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