Skin types?

I've read many threads about skin types, irratation, etc. Is there a reference as to how you diagnose your skin type? My skin gets irratated and slightly red around the neck area (several inches to the left and the right of my adams apple). My skin will get dry as well. Isn't neck irratation pretty common?

Now my follow up is this. Is my skin irratated due to shaving factors or due to my skin type? Same question goes for the dryness? I currently use a Mach4 razor.

When purchasing shaving soaps, should I go for soaps that focus on dryness & irratation or would normal skin type soaps be fine?

neck irritation is a common complaint mainly because it can be difficult to maintain the blade angle. good ways to minimize the pain are avoiding alcohol based a/s splashes- try witch-hazel instead, using alum after the shave.

shaving soap that are meant for sensitive skin are generally scented with only essential oils or left unscented... either way they are great shaves.

if your questions was more about regular bath type soaps you might want to go to the gentleman's quarters (TGQ) and email Colleen about options. she is a member here (churley) and makes some amazing soaps and creams.

hmm i consider myself to have slightly oily skin, not particularly sensitive. i remember seeing somewhere pictures/descriptions of general skin types. a dermatologist would be a doctor who's specialized in skin - they would be probably the best reference.
in any case if you have history of skin problems you may want to double check the ingredients before purchasing shaving soaps.
other than that, i think all of our members with sensitive skin find shaving with a straight razor the method most easy on the face.

I have simiar problems when I shave with one of those terrible disposables or those stupid cartridge razors. If I use a double edge, at a bare minimum with a straight preferred there is no real problem at all. My advice is to use your straight and everything will clear up.

I had some issues with irritation. I find the better shave creams, like Castle Forbes work well. Nancy Boy too, it has a peppermint fragrance to it. For me, the higher grade shave creams made all the difference. When you consider how long Castle Forbes lasts, it's worth it. A little goes a long way, same for Nancy Boy. You said your shaving with a Mach 4, so it's not your angle. If your irritating with that, I'd recommend a better quality shave cream. vintage blades makes a triple milled soap which is excellent too. Mitchells's wool fat soap is also recommended for sensitive skin. IMHO the creams would probably give you better protection based on you skin.

Your Mach blade has three parts to it, from the bottom to the top - a group of ridges, blades then an aloe strip. The ridges are used to pursh the hairs into a motion so they are rapidly swaying back and forth when the blades hit it. This makes it very difficult for the blades to cut anything. The first blade lops off the hair at the base while the next two do nothing and slide right on by causing a waving motion which causes the hairs to bend inward and tuck into the skin. The last item, the aloe is not really what is needed when shaving. Aloe is used to treat constipation and thus is a relaxer which takes a hair in motion caused by the ridges on the bottom and tucks them into the skin producing the irriation that is frequently cuased by the razor. Stop using those terrible things and go with either a double edge or a striaght.

Trouble is that Proctor and Gamble Gillette has spent years coning the public into believing a lie that the trouble is the skin type, its not your skin its their product that is the source of the problem.

I know nothing about Mach shavers as I have never used one. I can say that I get smoother shaves with a straight razor then I ever have with a DE or a two bladed disposable. That is the extent of my shaving experience.

I do two passes and using proper technique I don't experience irritation. If I do three passes I begin to get some irritation so I don't do three passes. With my particular beard there is no need.

I am a professional tattoo artist and I can say that at least where taking needles and punching holes in skin is concerned there is definitely a difference in skin between various people.

I think that that is a rather biased view of Gillette's shaving technology.

If you prep well and use the Gillette "Mach" gently and carefully you get a pretty ggod shave.

It's expensive and IMHO not as good as a straight razor shave. But it is easy to use, fast, convenient and most of all throw away. It suits the modern world and is used by millions.

The curse of the modern age as far as shaving is concerned is not the disposable razor, but the unbelievably bad canned soaps that most men purchase.If you have never tried a quality soap or cream, you just don't know differently. The supermarkets often only sell the canned rubbish.

Bad soaps dry the skin and don't lift or soften the beard. Even many of the "good" soaps have have additives usually the scent which can cause quite strong skin irritation and especially to those with sensitive skin.

Nearly all the Famous named soap suppliers make a soap for sensitive skin. Avocado by Taylors, Coconut by GFT and Almond oil by GFT and Ultimate comfort by T&H. Art of Saving does an unscented cream and Nancy Boy which I have not tried gets rave reviews in the USA and sounds great. Even if you don't have sensitive skin, the creams I have listed are all top quality shaving creams and one of them should suit you.

I would keep away from hard soaps for the time being. Most are scented and hard soap is generally is not as protective as a cream.

I have also found that Aloe Vera is a great product to use as an after shave cream, especially if you have a bit of redness on the skin. It seems to calm an repair the skin very quickly. Its also inexpensive, totally natural and unscented.

With all the advice above, you should be sorted soon.

Interesting, perhaps english knows something I don't. This is a tad of a hyjack here what is a high quality soap. I have been encoutnered Williams, Mama Bear and CrabTree and Evelyn. Are any of these high quality soaps? When it comes to creams I tend to rely on Barbosol. I use creams for the one double edge which tends to cut me more than the other razors do and barabsol seems to be doing a decent job of protecting hte skin from the blade.

As far as aloe Vera goes Vitmain Shoppe tells me that its used pimarily for constipation and can be used for burns and type 2 diabetes

Sorry, I only try to pass on the little knowledge I have from personal experience.

Well a good shaving cream for me protects the skin, lifts the beard, provides lubrication for the blade and most importantly if you have sensitive skin it doesn't cause any discomfort whatsoever. Also it should be reasonably priced.

As for Aloe Vera, believe me it is a well known after shave that is very effective. I've also heard that many use it to ease sunburn. As for use as a laxative, I not sure how you would use it, but I wouldn't choose to eat it.

When English refers to creams he isn't talking about Barbasol but higher end stuff like Coates and Salters. I have read that Aloe has been recommended for cuts, scrapes, burns and skin irritation in general.

Let me state my sources. I am getting my information on Aloe from Vitaminshoppe.com.

Perhaps I am mistaken aloe can be used for everything that forum members are saying that it is used for, however vitaminshoppe tells me that what it does best is to treat consitpation. I do not quite understand how it would be used for constipation.