It seems the UK is back in love with the barber. The country’s barbering industry is expected to grow over the next five years, as people seek to add touch of class to their beauty routine.

One of the most iconic features of a visit to your barber is, of course, the classic hot towel shave. Not only does it feel fantastic, it also softens your beard, making shaving easier and causing less irritation to your skin. 

While hot towel shaves might seem like the preserve of a luxury barber experience, why shouldn’t you be able to do it yourself? 

The five steps below will teach you how to hot towel shave at home, like a pro.

STEP ONE – GET A TOWEL

Selecting the right towel is an important step in achieving a great feeling hot towel shave.

While hand or face towels often provide the easiest option, to heighten the experience and maximise comfort, why not invest in a professional barber’s towel or high-quality flannel? If you don’t want to go this far, most towels will do the trick.

STEP TWO – ADD OIL TO THE TOWEL

It doesn’t need to be a specific kind of oil. However, according to Men’s Health “Eucalyptus is probably what you’re most familiar with [as] gyms and spas use the menthol scent on their hot towels.”

You can tailor the oils you use to cater for any allergies you might have, or even to help with an ailment. For example, you could add sinus clearing vapour rub to your towel if you are suffering from a cold.

STEP THREE – HEAT THE TOWEL

The towel can be heated up in various ways, the simplest being to run it under the hot tap in your bathroom.

Alternatively, you could boil the kettle and pour the boiled water onto the towel, or even heat the towel up in the microwave for 30 seconds. Just be sure to take caution not to burn yourself at this stage.

STEP FOUR – APPLY THE HOT TOWEL

Place the hot towel on your face for about a minute, by which point the towel should begin to cool down. 

Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy the feeling as your pores open and your facial hairs soften. It should be a very relaxing experience, so make the most of it!

STEP FIVE – REMOVE TOWEL AND SHAVE

Once you take the towel off your face and set it aside, it’s time to move on to the shaving stage. Having gone to all this effort so far, it is important to top it all off with great shaving technique.

Luckily, we’ve got you covered. Discover how to shave without causing irritation here. To heighten the comfort, all of Dorco’s razors are suitable for sensitive skin, featuring an advanced lubricating strip with soothing ingredients to prevent skin irritation.

So, to summarise: 

1. Get a fresh face towel / face cloth
2. Pick an oil and add it to your dry towel
3. Heat your towel
4. Apply the hot towel to your face

Then go ahead and proceed with your usual shave.

By following these simple steps, you can ditch the luxury barber and achieve a great hot towel shave from home. Already tried a hot towel shave? We’d love to hear how you got on!

Unless you have a chemistry degree and can decipher weird names like ‘sodium lauryl sulphate’, you’re not alone if you’re wondering just what’s in your cosmetics and toiletries. Unsurprisingly, more and more health-conscious consumers are turning to natural alternatives when it comes to personal pampering – and it’s not just the bohemian cool kids. From homemade skin scrubs to nature-made moisturisers, there are plenty of safe, cheap, all-natural alternatives out there.

So what are they, and how can they help us achieve smooth, beautiful skin?

Exfoliating

Any hair removal aficionado knows that exfoliating your skin, prior to getting your shave on, helps reduce the likelihood of bumps, burns, and ingrown hairs. What they might not know is that most people have all the ingredients for a top-notch exfoliator in their kitchen cupboard.

Grab a jar with a lid and mix up half a cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of honey – and hey presto! That’s all it takes. The olive oil will pamper your skin with moisture and antioxidants, the honey will help fight any bacteria, and the sugar will gently polish away the dead skin cells. Since the skin on your face is more delicate however, this concoction is better suited to your body.

Creaming

While there’s plenty of tried and true shaving foams, gels and creams on the market, there are some fantastic all-natural alternatives that you can make at home. A cup filled with 1/3 shea butter, 1/3 of coconut oil, and 1/3 olive oil creatures a luxurious shaving cream that leaves your skin feeling soft, smooth and pampered. You’ll need to melt the shea butter on a hob first, before adding the olive and coconut oils. Then whip the mixture together with a mixer.

The best thing about this shaving cream is that you don’t need your legs to be wet to use it – making it the perfect go-to treatment when you’re shaving on the fly. If you want to make your cream extra special, you can also add essential oils catered to your skin’s needs.

