Antes de afeitarse, mi padre se pone espuma en la cara y busca la maquinilla.

Because after antes de, Spanish uses the infinitive when the subject is the same for both actions.

Here, my father does both things:

• he shaves
• he looks for the razor

So antes de + infinitive is the normal structure:
Antes de afeitarse...

If the subject changes, then Spanish uses antes de que + subjunctive:

• Antes de que mi padre se afeite, yo limpio el lavabo.

Also, se afeita would not work after antes de que; it would need the subjunctive: se afeite.

Because it means to shave oneself.

In Spanish, many personal-care actions are often expressed with a reflexive verb:

• afeitarse = to shave oneself
• lavarse = to wash oneself
• peinarse = to comb one’s hair

Compare:

• Mi padre se afeita. = My father shaves himself.
• El barbero afeita a mi padre. = The barber shaves my father.

So the se shows that the action comes back to the subject.

Because ponerse here means to put/apply something on oneself.

In this sentence, your father is applying foam to his own face, so se pone is the natural choice.

Compare:

• Se pone espuma en la cara. = He puts foam on his face.
• Pone espuma en la cara del niño. = He puts foam on the child’s face.

Without se, the sentence would usually sound less clearly self-directed.

Because espuma is being used as a general substance, not as a specific item already identified.

Spanish often omits the article with materials or substances in this kind of context:

• se pone espuma
• usa jabón
• compra pan

If you say la espuma, it usually sounds more specific:

• the foam already mentioned
• a particular foam known from context

So se pone espuma is a very natural way to say he puts on shaving foam.

Because Spanish usually uses the definite article with body parts when the owner is already clear.

So:

• se pone espuma en la cara literally looks like on the face, but it naturally means on his face.

This is very common with reflexive verbs:

• se lava las manos = he washes his hands
• se cepilla los dientes = he brushes his teeth
• se toca la cabeza = he touches his head

Using su cara is possible, but it often sounds more emphatic, contrastive, or less idiomatic in ordinary situations.

In Spain, maquinilla usually means razor, especially as a short form of maquinilla de afeitar.

Depending on context, it can refer to:

• a manual razor
• sometimes a shaving device more generally

This is a very Spain-specific everyday word. In other Spanish-speaking countries, people may more often say:

• máquina de afeitar
• afeitadora
• rasuradora

So for Spanish from Spain, la maquinilla is a very natural choice.

Buscar means to look for or to search for.

So busca la maquinilla means he is trying to find it, not that he has found it already.

Compare:

• busca la maquinilla = he looks for the razor
• encuentra la maquinilla = he finds the razor

Learners sometimes confuse buscar with encontrar, but buscar focuses on the search, not the result.

The present tense is often used to describe:

• habits
• routines
• things that generally happen

So this sentence likely describes your father’s usual shaving routine.

Spanish uses the present tense very naturally for this:

• mi padre se pone espuma... y busca la maquinilla

It does not have to mean he is doing it right now. It can simply mean this is what he normally does.

It separates the introductory time expression from the main part of the sentence.

So the structure is:

• Antes de afeitarse, = introductory phrase
• mi padre se pone espuma... = main clause

This comma is very common and helps readability. In short sentences, some commas around introductory phrases may be optional, but here the comma feels natural and clear.

Yes. Spanish allows some flexibility in word order.

For example:

• Mi padre, antes de afeitarse, se pone espuma en la cara y busca la maquinilla.
• Antes de afeitarse, mi padre busca la maquinilla y se pone espuma en la cara.

These versions are still grammatical, though the focus or rhythm changes slightly.

The original sentence is natural and straightforward:

• first the time expression
• then the subject
• then the actions in sequence