The Daily Think

NOT AN ADVERTISMENT ARTICLE FOR GENTLEMAN JON (Although willing to take perks from Gentjon.com)

I was recently gifted a Gentleman Jon Wet Shaving Kit, and the contents included some great shaving items I previously had never used or considered using until it was presented in a very sweet little kit. Thank you! In the kit were an assortment of items; safety razor, shave brush, alum block, shave bowl, shave soap and 5 razor blades.

SHAVING IS A RITUAL, NOT A CHORE

Some of the fun things to do with this kit, is changing the blades on your safety razor!  You get to unscrew the shave head piece and slip the razor underneath it.  It feels super legit, and you get to use straight razors!

Another fun activity involves the shave brush, bowl and soap.  You use a little cold water, wet the brush and the soap and mix it in the shave bowl.  Mixing it vigorously like you’re in the kitchen beating an egg, you eventually apply the lather cream to your face with the brush and proceed to shaving.

After you complete the shaving process, and clean off everything, we finally get to the Alum Block.  You wet the block and rub it gently across the areas you just shaved and if you were too rough, you will know it as you feel a little burn, but it helps to close the pores and heal the shave burn feelings.

RITUALIZATION OF THE MUNDANE

So what is the Ritualization of the Mundane? Basically we take mundane activities and ritualize them so we can enjoy them in the moment, a practice of mindfulness and not taking the activity for granted. 

What I discovered with the Gentleman Jon wet shaving kit was the process of and activities I have been doing for almost 30 years now, for what felt like the first time.  After a good workout and a nice hot shower I broke out the kit and put it all together.  I took time not to cut my fingers on the straight razor. I saw how much water was needed to create a good lather.  And I shaved with precision and time that I might have completed within 3-5 minutes in the past with a Harrys razor and some cold soap and water.  And when I applied the Alum Block at the end, I considered what the product was doing to my skin and what benefits it would have on my skin. 

PRACTICING MINDFULNESS

In general, I recommend the kit just to go through the process and the ritual of shaving. It’s fun to use and you really get a sense of protection over your skin.

But, perhaps the whole point of a product that tries to capitalize on the nostalgia factor of shave parlors and barbers from the early 20^th century is the practice of mindfulness, and being in the moment. On the box they say you should “slow down and see what you are missing” and maybe what you are missing is specifically that ritual that transforms us physically with the removal of facial hair and protecting our skin.  I didn’t rush my razor swipes like I normally would do, and I took time to apply the Alum block to my skin to make sure I noted where on my face I might have shaved too hard.  I also took a long hard look at my face and felt good, proud and encouraged by what I saw.

And what can be better than looking at a mirror and finding a positive and confident looking version of ourselves looking back at us.

Full Speed Product Demonstration: Time Lapse Shaving Kit with Gentleman Jon