This is the fourth and last installment of Nick Katsarelas’ shaving posts
I know all about the benefits of the TOLSOM® line of men care products. After just four weeks of using the five products, clinical studies show a:
48% improvement in skin smoothness
73% improvement in ingrown hairs
75% fewer nicks and cuts
88% improvement in skin hydration
91% improvement in skin clarity – which means your skin looks even, bright and luminous.
However, I admit that the only TOLSOM product I used was the Facial Cleansing Foam. I was stuck on products I used for years, and was willing to leave well-enough alone. Nicks and cuts? Sure, I’ve had a few. I always figured that’s what happens when you drag a sharp object across your face. You know the saying: If you play with fire, you’re gonna cut yourself eventually.
When I was asked to write the shaving blog posts, my marketing friend Marsha supplied me with the rest of the TOLSOM line. That was two weeks ago. So for the past 14 days, I’ve followed the steps below. And I feel the difference. The Shaving Gel gives me a smooth shave. The After Shave Splash feels good. The Skin Smoothing Gel and lotion leave my skin feeling smooth. And you know what? No cuts or nicks in 14 days (and counting). I’m sold.
Just follow these five easy steps for the perfect TOLSOM shave
Step 1: Wash your face and neck with warm water and TOLSOM Facial Cleansing Foam to help open pores and remove the oils that block water penetration. Your beard hair is as tough as copper wire, so warm water causes hair to expand, making it softer and easier to cut.
Step 2: Apply TOLSOM Shave Gel in small circles to raise the beard hair. Using a sharp razor, shave in the direction of your hair growth, going with the grain. Use soft, gentle strokes. Rinse the razor often with hot water to avoid nicks. (Although you may think you get a closer shave if you shave against the grain, you are actually causing the razor to pull the skin, which could result in ingrown hairs or razor burn.)
Tip: Change your blade once a week.
Step 3: Rinse with cool water, and pat dry. This will close pores. Splash on TOLSOM After Shave Splash on your face, not just on the shaved skin. This toner, which has minimal alcohol content, will help replenish the skin’s moisture.
Step 4: Apply a small dab of TOLSOM Skin Smoothing Gel to your face. It uses an exclusive, patent-pending, non-acidic technology to enhance the skin’s natural exfoliation process.
Guest blogger Nick Katsarelas is an editor in the Integrated Marketing Services dept. at Amway Global.
Here’s my disclaimer, right from the get-go: I’m not a doctor, nurse, medical assistant, medical student, phlebotomist (a person trained to draw blood), sketchotomist (a person trained to draw pictures), EMS guy, or anything like that. While I’m at it, I’m also not a professional bass fisherman, firefighter, alpaca dealer, or forest ranger. I’ve neither talked nor dressed like a pirate, I’m deathly afraid of clowns, and the only time I hitchhiked (I was 13 and with friends), we were picked up by my mother. The tongue-lashing afterwards was one for the books.
But I digress. The point is, the information below I’m not going to be responsible for, because I’m not a doctor, nurse (see above). OK? Agreed? Here goes:
The cut You’ve showered, washed your face with TOLSOM® Facial Cleansing Foam, lathered up with TOLSOM Shave Gel, and your shaving experience is going just swimmingly. You’re humming La dee da and thinking pleasant thoughts and everything is peaches and cream and fun and games and ice cream and cake and suddenly BAM! you cut yourself! Oh, man! you think in your head, but probably not in those words and probably very out loud. Now what?
Survey the damage The first thing you do is determine the scope and severity of the cut. Consult the following chart, which can be found at www.WouldntYouKnowIt?ICutMyselfAgainAndNowImBleedingHelp.com.
The “wimp”: No blood. Just a little red skin. You’re awfulizing again.
The “nick”: It’s the smallest of the cuts. Stops as soon as it starts. Kinda like a Kia, or an old Datsun.
The “forrest gump”: A bleeder that’s v-e-r-y s-l-o-w.
The “Uh oh!”: “Uh oh!” is right, pal! You have some mending to do.
The “BP”: A gusher. Notify the Coast Guard. Seek medical attention immediately.
Solutions? A quick online search generated the following tactics to stop the bleeding. Note: Unlike most of this blog and large parts of my résumé, I’m not making this up: petroleum jelly, witch hazel, bathroom tissue, ice cubes, cayenne pepper, salt and water, talcum powder, styptic pencils, cold compresses, finger pressure, hydrogen peroxide, tea bags, anti-perspirant, super glue (no joke), corn starch, lip balm, flour, and baby oil. (And you can bet someone out there is using L.O.C.)
The consensus The fact is, there is no consensus. I didn’t find any single, this-works-all-the-time solution. Should you experiment? Keep doing what you’re doing? I don’t know. But I’ll tell you what works for me: As gross as this sounds – and I’m serious here – I apply a little bit of saliva to the cut. I may have to dab the affected area with a tissue and repeat if I’ve got an “Uh oh!” or a “BP.” But it seems to work. I guess it’s the healing power of saliva. So next time you hear someone saying something bad about spit, tell them that you know a guy who puts it on his face SO KNOCK IT OFF! On the other hand, I may want to patent this solution (“Nick’s Spit Kit,” I’m thinking) so mum’s the word, huh?
Our next installment: How to get a clean, close, comfortable and cut-free shave with TOLSOM.
This is the second in a multi-part series on shaving by guest blogger Nick Katsarelas.
The first beard in recorded history belonged to Adam. Historians have pieced together the following conversation between Adam and Eve.
Eve: Eww! That is seriously grossing me out!
Adam: What! Where!?
Eve: On your face! I noticed it yesterday! And now it’s growing!
Adam: Oh, that? It’s just my Buick Riviera.
Voice from the clouds: LOL! The word is beard.
Adam: Beard. Right. I knew it started with a “b.” Whatever. It’s so raven.
Eve: Really? Raven? Try it’s so pharmaceutical.
Voice from the clouds: OMG! The word is stupid.
Eve: All these new words! This vocabulary stuff is a killer!
Adam (singing): Macho, macho man …
Eve: Dude. Seriously? Look around! You got no competition. What difference does it make whether or not you’re macho?
Adam: I’m looking around, girlfriend, and you know what? I don’t see anything to shave with.
Eve: Well, then let me tell you about the TOLSOM® brand of high-performance skin care products for men. Formulated with the exclusive T-10 Complex of eight moisturizing and two oil-controlling ingredients, this complete line guarantees results in only four weeks.