Brush Care Tips & Instructions

Your Rad Dinosaur Creations Shaving Brush is a tool and is meant to be used, but it also needs some basic care. If you treat it well, it will treat you well for a long time.

• Prior to using your brush, soak your top half of the knot in warm water for a few minutes (not HOT water, just warm). There is no need to submerge the entire knot and doing so can actually weaken the adhesive used to secure the knot into place.
  
  
• Expect your new natural hair brush to shed hairs for the first few uses. This is normal and expected. It will also smell like a wet dog for the first few lathers. I recommend building a lather or two and washing your new knot with your least favorite shaving soap (or mild shampoo) before using the brush for shaving for the first time.
  
  
• As the animals’ natural oils in the hair are getting stripped away as it breaks in, the brush will initially go through a LOT of soap. Lather the soap like you hate it and load it with way more soap than you think you should be using. When you reach the point of "That's enough soap" - keep loading. When you get to the point of "No sane person should ever load this much soap onto a brush" - that's when you've loaded enough! Over time, the amount of soap the brush needs to build a suitable lather will gradually go down to a “normal” amount.
  
  
• After use, ensure the knot is completely rinsed of ALL soap or cream residue. To prevent mildew build up, using warm water, gently squeeze the base of the knot to make sure all lather remnants are gone.
  
  
• Gently squeeze out the water and give the brush a few light shakes to remove as much moisture as possible from the knot.
  
  
• Let it stand in a well-ventilated area. Insufficient drying time between shaves WILL result in mildew deep within the knot and eventual hair loss/knot damage. There is no need to hang a brush upside down or use a stand to dry.
  
  
• Never store a wet brush in a closed container.
  
  
• Also, it’s best to not store wooden brushes in the shower or bathroom. I apply a waterproof finish to all of my wooden brushes, but the constant humidity and temperature fluctuations of a bathroom isn’t great for a natural material, such as wood.
  
  
• If your wooden handle is looking a little run down, wipe it down with mineral oil to rejuvenate it.
  
  
• Try to alternate between brushes, if possible, to ensure your knot completely dries between uses.
  
  
• Every few months, consider cleaning your brush using a dedicate brush cleaner, diluted vinegar solution, or shampoo. After cleaning, I recommend building a lather once or twice with your favorite shave soap to condition the hair.
  
  
• Unless requested otherwise, I set the knot of all my brushes RTV silicone, so they can be pulled out with a little effort. If you’d like, I can set them in epoxy, but I like silicone because it gives my customers the flexibility to change the knot/handle if they want to.