During the summer, when temperatures reached 34 degrees Celsius, I found my beard was getting too warm. So I decided to shave it all off again. That’s the great thing about beards. Want a beard? Let it grow. No beard, no problem: shave it off and be done with it. Want a beard again? Just let it grow back. At the neighborhood barbecue, my neighbor told me that I should switch to shaving soap instead. My wife then bought a small Vergulde Hand shaving soap at the drugstore.
The next day, I stood in front of the mirror with my sleepy head and picked up the new shaving soap in its striking yellow plastic tub. I discovered that the shaving soap was rock-hard and therefore couldn’t be applied with my fingers. Pfff, I should have known that, sleepyhead. Of course, I needed a shaving brush too. I should have known. When I used to stay with my grandparents in Lunteren, I saw my grandfather lathering shaving soap with a shaving brush almost every morning. As a little seven-year-old boy, I was always fascinated watching him do it. As a joke, Grandpa would always put shaving foam on my nose. We had great fun in the bathroom with Grandpa. When Grandpa was ready, Grandma would always make those delicious sandwiches with real butter and chocolate sprinkles, and we would go fishing together. Sadly, my grandparents passed away several years ago.
Several weeks passed until my wife—because what would I do without her?—bought a simple shaving brush with a wooden handle at the drugstore. The bristles were stiff boar hair. The next morning, I made another attempt at shaving, this time armed with a boar-bristle shaving brush. I wet the shaving brush with warm water, stirred it around in the shaving soap, and sure enough, it started to lather vigorously. The shaving soap had a recognizable, slightly soapy aroma. Nothing special, but not unpleasant either. I spread the shaving foam evenly over my face. Before long, a thick layer of foam had formed on my cheeks and neck. While lathering, I noticed that a few hairs from the shaving brush were sticking to my face. Very annoying. But I simply carried on.
When I picked up my razor, I noticed that some of the shaving foam had already dried. Hmm, perhaps I hadn’t worked up enough lather. So I stirred the shaving brush in the shaving soap again and worked it back and forth over my cheeks and chin once more. It dried out a little again, but I started shaving in good spirits. Because the shaving foam kept drying, I had to reapply it regularly with the shaving brush while shaving. Not exactly convenient, but all beginnings are difficult. After shaving, I still had a slight burning sensation on my neck. My skin felt rough, dry, and tight. As usual, I applied a little aftershave balm to my freshly shaved skin. The burning sensation subsided somewhat. But I can’t say that this was a pleasant shaving experience. I used the shaving soap a few more times, but each time I had the same unpleasant experience: shaving foam that dried quickly and irritated skin. Not exactly a success. After a few weeks, I angrily threw the shaving soap in the trash. Good riddance.
