Thread: Dry skin

I can't recall anyone ever talking about shave soap drying their skin. I wonder if shave soap ever has a problem with drying people's skin too much.

I have had issues with with some EOs causing problems, but I always use an aftershave balm. So I have never had a problem.

MWF is probably one of the best soaps if you have dry skin IMHO. I dont even need ASB after the shave.

What was the question?

I think that it happens more frequently than you would think to people with sensitive skin, it used to happen to me too. I discover that it had to do with my lather being too dry. I improved my lathering and most of the redness and tightness went away.

Al raz.

Originally Posted by jbcohen

I can't recall anyone ever talking about shave soap drying their skin. I wonder if shave soap ever has a problem with drying people's skin too much.

I've had dry skin in the past from shaving. What I did that worked for me was to rinse my face excessively. Any leftover residuel soap or cream left on the face will dry the skin out and leave the face feeling tight. Also I started using only cold water, and quit alltogether using any water above room temp for facial care, and my skin loves it. That's what has worked for me anyways.

I always end my shaving or shower with Vaseline for Men. Not greasy, and my skin seems to absorb it quickly. It is not expensive and works very well.

Dry skin is tricky in my experience because not all shave product hydrate the same way.

To give a concrete example, in my case, I have used MWF, Tabac, TOBS sensitive, avocado, and rose, plus L'Occitane CADE, Proraso Green cream/green soap/white (sensitive) soap, and GFT rose soap.

All of these products have a good reputation for hydrating the skin. I have a dry skin, and suffer from occasional mild eczema on my fingers.

It turned out that only three of the above products really work with my skin. Can you guess which ones?

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Time is up! The answer is: TOBS rose, Tabac, and both Proraso green.

All the others leave me with a dry skin, and some irritation after shaving. Why does TOBS rose work better than TOBS Avocado (supposedly the most hydrating thing out there)? Why do I feel uncomfortable after Proraso white but not after green, even if the former is supposed to be more gentle? Why is TABAC heavens for me and MWF/L'Occitane making me itch?

I believe I have mostly eliminated technique as a variable, having compared those products under similar conditions.

The answer to those question is somewhere between my skin and its reaction to various products. A friend of mine is a dermatologist-in-becoming, so I might have an answer in a few years (after he finishes his residence!), but for now, I urge you to consider empirical evidence : never accept a product that makes you feel uncomfortable, even if everyone raves about it.

I'm new to this, but I tried out a sample of the MUHLE shaving soap and it dried out my skin tremendously, so I stopped using it.

I have yet to find one that I like.

i've not had personal experience with dry skin from shave soap.. but my brother in law has.. he also claims that it's important to thoroughly remove all residual lather with warm water before you go with your cold water splash..

and of course soap quality is a big one too.. he says the cheaper stuff like col. conk and other lower priced glycerin based soaps are more prone to drying him out.

Glad to say that my skin couldn't care less what I do, it all comes out great. I have shaved with a kitchen knife and it came out real well, in fact I am sitting here contemplating a hatchet and that ax in the shed and I wonder if these two would do the job. Think I will give the hatchet a go this week-end.