Thread: after shave balm---I tried one and my face died

I've been shaving with a str8 for about 3 months. Great shaves.

Because I live in a cold climate and heat with propane and wood, my house is dry. Very dry.

My skin got dry, very dry. To compensate, I bought some Gillette after shave balm. Ok, but smells funny in a way I didn't like.

I then needed some cologne and bought some from ebay that included a tube of after shave balm which was supposed to moisterize. All New and unopened.

I used the balm after shaving and everything seemed OK, although the stuff seemed to lather (very very lightly) on my face. I thought... just a quirk of the product.

Later in the day, My face felt tight and dry. I looked in the mirror and it looked like my face was red... I thought razor burn... rehone the razor.

The next day I shaved and followed up with the balm. This time, my face got red immediately. Aftter about 20 minutes... a slight burning sensation started. I attributed it to razor burn from a dull razor.

By the evening, my face burned whenever I sweat at every place where I put the balm. By this time I'm wondering if it is a reaction to the balm.

I didn't shave at all the next day. Face felt tight, dry, yuk!

The day after that, when I was about to shower in the AM, I looked in the mirror and saw that my face was peeling as if I had had a good sunburn!!! Yikes!!!

Large chunks of dead skin were flaking off!!

I showered with a defoliant and scrubbed my face, shaved, and omitted the after shave balm. Too scared to use it. My face was still pealing around my mustache and goatee.

Have any of you had something like this happen? What after shave balms are more gentle and more truely moisterizing? Not only was this experience uncomfortable, it was unsightly.

What's the best balm that doesn't leave a strange scent? Do I need to go to a general moisterizer for my face?

What´s the brand of that balm and the name of the e-bay seller? It would be good to have a caveat.. Here´s the routine that works for me.. Splash on some Old Spice AS and follow up with Neutrogena Razor Defense cream. Both easily available in any WM. Easy on the skin, moisturizes and does not remove skin or any other facial parts.

kimo,

I have been using Nivea aftershave balm for sensitive skin and it has been working for me for years - it moisturizes the skin well and does not leave you feeling oily - it's alcohol free, so its nice and cooling, but no burn.

I just picked up Proraso aftershave balm today at Target - I will be testing it out tomorrow with some Proraso green cream I picked up as well. I'll let you know how it goes - I hear their balm is quite good.

Just shaved with the Proraso green cream and Proraso aftershave balm. My face is smooth, smooth, smooth. As I am waiting for my razor and strop to come in, I am still using my Fusion razor...that being said, today was the first day EVER that I did not have ANY razorburn or irritation from my shave. My beard prep was the same as it has been for a while:
-shower & wash face
-hair conditioner applied to beard
-hot towel
-lather

As my prep has not changed, at least for now I am attributing my success to the Proraso products...only time and repetition will tell, but at least for now they seem like solid products that will remain in my rotation.

Kimo, it sounds to me like you either have an allergy to one of the balm's ingredients, or God forbid, a product that has been tampered with. Do NOT throw away the balm. Take it to your doctor and tell him or her EXACTLY what happened. You may get sent to a specialist to determine if you have an allergy.

If you do not, then it is probable that you have a tampered product. Contact Gillette(you did say it was Gillette balm, right?) and let them know what happened. You may have to send them a sample of the balm so they can see if some foreign substance is present.

Originally Posted by Scrapyard Ape

Kimo, it sounds to me like you either have an allergy to one of the balm's ingredients, or God forbid, a product that has been tampered with. Do NOT throw away the balm. Take it to your doctor and tell him or her EXACTLY what happened. You may get sent to a specialist to determine if you have an allergy.

If you do not, then it is probable that you have a tampered product. Contact Gillette and let them know what happened. You may have to send them a sample of the balm so they can see if some foreign substance is present.

Hey don't try and scare the willy's out of the guy.

I would use a better balm. Try some trumpers coral skin food its great stuff. Everyone here will have a favorite. A trip to you local department store in the men's fragrence section will yield probably fifty or more balms to try.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Hey don't try and scare the willy's out of the guy..

Seems to me he's had all his willy's scared out of him already. I am serious when I tell him to see his doctor. I'm no expert, but what he described sounds a lot like a bad chemical burn. No balm, not even one from the evil Gillette empire, should do that... even to the most sensitive skin.

Re-reading his description, I'm even more convinced that he has a tainted product. The funny smell, the burning, the redness, and the massive peeling sounds to me like some very bad stuff that does not belong was put in that balm of his.

I agree with scrap, It sounds to me like a chemical burn. You do really need to get checked out, and I am a professional.

The product was a prepackaged set of California cologne by Dana which included a bottle of cologne and a tube of aftershave balm. Both were in the original packaging which was a pain to open.

The cologne seems fine. Its the balm.

Since the dead zone look, I defoliated my face with a facial wash, and applied Aveeno extra care cream. Its been three days now and my face is back to normal.

The Gillette balm is fine, I just didn't like the smell. No problems when I use it.

It may have been an allergic reacion. I have some off the counter facial moisterizer from walmart that also makes my face red when I use it... that only lasts for about an hour with no further results like peeling.

It could be that my face doesn't like the fragrance which is in the balm...

All is OK now.

Kimo said " I defoliated my face...."

Maybe its exposure to dioxins....

I know, I'm laughing at him but I still can't quote...


Same thing happened to me once when I tried Nair on my face!!