Thread: Hello from a new member

Welcome Izlat I hope you find this site ,and particularly the members as helpful and honest as I have. I hope you realize that you have just started something that you just cant stop,so don`t try ,just enjoy
Kind regards Peter

again, thanks for all the welcomes

I *have* discovered the soapmistresses and have already wondered what to get. Since the skin on my neck (but not my cheeks) is very sensitive, I have to be careful. I think my best shot shall be to actually tell the ladies about my skin and scent preferences, and then ask them for a recommendation

cheers
Ivo

Ivo, any soap from Colleen will be gentle even on sensitive skin. There is only one exception -- Cavendish black. It gives me a bit of a prickling sensation, especially when applied with a plastic-bristled brush, but it never gave me any actual irritation after rinsing. I like the scent and the glide so much that I ordered 2 cakes from her in addition to some of my other favourites (Desert Ironwood and Orange Patchouli) and the tryout of the Bay Rum + Orange. Recently I even solved the shaving mug shortage issue, so I'm good to go

P.S. My skin is very sensitive so I also have to be careful.

Ilija,

thanks for the tip. I will bear this in mind when ordering. Currently have (even used it yesterday) a Bay Rum aftershave; it might work well with a Bay Rum soap.

on a separate issue, have you used pre-shave oils and what would you recommend? I wonder if I should get the cheaper Musgo or the "high-end" Truefitt & Hill Ultimate comfort. I have been a bit disappointed by Caswell Massey santalwood shave cream and spray - waaay too strong for my taste, so not sure if I want to try CM pre-shave oil

Even though some people more experienced than me swear by them, from a purely physical standpoint they don't make sense to me. You know that oil and water don't mix, so they may inhibit moisture absorbtion of your hair. The cheaper and probably better solution would be to just use some hair conditioner after you wash your face. They are supposed to soften your hair. The soaps should give you more than enough of a razor glide.

By the way I use Dominica Bay Rum aftershave a lot for its effect on my skin, but I am not a big fan of the scent. However I have the feeling that it may mix well with orange, so I decided to give it a shot.

Ilija,

I thought you *can* (temporarily?) mix oil and whater, at the right circumstances (temperature, vigorous shaking, etc. - isn't this how they make perfume?)

What's more important, I think your answer raises an interesting (for me, at least - but maybe for others too) question for sensitive skin types: is superior glide provided by the pre-shave oil so much of a benefit as to override the supposedly adverse effect of impeding water absorption by the hair? By the way, in the case when you shave after a shower, this is probably irrelevant, as the hair shall already have absorbed as much water as possible. This question is only important if you haven't already saturated the hair with water. And this leads to another question - when is the best / most appropriate time to use the pre-shave oil? Maybe you lather up, wait a bit, then rinse with hot water, then apply pre-shave oil, then (optionally?) lather up again? FWIW, I have shaven with a DE and pre-shave oil only and the result wasn't bad.

Actualy, I am starting to wonder - maybe I should have a separate thread (maybe even in another forum section) with these questions?

Cheers
Ivo

PS by the way, you seem to have some EEuropean lineage - if your name is the one in the signature? So do I

Ivo, I can't answer too many questions about pre-shave oils as I haven't used one. Oil and water can mix if you use an emulsifying agent. For that you should ask in the Soaps/Mugs forum.
If you look at it logically (and I'm hoping my logic isn't flawed), the process should go like this:
1) Clean the natural oils off your face
2) Saturate the hair with water
3) Apply a pre-shave oil
4) Lather up
5) Shave
The bottom line for me was that using shave oils appear to be investing time, money and effort into a process that will give you a dubious benefit.
As for my lineage, I sent you a relevant private msg. You may want to check it out as I am guessing that we lived in the same country until it fell apart and people started killing each other for no good reason. At least the killing stopped and I'm hoping people are smart enough to let the reconciliation begin.