Meaning & use
post-shave
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Used or happening after shaving, especially of products meant to soothe or protect the skin afterwards.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: a post-shave lotion.
Patterns
- post-shave balm
- post-shave care
He applied a cooling post-shave balm to calm his skin.
The post-shave sting disappeared in a minute.
A good post-shave routine can reduce redness.
nouncountable or uncountableinformal
A lotion, balm or other product applied to the skin after shaving.
Grammar: Often a shortened name for a product: he bought a new post-shave.
Patterns
- apply post-shave
He keeps a bottle of post-shave next to the sink.
This post-shave smells of cedar and mint.
I forgot my post-shave, so my face felt tight all day.
Common combinations
- post-shave balm
- The post-shave balm soothed his razor burn.
- post-shave lotion
- She gave him a post-shave lotion for his birthday.
- post-shave routine
- His post-shave routine takes two minutes.
- post-shave irritation
- Cold water helps with post-shave irritation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- aftershave
- Aftershave is the more common word and often means a scented liquid, while post-shave is broader and suggests soothing care.
- after-shave balm
- After-shave balm is a thicker, moisturizing cream, which post-shave balm also names.
- shaving lotion
- Shaving lotion can be used before shaving, but post-shave is only for use afterwards.
Opposites
Word family
- shave verb
- to cut hair off the skin with a razor
- shave noun
- an act of shaving
- aftershave noun
- a lotion or scent used after shaving
- pre-shave adjective
- used before shaving
Commonly confused: post-shave or post-wash?
post-shave vs post-wash
Post-wash refers to what happens after washing, not shaving.
Practice
To calm his irritated skin, he used a soothing ______ balm.
Choose one answer.
Post-shave means used after shaving, which is when skin needs soothing. Pre-shave is used before, and the others do not relate to shaving.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “post-shave”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.