Cleaning Your Face
Rinse your face with cold water immediately after shaving. Before you even consider applying aftershave, you want to make sure your face is completely free of shaving cream or leftover hairs. Fill your cupped hands with cold water and rub it thoroughly over the entire area that you shaved. The benefit of cold water is that it closes the pores of your skin which is best for aftershave application. Be gentle as your rub your face so you don’t chafe or irritate the skin.
Dry your face gently. Use a dry towel and lightly dab at your face to dry it. Do not rub with a lot of pressure as this can irritate your freshly shaved face. It is also okay for your face to remain slightly damp, you just don’t want it dripping wet.
Wipe your face with witch hazel. This is not a mandatory step, but will be beneficial for the best use of aftershave. Take a cotton pad and dampen it with witch hazel and lightly wipe it across the entire area that you shaved. The purpose of this is to help remove any residue that the water rinse left behind. It is a helpful step to clean the face more thoroughly which makes it easier to apply the aftershave. You can usually purchase witch hazel in the same spot where rubbing alcohol is sold. Cotton pads are usually with cotton balls in the beauty section of stores.
Apply moisturizer. Shaving does more than trim the hairs of the face. It also takes off a layer or two of old skin. Because of this, your face can get dried out more easily. Aftershave tends to have alcohol, which also dries the skin out. To counteract this, it is a great idea to use moisturizer specifically designed for men’s faces to lock in moisture before applying aftershave. Besides promoting healthy skin, moisturizer also helps the aftershave stick to the skin better and last longer. Use a small amount of lotion, as you don’t want to make the face oily. Any regular lotion will work, but you can also get special men’s products by Dove or L’Oreal.
Applying Your Aftershave
Pour aftershave into your palm. There are a few ways that are recommended for how to do this. One way is to shake 2-3 drops of aftershave into your hand. Less is better than more in this case. The second option is placing your palm over the opening of the aftershave bottle, tipping the bottle upside down briefly, and turning it back upwards. The amount of aftershave this leaves on your hand is typically enough.
Rub your palms together. You want to use both hands when applying the aftershave, but you don’t need to pour it directly onto both hands. Rubbing your hands together will transfer enough of the aftershave from one hand to the other. You don’t want to do this for so long that the aftershave all soaks into your hands, just enough to wet them both. 1-2 seconds is enough time.
Let some of the alcohol evaporate. Since aftershave tends to have alcohol, which dries out your skin, it is good to let some of it evaporate before rubbing your hands on your face. Once you have the aftershave on both hands, leave your hands open for about 4-5 seconds. This will release some of the alcohol from the aftershave. Be sure not to let it dry for too long or you won’t have any to apply to your face. The purpose of this step is mainly to avoid some of the burning that tends to accompany applying aftershave, but it also keeps some of the alcohol from drying out your skin.
Massage the aftershave into your skin. Now it is time to actually put the aftershave to your face. Gently rub your hands in a downward motion from the top of your cheeks to your jawline. Then swipe each hand up your neck and under your chin. You can massage the skin a little in each area to make sure the aftershave soaks in. It may be necessary to apply a second coat of aftershave if you feel your face was not thoroughly covered, but you want to avoid applying too much. If you do apply a second coat, try to use slightly less than you used the first time.
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