Once a mainstay in every man’s grooming kit, shaving brushes waned in popularity with the advent of canned foam. However, shaving brushes are making a strong comeback as they do offer a superior shaving experience. Indeed, nothing beats a quality shaving brush when whipping up a lather from your favourite soap.
In this introductory guide, you will learn about the purpose and use of a shaving brush as we cover the following:
Simply use the links to jump ahead. You can also check out the menu below to see our detailed guides on shaving brushes.
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What Is A Shaving Brush?
As the name suggests, a shaving brush is a small brush that aids in shaving! A shaving brush is usually made from fine hairs that are knotted together and inserted into a small wooden handle.
A shaving brush essentially functions like a whisk and is used to whip shaving soap into a thick and creamy lather. Afterwards, the brush will then be used to scoop up the lather to apply it to the face.
Premium brushes are often made from different grades of badger hair whereas more affordable ones were made from boar hair. However, they can also be made from horsehair, which occasionally cruelty-free as it’s simply the clippings from the tail or mane.
Meanwhile, synthetic brushes have greatly advanced in recent years thanks to a renewed interest in shaving brushes. Although synthetic brushes were originally very cheap and not quite as effective, new fibres have been developed that can help produce a thick and smooth lather.
In this series of guides, we will walk you through the complex world of shaving brushes. Surprisingly, there are many varieties with different price tags. While there are numerous grades of badger brushes, there are also vegan-friendly or even natural and cruelty-free solutions.
Indeed, these 18th-Century French inventions are effective at creating a thick lather from even the smallest amount of foam or cream. Therefore, just a small investment in a brush can end up saving you money by getting more bang for your buck.
Why Do I Need A Shaving Brush?
As mentioned above, brushes are used for lathering up shaving soap and cream before applying it to your face. In fact, there’s no real substitute for a brush as your hands will never be able to effectively create that lather.
Although enthusiasts have often joked about using their girlfriend’s make-up brushes, we wouldn’t recommend this in practice!
In our subscription-based video-on-demand society, we want things fast and we want them now. Presumably, this includes the lather of our shaving foam.
If you’ve read our guides on shaving soaps and creams, you will know now that the best lathers for shaving don’t come from foam or gel. However, even if you refused to turn to traditional soap or cream, did you know that you can use a shaving brush with foam?
Not only does this improve the shaving experience but it maximises the foam and creates the best possible lather.
Generally, shaving brushes come in various shapes, sizes and bristle materials. In addition to the hairs themselves, even the handles can vary drastically in style and materials.
If you want to step up your shaving game and make it a fun and luxurious ritual, you need to invest in a shaving brush!
What Next?
Jump in with our first guides to shaving brushes with more of our resources! We recommend the following further reading:
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Such a forgotten art, the use of a brush with shaving! I’m forever telling my friends to ditch their electric razor and get themselves a proper set. You may spend a bit of extra time, but it’s such a satisfying experience.
I wholeheartedly agree!