What should I do after shaving?
Many customers ask us: 'What should I do after shaving?' We then say: 'You don't have to do anything at all. You just have to do what you like.'
What we see among our customers is that half of them use a nourishing aftershave balm after shaving. If you have dry or sensitive skin, this is more pleasant and better for your skin. The balm is absorbed into the skin and nourishes and soothes the skin.
The other half opts for an alcohol-containing aftershave splash. The alcohol invigorates and refreshes your skin. Your skin is briefly 'reset'. If you have normal to oily skin, an old-fashioned alcohol splash is super tasty. After the aftershave treatment you can of course apply a cologne or perfume. But which scent is my favorite? And which aftershave, cologne or perfume should I choose?
What is the difference between an aftershave, cologne and perfume?
An aftershave , cologne and perfume contain alcohol and fragrance ingredients. Alcohol is widely used as a solvent for fragrance oils. An aftershave has the lowest percentage of fragrance ingredients: 2% to 4%. It also contains nourishing and invigorating ingredients, such as glycerin, Aloe Vera extracts and menthol. The alcohol evaporates quickly on the skin. This creates a slightly tingling and invigorating feeling on the skin. The smell of an aftershave diminishes or even disappears completely after a few minutes. After the aftershave you can use a nourishing balm.
A cologne contains more fragrance ingredients than an after shave: 5% to 10%. A cologne will keep you smelling good for several hours, but it will not last all day. Many of our customers want a scent but do not want a robust or present perfume. If you don't want to walk around like a 'perfume cloud', we recommend using a cologne.
An eau de perfume has the most scent. It contains the most concentrated amount of fragrance ingredients: 10% to 20%. It is therefore usually more expensive than a cologne. A men's perfume lasts and smells all day long.
How do I use aftershave, cologne and eau de perfume?
Because an aftershave contains so few fragrance ingredients, you can apply it directly to the freshly shaved skin. After shaving, clean your face with cold water, put a little aftershave in the palm of your hand and splash it on the skin.
Because cologne contains more fragrance ingredients, it is less suitable for use on freshly shaved skin. A few puffs on the wrists or the back of the neck is usually sufficient. You can also apply a cologne to the body.
A few squirts or drops of perfume is more than enough. You can also apply perfume to your wrists or neck. Both a cologne and a perfume usually come in a bottle with an atomizer.
How should I choose my favorite scent?
Many scents can be classified into a so-called scent family. In 1983, Michael Edwards (British fragrance taxonomist/consultant and author) developed a fragrance classification for the perfume industry: the fragrance wheel.
The wheel consists of 5 different main groups and 14 subgroups. On our website we have classified the aftershaves, colognes and men's perfumes according to the fragrance wheel:
- Floral notes - floral
- Oriental notes - oriental
- Woody notes - woody
- Fougère (center) - woodsy
- Fresh notes - fresh
The first 4 are the classic scents. The 'Fresh notes' consist of modern, clear and fresh scents of citrus and ocean. Each fragrance family consists of 3 subgroups. The Fougère fragrance family is placed in the center of the wheel. A Fougère scent consists of a combination of the different scent families on the side of the wheel.
The scent wheel is of course useful for clearly classifying the different scents. You come across it a lot on various websites. Below are some useful tips for selecting your scent.
You actually have to ask yourself: 'what do I really like smelling?' This of course depends on your personal preference, interest and situation.
| Your preference, interest and situation | Odor classification |
Brand and fragrance and product line |
|
The scent of your favorite shaving soap or shaving cream |
In addition to the shaving product, many shaving brands have a matching aftershave/cologne/perfume in the same scent (some suggestions below) |
Acca Kappa DR Harris Taylor of Old Bond Street Truefitt & Hill |
|
Part of my after shave treatment |
An aftershave can be used directly on freshly shaved skin. |
|
|
After shaving a light scent and no heavy perfume. |
A cologne contains 5% to 10% fragrance ingredients and does not remain strong all day. |
→ Cologne |
| A scent that lingers or lingers all day long | A perfume contains 10% to 20% fragrance ingredients and lasts all day long. |
→ Perfume |
|
Personal |
Are you a real outdoorsman and do you like walking in the woods? Do you like walking along the sea and on the beach? Do you enjoy gardening and often smell your rose or lavender bush? Do you like fruit and citrus? |
→ Floral |
|
Seasonal |
In summer, fresh scents with mint and citrus are popular Wood scents are popular in autumn In Winter, more spicy and warm scents are attractive. |
→ Oriental |
