Millions of men have been conditioned to believe that shaving is uncomfortable by default. That it’s something to be endured rather than enjoyed. And because of this, many men actively avoid shaving whenever possible.
The rite of passage is familiar to most of us: You hit the age when you start shaving regularly and you just use whatever stuff your dad uses because it happens to be in the house, probably the market leading brand you’ll find in any supermarket. That works fine when you’re shaving soft, fine hairs. But as you get a little bit older and the growth gets thicker, you begin to experience resistance: Blades start to tug instead of cut, and after the shave your face feels raw and tender. As growth resumes over the hours and days that follow, you get spots and irritation from ingrown hairs that can’t push through the dried-out skin. You discover that shaving hurts, not just during the shave, but also for hours and days afterwards.
You’ve been told that you’re using the best a man can get. So shaving surely can’t get any better, can it? This leads you to assume that somehow it’s you who is at fault, that your shaving requirements are not the same as everyone else’s. So you carry on putting up with painful shaving rash and spots, because you think there’s no other option.
Over the years, you try various combinations of razors and shaving software. And while some are better than others, nothing really solves the problem.
That is, until you try Truffords.
The Three Stages of Shaving Discomfort
The pain of shaving generally occurs at three distinct stages: During the shave, immediately afterwards, and in the hours and days that follow.
1. During the Shave
Most shaving lubricants – foams, gels and soaps – will coat the beard, but in the short time they are applied they are unable to properly penetrate and soften the hair. Consequently, the hair resists being cut and the blade tugs and pulls on the beard as it tries to cut through. With a multi-blade cartridge, this discomfort is multiplied.
For those with thicker growth, multiple passes can often be required to achieve a smooth shave. But as the lubricant is removed at the first pass, further passes leave the blade scraping the skin. This is exacerbated by multi-blade razors: The more blades the razor has, the more times the more the skin is scraped.
Shaving lubricants commonly contain cleansing agents that create lather, but which also wash away the skin’s natural oils with the rinse. That can leave the face feeling clean, but also feeling tight, dry and vulnerable immediately afterwards.
Unsurprisingly, this leads to discomfort beyond the shave itself.
2. Immediately Afterwards
Tightness, tenderness and a mild burning sensation are common complaints immediately after the shave, particularly around the neck and throat where the hair is thicker and the skin is more sensitive. Cooling the burn with water doesn’t work, so many men instinctively reach for a post-shave product in an attempt to soothe and protect the skin while it repairs the damage and replenishes its natural defences. If the post-shave balm contains alcohol or parabens, this can be worse for the skin than if it had been left alone.
3. In The Hours and Days That Follow
The shave may have lasted only a few minutes, but the irritation continues. During the shave, hair is cut to below the surface of the skin. The hair grows back and tries to push through the dry skin, which still hasn’t fully recovered. Some men experience persistent sensitivity, while others suffer from shaving rash, ingrown hairs and “razor bumps”, painful spots caused by clogged follicles. Shaving again before the skin has recovered from the previous shave only exacerbates the problem.
These are the key reasons that many men avoid frequent shaving. However, some professions require men to be clean-shaven or to keep facial hair tidy. Some men don’t like the way their beard feels when
Many have learnt to simply accept these pain points as a regular feature of shaving. But now they don’t have to.
Why Traditional Shaving Products Often Fall Short
Shaving foams, gels and soaps are designed to provide lubrication during the shave itself. The result is a shave that feels acceptable in the moment, but is followed by a tight, tender feeling immediately afterwards. This is because many shaving foams and gels contain cleansing agents that create lather and help wash away oils from the skin. That can leave the face feeling clean, but it can also leave it feeling tight, dry and vulnerable to pollutants. Over the hours and days that follow, regrowth occurs as the hair pushes through the unrecovered skin, causing shaving rash, ingrown hairs and painful spots.
A Different Approach
Shaving oil approaches the problem differently. Rather than creating a layer of foam, the oil is absorbed by the beard and skin, softening the hair and enabling razor glide. Because the oil is transparent, it allows the shaver to see exactly where the blade is travelling, making it particularly useful for men maintaining beards, moustaches and defined facial hair lines.
But not all oils are equal. Olive oil, for example, doesn’t make for a great shaving oil for several reasons. Grape seed oil is better, but is known to blunt blades very quickly.
Hemp seed oil is particularly well suited to shaving because it contains a balance of fatty acids that help support the skin’s natural barrier. And this is principally why we use hemp seed oil for Truffords shaving oils, and other skincare products.
Why Trufford’s Exists
Once you understand the causes of shaving irritation, it becomes clear why better ingredients can make such a difference. Like many men, our founder resigned himself shaving irritation as an unavoidable part of life. Different combinations of razors, foams and post-shaves offered varying degrees of improvement, but none addressed the full shaving experience. A lucky chain of events led him to one day try shaving with hemp oil. Discovering it to be one of the best shaves he had ever had, he founded Truffords, refining and developing products so that men like him could also enjoy the benefits of hemp shaving oil and experience a smoother shave at every stage.
Choose Your Scent
Truffords hemp shaving oils are currently available in Sandalwood, Patchouli and unscented Original variants, with more coming soon.
