Shaving Problems: Need Some Help

Hey everyone,

I've been DE shaving (and soon to be shaving properly with a straight, as my new Dovo Silver Steel should be arrive in an hour or so!) for about 3 months maybe a little less. And I have generally had very good results, and have been enjoying this hobby immensely!

Although, for the last two weeks I have been having some problems. Its like I am getting lesser shaves than I was a month ago!

Firstly, I have been having a very frustrating issue with my brush. It all started when I purchased some Nutragena for Men Skin Clearing Shaving Cream. I have pretty oily skin and am prone to acne so I thought I'd give it a try. (I have been so excited to try all the different products out there.) I wasn'tsure if it'd lather up or not but I gave it a try anyways. It didn't. So I was like "ok well that didn't work, I'll just keep it for a last resort type of thing." So I washed off my brush and started to mix my usual no-fail combo of TOBS St. Jermyn and Van Der Hagen Deluxe Shave Soap. This combo makes a rich creamy lather with great slick-ocity. But when I started whipping it up, it just didn't lather. So I added more of each, but that didn't work. Still no lather. Then I tried my Edwin Jagger Sandalwood, that didn't work. So I just used my other brush (which did create a lather) and finished up my shave.

That was last week. Since then I had tried to use that brush again but with no luck, no matter how many times I washed the brush out. It just killed all the lathering capability, well the Nutragena is what must have done it. Whatever ingredients or combination of ingredients are in that cream prevent other soaps and creams from lathering up. I don't know if it was the Salicylic Acid or what.

So I ended up buying a new VDH boar brush. Although now I have been expriencing the same problem with my new brush. But this time I think it is because this Gillette pre shave face wash I have been using. So now that brush doesn't work either. I am becoming extremely frustrated with this situation.

Has anyone had this happen to them?

The second major problem I have been having is when I try to get the tricky hairs on my chin i always seem to nick myself. But if I don't go at them with a certain angle or pressure I cant get em. They just lay really flat against my face. My chin is pretty much the only place where I have full hair growth so it is noticable if I dont get a cleqan shave there but I do on the rest of my face. I just have a hard time getting a clean shave there without being a little aggresive. but when I am aggressive I nick myself.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Chance

Chance....That Neutrogena product is a shave gel and is not intended to lather. And, as you've discovered, it will "kill" lather from other soaps and creams. Follow the directions on the tube.

Try cleaning your brush with regular shampoo and warm water a couple of times. That should remove any residue of the gel.

If you can shave your chin with a DE razor, then try following the same "direction" with the SR. Use very light strokes at as low an angle as possible, stretching the skin so as to make the whiskers
"stand up".

Good luck.

Neutrogena says "no-foam" right on it. I bet it has something like silicone to suppress lather. Silicone can be a little difficult to get rid of. Besides your brush, it might also still be in your shaving mug.

I am in the spray booth business and if the customer uses silicone caulk it ruins the paint jobs and is the devil to get rid of.

I haven't been able to find an ingredient list.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PaulKidd

Chance....That Neutrogena product is a shave gel and is not intended to lather. And, as you've discovered, it will "kill" lather from other soaps and creams. Follow the directions on the tube.

Try cleaning your brush with regular shampoo and warm water a couple of times. That should remove any residue of the gel.

If you can shave your chin with a DE razor, then try following the same "direction" with the SR. Use very light strokes at as low an angle as possible, stretching the skin so as to make the whiskers
"stand up".

Good luck.

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Thanks for the suggestions. Although the tube I purchased is a "shave cream" so I thought I might have a shot at getting it to lather, but obviously that was not the case.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Crotalus

Neutrogena says "no-foam" right on it. I bet it has something like silicone to suppress lather. Silicone can be a little difficult to get rid of. Besides your brush, it might also still be in your shaving mug.

I am in the spray booth business and if the customer uses silicone caulk it ruins the paint jobs and is the devil to get rid of.

I haven't been able to find an ingredient list.

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The tube I have (at least im 90% positive) didn't say that. Otherwise I wouldn't have purchased it. It said to just massage onto the face, so it didn't say you could use a brush but it also didn't state you couldn't. ;) So i tried. But yea your probably right.

If shampoo doesn't cut it you can always try mixing some baking soda with water. You may have to let the combination soak for about 5 minutes. You can also use a conditioner on the bristles after a deep cleansing.