Shaving! It’s either the bane of a man’s existance or it’s great fun. I know that I for one just recently began actually enjoying shaving. It’s some great me time and it really impresses my young nieces as they sometimes get to watch the most manly ritual there is.

Thanks to Dove’s new line for men and the interview we did a few days ago I have a newfound hobby that’s also functional! But the eternal question for men has always been since the dawn of shaving, how exactly to get the best shave ever. You know, the one that leaves your skin baby smooth, without all the knicks, cuts, ingrown hairs, and aggravation that is often associated with shaving.

Well our friends over at Grooming Lounge are going to help you out with this video! So check it out and let us know if you have any tips for shaving!

Allan provided us with a cultural understanding of why facial hair is booming in pop culture as major outlets such as the NYT and WSJ have also been buzzing about the popularity of fuzzy faces.

As you may have noticed in today’s America we are seeing more and more facial hair on men and women seem to be digging on it. Well at least younger women are. We asked Allan why that is and his response wasn’t too far off of what we thought it would be.

“Many men think of shaving as a horrible chore.”

“Women are finding men with a heavy stubble more masculine.” Peterkin shared with me during our phone conversation. But he did quantify that it seems that it’s mostly younger women who are finding facial hair to be attractive. He also expressed that beards are often misread. People tend to in today’s market not be sure if you’re hiding something. So if you’re looking to get into any business where trust is important like finance or politics a beard is likely to be counter productive.

Peterkin also shared with us some tips on shaving and skin care. Contrary to what some believe, when you have a beard it is even more important to care for your skin. One of the things many men neglect in their skincare and grooming regiment is moisturizing . It is vital to properly moisturize your skin. Especially as one is aging.

Proper moisturizing is critical to making sure that your skin stays healthy, looking and feeling it’s best weather you shave or grow your beard. Another thing men must stay away from is using body wash on their faces. One of the main active ingredients in most men’s body wash is alcohol. Probably not a good thing to be putting on our faces.

The Dove Men+Care line offers great solutions for men to take good care of their faces and their skin. For those who choose or need to shave Peterkin offered these suggestions.
“Many men think of shaving as a horrible chore.” Says Peterken. “But it doesn’t have to be. “There is no reason shaving has to be painful, or bloody when it can be a source of enjoyment.”
It’s always best to shave after a good hot shower. This way the skin is clean and the stubble is softer and easier to get a closer shave. Peterken suggests starting with Dove Men+Care face wash, then use the Dove M+C Shave Gel, as it offers proper lubrication for the razor to avoid nicks and cuts and helps the razor glide across the skin better.

Always shave with the grain rather than against it, and don’t repeat shaving the same area again and again. Clean your razor after each pass.

When you’re done with the shaving, make sure to use a post shave hydrating balm, and don’t forget to use a good face lotion as well. There is no such thing as over moisturizing your face!

Facial hair expert and pognologist (beard scholar), Allan Peterkin, is known for his 3 bestselling books on facial hair, “One Thousand Beards-A Cultural History of Facial Hair”, “The Bearded Gentleman-The Style Guide To Shaving Face” (co-written with Nick Burns) and “One Thousand Mustaches-A Cultural History of The Mo.” These books have become the authoritative references for fun and factual information on the history of men’s grooming, shaving and facial hair styles and fads over time.