I am brand new and have very sensitive skin. Any recommendations or advice on soap vs. cream.
Thanks!
Printable View
I am brand new and have very sensitive skin. Any recommendations or advice on soap vs. cream.
Thanks!
don't know enough to answer the question but would like to address another part of your question. I used to think that I had sensitive skin when I sued a Sensor or an electric. When I picked up a double edge I found that I do not have sensitive skin and I can do this job with a broken coke bottle if I wish. My point is this, just becuase you think that you have sensitive skin does not mean that you actually have sensitive skin. I would recommend that you try shaving with non-sensitive products and see what happends. Of course I would stick with el-cheapo products in case I am wrong. I would go with Derby shave cream, since it is real real cheap.
I could be worng but I don't think that I am.
Right now I wash my face in the shower, use a pre-shave oil, shave gel, Anthony aftershave soothing balm and change my razor blades every few days. I still get red irritated skin and razor bumps along my throat. I switched to Art of Shaving creme and a brush application it seems to help, some. I am hoping an ultra sharp blade and plenty of practice will help even more.
I would recommend stoping that oil, but again as I said earlier I do not know enough to give you an answer. I hope someone will be along shortly to give you a better answer to your question.
I would say light touch and paying attention to the angle of the blade will do wonders for sensitive skin. I wouldn't go for a BBS shave, just shorten the whiskers a touch. Next pass shorten them some more. Even do a second ATG pass with the light pressure and I bet your problems will go away.
Oh yeah, make sure your blade is sharp. This is a standard line but it does need to be said.
I have fewest problems using a straight, everything else causes more irritation.
Good skinprep. is essential. Proraso is very nice stuff, use a not heavily perfumed A/S balm without alcohol.
Use a sharp blade and as little pressure as possible.
When you say you're changing blades often I assume you are using a DE ? If so many people find a milder blade such as a Derby to be less irritating than a sharper one such as a Feather.
While I have sensitive skin to the point that I can only do two passes without irritation I've never suffered from the razor bumps and learned the no pressure gradual stubble removal technique (link) and that made things a lot better for me regardless of the shaving tool.
I wash my face vigorously twice in the shower before every shave. Prep makes a great difference in shaving comfort as does technique, skin stretching and blade angle. As for cream versus soap, I like to take an almond sized dollop of cream in the shaving bowl and then load the brush with soap and make super lather. That is the most cushioning and comfort I've found.
Everything in shaving is individual preference known as YMMV but I've also found that for me lathering in a bowl is much better than face lathering.
Currently using a mach 3, but my first Straight Razor is being shipped as we speak!! I am very excited. I think/hope using the significant upgrade in shaving utensil will make a big difference after I get the hang of it. The only downside is I fell in to another expensive and addictive hobby.
Then why would you give one nonetheless? From a probably relevant article in the Wiki:Quote:
Originally Posted by jbcohen
Quote:
Get a better shaving result by improving your preparation - Straight Razor Place Wiki
In the market there are several different pre shave oils to choose from. The main purpose is to help the blade glide over the skin without so much exfoliation. They do soften the whiskers too but the main idea is to protect the skin
To begin with, a search of this forum will deliver hundreds of posts regarding shaving oil. Same for "sensitive skin" +soap. A good place to search would be our very own review section.Quote:
Originally Posted by jbcohen
In a nutshell: Personally, I believe that human skins vary too widely to make any definitive recommendations, but it seems that you cannot go wrong with Castle Forbes. Personally, I use either CF's pre shave, or AOS's pre shave oils.
Good luck, and keep us updated on your progress.
Regards,
Robin
What razor are you using?Quote:
Originally Posted by rockysopus
In the past I have used some pre-shave oils with good results but I am not a big fan myself. Please keep in mind that the skin of every person is different so my results and yours could be completely different. However, the Art of Shaving cream seems to irritate the skin of several people, including mine. I have very sensitive skin and I find that out of the commercially available products, Mitchell's Wool Fat and Castle Forbes, excell in conditioning of the skin. You cannot go wrong with either. One thing that I found to be critical in preventing irritation is to use lather of the proper consistency. Lathering is a skill, which is often overlooked among wet shavers. This process can be divided into 3 stages:
1) loading the brush; 2) building the lather; and 3) hydrating the lather. It is important to pay careful attention to each stage.
When lathering, the most important thing is to be sure of finding the peak of the soap/cream (the point where no more lather can be produced). Both dry (before reaching the peak) and too wet (over the peak) lather can be problematic. Dry lather looks similar to cake frosting and can easily be detected by passing your brush over. If the brush leaves grooves, the lather is too dry. Lather has been obtained with too much water (past the peak) vanishes almost immediately after it touches the skin and can appear dry. These are very common problems among new and seasoned users. There is a good section in the wiki about lathering, if you have not done so already, a visit is in order:
Category:Lather - Straight Razor Place Wiki
Also, I think this that you may find this video useful:
Regardless of the lathering method you use, another important point is to hydrate the lather after the peak is reached. You may want to take a look at this thread:
Having a hard time creating decent lather
This should give you a head start. If you have more problems, do not hesitate to ask. Happy shaving.
Al raz.
Regarding shaving soaps:
I have had to deal with sensitive skin and the bumps on the neck, all my adult life.
When it gets bad, i like to use Proraso...i have other soaps (thanks Olivia) and love those alot, but for times when my skin gets really irritated, the Proraso works the best.
Before shaving, i boil water and apply a hot towl to my face for a couple minutes, then slather on the Proraso soap. I leave it on for quite some time...5-10 minutes, usually while im stropping or reading SRP. I then wipe it off with a hot towl and re-apply it a second time, right before shaving.
The menthol in the Proraso, works as a vasodialator/skin dialater...really opening up the pores and anestitizing the skin...also softening the facial hairs, so less shaving is required, for removal. I think that razor-bump people just have to do more prep work...IMO.
I am sure there are other good products out there with Eucalyptis and menthol in it, but currently Proraso, is what i use, about once a week. I can get away with using the other soaps, usually the other times i shave.
Hopefully i can get Olivia to make me some Mentholated shaving soap. ;-)
Hope this helps,
Mac
pre shave oil: I like to make my oil 75percent olive oil with 25 percent vitamin e oil.
Creams are easier to build a good lather, but using glycerin with soap works good too.
The most important thing though is to use light pressure, you are only trying to cut hair right:). Skin prep before and skin stretch is very important. One pass on the neck may also help when you are learning.
I hope this helps
Crom
+1 on olive oil... Every now and again I wash with KMF olive oil soap and its great stuff, and I wouldn't hesitate to use real olive oil on my face. I don't need preshave though.
Something I just learned this weekend is full-blown face lathering, and it may help/eliminate your preshave oil. Rub the bar of shave soap directly on your beard as if washing your face. Once you have a good amount on, wet your brush and lather up. I saw this done with what is called a "shaving stick" but I bet you could use any puck soap or thick cream.