Moisturising

There’s a huge choice of natural wonders out there that are perfect for some post-shave nourishment – it’s all about finding the one that works for your particular skin type.

Here are some of our favourites:

• Castor oil: Packed with fatty acids that help it quickly sink into the skin, castor oil is fantastic for hydration. The linoleic acid contained in it creates a barrier over the skin, locking the moisture inside to do its thing.

• Coconut oil: Coconut oil also sinks deep into the skin with ease and without leaving a greasy feeling in its wake. As well as a great moisturiser, it also boasts some antibacterial, antimicrobial and collagen-boosting properties, making it fabulous for anti-aging too.

• Shea butter: Brimming with vitamins A and F, shea butter is an exceptional moisturiser. Because of its rich texture, it’s great for those with really dry skin, especially during the colder months.

Shaving

At Dorco, we’re pretty big on the all-natural thing too. Take the Dorco Eve 6: we’ve given it an advanced lubricating strip loaded with powerful natural extracts. There’s calendula, a flower-derived ingredient that helps soothe dry skin and shaving irritation, as well as argan oil, which nourishes both normal and sensitive skin types. With a little creativity and experimentation, you can go all-natural before, during, and after your Dorco shaving experience.

Ah, Valentine’s Day. The only day of the year when our significant others buy our affection with chocolates, flowers and jewellery – and, if we’re lucky – a fancy date night to boot. It’s sort of like a second Christmas.

Of course, Valentine’s Day isn’t Valentine’s Day unless we’re reminding our significant others how gorgeous we are. So it’s the perfect opportunity to get preened and pampered to perfection. Unfortunately, female grooming is awash with pitfalls: a burnt top lip and a rosy red razor burn can transform your date night from a romance novel-worthy dream, to a cringy romcom disaster. 

So, ladies, here’s a heads up on some of the most common grooming mishaps, and how to avoid them.

Razor burn, baby burn

Roses should be red, not your pegs. You don’t want to have to cover up your luscious legs because they’re inflamed or covered in itchy bumps. So avoid razor burn by using a fresh blade, taking plenty of time, and pampering your skin afterwards. The Dorco Eve 6 offers a lubricating strip packed with calendula extract and argan oil, so it pampers your pins as you go. Lovely.

Hair removal scream

For most of us, date night means smooth legs. While hair removal creams can be a lazy lady’s best friend, they can also be the reckless lady’s worst nightmare. If you ever find yourself skim reading instructions, then it’s probably better you avoid hair removal cream altogether. No one wants to be nursing chemical burns in strange places on Valentine’s Day. If you dare to go bare, this is one occasion when it’s worth seeking out a professional.

The Mask

Valentine’s beauty maintenance means finally using that fancy facemask you got for Christmas, right? Not necessarily. It’s suggested by some beauty pros that you should use a facemask 10 days or so before any special occasion. That way, if you have a reaction, your skin has plenty of time to calm down and recover – and you won’t meet your date looking like your filter fell off. 

Hairy situations

If you’re planning to shake things up with a new hairstyle, then go for it – so long as you’re turning to professionals to get the job done properly. Trimming your own fringe, attempting a DIY dye job, or trying that elaborate up-do you saw on YouTube can all result in dodgy ‘dos – and you’ll be bewildering your beau for all the wrong reasons.

Make-up mishaps

Valentine’s Day make-up is all about keeping it alluring – and for most women that means a smoky eye, a slick of kiss-proof lippy, and flawless skin. But if you’re experimenting with a new look or a new product, make sure you test it out prior to date night. It’s amazing how you can quickly go from red carpet glam to a black-eyed racoon when an eyeshadow is way more pigmented than you expected it to be.

Have fun getting prepped, primed and smooth for your special Valentine’s day. And remember: if your date turns out to be a disaster, at least you’ll have that box of chocolates to come home to.

It looks like 2019 is set to be another incredible year for Korean skincare.

Even large western cosmetics brands are recognising this significant trend shift and trying to get in on the action by launching their own K-beauty collections.

The sector is known globally for its innovation, so what will we see on the shelves in the next 12 months?

Here are five trends to look out for in K-beauty this year, according to industry experts.

