Thread: Sensitive Soaps / Creams

Originally Posted by BobH

You might want to give The Body Shop's Maca Root with Aloe shave cream a try as it is touted to be all organic. It is really one good shave cream regardless.

Bob

Sounds nice ..cheers Bob

Gentlemen,

I will be adding a new category to the First Tier soaps and creams thread. I’m a little behind schedule on this as the second novel keeps me occupied.

I have an ultra sensitive skin. I can’t wear wool. Any dress shirt has to be washed a half a dozen times before I can wear it. Admittedly, some soaps irritate my skin with burn and other nasty stuff. For instance, Martin de Candre rose gives me burn. The other scents don’t. There are others that I have stopped using, the latest being Arriana & Evans Fig scent — OY!
Y
For now, off the top of my head, some of the soaps and creams for sensitive skin that I have tried include: Lea (soap and cream), Esbjerg (I forget the scent), Taylor of Old Bond Street Jermyn Street, Zigari (the Wanderer and the Magician are both easy on the skin), Wholly Kaw Fougere is sweet on my skin, all the Castle Forbes scents are lovely for the skin. If I recall, Mitchell’s Wool Fat was easy on my face. Czech & Speak is sweet on my skin. Anyway, that is all for now.

Mystic Water Sensitive Skin is a very good option; unscented soap that will leave your skin very well hydrated and moisturized.

Hey Joseph, I have crappy sensitive skin. A mild case of rosacea to upper cheeks and chin. Many soaps and creams give me a burn of varying severity. Some leave my face feeling warm/hot to the touch for a couple hours after use. I've worked my way through a lot of soaps n creams to find products that won't give me burn or other irritation.

I find very strongly scented soaps n creams can tend to be problematic for me. Some soaps n creams that work for me are Saponificio Varesino, MdC, Castle Forbes, Esbjerg sensitive, Valobra, Tabac, Meissner Tremonia, Institut Karite soap and Provence Sante. Valobra and S.V are standouts for me.

Originally Posted by Tathra11

Hey Joseph, I have crappy sensitive skin. A mild case of rosacea to upper cheeks and chin. Many soaps and creams give me a burn of varying severity. Some leave my face feeling warm/hot to the touch for a couple hours after use. I've worked my way through a lot of soaps n creams to find products that won't give me burn or other irritation.

I find very strongly scented soaps n creams can tend to be problematic for me. Some soaps n creams that work for me are Saponificio Varesino, MdC, Castle Forbes, Esbjerg sensitive, Valobra, Tabac, Meissner Tremonia, Institut Karite soap and Provence Sante. Valobra and S.V are standouts for me.

Thanks Tath. I have never had a problem until i left them on my face for an extended period , making videos .. Only the A&E was unbearable from the start ..
I think my face need a holiday

If you're looking to avoid animal fats then WIckhams 1912 unscented would be a good bet. Assuming you get on ok with that one you could try out the fragranced options in the range.

Skin sensitivity can mean a lot of different things.

Some people are sensitive, or even allergic to specific ingredients used in soaps. If you have a nut allergy, soaps with unrefined nut oils might be an issue. Some people cannot tolerate lanolin. Then there are certain synthetic ingredients to which you might be sensitive.

For some people, scent can be an issue. I cannot tolerate soaps with high concentrations of lime, lemon, grapefruit, cinnamon, clove, peppermint and menthol, but I can tolerate low levels of these, so I look for complex scents where no specific scent dominates. Unscented soaps are available, but to me, the scent plays a large role in the enjoyment of the shave.

Sensitivity can also mean that you easily get razor burn. I have blue eyes, a fair complexion and Rosacea. I always look like I am sunburned, even in the middle of winter. I easily get sunburn, cold burn, wind burn and razor burn. My face is so sensitive to abrasion that I cannot face lather, even with a soft brush. I bowl lather and apply the lather to my face, minimizing face contact.

To avoid razor burn, I look for soaps that provide excellent primary and residual slickness and excellent cushion to provide a layer of protection between the blade and my skin.

Some soaps can be quite harsh on your skin, leaving your face feeling tight and dry after the shave because the strip your skin of its natural oils. A high quality soap will contain cosmetic grade ingredients that leave your skin feeling soft, moisturized and conditioned for many hours after the shave. When using a high quality soap, the only after-shave product I apply is witch hazel. Any alcohol based after-shave burns my face, especially if it contains menthol.

If you were looking for a tallow based soaps, I would have numerous suggestions, but specifying a vegetable based soap significantly narrows the options. One of the very best soaps available is a vegan soap, the Nai formula by Grooming Department. It has a long list of ingredients, somewhere around 55; but that means that the concentration of any single ingredient is fairly low. It contains numerous ingredients, including hyaluronic acid, designed to condition your skin. The Nai formula excels in slickness, cushion, and post-shave conditioning. Because it contains many exotic ingredients it is priced at $32 per 4 oz container. Even at that price, available quantities sell out quickly.

The only other vegan soap I recommend is Caties Bubbles luxury cream soap. It is quite good, but it does not measure up to Nai; it sells for less than half the price of Nai, so it is a good value.

There may be other vegan/vegetable sourced soaps that will work for you, but as someone with sensitive skin, I can vouch for the two I recommended. If you purchase a Nai formula soap and it irritates your face, I will gladly buy it from you at the price you paid for it.