Thread: True or False

Interesting - I suspect this is more important if one has had a bit of a rough shave? WHich may have been true with some barbers who didn't maintain a great edge (re: Mark Twain's story, lol)

When I get good or great shaves I sometimes don't put anything and I still feel OK and don't have any issues, except maybe some dryness for a brief period. If I got a bit more aggressive - AS helps, but I'd guess I always take more than 3 min to apply (because I first clean stuff, wash the brush, etc - and this is usually longer than 3 mins, as I take my time)

Cheers
Ivo

Good question. I don't know if the following is related at all, but I distinctly remember about a year ago, the local morning radio person asking a bit of trivia about a study that was done to find the maximum amount of time a person should wait to put on lotion after finishing a bath or a shower. The maximum amount of time?.....3 minutes. The study had shown that waiting any longer results in too much moisture evaporating from the skin which means less moisture is "locked in" by the lotion.

Maybe there's no correlation between the 3 minute aftershave window and the 3 minute lotion window and it's coincidental.

Chris L

On the subject of skin irritation after your shave, try this. Immediately after your shave, splash water on your face and rub an ALUM BLOC all over your shaved facial areas and this will tell you where you over-did it with your blade which probably wasn't super-scary sharp. Then rinse your face and apply some MUSGO REAL Balm availabe at www.highlandmenscare.com OR try NIVEA Balm available at most supermarkets. Very soothing with a nice masculine fragrance. Don't get the menthol. Not masculine.................!!!!

The alum bloc will tighten your pores and is the main ingredient in "styptic".

iF YOU RELLY HAVE A SERIOUS SKIN PROBLEM, TRY old fashioned NOXEMA.

Sincerely, The Old Guy

I usually don't get razor burn. Any discomfort, at least for me, is from excessive dryness. Especially in the winter, I skip any AS with alcohol and immediately apply a moisturizer. Usually Proraso ASB or Neutrogena "Razor Defense".

The whole 3 minute thing? I think if you apply the moisturizer while you face is slightly damp-it seems to work better.

Most aftershaves I am aware of are alcohol based, these are not going to moisterize your skin. In fact, they are probably going to dry it out some more. I call BS on this one.

Moisterizer, if you choose to use it, however is another matter. Moisterizers are all some type of water/oil emulsion, and they work my trapping the water against you skin so that it can be absorbed. The better ones also contain an oil that is compatable with your natural skin oil. Moisterizers work best when applied to slightly damp skin.

I wash my face with cold water, then pat try, then use a cooling/soothing balm, i'd say its under 3 mins,
For me its become a ritual and i basically do each step the same each time, so i'd try not to get called off or side-tracked too long after rinsing my face and before drying/putting aftershave/balm on

Were one to apply some splash while shaving wouldn't it be called During Shave rather than After Shave?

The moisture evaporating from your skin theory makes some sense to me once you're completely done shaving and have dried your face.

On the other hand, I've read razor burn is essentially the same as a sun burn. Does that mean sun burn can't be addressed after more than 3 minutes?

Jordan

Originally Posted by jnich67

...On the other hand, I've read razor burn is essentially the same as a sun burn. Does that mean sun burn can't be addressed after more than 3 minutes?

Jordan

They may feel the same, but you are looking at mechanical debridement from shaving vs. DNA damage via UV radiation.