Vegan skincare products

Veganism isn’t an entirely new idea. In fact, its popularity in the UK has never been greater. Between 2006 and 2016, the number of vegans in Britain rose by 350%, and 20% of under-35s say they have tried a vegan diet, with this popularity expected to increase further in 2019.

In the skincare industry, the trend is often referred to as ‘clean beauty’.

Writing in The Klog, Charlotte Cho, author of The Little Book of Skin Care, says that Korean skincare brands “have taken note of the global clean beauty wave and we’re now seeing more formulas that are vegan, EWG[Environmental Working Group]-compliant, and/or fragrance-free.”

This reflects a wider consumer trend towards vegan beauty products in the UK, with a 38% increase in sales in the year to January 2018.

Greater customisation

Cho also expects to see more customisable products, featuring options that you can tailor to your skin type.

This aligns with the view of Lisa Payne, senior beauty editor at global trends company Stylus, who tells Harper’s Bazaar: “[…] in Korea we’re seeing hybrid products that tone and hydrate in one, using hero ingredients such as green tea and vitamin E.”

The ‘Double Serum’ technique

K-Beauty curators Glow Recipe are strongly backing double serum to take off in 2019.

Double serum essentially means combining two skin products to get the best results.

Glow Recipe co-founder Christine Chang says “Double serum ultimately empowers the user to cocktail custom recipes depending on her skin needs, which for many people is different from day to day.”

The sun stick

Kelly Jin writes in Vogue that 2019 could be the year of the sun stick – an alternative to applying sun cream that looks and works a bit like a lipstick. “If you’re sick of your sun cream or milk spilling in your bag, the sun stick is perfect as it’s a solid bar that you can twist or turn and apply directly onto your skin,” she says.

However, the benefits extend beyond avoiding a mishap in your bag – they’re considered among the safest sunscreens you can buy. “The sunscreen stick has come a long way,” says Dawn Yanek in Reader’s Digest.

If you are going to make the switch from your usual sunscreen, however, make sure you are still effectively protected.

Face masks

Although traditionally used post-laser treatment, modelling masks could become a “permanent fixture in Korean masking life,” according to Femina’s Chanele Flanagan.

This is where natural ingredients are mixed to form a thick, goopy substance that is poured over the entire face. It then hardens and is peeled off, leaving the skin feeling soft.

Flanagan says these products are “unbeatable when reducing pore size,” while using gentle ingredients and less preservative chemicals.

She expects them to become more of a feature for Korean skincare brands alongside the slightly more conventional peeling face masks, and the less conventional foot masks.

A year for innovation

Skincare is not the only Korean beauty sector to expect innovation in 2019.

At Dorco, we are proud of our Korean heritage and we have been innovators in the shaving industry since 1955. We created the PACE 6 Plus, the world’s first six-blade razor, as well as the Dorco CLASSIC, the world’s first seven-blade razor.

We’ve got big things planned for 2019, too – so watch this space.

Your facial hair is an extension of you, and a sign of the times we live in.

Throughout history, facial hair has been an indicator of identity and status – from Egyptians and Romans, to pirates and cowboys.

We’ve taken a look back through the decades to find out the significance of some of history’s most popular styles. You would be here all day if we started at the beginning, so we have picked up where Dorco began its journey – the 1950s.

No matter what style you go for, make sure you maintain it properly. Read our blog for tips on how to shave without causing irritation or razor bumps.

1950s – Clean shaven still rules

Other than a couple of exceptions, such as Salvador Dali’s moustache, facial hair held less cultural currency in the 1950s than it would in the following decades. This is perhaps characterised best by one of the era’s most iconic figures – Elvis Presley.

Known around the world (or around the clock?) for his snake hips and revolutionary music, his clean-shaven face also helped to show off his signature curled lip.

He would remain this way for MOST of his career – more on this later.

Origins: Shaving was popularised around 330BC during the reign of Alexander the Great. His soldiers shaved their heads and beards to give enemies less to grab during combat.

1960s – A facial hair revolution

In the 1960s, counterculture, from beatnik poetry to psychedelic rock ‘n’ roll, catapulted towards the mainstream.

Beards, horseshoe moustaches and sideburns became essential for burgeoning bohemians and hippies who wanted to sport the samelook as their idols, for example The Beatles, Frank Zappa and Allen Ginsberg.

