Question about dry/sensitive skin

I've been battling off an on with irritated skin on my face for years now. My straight technique has reached the point where I'm not irritating my face anymore, but I'm still having some problems with my skin.

Here's what's been happening lately:

I'll do my normal two-pass shave, and everything feels great as I rinse off the rest of the lather. The alum block feels pretty good--maybe a slight tingle or two in a couple of places. I rinse off again, gently towel dry, then apply a moisturizer. This stuff is supposed to be for sensitive skin, but it burns as I apply it. It's just a Nivea lotion from Wal-Mart, but I get the same burning effect from Proraso ASB, aloe gel, or Coral Skin Food.

The burning subsides, and my skin feels pretty good for most of the day. But around late afternoon, it starts to feel irritated again. My cheeks and chin look rashy--like those itchy heat burns you sometimes get during the summer.

If I apply more lotion at this point, it burns again. Eventually the burning goes away, but the irritation stays to some extent.

I'm frustrated with trying to pinpoint what's causing this. I'm thinking maybe it's just severely dry, chapped skin.

Has anyone else experienced anything similar?

Josh

Yes; unfortunately.

Try some of this:

http://www.emsplace.com/grooming/lot...nd_creams.aspx

EXOTIC BUTTER CREAM - This thick, rich exotic cream is perfect for all skin types - filled with shea, cocoa and mango butter. What makes this so great for the skin is its high content of natural butters that are high in fatty acids (comprised mostly of stearic and oleic.) These fatty acids are indispensable for moisturizing and retaining the elasticity of the skin. By making up for lipid (fat) deficiency in the epidermal cells, exotic butters provide the skin with all the essential elements it needs for good balance. Smooth on face, hands, and body. Especially nice as an under eye and lip cream. And those dry patches will "drink it up". Has a very light aroma from the essential oils. The ultimate! If you have normal, dry or very dry facial skin this is for you. #fc-sc
Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis (Aloe) Juice, Rosa damascena (Rose) Distillate, Butyrospermun parkii (Shea) Butter, Emulsifying Wax NF, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Hamamelis virginiana (Witch Hazel), Theobroma cacao (Natural Cocoa) Butter, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Phenoxyethanol, Palm Stearic Acid, Mangifera indica (Mango) Butter, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citrus sinensis (Sweet Orange) Essential Oil, Xanthan Gum (Polysaccharide Gum), Lavandula officinalis (Lavender) Essential Oil, Mannan, Salix nigra (Organic Black Willow Bark) Extract, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Oleoresin, Azadirachta indica (Neem), Citric Acid Select Size and Price 4 oz. $17.85 - SALE $14.85
2 oz. $8.95 - SALE $5.95

What soap or cream do you generally use?

Josh, have you tried anything like the Trumper's Skin Food yet?

Lynn

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. Lynn, I have tried the Trumper's Skin Food, and I'm not sure about it. I actually just used it yesterday, and my skin acted about the same as it has been. It did burn when applied, but felt soothing after about 15 minutes. About eight hours later, the irritation surfaced as it often does.

The shea butter isn't something I've tried. I'll have to give that a shot.

Right now I'm using D.R. Harris Lavender soap. I am sensitive to some soaps. Proraso irritates my skin. Trufitt & Hill Luxury burns like fire when I lather up with it, as do some of Colleen's soaps.

D.R. Harris almond seems to be fine. I'm in my first week with the lavender, and it seems to be fine for my skin. There's no burning as the lather sits on my skin.

The burning from the various lotions actually reminds me of the feeling I got from the Luxury and other soaps. But I need to moisturize, or my skin gets very dry and tight.

Thanks for the suggestions--keep 'em coming.

Josh

I've got similar skin.

I use Dermalogica Active Moist moisturiser. It's very expensive but it has rave reviews and is used by most of the glamour celebs. (not that this counts for much)

Maybe see if you can grab a sample from somewhere before you buy.

Almond does irritate my skin...especially the pre-shave oils.

Lavender is also irritating to some. Safest for me has been the Lime and Mints.

Hope you find some relief. This winter dryness is especially tough.

Hate that electric heat!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JoshEarl

Thanks for the suggestions--keep 'em coming.

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I don't know how much you're willing to try to fix it, but I would suggest you try "method shaving," or really just using Hydrolast products. I've switched to that, and all my skin problems have disappeared. No more blemishes, no more dry skin, no more oily skin, etc. Now, I don't have to wash my face or moisturize -- and I've always suffered from dry, cracked skin too.

You'd be shocked how good it is. I definitely recommend you give it a try. Method shaving has a bad rap because it seems complicated, but it's really no different than using the traditional soaps/creams and doesn't take any longer.

Most everything will irritate your skin when it's raw Josh.

There's some very good suggestions here and I would add just one: Ask a dermatologist.

