On Monday, I mentioned a claim that shaving cream is a racket and that a man just needs warm water, after he first toughens up his skin a bit.
Well, I put my face on the line all week, and the results are in: the claim is correct, subject to two caveats and a piece of further advice.
Caveat 1. I shave in the shower. Something about the constant spray of water makes shaving much smoother. But both tests were performed in the shower, and I didn't notice much difference between no shaving cream and shaving cream. I assume the same results would hold at the sink.
Caveat 2. I broke out a brand new razor for the experiment. That being said, I didn't notice that Day 6 was any worse than Day 1.
Advice 1: Use ordinary soap. A problem with no shaving cream: the razor tends to stick and it's a tad uncomfortable. A friend pointed out that he uses ordinary soap. I tried it, and it was perfect. Lather the face up for five seconds with Dial soap, then shave away. No sticking, and the results are smooth.
Conclusion: I will now start saving $8 a year on shaving cream and about six hours a year in shaving cream-application time.
