If you've been reading me for a while, you know I've tried just about every shaving and grooming product out there. And that I have one of those insanely heavy beards that just wreaks havoc on razor blades, and tests the limits of even the best foams, creams, gels and oils. For a long time, razor burn was just part of my daily look.

So I've always been a big proponent of using a pre-shave oil to soothe the whisker beast. And when Real Shaving Company pitched me their Hot Towel Mask, I was skeptical. Oils soften and lubricate. This was a clay mask, and clay doesn't seem particularly well suited to lubrication. But it would, according to the rep, give me "the same sensation and advantages of a pre-shave hot towel, with even more benefits."

Spoken like a true PR flunky. So I had her send over a tube. And I gave it a shot.

The Hot Towel Mask is paraben-free and contains Vitamin E, zinc oxide and tea tree leaf, and an ingredient that reacts when in contact with water. So when you wet your face and rub this stuff in, you get a real warming sensation as the minerals soften and lift your whiskers, getting them ready for the razor.

I left the mask on (and let me mention that it's not like the mask your girl puts on, all thick and muddy... it's a thin white layer that looks like soap), for the suggested 5 minutes, rinsed it off, and applied my usual shaving cream. (They sent theirs, but I wanted to test the mask's effects shave for shave.)

The result? One of the closest shaves I've had in a long time. And that includes using top-of-the-line pre-shave oils. Which cost considerably more than the Hot Towel Mask's $5.99 MSRP. (And it's also part of the complete travel shaving kit pictured, which also includes the Daily Face Scrub, Shave Cream and Soothing Balm, for only $11.99)

The only downside is they told me it's only available at Duane Reade drugstores in New York and New Jersey. But, I did find it at Amazon and "online-only" at Target.com... so with a small shipping charge, you can be enjoying a "hot towel" shave every morning. Without having to listen to the barber's rant about how the Yankees are gonna do this year.
www.realshaving.com