Why choosing a shaving brush is important

I've been shaving with various devices since I was 14, so I'm 44 now, and I never would have thought that a brush plays a huge role in wet shaving.

In the distant Soviet era, it's not as if there were no options for wet shaving, but it boiled down to searching for Schick razors and Schick blades, since Soviet blades were difficult to shave with, and some had a purely technical purpose, like Neva blades.

There was no discussion about choosing a shaving brush—we shaved with whatever we could, using regular soap. So, having decided this year to switch to wet shaving with a classic safety razor, and having looked at the prices of shaving brushes, I bought a regular, inexpensive boar, a la greeting from the USSR.

This poor little boar had no elasticity whatsoever; it couldn't create a full lather with either soap or shaving cream. However, this boar played a role for me – it caused terrible irritation all over my scalp and face. I couldn't figure out what was causing this irritation. I changed razors, blades, soap, and cream, even tried using foam; I also tried a ton of aftershave lotions and creams. The culprit turned out to be this boar, and myself. When I was younger, I never soaked my shaving brush; I just filled it with soap and lathered it up on my face and scalp. This didn't cause any negative effects. Perhaps either the brushes were of higher quality, or my youthful immune system was protecting my skin reliably. In this case, the stars aligned differently.

Suspecting that the problem was with the shaving brush, since there was nothing else to replace, I ordered a set consisting of a stand for the razor and a shaving brush, and it also included the badger hair shaving brush itself.

While the package was on its way, I came across a sale of badger shaving brush at a symbolic price and ordered it too.

The badger shaving brush arrived long before the kit, and I started using it. It was only later that I saw a video showing that the boar shaving brush takes much longer to soak than the badger hair one. Ideally, about 10 minutes in warm water will give it the softness it needs. Otherwise, its sharp bristles simply pierced the skin where the soap touched. Considering I was also using regular soap with a soft razor, which takes much longer to shave, I ended up with a chemical burn on my skin and couldn't sleep well at night due to the discomfort. No aftershave helped.

Chinese shaving kits include detailed instructions on how to use the shaving brush. It's unclear why this isn't the case for shaving brush accessories sold in Russia that affect the consumer's health.

I used a simple bowl to whip up the soap, but for greater convenience, it's better to get a special bowl from Yaqi Brush. It has the perfect capacity for shaving your face and head, is comfortable to hold, and has a convenient indentation for drying your brush right there.

Don't forget that your shaving brush, as well as all other shaving accessories, should be washed and dried in a room other than the bathroom to prevent moisture, bacteria, and mold from affecting your shaving equipment.

Also, after washing, the machine must be wiped with a soft mirror cloth that will not scratch the polished surface.

It's best to store the razor disassembled, despite the current trend of shaving brush and razor stands. For example, the box of the kit that finally arrived has this reminder:

RECOMMENDATIONS AND PRECAUTIONS FOR USE

Before shaving, moisten your skin with warm water.

A rich lather can make shaving more comfortable. (If irritation occurs, rinse off the lather immediately and stop using soap.)

Shave in the direction of hair growth.

After each use, wash the razor and brush with warm water. (Do not use disinfectants or detergents, as they may damage the product.)

Use a brush holder to keep the razor and brush dry.

Using high-quality razor blades can significantly improve the quality of your shave. Always follow safety guidelines when using razor blades.

Anbbas company slogan:

Elegant, laconic, attentive and fashionable.

There is a small advertisement on the inside of the box lid:

Anbbas strives for elegance.

A brand specializing in personal care products strives for an elegant lifestyle.

Anbbas has never rested on its laurels, evolving from traditional classics to contemporary fashion, both externally and internally.

"Be more courageous!"

Elegant, sleek, considerate, and fashionable.

Professional service and the highest product quality. For more information, visit the official website www.anbbas.com.

This is where the luxury ends and inside you are greeted by a simple stand and shaving brush in a box.

A small shaving brush with a spherical filling of badger hair.

The handle consists of two parts, and it is clear that water and soap will accumulate between them and you will not be able to wash and dry them properly, especially in an upright position, so the shaving brush simply lies idle.

The seller claims the stand is made of stainless steel. It's easy to disassemble, but I couldn't find a single stainless steel part. The stand is made in the style of Chinese products from the 80s and 90s. Everything has a coating that will peel off on its own, without any intervention.

Therefore, this set lies unclaimed.

Before buying the Yaqi Brush, I ordered a set that took so long to arrive that I managed to buy both the Yaqi Brush and a lot of other things, and overall, a lot of water went under the bridge.

The seller of the set is also the company Anbbas.

It is likely that the Anbbas company does not produce anything itself, but collects shaving products from manufacturers, packages them, and sells them.

The set includes a familiar shaving brush with a wooden handle made of badger hair, which I bought separately.

The set also includes a small bowl with a polished exterior.

The bowl is so small that the shaving brush takes up almost its entire capacity. It's unclear how to whip up foam in it.

But the included soap fits perfectly in the bowl. The soap is small and semi-solid, made from goat's milk with minimal additives, so if it smells like goats, it's goat's milk.

Okay, the soap fits in the bowl, but what should I cover it with? It looks like it will just sit there.

From the above, we can conclude: the process of switching from cartridge razors to safety razors should be thoughtful and deliberate. Perhaps you are not suitable for using safety razors at all for physiological reasons. And it's all expensive.

After changing the brush, the skin began to heal, but not as quickly as I would have liked.