Thread: New to shaving, looking for a mentor.

Yup I'll stand my witch hazel as well.

It doesn't need to be the expensive stuff. The cheap chemist stuff that ladies use as make up remover is a surprisingly good after shave splash. It smells like cheap whiskey, but the smell doesn't have any silage to it. It's gone in a few minutes.

My son also suffers acne, His face cleared up pretty good with WH as well. I make him splash every few days when he takes his bumfluff off.

I use it from time to time on a facecloth just to scrub out the blackheads as well... Avoid the eyes.

Hey Quote, welcome to the forum, I also have really bad skin, funny how some people never get the joy of a zit, white head, black head, chorb, common acne or know the difference. Firstly if you scrub your face the skin will dry out and the body naturally compensates for this by producing more oils, so in this you are right. Don't scrub off the upper dermis just make sure it is exfoliated, shaving with a STR8 will do this for you quite well. I sweat like a stuck pig, if you lather one side of your face and then rinse with a towel and lather the other side, then do under your chin in three halves (left jaw, right jaw and down the centre) this will usually help. It will become easier as you will remove all the lather with the shave and then just pat down with a towel as you go. I have found that if I shave with a disposable I get my bad skin back now. The whole thing with shaving with a STR8 is that you can use light strokes, a bit like golf let the blade do the work and lighten up on the pressure. When you come to an area that is infected go light and pay attention to the bumps, eventually you will lose them because the prep and finish is a lot more hygienic than schlepping on some canned goop and going for it.

Originally Posted by Quote

Wow, so much great advice overnight. I'll try to answer as much of this as possible for others with similar issues can refer to it later.

@shooter74743 I've tried scrubbing my face that hard before, this was just to get rid of acne before I shaved, and I actually found it did a lot more harm than good. I don't mean to speak out of place, so I'll admit that I don't know how necessary it is to completely remove oil from your face before you shave. However, the human body has evolved to be oily, and what I have found is that when I scrub that hard, it just makes my oil production react to make twice as much. So I'm a little reluctant to try that, and you may want to give my approach a try, maybe just for a week or two to see how things change. Let me know your thoughts on this, I'm sure us oily guys would benefit from a few PMs.

I think you misunderstand me, I don't scrub my face, just wash it. Our face goes through enough in life (like when learning to shave) to abuse it by scrubbing the stuffing out of it. Yes, if I were to scrub vigorously four times, my face would produce oil as yours...it also increased oil production when I was scraping it to death when I was learning to shave.

When dealing with our face, we should use a light touch and let our tools do their job. After a shave, I use an alum block, followed up by my aftershave of the day. During work days, it's usually Bay Rum, as it's good to help with any possible razor burn and the HOT weather we are having here.

I have been blessed in the great cosmic lottery to have never being afflicted with oily skin or severe acne so I can not comment on your affliction but I see that there is no shortage of information for you to partake of. I only wish to welcome you into a brotherhood that is well established and filled (as you have found) with helpful insights in the art of straight razor shaving.

I've got extremely oily skin, you could fry an egg on my forehead in summer; and when it's hot here in South Australia (it gets to be about 45 Celsius) sweat can be a problem. Have you tried ice cold water? In summer instead of hot water (that I have my lather bowl almost floating in in the sink) I use icy cold water from the fridge with ice cubes. It can help; and is really nice with a menthol lather like Proraso.

...and Quote, to take the pressure off, you don't need to reply to everyone or even acknowledge them individually, you can just hit like or thanks at the end of their post.

Of course, replying is fun and builds a dialogue which is what's great about this forum...no judgment, just support (and occasionally humor).

Welcome!

Originally Posted by Haroldg48

...and Quote, to take the pressure off, you don't need to reply to everyone or even acknowledge them individually, you can just hit like or thanks at the end of their post.

...

Wadda ya TALKIN' about? I'm expecting a hand written post card in reply every time I post here. With flowers and chocolate and maybe a foot massage...

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

Wadda ya TALKIN' about? I'm expecting a hand written post card in reply every time I post here. With flowers and chocolate and maybe a foot massage...

Well I can do a letter carl but you are going to have to hit Cindy up for the rest.

Originally Posted by edhewitt

Well I can do a letter carl but you are going to have to hit Cindy up for the rest.

Yes. You can do letters. The letters I've received from you and Mick have sparked some mild controversy in the Schneider household. "Where are they FROM?". "What do you mean you WRITE to people?" "With a WHAT pen? A DIP pen?" What's a DIP pen?" "You're WEIRD, Dad".

I asked Cindy for stamps and envelopes today and received neither. I suspect the message was unclear to her. I may need to explain 'stamp' and 'envelope'. I also may need to explain 'get me'...

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

Yes. You can do letters. The letters I've received from you and Mick have sparked some mild controversy in the Schneider household. "Where are they FROM?". "What do you mean you WRITE to people?" "With a WHAT pen? A DIP pen?" What's a DIP pen?" "You're WEIRD, Dad".

I asked Cindy for stamps and envelopes today and received neither. I suspect the message was unclear to her. I may need to explain 'stamp' and 'envelope'. I also may need to explain 'get me'...

Did you forget to say please? You could always bike to the post office on Saturday in your fancy new jersey