Origins: Examples of artistically influential facial hair can be found in the 17th century, thanks to a hugely successful portrait painter named Sir Anthony van Dyck. He painted various kings, queens and princesses including Charles I, who was well known for his very dapper facial hair.

1970s – Mutton Chops become the norm

Not even clean-cut Elvis could resist the allure of sideburns in the 1970s. Everyone, from pop musicians and actors to journalists and footballers, had them.

At the same time, the decade was pretty diverse in its facial hair fashions. Moustaches, goatees and full beards were not uncommon, but they were all usually accompanied by sideburns, as well as longer hair, and of course some flared trousers.

Origins: In the 19th century, American General Ambrose E. Burnside was widely known for his facial hair – a moustache and mutton chop combo, with clean-shaven chin. They were initially known as Burnsides before, over time, being switched round to the term sideburns.

1980s – One man stands out from the rest

Throughout history, moustaches have been no laughing matter. In fact, British soldiers in the late 19th century could be imprisoned if they did something as outrageous as shave their moustache.

Perhaps one modern man understands this commitment to the moustache more than others. Tom Selleck has almost single-handedly embodied the style since the 1980s, making it famous during his time as the lead character in the hit US crime drama ‘Magnum PI’.

Origins: Although they became standard issue for British Empire officers in the 1800s, the Oxford Dictionary says the first recorded use of the word ‘moustache’ was found in a 16th century translation of a French travel book.

1990s – The goatee

From the Backstreet Boys to NSYNC, right through to Brad Pitt, this minimal facial hair style was all the rage in the 90s. The name ‘goatee’ is inspired by the long fur under a goat’s chin, while the soul patch points to the tuft of hair below the lip.

It could also be found in various forms, from a full goatee, to chin hair with no moustache, or complete with a chin strip.

Origins: Alongside the aforementioned Charles I, the popularity of moustaches and facial hair styles was encouraged across Europe by a bizarre ‘beard tax’ imposed by Russian Tsar Peter the Great in the late 16th Century, which taxed people who had full beards. The soul patch, meanwhile, was popularised by American jazz musicians in the early 20th Century.

2000s – The designer stubble

With the turn of the millennium, it was all about starting afresh. Designer stubble, also known as the ‘5 O’clock Shadow’, grew in popularity as celebrities such as George Clooney went for the ‘shabby chic’ look.

Origins: It’s hard to put a date on a look that a look that comes from essentially not shaving for a couple of days, but the phrase ‘5 O’ clock shadow’ comes from a 1930s US-based marketing campaign.

2010s – Full beard (The Hipster)

The facial hair style that is comfortably the most synonymous with this decade is the full beard, or the ‘hipster beard’, often accompanied by a bun hairstyle, labelled a ‘man-bun’ by some.

Rather than just not shaving, it is sculpted with scissors and maintained with oils.

Origins: Historians speculate that prehistoric men had beards for reasons beyond the fact they were more difficult to get rid of. They also served the purpose of making a man appear more intimidating to his opponents. Additionally, they acted as status symbols within many early human civilisations.

What next?

Given the cyclical nature of fashion and trends, we can expect the full beard to be replaced in coming years by a new trend. Perhaps we’ll go back to the days of clean-cut Elvis Presley?

If we do, make sure you are prepared with premium shaving technology.

When it comes to your look, your facial hair is the icing on the cake. However, there are multiple styles to choose from, so how do you decide?

The general consensus is that your hair and jaw should work together to form an oval shape.

Of course, this isn’t an exact science. You need to factor in personal logistics, and work with what you’ve got. You also need think about how sensitive your skin is, and how often you want to have to shave, as some styles are more labour intensive than others.

Still having trouble picking a style? Then this guide should help you find the perfect look to suit your face shape.

We know how challenging saving money can be when you’re a student. Here are our 11 top tips!

“Whether you shave your armpits or not, just do what feels right and
natural for you,” writes Joy D’Souza in the

Huffington Post

.

This view is reflective of changing social attitudes towards women and body
hair, particularly amongst younger people. According to

Mintel

, between 2013 and 2016, 18% of women aged 16-24 stopped removing their
armpit hair.

