shaving Experience
Using shaving brushes is more fun and enjoyable than using your hands. Whenever I use shaving brushes, it feels like I am exercising gently rather than doing a chore. It calms me down while I pamper my face.
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Brushes Allow High-quality Cream And Soaps
I know some guys don’t need shaving brushes since they use shaving cream or gel with propellants that pump product out of their cans fully lathered. The ingredients in this type of shaving creams may contain harsh chemicals that make it not the best option.
The other high-quality products don’t come out of their cans or tubes well lathered. You will have to use a brush to get them lathered up. This type is easier on your face because they contain all-natural ingredients. If you are going with the best choice, a shaving brush will definitely come in handy to do its job and feel luxurious to use.
Finally, the importance of getting your face prepped with a good lubricant before shaving can’t be overemphasized. The only protection you can give your face from a razor is the lubricant. If you find it hard to slow down to get the perfect lather, use a shaving brush.
What Is A Shave Gel Used For?
Facial hairs are mostly wiry and tough, making it quite challenging to have a clean and perfect shave. This is where shave gel comes in. Shave gel acts as the lubricant, which forms a barrier between your skin and blade, to ensure a clean glide without friction. Also, a good shave gel won’t weigh your skin down by ensuring a soothing after-shave feeling.
Some men use warm water and soap to shave while others make use of an electric trimmer. Though both options are fine, you won’t be getting the most comfortable close shave you should get and you have no cushioning layer. In fact, some of these soaps contain harsh ingredients that mess up your skin’s pH balance. A shave gel will hydrate your skin and not strip it of its moisture.
We recommend using a high-quality shave gel such as Tomb 45 Non-Foaming Transparent Shave Gel or the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Sensitive 2 in 1 Shave Gel. With these shave gels, you will enjoy a better shave, leaving your face clean of stubble.
Can You Use A Shaving Brush With Gel? Find Out Here…
Like I have mentioned earlier, using a shaving brush allows you to use some amazing shaving soaps and creams, but you may still have some standard shave gel in your grooming kit, and you are wondering if you can use your shaving brush with the gel.
Shaving brushes are normally used with shaving soaps and creams. They are made to be applied with a shaving brush and not with your bare hands. On the other hand, shave gel is designed to be applied with your fingers and wouldn’t work well when using a shaving brush to apply it.
Shave gels are sticky with a more gloopy consistency and wouldn’t spread easily when you use a brush. It can even clog up your brush in the process. So, it isn’t ideal.
Shave gel is more synthetic, and the chemicals in it can affect your brush negatively, while shaving soaps and creams are mostly made with all-natural ingredients.
Conclusion
You’ve seen how important using a shaving brush is. However, I am not suggesting that you can’t achieve a good shave without a shaving brush. It’s just that it makes the experience swift and more enjoyable. Shaving brushes are a risk-free investment that is worth making. Why not give it a shot?
Generally, despite the cons attached to using a shaving brush with gel, you can still use it if you choose to. The idea of using a shaving brush with gel is just fine!