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I don't want to jinx it, but I've been experimenting A LOT, and I think I've tracked down most of my problems- my aftershave. Just for experimentation purposes, I got a handful of rubbing alcohol and rubbed it in to my face. After running around like crazy from the burn, the usual razor "burn" was gone. It started to burn the next day, so I rubbed some more, and that was that:y
HAHAHA nice.. I guess the nice run around the house works well to cool off the evaporation off the skin.Quote:
Originally Posted by Quick Orange
Glad to hear you don't experience razor burn and, um, I think this is the first time I hear about this approach to fight burn... Like fight fire with fire?
I'd like to hear more about it...
Cheers
Ivo
You know, that I have also found that alcohol based AS as well as the alcohol based toners/witch hazel work better on razor burn and redness than their non-alcoholic counterparts.
Nice experiment though, really empirical. :)
Let's just say the missus got a kick out of my burning face...I like to shave right out of the shower:D
I guess you could say fighting fire with fire. I was just sitting there reading about what the irritation is, and thinking about the more successful aftershaves I've used, straight rubbing alcohol seemed the best choice. My only worry was extreme dryness, but I think the soap did its job on moisturizing the inside, while the alcohol cleaned up on the outside.
I'm going to keep experimenting with this, and I'll report back on how well things work out. This shave I only did my cheeks and jaw line so I could have near perfect form. If it works on my chin, then it's golden!
To be honest, of all the aftershaves I've smelled and used, I like the smell of the rubbing alcohol better. Not to mention it's waaaaaay cheaper.
Just make sure you don't get pulled over by a traffic cop after you shave! ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Quick Orange
Yep, I prefer alcohol based after-shaves over balms. I rather get the burn over with right away than have razor burn for the few hours after a shave. Pinuad Clubman ia a good soothing alcohol based a/s.
Ernest
Further findings:
Proraso Green and I don't get along. There's also a definite advantage to getting the alcohol sooner rather than later. I found that when I waited 10 minutes or so, the burn lasted longer.
Interesting... I've always been told to stay away from the alcohol-based aftershaves.... I'm intrigued now since I've got the worst razor burn I've ever gotten. Shaved at like 6:30 this morning, at noon, I'm starting to feel it... If I was at home I could just put more aftershave balm on...
I'm only on my fifth or sixth shave, and I've noticed a significant improvement in my shaves. I'm close to BBS, almost no nicks or cuts, but until now I hadn't gotten any razor burn.... I suppose it could be because I used less aftershave...
I'm planning on getting some T&H aftershave balm, and I suppose I'll thrown in an alcohol-based one as well for comparison. Pinaud Clubman I suppose since that's been suggested. I'd just like to know its fragrance notes.
Tough man. I tried pure rubbing alcohol once and shortly after decided my experimentation has gone too far...;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Quick Orange
Just to clarify (because it seems incredible to me):
If you don't use alcohol, the burn lasts for hours / days and if you do use alcohol, burn that would otherwise last hours / days is gone in say 10 minutes???
Hm, I don't want to cause burn especially for experimentation purposes... But I might. Whenever I use alum, it does burn the face if I have been too aggressive - but that's not too often. Even if I get some red spots (sometimes from soap reaction, aggro stretching, actual blade scrape, whatnot...) I am usually fine after a short time
And, for the record, I would encourage anyone to try to avoid burn in the first place :D
Cheers
Ivo
Well, just suffered some burns (note to self: wear a T when you cook!) - Pure Aloe Vera seemed to take care of them very well - until I decided to take a shower :eek:
Maybe this pure Aloe Vera will work well for the face too
Cheers
Ivo
It might, but the burn is different. The burn that we get from shaving is a skin irritation, whereas an actual burn is heat damage to the skin and nerves.
To sum up my experiences thus far, applying straight rubbing alcohol right after shaving got rid of the feeling of burn as soon as the sting from alcohol went away. The redness left in under 30 minutes. I did start to feel some irritation later, so I just re-applied the alcohol. The sting was less since my skin had healed somewhat. I also got a little bit a burn feeling the next day, so I re-applied again. It seems a little too much, but if I can avoid the red irritation and nasty pustules that I sometimes get, I'll swim in the stuff.