There are various reasons why less women are shaving their armpits. Roshida
Khanom, Mintel’s associate director in beauty and personal care,

says

in some cases young women are “worried about causing irritation from their
skin” as a result of the products they use.

The decrease in the number of women shaving their armpits may also be a
positive response to campaigns encouraging women not to shave if they don’t
want to. Many celebrities have shown public support, including Julia
Roberts, Miley Cyrus and Cara Delevingne.

Of course, this trend is about more than the armpit hair itself; many women
are seeking to challenge attitudes towards beauty that put unfair pressure
on women and young girls.

There is still a long way to go, sadly, we don’t yet live in a society
where women are able to feel in full control of their body choices.

Mintel

found 83% of women aged 16-24 still feel under too much pressure to remove
or groom their body hair.

But scientifically, are there benefits to shaving your armpits or is it
best to leave them be?

Pros and cons

There are benefits to either choice. Having armpit hair reduces friction
between the upper and lower arm during exercise, and

facilitates the release of pheromones

, allowing your natural scent to spread to prospective mates – excellent
news!

By not shaving, you will also forgo any risk of skin irritation and razor
bumps. And think of all that time you will save by allowing your body to
exist in its natural state.

On the flipside, shaving armpit hair can help reduce body odour, as armpit
hair traps sweat and allows bacteria to breed. Having less body hair will
also make it easier to cool down, particularly in the hot summer months.

On top of this, your deodorant will be more effective which seems obvious
when you think about it, as it can be applied directly to the skin.

Embracing the power of choice

Speaking to ABC News,

Alex Andrews

, Founder of the ‘Get Hairy February’ campaign, said: “We
hope women feel empowered to let themselves grow, embrace their natural
bodies and be proud to be involved in a community that demands equality and
safety for all women.”

At Dorco, we’re all about choice and being able to do what makes you feel
at your best.

If you do decide to shave your armpit hair, it’s important to do so in way
that doesn’t cause irritation your skin. That’s why Dorco products
are a great place to start.

Crafted for curves, the

Dorco EVE 6

provides a smooth shave, boosted by patented technology, helping to reduce
shaving irritation. The six blades are split into a unique ‘double 3’ blade
format which, alongside a bendable cartridge, encourages smooth shaving.
Meanwhile, the open design means your razor and refill cartridges are easy
to clean and rinse.

In days of yore, armpit grooming would have been unheard of among men.

But in more modern times, men who don’t shave their armpits are in the
minority. A recent survey by

Men’s Health

magazine found that 68% do it regularly, while only 10% never trim.

Does that mean men have become more image conscious over time? Possibly
not. Perhaps a better explanation for this shift in grooming habits is that
modern males are more clued-up scientifically than their forebears.

What are the benefits?

One recent

study

found that although removing armpit hair won’t stop you sweating, trimming
it to skin level substantially enhances the odour-reducing effect of
washing with soap.

Another possible reason why men of old didn’t shave their armpits could be
that they simply didn’t have the right tools. For example, medieval men –
they may have mastered weaponry, but they were a long way off engineering
the kind of precision blades necessary for a clean, close shave. In fact,
most historical accounts shaving in this era sound quite harrowing.

Thankfully, several-dozen generations on, that is no longer the case, and
with a

high quality razor

in your bathroom cabinet, you are sufficiently armed to shave your armpits
safely and smoothly.

Take care to do it right


As with anything, trimming your armpits to excess isn’t recommended.

Warns Hibba Kapil

, founder of the Hibba Beauty Salon in New York City: “Underarms go through
constant friction and shaving them every day can escalate [problems].

“Because the area never catches a break from shaving, it’s always going to
have bumps or ingrown hairs.”

Ultimately, the question of should men shave their armpits has no right or
wrong answer; it all boils down to personal choice. Just be sure that if
you do decide to shave your armpits, you use

shaving products

that help you do it safely and smoothly.

A premium shave without the premium price

At Dorco, our

patented shaving technology

helps to provide a close shave with no irritation, perfect if you do choose
to shave your armpit hair. Three to four blade razors such as the PACE 4
and PACE 3 Plus are perfect for ensuring a smooth shave.

Some male customers have even found that the Dorco EVE 6 has proved
successful when shaving parts of the body such as the armpit and jawline
due to its bendable ‘double 3’ blade cartridge, designed to follow the
bodies curves.