The Hot Towel Shave, Step by Step

There is a difference between removing stubble and having a shave. One is a chore you rush through before work. The other is fifteen quiet minutes that leave the skin smoother than any cartridge razor manages, done the way our barbers have done it since 1936. You can have that shave at home. Here is how.

Start with heat: why the towel comes first

Everything good about a barbershop shave begins before the blade touches skin. Lay a hot towel over the face for 60 to 90 seconds. The heat softens the beard and opens the follicles, so each hair stands up and cuts cleanly. Skip this step and you are dragging a razor across tight, dry skin, which is exactly where razor burn and ingrown hairs come from. Every other step in this shave depends on getting this one right.

What you need

Four things, none of them complicated.

• A badger brush, to build and carry the lather.
• Shave soap and a bowl, or a shave cream.
• A clean, sharp safety razor, single blade rather than a multi-blade cartridge.
• A hand towel you can run hot.

Our Shave Stand Set keeps the brush and razor on the counter where they belong, and the Travel Shave Set does the same on the road.

Step one: the towel

Run a hand towel under water as hot as you can comfortably stand, wring it out, and press it over the whole face for 60 to 90 seconds. Rebuild the heat once if it cools before that. Shaving straight after a shower gets you partway there already, since the steam has been doing this work for you.

Step two: the lather

Load a damp brush with Shaving Cream or a rubbed soap, and build the lather in a bowl or right on the face in slow circles for about 30 seconds. A brush does two things a can of foam cannot: it lifts the hair upright, and works the cream down to the skin where it protects. You want a lather with real body to it, thick enough to hold its shape on the brush. Thin, watery lather is the most common reason an at-home hot towel shave goes wrong.

Step three: the pass

Shave with the grain first, never against it to start. The first pass only needs to knock the beard down partway; two lighter passes beat one aggressive one. Use short, light strokes, rinse the blade every three or four strokes, and re-lather any patch that dries out. For clean lines around the jaw, the neck, and the edges of a beard, a little Shave & Edging Gel lets you see exactly where the blade is going. A second pass across the grain gets you closer once you have a few shaves of practice behind you. Going against the grain on a first attempt is the most common way men nick themselves. One trick worth borrowing from William: warm the blade itself before that first pass. A hot blade cuts cleaner and leaves less irritation than a cold one.

Step four: the finish

Rinse with cold water to close the pores and settle the skin, then condition it. A splash of bay rum, a witch hazel toner, or a light post-shave balm settles any residual heat and keeps the skin from tightening as it dries. Our own bay rum, witch hazel, and post-shave balm are coming soon to the line, formulated to the same standard as the shave itself. Until they land, cold water and a clean towel handle the job.

The barber's note

A good shave rewards patience more than speed. Slow down, respect the prep, and let the tools do what they were made to do. When you want the full ritual, the chair, the hot towels, and an unhurried half hour, in our Beverly Hills barbershop, book a hot towel shave and let one of our barbers give you the version we have been perfecting since 1936. Or bring it home with the Shave collection.

Frequently asked questions

How long should you leave a hot towel on your face?

60 to 90 seconds is enough to soften the beard and open the follicles. If the towel cools before that, rewet and reheat it rather than pressing on with a cold one.

Should you shave with or against the grain?

Start with the grain, always. Save a pass against the grain for once you have some practice, since it is the most common way a first attempt ends in a nick.

How often should you rinse the razor while shaving?

Every three or four strokes, or the moment you feel the blade start to drag instead of glide.

Why does a badger brush matter for the lather?

A badger brush lifts each hair away from the skin and works the lather down to its base, which a can of foam cannot do. Build the lather for about 30 seconds before the first stroke.

Is a safety razor better than a cartridge razor?

A safety razor uses one sharp blade to cut each hair cleanly at its base in a single pass. A cartridge razor drags three to five blades across the same patch of skin, and that repeated tugging is what causes most razor burn and ingrown hairs. If a multi-blade cartridge tends to leave your skin irritated or breaking out, switching to a single blade is usually the fix.

Can you get a proper hot towel shave without visiting a barbershop?

Yes. The prep, the lather, and the pass all translate to a bathroom sink. What is harder to replace at home is a straight razor pass from a trained hand, which is why many men do the daily shave themselves and book the full ritual at our Beverly Hills barbershop every few weeks.