Some people have a problem with alcohol drying out the skin. The reason it dries you out is because alcohol attracts oxygen, which in turn takes the moisture from your skin. So just use your favorite facewash or face lotion and you'll be fine.
Meh, not too tough. I've just had worse before- get any kind of cut and put acetone on it, now that's pain!
I let my beard grow out so it would be more difficult to shave, ie I'm a little too aggressive. I instantly got some razor burn! I splashed on the alcohol, rubbing it in good, then went about my business. After about 10 minutes, it was mostly gone. After maybe 30 minutes, I splashed some more, and the only evidence that I shaved was my silky smooth skin:y
So, for you guys that have sensitive skin to overshave/agressiveness or even shaving, try this approach. It burns like Mr. T slapping you in the face, but it saves you the multi-day irritation and looking like you got mauled by bees!
Note: My razor was about as sharp as it gets. When I shaved perfectly, I thought I had just ran the spine down my face. Imagine my extreme pleasure after seeing the smooth trail of skin:cool:
I'll have to give this a try. I'm not looking forward to it, though. :)
Josh
I've used cool mint Listerine. No joke. :)
OK now that is really interesting to try out... :hmmm:Quote:
Originally Posted by Friggin Joe
The sting doesn't last, but while it's there, it is pretty bad:D
I started doing it simply because I seem to have super sensitive skin. I break out just from scratching my face sometimes. After applying enough alcohol though, it seems like I've really found a winner.
Ouch, cool mint listerine? I have to ask, what made you reach for it? Alcohol plus nice scent?:thinking:
Well using Listerine as aftershave ranks very low on my list of idiot maneuvers, but basically, yeah, the minty scent, alcohol and lack of AS.
I did it before my straight days. Wasn't bad. :)
I've tried the alcohol thing the last two days, and it's kind of fun in a "walking on hot coals in your bare feet" kind of way.
Yesterday the sting wasn't too bad, but today I was a bit aggressive with my razor. Holy cow! Ouch. After a few seconds a tingling numbness sets in, which is also fun.
The smell makes my wife crinkle her cute little nose, so fortunately it doesn't smell after it dries.
I'm not sure whether it's reducing irritation, which is minimal to nonexistant for me these days. But I kind of like it.
If I don't keep using straight alcohol, I think I will look for an aftershave with a high alcohol content. :)
Thanks for the tip!
Josh
For all the help you've given me, I'm glad to contribute.
It is nice in a way simply because the smell leaves after a minute. I like expensive Armani cologne, and I hate having to coordinate deodorants, colognes, AND aftershave. That gets waaaay too expensive.:cry:
Thanks alot Quick Orange. I tried that rubbing alcohol stunt and...MOMMA! I'll never do that again! Maybe I didn't run fast enough. Just picure some dude running commando around the house. Not a pretty sight, I tell you!
Ernest
C'mon, I warned you...I see this as a last resort type thing. If you don't have bad irritation, don't try it. For me, I'd rather a 10 second burn than a 7 day burn. Besides, what's more manly than shaving with a straight, then slapping liquid fire on your face?:rolleyes:
For those who don't take to oil based stuff (it really messes with my skin) and don't want to go the pure alcohol route I might offer Burt's Bees toner:
http://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/...ubCategory=yes
It has a nice clean smell and plenty of alcohol. The sting is moderate but it works very well for me.
I tried a couple AS balms and most didn't leave my skin very nice so I gave this a shot (I'd already had been using it after washing so.... it was handy) Worked great, IMO.
I don't usually use this any more. Aveda ASB leaves my skin just as nice with no burn at all but if you want that alcohol experience, it isn't in the Aveda product. I still use the BB toner, just not right after shaving.
Ken
(edit - this is available at most drug stores and groceries around here)
Hi.
Recently, I had a "eureka moment" that reduced razor burn considerably... I was holding the blade at too sharp of an angle and this was scraping my skin instead of cutting off the whiskers. Now, I hold the blade to my skin at an angle similar to how the blade is held when honing it. This gave a closer shave and required fewer passes. Fewer pass means less skin irritation.
After rinsing my face with plenty of hot water, I rub in a few drops of aloe gel that contains a little menthol. It's the kind used for suburn relief. Skin dries clean and smooth. The menthol smell lasts only a few minutes and does not interfere with my cologne.