Thread: Seeking tips on reducing irritation w/cold water shaves

Hi,

I've been shaving with hot water for 9 months now, and shaves are normally irritation free. However, i wanted to try cold water shaving, in part to be able to use it for traveling, with a more light weight setup.

Unfortunately, with my shaves, i'm getting MUCH more irritation. So, i'm wondering if it is my preshave prep, dealing w/face lathering and soap vs cream, during shave process, or other.

With my normal routine, I take a hot shower, wash my beard with soap, and apply hair conditioner. After the shower, I create latter using TOBS cream in a heated shuttle, apply preshave cream to face, apply hot towel for 30-60 seconds, rinse, reapply preshave cream, apply soap, and do a pass with straight razor. I then, reapply preshave cream and soap and do the second pass. Overall, three passes, WTG, XTG, and ATG.

Most of the time, I have very little irritation. If I get anal and do extra touch-ups to get really BBS, I'll have moderate irritation.

For cold water, I just wet my face, apply soap (Arko), face lather (get a pretty good lather, but is new to me), and do the same three passes with my straight, same pressure/technique, and reapply soap in-between passes. I'm seeing that I get considerable irritation, almost rash like. I only try this once a week (done about 3 times), on Sunday, so I'm not rushed.

I'm wondering what I should add back into the process, to alleviate the irritation (or whether it's not going to work for me). I'm trying to stay away from using a scuttle, thinking of the travel aspect (for flying, I'll try to limit liquids and use a disposable).

Any tips/ideas I should try? Any concerns that I should be aware of?

Thanks!

Normally, cold water shaving is an irritation reducer. One thing I kept from hot shaving was using hair conditioner as part of my pre shave routine. When ready to lather up I usually add a thin layer of Aveeno Therapeutic Shave Gel (in a can), or generic equivalent, worked in with my finger tips over the conditioner. Over this base I apply the uber lather of the day and shave away. Any irritation I have from that combo is usually neglect from using too much pressure in places.

I'm really confused.

You are not just changing the temperature of the water, but many other things too, so why are you blaming the cold water for the irritation? Why not do exactly the same prep, and preshave cream, and soap, and everything else, and just change the water temperature?

We are all a little different, here is my routine and I hope it helps some. Hot or cold water it is the same. I do my shaves opposite of the weather, hot shave when it is cold and of course cold shave when it is hot. Prep is always Noxema then strop, face lather, shave with attention to the pressure and stretching is not an option. I do a 2 1/2 pass shave. Against the grain except mustache, with the grain mustache only, ears to chin across the grain except lower neck with the grain. It is not truly a real across or against though as the underside of my jaw grows mostly from chin to ear as I am doing my south to north pass that part is actually across and then when I am doing my other pass that part is against. So with grain direction it is never straight forward on my face, but I do my passes like that because it is fast, simple and results in a CCC shave.

The shave routine you are trying out is the shave routine that I use every single day. That is wet face with cold water, load brush and face lather. Then normally 4 passes relathering between passes followed by a rinse with cold water, apply some alum and rinse again with cold water. Normally very little if any irritation.

As you are new face lathering and using a new soap, Arko, could it be possible that your lather is not quite good enough yet? Personally I find Arko makes a fine thick and slick lather.

Bob

When I originally began cold water shaving it was from info in a booklet printed in 1905 or '06. The book said wet face with cold water, lather with cold water. Rub the lather in vigorously with the fingertips. Lather again. Shave.

I don't care what method of prep, or of shaving, straight or DE, more than 2 passes + a touch up here and there, and I get irritation. So maybe cut out the last pass. Another thing to consider is whether you might be using more pressure unconsciously ? Perhaps because of the cold water ?

Did you have the author autograph it for you Jim

Maybe stick with the hot shower first; it will soften the hairs more, allowing for an easier shave. Splashing on some cold water is likely insufficient. Using cold water to rinse your face and to build your lather should help to reduce irritation.

I do what Moonshae suggests.
1) Soak brush in water
2) Normal shower to soften follicles and wash off natural oils
3) Cold water for lather and rinsing between passes
4) Very cold water rinse to clean up

You still need to prep your beard. just splashing cold water on you face and lathering doesn't seem to be working for you.

I agree with the shower first idea, also the water doesn't have to be cold just whatever comes out of the tap.