Found a great shaving routine for sensitive skin - Page 4

Not all barbers are the same in regards to shaving. Some are good, some are bad. It also depends where in the world you get your shaves. Pretty much any barber who provides a shave with a straight razor isn't going to provide the optimal shave.

I've tried three blades, four blades, five blades, vibrating, non-vibrating, change the cartridge after every shave. Nothing compares to a straight razor. As for the number of passes, that depends on how sensitive the skin is and how close of a shave you want. However, it's not more passes results in more irritated skin. If that were true, then my closest shaves would always result in irritation. I can go at my beard with five different passes without irritation, and I can go with two passes with irritation. Conversely I've gone those same five passes with irritation, and two passes without irritation.

There's a lot that goes into shaving, and the post and pre shave regimen is just as important as the shave itself when it comes to reducing irritation. Once I discovered that, the number of times my skin was irritated after shaving dropped to nearly zero. Once in a while my skin will be irritated, but that'll be largely because I botched my post shave regimen.

Not a fan of the straight-edge at all. Had them done in a number of barbershops that "specialize" in them and came out looking like Jack The Ripper got a hold of me. Im always on the run...and for me...Fusion and Matte For Men has "cured" my shaving problems (did I mention...use them both while in the shower???)

If you really want to try a straight razor shave, I'd suggest going at it yourself. Like I said before, not all barbers who "specialize" in it are really that great, particularly in the US. The US has certain laws which prevent anyone from getting that true straight razor shave unless they do it themselves. The Jack the Ripper sort of experience is something I've gone through on my first shave. That's what happens when someone inexperienced with straight razor shaving gets a hold of you, ergo I highly doubt those barbershops were actually well practiced. After experiencing what a real shave is like, I retried the fusion. Just feels like you're scrapping your skin with some cheap plastic (although the wallet wouldn't agree that it was cheap). That's the big issue with the more modern shavers. All they do is scrape and teach improper methods of shaving. As for using them both in the shower---that's a lot of wasted water.

And thats why its called an "opinion"! Mine is that I dont have any desire to travel with a straight edge and have had multiple bad experiences...and as I said...this is what works for me...not possibly you...but me.

http://artofmanliness.com/2008/01/04...-your-grandpa/

It seems a few people in here are into shaving with double edge razors. For those of you that haven't, this article is a very interesting read. I followed their suggestions and now I actually get excited to shave...

I use a Merkur Futur with a Vulfix brush and Taylor of Old Bond Street sandalwood shaving cream. I've only tried the Merkur blades, but they seem to work well for me.

My problem is that everything is fine when I shave and that day, but the next day, my neck breaks out in red bumps all over. Can anyone recommend some products to use after I shave to prevent that from happening?

Believe me! This works!!

http://www.tendskin.com/index.htm

I have sensitive skin, I am older, have been dealing with it a long time and have used a plethora of products...

We are answering the question for a person with sensitive skin...are we not? Enough said.

I have the double whammy: sensitive skin and a tough beard that grows in several directions. It helped to actually map out my face to make sure I am always shaving with the grain. For sensitive skin, multi-blade razors are NOT the way to go, as they will irritate your face. At most, use a double bladed razor or (best) a DE safety razor. Prep is the real key, as is good badger brush. If I have time, I will lather up and then use a hot towel for at least 5 minutes. This really softens the beard. If I want to cheat, I have been using John Allan's Slick Water before both of my passes. It is similar to a pre-shave oil in performance, but not as thick (meaning that it does not clog your brush or blade).

Agree. I was using Derby blades in a Merkur HD and even after a lot of practice was still getting cuts on my neck. I switched to Gillette Bleue Extra blades (I live in France and these are the local supermarket stock blades) and the shave was instantly so much smoother and rash/cut free.

Hi Guys,

I have sensitive skin too but i've found many ways to work around it and not cut up the skin or get pimples and the like.

People have told me to shave after a shower it opens your pores, i think this is counter effective. Depending on how you dry your face after the shower your skin would probably dry out a bit.

Shave before a shower, moisturize with a normal sorbolene cream before shaving, use a normal shaving gel and a razor with fewer blades (my preference) rather than more and rinse the blade after every few strokes, dry the blade (towel/hairdryer) when your done to stop corrosion on the blades edge so it is still sharp for the next shave <= the blade will stay sharper alot longer if you dry it after use, its well documented.

Then i pat my face dry with a very absorbent towel using force to really dry the skin, the reason being if you leave your face even a little bit wet the air will dry it and take the moisture from your skin at the same time leaving the skin very dry and susceptible to irritation.

I think also the main thing that will help you get a shave with minimal to no irritation is to carefully look at which direction the facial hair is growing. On one side of your face the hair can grow up down left and right, check then adjust your stroke for best results.

No need for fancy pants oils and cremes unless thats what you want.

Paul

Is there a part in American Psycho where they knock on alcohol-based aftershaves?

Yeah and it's bullshit. The alcohol in aftershaves and skin care products not isopropyl, it's not gonna hurt you. Actually the alcohol in aftershaves acts as a delivery agent to get the moisture inside your skin cells faster.

a few things I don't think were mentioned yet:

1 After your shower/face cleanse with a hydrating wash don't dry your face.

2 Lather up with a good cream or soap and then apply a hot towel for 3 minutes. Then wipe your face clean and re-lather and shave. Lathering and applying a towel will really soften the beard.

3 Try a vintage razor which can be less 'aggressive' than the moderns. And about half the price.

Other things that were mentioned but worth repeating:

1 only shave with the grain or at most across the grain (not againts)

2 don't try for a perfect smooth shave but a decent irritation free one.

3 don't shave everyday. This is what works for me especially during the cold months. Sometimes I go 3-4 days without shaving. If you can get away with this at work its possibly the best solution. Some people are just not meant to shave everyday, some people shave 2xs a day thier whole lives. YMMV