Your irritation could have progressed from irritation to infection very easily and a professional opinion wouldn't hurt.

I'm not trying to be an alarmist, just eliminating possibilities.

Take care,
Randy

I get this with all moisturisers I have tried except Kiehl's. This is a pain as in the UK you get half as much for twice the price.

They have "nourishing face cream" for everyday use, or if you have very dry skin they do an ultra facial moisturizer, which I use when I go skiing or to dry climates. I know they do sample packs as last time I purchased some they threw them in.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LegalEagle

I don't know how much you're willing to try to fix it, but I would suggest you try "method shaving," or really just using Hydrolast products.

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I agree on this. At the very least, the skin conditioner is great. Not cheap but it only takes a very small amount. It is applied on wet skin. The soap and paste is used mainly with DE shaving but it is also great to use with straight shaving. :tu

Hey Josh,
Try this without the Lavender first, then if you like it, you can always add EO for fragrance. It can be used as a pre-shave and as an aftershave moisture lock. You'd be surprised how ungreasy it is.

After shaving, rinse very well with warm water, then the cold water.
See if those balms, etc have a common ingredient.

for me, all my problems stopped when i started using mitchells woolfat soap. no more dryness which has been a problem for me in the past, coal stove in my house makes it so dry that an old oak table just exploded right down the middle last year. dont know if it was the soap, or just figured it out one day, but after changing soaps it was also the last time i cut myself shaving, december 15

Mitchells Woolfat, like DR Harris, is a tallow-based triple-milled soap. These are supposed to be among the most moisturizing of soaps. I don't think mine is drying my skin out--just that the moisturizing effect isn't enough for my skin. :)

Josh

My technique is god awful, so I have an extra variable you probably don't have to worry about, but I had similar issues when using glycerin soaps (col. Conk), and they seemed to get better when I switched to Tabac. A couple of days shaving with that and the dryness goes away. If I switch back, it comes back. As I mentioned, it could very well be a technique thing for me (as in my technique is appropriate to one soap and not the other), but it's worth considering. It seems like when I shave with the wrong stuff, no amount of aftercare is going to make me feel good later in the day.

Good luck,
Bill

Josh,

Here's a datapoint from way out in left field -- some of the only
products that leave my face feeling like I haven't even shaved
are those made by Zirh. I use their pre-shave oil (just 3 drops
or so), strop up my razor, then wet my face and rub in their
shave cream. This is a very thick and lubricating cream that un-
fortunately shows up relatively clear on your face.

After the shave I use their aftershave balm (very light) and
their moisturizer on the areas of my face that still need more
moisture.

I still really love and use my traditional products, but every
once in a while I eschew the pleasure of building a lather with
soap and a brush and just reach for the Zirh products to give
my skin a treat.

YMMV :)

- Scott

It sounds like you have some sort of alergy to something. I would guess a common ingredient in the moisturizers. probably not even one of the active ones just a little additive that ittitates you upon application. A dermatoogist or alergist is probably your best bet.

It sounds like the burn is the reaction wjile after about eight hours the dry irritation returns only to give way to the burn when you add more product. I would drop the alum, except as deodorant :P it can dry my face a little (I like the tightness but...in your case). maybe try ol's fashioned white petrolium jelly fro moisturizer a couple of days, unless you have terminal acne like I do, it will keep your skin moist without any additives at all.

Scott,

Where do you get Zirh products?

The last week has been pretty miserable for me, actually, but I think some good has come of it. I believe that what I've been suffering from might be some kind of hives, triggered by a non-shaving related allergen.

Until recently the irritation conformed roughly to the areas of my face that I shave, so I assumed that was the cause. But this week I've been itchy all over--weird places like behind my ears and on the back of my neck.

I've been doing the olive oil thing, and it's actually working very nicely. My skin feels relatively good even though it's irritated--a weird sensation. :)

It helps to know what I'm dealing with, even though the possible triggers are almost unlimited. I might end up going to a dermatologist at some point.

Thanks again,
Josh

Josh,

It sounds like a visit to the dermatologist would be well worth
it. You may end up having a sensitivity to soap in general --
if so there should be a few non-soap shave products (like Zirh)
available for you.

You can order their products directly from the website, zirh.com
but they also have a very good locator for local retailers. Since
the tub of shaving cream is fairly expensive and applies clearly
to the face (not the greatest for straights) I'm almost hesitant
to recommend it.

Let us know how you make out!

- Scott

Thanks, Scott. I may have to try that out.

The last few weeks have been pretty rough. I've tried several soaps since running out of the Harris almond soap I'd been using, and my skin is in bad shape. This morning I tried a puck of inexpensive soap I had in a drawer, and it was so bad I had to wash it off after 1/3 of a pass. That's my fourth soap in the last two weeks. :mad: Williams has been safe for me in the past, and this stuff looked like Williams, but I don't think it was.

