Welcome to Eli’s primer on how to shave. Now, we realize that many of you may be saying to yourselves, “I know perfectly well how to shave! I’ve been doing it since I was 13 when I first grabbed my dad’s disposable, a can of foamy cream, and cut the heck out of my upper lip!”
No doubt you’ve improved there over the years, but like Eli used to say, “if there’s something you do every day, then for darned sure make sure you know how to do it right!” You see, Eli carried this ideology into several areas of his life. He always drove a nice car and slept on a quality mattress because, you see, these are things you spend a lot of time in. So it only makes sense to invest in your number one asset – YOU! Why should shaving be any different? For many of you, men and women alike, you do this every day, and, if you’ve been given the “gift” of Eli’s cousin Luigi (or the curse as Luigi’s wife Clara used to call it) you may have to do it twice a day (yes, Luigi could shave at 6 AM and have a shadow by the time he headed out for lunch).
So we here at Eli’s would like to impart a bit of our own collective wisdom, combine with that of the man himself, Eli, to create what we would like to call…drum roll please…Eli’s Essential Elements of Shaving!
First Things First: Where to Shave? Let’s just be up front with it – most of us here at Eli’s are shower shavers. The heat, the humidity – there’s no better place. If you haven’t tried shaving in the shower, do give it a shot. We recommend a nice, fog-free shaving mirror, one that can be mounted on a wall if at all possible. If you aren’t yet a shower shaver and you’re about to start, well then you’re welcome! If you still prefer standing in front of a mirror, look, we understand, some habits are hard to break. Carry on with the blessings of Eli himself. If you ever find yourself feeling like you just need a change in your routine and that steamy hot shower is calling you…come shave in here!
Step 1: Prepare, prepare, prepare. Your skin that is. For best results, make sure your face, neck, legs, chest, or even back (we’re talking to you, Uncle Steve) is clean, warm and wet. We strongly recommend exfoliating your skin with a nice scrub once or twice a week to remove all dry or damaged skin. And don’t you dare shave on cold skin! What are you, a neanderthal? We love our cream, we truly do. But even Eli’s massaged into a cold, dry face is going to present a challenge. So if you’re in the shower, give your skin a quick once over with a loofah or washcloth with warm water. If you’re in a hot shower, a softening of the skin is happening naturally. If you’re in front of the sink, think about soaking your washcloth in very warm water and then placing it on your beard for a minute or so. The heat will make your whiskers ready for removal.
Step 2: My kingdom for a razor! This one can be tough. It comes down to personal preference. We at Eli’s are SHAVING EXPERTS and not too proud to admit it. As such, we’ve used a variety of razor’s in our day. The key here is to find something that works for your skin’s individual nooks, crannies, curves and bumps. One guy may love a particular razor, but it won’t get those hairs under his nose. So he is forced to use another. Someone else might like those subscription based razors, but it won’t get under his Adam’s apple! We have a woman who recently broke up with her razor because she only had so much skin left on her shin! So do your due diligence to find a razor that treats your skin the best. And change those blades often!
Step 3: Eli, you’re needed on the set! Now that your skin is ready and you have the right tools, it’s time to take a dime to nickel sized dollop of Eli’s shave cream and place it into your palm. Rub your hands together and spread it over your skin. Now, here’s the rub (pun intended) – this isn’t your dime-store, cheapo, lathery mix. This is the finest of organic ingredients, scented from the best essential oils on the planet. It’s designed not only to shave your skin, but to prepare and nurture it, leaving a trace of these healing, wonderfully smelling oils behind on your skin to help avoid harsh razor burn and encourage your skin to thrive!
The best method is to apply Eli’s shave cream in a circular pattern, spreading the cream in an upward direction. This helps stand your hair follicles up and away from your skin, ready to be taken down by your razor. Eli’s blend of cream and oils will actually surround each individual hair follicle, helping to remove the hair more smoothly and filling that empty void with a cream and oil blend that is actually beneficial to your skin.
Step 4: Time to start moving that razor. Direction is important while dragging a razor against your skin. You may believe that shaving against the grain, or against the direction in which your individual hair follicles grow, gives you a closer shave. If your aim is to feel no stubble on your skin afterwards, you may be right. However, doing this can actually damage the hair shaft under the skin, which some feel can lead to more razor burn, ingrown hairs, and a thicker beard. If you’re shaving this way, try shaving with the grain for a few weeks to retrain your hair. You’ll eventually notice a closer shave that’s easier on your skin.
Make sure you clean your razor after every swipe if possible and always use long strokes in one direction. Establish a rhythm and a pattern. We polled the Eli’s employees and most of us tend to start with our sideburns, cover the cheeks, and then hit the upper lip followed by the chin and neck area. Shaving your head? Email Eli’s co-founder and resident bald guy Tony for his personal recommendations. If you’re shaving your legs, start down low and swipe up, and be careful shaving your kneecap. Those things can be just as tricky as a man’s Adam’s apple and if you slice em’, you’ll be paying for it for days!
Step 5: That’s a wrap! Close those pores by rinsing or splashing some lukewarm or cold water on your skin. Now you’re done! Congratulations on your nice, clean, fresh shave!
These are just a few helpful suggestions on how one can be most effective at shaving, no matter if it’s your face, legs, chest, or wherever else you may decide that you don’t want hair. Regardless of what you do with these suggestions, make sure you’re using Eli’s shave cream products. Your skin will thank you for it!
