Thread: I have Very dry sensitive skin.. what soap and creams??

Its getting into winter time now and im new to this sr shaving thing. I need a soap and cream thats not going to dry out my skin even more. I have shaved for years with the "sensitive skin" aerosol can stuff and it never works. So I can only shave every 3-4 days because it just eats my face up when i use the regular mach 300 blade razors. so if anyone has the same problems i would love to know how you get your nice shave!

Try searching the Cream/Soap review forums first, that is probably your safest bet. This link might work: Straight Razor Place Forums - Search Forums.

Here is my personal favourite in this department:

Edwin Jagger "Aloe Vera" shaving cream - Straight Razor Place Forums
Moisturising: Again, more than enough. Where the cream really shines, though, is the soothing effect. Well, Aloe Vera has been used because of this effect for millennia, and it works marvellously well in this cream, too. If you have sensitive skin, this might be the biggest buying factor.

Mitchell's Wool Fat, La Toja Sensitive shave cream, The Real Shaving Company Sensitive/The Body Shop Macca Root shaving cream (same thing), Fitjar Calmomilla Cream and so on...

Only one soap for me when it comes to sensitive skins and that's Trumper's Rose. Combine it with the Coral Skin Food for tough or thick beards.

+1 on all of the above, especially MWF and EJ Aloe Vera - you could also try TOBS Avocado - it has avocado oil in it to help moisturise. IIRC Col Conk soaps also have avocado oil in some of them, so you could maybe try those too.
Try to steer clear of really heavily scented soaps, the oils in these that are used for scent can be pretty hard on sensitive skin, especially if it's fragrance oil (as opposed to essential oil). Also, if you try a new soap, try and get a small sample first so you can see how your skin reacts to it and then work from there - saves you some cash instead of shelling out on a tube of something just to find it burns like hellfire.

I've had pretty good luck with the Shave My Face brand of creams - available locally at our Whole Foods store.

I never had a problem with the cans when I used them. However, when I (re) started using the straight, I noticed that most soaps made my face feel like a freshly tuned drum. I tried a few and eventually starting making my own shaving products, The Bomb being the best known of them. In the process, I realized that part of the my problem with soaps, and especially creams, was that I was leaving the lather too dry. This, obviously, does not explain what is happening to you since you are using the can. As I worked on my lathering skills the problems decreased significantly but never went away on their own for most products. Besides my own products, I found that Castle Forbes and Mitchell's Wool Fat were also very good at conditioning my skin. Also some after shave balms can work to decrease dryness. Rather than recommending products to you, I think that you may be better off consulting with a dermatologist about your problem, if you have not already done so. RazorPete, a member here, is a dermatologist and he is very knowledgeable and a very generous person. You may want to find his posts and/or contact him for some advice, this could be a first step. I think that finding the root of the problem would be more effective than trying a bunch of products that have worked in isolated cases.

Al raz.

Originally Posted by Oznation

Its getting into winter time now and im new to this sr shaving thing. I need a soap and cream thats not going to dry out my skin even more. I have shaved for years with the "sensitive skin" aerosol can stuff and it never works. So I can only shave every 3-4 days because it just eats my face up when i use the regular mach 300 blade razors. so if anyone has the same problems i would love to know how you get your nice shave!

I forgot to mention Kell's shaving soaps - these are specially formulated for sensitive skins, with mild but clear scents. You can get aloe, hemp/aloe, or hemp based (from least to most mild), and there's six or so scents, IIRC. They lather really well, and definitely don't leave my face feeling dry or irritated. Pretty cheap too, around $6 for a puck in a styly wee tin.

I have had similar problems in the past - and found dietary adjustments helped a lot. I'm not an expert but there are plenty of foods which dehydrate you and this can manifest at shower/shaving time; conversely there are plenty of foods which will really help your skin, i.e. stop it from becoming so easily irritable and dry.
I still have a slight problem, but for the most part can use any good quality stuff.
In times of emergency though, I apply olive oil in the shower. (Just to the face, you understand.)

First off thanks to everyone who has put their two cents in. It's been very helpful. In doing some more research mwf had like three bad reviews out of millions of good ones and the three that were bad sounded like a bunch of negative people that can't be pleased anyway. Looking at prices though I can either buy a full size 4oz puck for $21 or I can get it for as cheap as $13 a puck so it's deff not a wallett burner especially since everyone says it lasts so long