Thread: Moisturising Soap/Cream?

Bear in mind that shaving creams or soaps act as a soap: they dissolve the natural fats and oils of your skin into water. When you clean your face they disappear in the sewer. You can modify but not entirely get rid of this soap effect by adding stuff to the lather. Best is to replace the natural fats and oils after shaving with a balm.

I will see about finding some of that pure lanolin or something similar. Is it something they'd have at CVS? I don't really have a traditional supermarket nearby.

I have one moisturizing cream type aftershave, and have tried another a long time ago, but those leave my pores open or something like that which leads to a burning sensation if I sweat within a few hours of shaving - the alcohol ones have always prevented this for me, in fact skipping aftershave altogether has been better than the lotion for me, which has been my normal routine when using cartridge razors in the past.

For now I think the best thing to do is just give my face a break for a day.

I think many health food stores carry pure lanolin. I know I get mine at my local Whole Foods. That is where I get my glycerin as well.

I personally use this product ( Sephora: Anthony Logistics For Men Glycolic Facial Cleanser: Cleansers & Facial Treatments ) while in the shower as part of my face prep. I use an old boar brush, $1 shave soap, and some crappy aftershave. Before I started using this my face was ALWAYS dried out and flakey after a shave but this really seems to help.

Today I tried putting on this Vaseline Total Moisturizing lotion before my shave, and used the Cella. I don't know which it was, but I cannot ever remember my face feeling so soft. Feels very healthy and not the faintest bit oily, which is its natural tendency. A little irritation as to be expected but no dryness. Thanks for your help everyone!

Since you mentioned your love for Williams, I thought I'd share what I've been doing with it lately. I use it as a base for super (uber? mondo?) lathering by loading a brush with it about 50% of the normal density/amount, then adding a 50% dose of any kind of cream and 5 drops of glycerin. The resulting lather is moisturizing, slick, etc.

Originally Posted by Lazarus

I think many health food stores carry pure lanolin. I know I get mine at my local Whole Foods. That is where I get my glycerin as well.

I found this stuff at a local organic food store - they are pretty hardcore there and all they had was the 100% pure stuff in its natural state, it's literally just a tub of this thick and hard wax. I just tried rubbing some into my face, and then worked the excess into my hands and elbows and it is still a little bit tacky (much like using raw shea butter) but I can feel the softness already as it is absorbing. Thanks for the tip!

This is fun playing around with different stuff though. I almost want to concoct my own aftershave recipe by seeing if this stuff is alcohol soluble and adding it to some bay rum. It's amazing how well simple, natural products work.

I will have to be careful now, though, as I am dangerously close to using more "beauty products" than my girlfriend.

Edit - on a side note, I wonder if a small amount would work as a strop conditioner?

Interesting. I have been using it in a liquid form and just adding a few drops to my lather. Here is what I have been using.

Home Health, Liquid Lanolin, 4 fl oz (118 ml) - iHerb.com