One of the best tools you can use to achieve an extremely close shave is a shaving brush. A shaving brush helps raise the hair, making a closer shave possible. It also creates a rich creamy lather that stays close to the skin. Another benefit of using a shaving brush is that it removes dead skin cells, which helps the skin look and feel smooth and healthy. A shaving brush should have bristles that are soft enough to create a rich creamy lather yet stiff enough to raise the beard and exfoliate the skin. To find out more read The Many Benefits Of Using A Shaving Brush

Shaving brushes made with badger hairs have been the brush of choice for centuries. Badger hairs were chosen because of their perfect balance of softness and stiffness. Many men and barbers still prefer the badger shaving brush, probably more out of tradition than performance. Badger hairs have several disadvantages, however. The hairs are hollow and have a rough surface which allows them to absorb a lot of water and shaving cream. The rough surface also permits a build-up of shaving cream (and skin?) over time, even with thorough washing after every use. This build-up means that a regular maintenance routine must be practiced in order to make the brush last and perform as it should.

Through diligent work and testing, synthetic brushes have been developed that retain the good qualities of the badger hair while eliminating the problems. When compared side by side, the best synthetic brushes are virtually indistinguishable from a badger hair brush in appearance as well as feel. These new synthetic bristles are solid and smooth, so less shaving cream is required to produce enough foam for a shave.  They also dry faster and are easier to clean which makes them more hygenic.

The men-u Premier Shaving Brush is a synthetic brush that has been receiving rave reviews on many of the shaving forums. This brush has even beaten high quality badger brushes in independent tests. One test was the World Shaving Brush Championship.