Shaving: Natural & Money-Saving

Honestly, guys and gals, I've tried a lot of homemade recipes on the web for a lot of stuff. I wonder, sometimes, if people just dream up anything to put "out there" to have something "out there" rather than for practical use. I feel that "homemade" is intended to be more natural, less expensive and nearly as convenient. When I have to start cooking my toiletries, convenience has flown the coop; when I have to purchase exotic ingredients, less-expensive and convenience have flown the coop; and when I'm combining a bunch of commercial-grade products to make another product, "natural" has flown the coop. So, I hope, what I propose below, will fit the "homemade" category a littel bit better.

Homemade Shaving Cream

Ingredients:
Moisturizing Bar of Soap (like Dove (my preference), Oil of Olay, etc.) you will find in your local grocery or drug store; that's it.

Rather than soap alone (and deodorant or anti-bacterial soaps are not recommended), the moisturizing soap helps prevent irritation by lubricating the hair and skin.

Instructions
Wet your face with warm water, lather up the soap in your hands with water, smear it on your face, let it sit there are a few seconds to soak in, and shave.

Click Here to Search for Other Shaving "Cream" Recipes

Homemade Aftershave

Ingredients:
Witch Hazel/Alcohol (86%/14%) mixture you will find in your local grocery or drug store; that's it.

Both Witch Hazel and Alcohol are astringents that shrink body tissues — in this case, your pores. When shaving, most people use warm water, which opens up the pores. Using an astringent in an aftershave is important because it reverses that process. Astringents also sterilize any cuts or nicks inflicted while shaving. Because alcohol is usually very hard on the skin, a second, more mollifying astringent is usually paired with alcohol to offset some of the stinging. Witch hazel is a great secondary astringent. Witch hazel is made from the bark of a plant. Distilled, the witch hazel contains tannins which help soothe irritation, fight redness, and even fight acne-causing bacteria. Unlike alcohol, witch hazel does not sting on skin and has a very refreshing feel.)

You can purchase 100% witch hazel (alcohol free) but you may need to search for it and, usually, online or in a health food store.

OPTIONS:

A pinch of (Potassium) Alum can be added to your Witch Hazel/Alcohol aftershave as a styptic that, when applied to the skin, slows/stops bleeding from small nicks and cuts. Alum is also used as a deodorant and a possible treatment for acne.

Glycerin, Lanolin or Mineral Oil can be added to your Witch Hazel/Alcohol aftershave as an emollient to soften and moisturize the skin simultaneously. Not only do emollients help skin retain water, they also reduce itching, redness, and flakiness that is common after shaving.

If you want some fragrance with your aftershave then you're going to need to do something a bit more exotic with Essential Oils. Adding Essential Oils is a great way to add fragrance and kick up the medicinal content another notch. Especially if used in combination, essential oils need to be used sparingly. Look at the Essential Oils, used in the Cologne Recipe (below), or create your own Essential Oils mixture, as an optional scent. Try a minty-fresh aftershave made with menthol (peppermint) and eucalyptus (2-5 drops each). This aftershave feels like the cool breeze of autumn on your face — for half the day. The twin powers of menthol and eucalyptus soothe and purify your skin.

Click Here to Search for Other Aftershave Recipes

Homemade Men’s Cologne

. . . is easy to make and the essential oils provide health benefits while smelling amazing! Try it today!
Ingredients:
Note: Citrus essential oils are highly concentrated and full of healthy acidic properties! Because of this, use of glass containers is recommended when storing them so they do not eat away any plastic.

Instructions
Mix all ingredients together and store in a glass bottle. If you purchased 1/2 Pint of vodka, just add the Essential Oil drops, shake and store in the original vodka bottle.

Click Here to Search for Other Cologne/Perfume Recipes

Money-Saving Tips for Razor Blade Users


Republished from https://business.time.com/2012/04/23/get-an-edge-on-razor-manufacturers-8-strategies-to-save-on-shaving/

There’s no shortage of money-saving techniques suggested by folks who are sickened by increasingly fancy, increasingly expensive razors and blades. Here are a few of the strategies that some men swear by:

1. Sharpen Razors on Blue Jeans
Similar to the way that barbers sharpen old-fashioned blades using a leather strap, there are many proponents of pairing up any modern razor with a regular pair of jeans. After shaving, you push the razor along denim for 10 or 20 strokes in the reverse direction that you shave. Click Here to watch one of the videos created to demonstrate the technique, which is meant to keep your blade sharp and make it last longer.

2. Sharpen Razors on Your Forearm
Instead of stroking your razor along denim jeans, a forearm can also do the trick. As this video demonstrates, one’s forearm can be used to sharpen razor blades, and there’s little reason to worry you’ll cut your arm, or wind up with a hair-free arm for that matter. As with the denim sharpening method (above), you push the razor along your forearm for 10 or 20 strokes in the reverse direction that you shave.

3. Dry Razors After Every Use
Water and dampness can make razors rust and cause them to dull more rapidly, so it makes sense to keep your blades as dry as possible just by blotting it dry on a towel after every use. Others have suggested blow-drying your razors, propping them in front of a fan, and/or drying them upside down in order to get more use out of them.

4. Clean Razors After Every Use
If there’s one thing that’ll kill a razor as quickly as water, it’s hair, grime and leftover shaving cream. Simply put, a clean razor will be a longer-lasting razor. One strategy for cleaning razors is to scrub it with an old toothbrush, which has a bonus effect cheapskates have to love: it also makes use of a toothbrush that otherwise would have wound up in the trash. Toothbrushes are suggested as effective cleaning tools for electric razor heads as well.

5. Switch to Store Brand Razors
CVS and other chains sell their own brand of fancy three- and five-blade razors, and unsurprisingly, they’re much less expensive than the Gillettes and Schicks of the world. Perhaps more surprisingly, people who have tested the cheaper razors say store brands give a decent shave, though opinions on the subject vary quite a bit.

6. Use Coupons
The Sunday circulars and coupon websites are often filled with coupons for razors and shaving products. Gillette and other companies also release their own coupons from time to time, via their websites and e-newsletters. Just be warned: often, these coupons are designed to get you hooked on a particular brand of razor, and the replacement cartridges can cost a small fortune.

7. Join Dollar Shave Club
The offbeat startup DollarShaveClub.com isn’t the cheapest shaving possibility out there, but the least expensive option is very reasonable — a month’s worth of two-bladed razors for $3 ($1 plus $2 shipping), and the automatic delivery is certainly convenient.

8. Rethink Your Shaving Device
Is the "latest-and-greatest" really doing a better job?
Is Electric better than Manual
Do I really need multiple blades?

9. Just Stop Shaving
Going bearded works for hipsters and pro athletes like San Francisco Giants’ closer Brian Wilson, and there are also indications that men are more likely to respect men with beards. Alas, unfortunately, women tend to find men with beards less attractive than guys with clean-shaven faces. But at least you’ll be saving money on razors!

SEE ALSO:
Uses for Essential Oils
Personal Care Alternatives
Survival Medicine
Many Uses of Baking Soda