Thread: Ingredient which burn

What ingredient causes the burning in most aftershaves? Some like Clubman don't burn much while one old favorite Canoe will light my fire even without a shave.

I have used 91% alcohol as a baseline and it is mild by comparison.

Its usually the alcohol content that gives the burn. Thats why the bay rums are usually pretty brutal. I myself like the burn though

I've been warned not to overdo the cinnamon or nutmeg in my home-made stuff by my soap making friend. If it'll burn on the tongue, it'll burn your face.

Alcohol is the culprit.

Natural scent oils can be really caustic but commercial products have controlled amounts. It's mainly home made stuff that can cause problems in that Dept.

In Bay Rum clove oil is the main irritant,plus the alcohol

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

In Bay Rum clove oil is the main irritant,plus the alcohol

Yeah, forgot about that one. Pure clove oil can be used to numb a tooth ache, but it'll burn the crap out of your gums.

It isn't the alcohol. I have used 91% isopropyl directly on my face and it stings somewhat but doesn't burn like many aftershaves.

If you're getting more burn and/or redness than usual from a product chances are your skin is having some kind of reaction to it, possibly allergic. The cheaper aftershaves are mostly to blame for this due to inferior ingredients and high perfume/alcohol content, but that doesn't mean that high end products won't cause negative reactions either. Chemical sensitivity is certainly not uncommon for men. Just another thought....

Originally Posted by Ryan82

If you're getting more burn and/or redness than usual from a product chances are your skin is having some kind of reaction to it, possibly allergic. The cheaper aftershaves are mostly to blame for this due to inferior ingredients and high perfume/alcohol content, but that doesn't mean that high end products won't cause negative reactions either. Chemical sensitivity is certainly not uncommon for men. Just another thought....

+1
Chemical sensitivity is not the same as an allergic reaction.
There are hard to tell apart as per my doctor.

And the most problematic ingredients are not always the cheep stuff
for both allergies and chemical sensitivity.

There are a lot of products out there -- read the labels and
stick with what works for you. Most of the trouble materials
are less than the 1% mark and may not show up on the label.

Anything new in my shave den gets a three day in a row test.
I find that it often takes three days for my skin to react
or not react. Also a shave today can be terrible because of
a product used yesterday or the day before.

As always it is the save test that tells the story.

Originally Posted by Ryan82

If you're getting more burn and/or redness than usual from a product chances are your skin is having some kind of reaction to it, possibly allergic. The cheaper aftershaves are mostly to blame for this due to inferior ingredients and high perfume/alcohol content, but that doesn't mean that high end products won't cause negative reactions either. Chemical sensitivity is certainly not uncommon for men. Just another thought....

+1
Chemical sensitivity is not the same as an allergic reaction.
There are hard to tell apart as per my doctor.

And the most problematic ingredients are not always the cheep stuff
for both allergies and chemical sensitivity.

There are a lot of products out there -- read the labels and
stick with what works for you. Most of the trouble materials
are less than the 1% mark and may not show up on the label.

Anything new in my shave den gets a three day in a row test.
I find that it often takes three days for my skin to react
or not react. Also a shave today can be terrible because of
a product used yesterday or the day before.

As always it is the save test that tells the story.