Thread: Shaving Irritation

Okay, I got the DR Harris in yesterday and shaved with it this morning. To tell you the truth, I wasn't really impressed with it. First of all, it wasn't very creamy for being a cream. Is that normal for this brand? The texture was more of a thick soap. The AOS that I'm using is like a cold cream consistency. The DR Harris was thicker than that, almost gummy. The second thing that threw me off was that it was deep purple. There has to be a dye in there to get this color. For something for sensitive skin, I wouldn't think to put in a dye.

The other thing that I noticed was that I had to re-lather a lot, since it dried out quickly or just got gummy. I tried to add more water and build up a better lather, but it stick stuck to my blade, or my blade dragged on my face.

This is the first time that I've used DR Harris, so maybe my expectations were wrong. After using the AOS cream, I just thought the DR Harris would be about the same consistency or creamer/slicker.

Has anybody tried the Lavender AOS?

yeah, that sounds about right. Try loading the brush like a soap. It performs well, though. Spend a little time working on the lather

AoS is very good, though. In fact, their soaps are among the best on the market. So is the D.R. Harris lavender soap. But your cream should be ok too.

Just an update on the irritation: it is pretty much gone. So, what did I do different? I tried the DR Harris shaving cream, but went back to the AOS shaving cream. The DR Harris was just drying too fast, much like my Col. Conk's soap. I did start adding glycerin to my soap mix. That seems to make a difference, as long as I add sufficient water. The other thing that I'm trying is to keep the blade stropped; to keep the edge aligned and keep the edge clean.

I'll continue to watch the blade angle and keep the blade sharp.

Glad to know things are getting better! Once it all starts to come together, it's very satisfying.

I have identified a sensitive spot, the small area right under my lower lip. It feels like the blade is scraping, but I just push through and only shave it one pass. I'm guessing this is probably a sensitive area for many.

Were you not stropping before and after shaving previously? I would guess you're running into one of two issues...

1. Angle, your hair may change angle depending on the location, so even if you are holding the razor at the same angle it may be approaching your hair at a different angle thus causing the irritation.
2. Stropping is used to realign the metal on the blade, if you don't strop and you have metal that isn't lined up I could see that easily causing what you are describing in more sensitive areas like the neck.

Those would be the two areas I would look at first.

I've pretty much eliminated the irritation. I'm watching the blade angle as suggested and I went with a sharper blade. I went back to the AOS shaving cream and adding some glycerin. The biggest challenge is the shaving angle; I can shave down with no problems. I'm still working on the angles to shaving up the neck.

Originally Posted by jerrybyers

I ordered some DR Harris last night. I will let you know how it works when I get it.

I never that about the changing angle on the front of the neck from the chin down; I'll keep an eye on that.

I have a bottle of Dr. Harris Milk and I love it for the days I feel like I have a little burn.