How to Care for Your Shaving Brush – Royal Shave

If you’ve ever had a relative cross down a classic shaving brush, then you realize that with correct care, a shaving brush can final a lifetime – if not longer. For a brush that offers you years of nice shaves, common cleansing and periodic deep cleansing are basic. Here’s how to maintain your shaving brush performing optimally:

Basic care and cleansing

Prior to a shave:

If you soak your brush in water earlier than a shave, achieve this with heat water fairly than boiling sizzling water, which may destroy your bristles.

During a shave:

Only apply mild stress, since utilizing an excessive amount of stress (particularly in a round movement) can twist the bristles and trigger them to break. Don’t push down thus far that the deal with is shut to the pores and skin. Lighter stress will even permit you to use your complete brush loft fairly than simply the inside, longer bristles. The preferrred manner to extend the lifetime of the comb is to use backwards and forwards motions, however when you choose lathering in round motions, simply keep in mind to achieve this with a light-weight contact.

After a shave:

Shaving cream and cleaning soap are barely acidic, so be certain to rinse all product out of the comb. If some product continues to be left, the acidity will condense as the water evaporates. Over time, the acidity will eat away on the bristles. So make a behavior of rinsing your brush totally with heat water, adopted by chilly water. The heat water permits the bristles to take up water extra readily, whereas the chilly water seals the bristles’ cuticles for energy. Tip: Don’t use sizzling water, as sizzling water will open up the cuticles of the boar bristles, leaving them uncovered and weak. When you’re accomplished rinsing, shake the comb dry and place it dealing with downward in a brush holder. Look for one which doesn’t grip the comb on the base of the bristles, as this damages the knot. Try MÜHLE brush stands, which generally grip the comb at a groove on the deal with. Storing your brush the wrong way up not solely removes the bristles of water, but additionally, extra importantly, prevents water from loosening the glue that holds the bristles collectively. Place the comb in an space with good air circulate, as confining a moist brush to a small area encourages mildew progress.

Deep cleansing

Even with a flawless method, shaving brushes are topic to put on and tear from laborious water, sure soaps and lotions, and improper storage. You’ll know you want to deep clear once you discover crooked, stiff hairs or cleaning soap scum. Or you could discover that your brush doesn’t produce lather as properly as earlier than. It’s necessary to do not forget that shaving brushes are manufactured from hair, related to our personal. And like our personal hair, they want to be cleaned to keep mushy and powerful. You ought to solely want to deep clear your brushes as soon as each couple of months. Select the strategy most handy to you:

Method 1: Shampoo & conditioner

Start with a mild, pH impartial shampoo, like Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. Avoid any shampoo with silicones, as silicones cowl the hair with a skinny, waterproof coating that builds up over time. This can cut back the bristles’ capability to take up water. Dimethicone, specifically, is a silicone that's water insoluble and really laborious to take away. Work a small dab of shampoo into the comb, then rinse with heat water. To make your bristles really feel additional mushy, comply with with a dab of light conditioner, permitting the conditioner to sit for a couple of minutes earlier than rinsing out with heat water. Finish with a chilly water rinse.

Method 2: Vinegar and water

Mix an answer of 9 components heat water, 1 half vinegar. Soak the shaving brush within the answer for a couple of minutes, swirling it round from time to time. Rinse the comb with heat water, adopted by chilly water. The vinegar ought to dissolve any calcium deposits, eradicating the coating from bristles.

Method 3: Borax

Mix a tablespoon of borax in a cup of water. Soak the shaving brush within the answer for a couple of minutes after which rinse in heat water, adopted by chilly water.