I finished the shave with plain water, and it actually worked really well. I'm thinking I'll try using water for the next few days to let my skin recover. I got a pretty good shave because I could see what I was doing. :)

I may end up ordering some more of the Harris almond, as that's one of the very few soaps that doesn't cause me major problems.

It seems like I've recently developed a heightened sensitivity to fragrences. Dang it.

Josh

Finishing with plain water may achieve the same effect I do by rinsing with warm water first. Removing any residue that got worked in.
I started rinsing well with warm water because I found it gets the soap out better, then the cold water rinse to close the pores. For me, that stopped the irritation caused by some soaps.

I'll second the notion for Mitchell's Wool Fat. It's a high end tallow based soap with lanolin content in it, which is pretty unique. It's very protective when shaving, and leaves my skin moisturized enough that most of the time I don't even need an aftershave product, even in the winter. . .

I have sensitive skin too - the MWF works the best for me so far. I've got Institut Karite and Pre de Provence soap on the way, both of which have shea butter content. I've heard these are good for sensitive skin as well.

As far as aftershave products, Skin Food and also just plain aloe vera work the best for me. I've tried a lot of lotions and balms, and my face just hates them. But these two work good for me.

After another flare-up last night, I think that I may have figured out what the problem is here. I think I have an allergy to wenge, which is a species of exotic wood that I've been using for the last few weeks.

A lot of exotic woods have the potential to cause skin irritation, so I've been considering those as the cause. Yesterday the only wood I worked with was the wenge, and I didn't really do anything else that was out of the ordinary.

I really hope that's what's going on. I do like this wood, but not that much. :)

I'll have to give MWF a shot, too.

Thanks,
Josh

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JoshEarl

Where do you get Zirh products?

I've been doing the olive oil thing, and it's actually working very nicely. My skin feels relatively good even though it's irritated--a weird sensation. :)

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I know that Sephora carries Zirh and they usually will have samples of the entire line on hand. Aside from that, I know Amazon usually has pretty low prices on the line.



By olive oil thing are you referring to oil cleansing method?

I'm telling you...check out Em's place as mentioned above. Really a good product.

hhmmm...... If it's the wenge time to startup that fireplace.

Maybe stop shaving for a few days ?:shrug:

Josh,

it is very surprising that the alum is OK but Nivea and the rest - not. Have you tried JASON 6-in1 or something as lotion? It may or may not work, but at least you can get it relatively easy and it doesn't cost much.

I'd second the allergy idea.

One thing - maybe you can try just once-over (one pass shave) and see if this leads to any improvement?

If we are talking shaving soap products: Honeybee Sue makes a great shea butter soap. As for the MWF, PP, and IK - I have read that they compare to L'Occitane CADE soap, and this last one irritates my skin sometimes. Bummer because I love the juniper scent, and it makes great lather too.

Good luck
Ivo

Does your lotion have lactic acid in it? I have a type that does, and it does this same thing to me, until I got used to it. Some type of acids are good for your face, I forget the type, but lactic is one type.

FWIW - the alum block and certain aftershave balms and lotions irritate my skin more than the shave ever will. I can't use 'em. . .

Yes you may have gone too close with your shave I used to get this alot with twin blade razors. Try dropping the alum block & just use a pre shave moisturiser & a post shave one this may be of help.Paul

Excellent suggestions, guys.

A couple of points: The alum thing hasn't been a part of my routine normally. I tried it recently, hoping that it would help reduce the irritation.

It's definitely a soap problem. I have been shaving with plain bath soap for the last few days, and my face has been healing. It works pretty well, actually, although there's no lather to speak of. I can see what I'm shaving more clearly, and I've been getting very close, comfy shaves. :)

I'm reintroducing real shaving soaps now, starting with Williams. That's always been a safe one for me in the past. I'm going to dry using it without a brush, too. If that's cool, then I'll go back to the brush. Maybe I've developed an allergy to the brush. :shrug: Just trying to control the variables.

The shave itself isn't the problem, since I've been healing nicely since I ditched the soaps.

I envy you guys who can just grab whatever soap or cream you feel like using on a particular day.... :)

Josh

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JoshEarl

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I envy you guys who can just grab whatever soap or cream you feel like using on a particular day.... :)

Josh

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Well, I am not one of these either. Luckily, I have found several soaps that always work :y

Cheers
Ivo

I'd like to give Mitchell's Wool Fat soap a try. I've been having really good results using just plain bar soap for the last couple of weeks, but I really want to find a shaving soap that won't cause me problems. This stuff seems promising. :)

Anybody want to buy my lavendar DR Harris soap? It's great stuff, and I wish I could use it... :(

Josh