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Shaving is something that every young boy wants to do when they grow up. I remember watching my father shave and thinking that it was the coolest thing ever. I would get some soap and put it all over my face while using a wet paper towel as my razor. No, it wasn’t the same, but I couldn’t wait for the day to use a razor and real shaving soap.

Then the day actually came.

I don’t remember when I started shaving, but I’m certain that I didn’t enjoy it. At the time, Gillette had come out with a four-cartridge razor and everyone thought it was the bees knees, so I grabbed one and a can of Barbasol shaving cream. It was the same stuff that my dad used so it had to be good, right?

It wasn’t and that’s where the bad habit started. Ever since that day in high school, I’ve been using cartridge razors and stuff out of aluminum cans, which has caused a lot of irritation, ingrown hairs, discomfort and cost a lot of money. The final straw came a few months ago when I went to purchase a new cartridge razor.

I was walking around Target and saw Gilette’s new ‘ball inspired’ cartridge razor. They even had an automatic face-rolling log that was supposed to the highlight the new razor’s ability to shred your face. All because of a ball placed behind the head.

IMG_3536Either way, it got my attention. So I bought the non-vibrating one and a can of Nivea shaving gel. For me, men’s products are like an early Christmas gift. And I couldn’t wait to try both of my new toys out.

I did the usual shaving ritual of taking a hot shower and using a face scrub before I shaved. I squeezed the blue goop out of the tube and took the first pass going with the grain. To my disdain, I immediately felt discomfort and saw redness on my skin. It was one of the most expensive razors I’d ever bought and it caused immediate irritation.

Since I had started, I had to finish. So with great despair, I continued on with my lackluster shave until my entire face was properly shredded.

That night, I talked to my girlfriend about the dull shave I had just been through. She told me that there must be another way to shave and to look for subscriptions boxes. I took her advice and I found multiple shaving subscriptions: Dollar Shave Club, Wet Shave Club, Harry’s and Birchbox.

I researched each of these extensively to the point where I saw the easy winner – Wet Shave Club. Since the first subscription box comes with a DE (double edge) shaving razor, soap sample, brush and a few blades, I ordered one for $20 and was set with a complete amateur set of everything I needed to wet shave.

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After three months of wet shaving, I can definitively say that it is 100 times better than using a cartridge and gunk out of a can. There’s a lot more creams and soaps to use, which cause minimal irritation, a variety of razors to try out, different types of brushes and a plethora of razor blades to mess around with.

There are hundreds of combinations out there and that makes for the ability to change something boring and mundane, like shaving, into something that can be personal, enjoyable and comfortable.

I switched because I was tired of spending a lot of money on something that was giving me dreary results. In the end, I wish I‘d made the switch earlier.

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