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Facial products for 20 somethings

post #1 of 8
6/9/08 at 12:33am
Thread Starter 
I am 25 and do not have very good skin. I frequently get ingrown hairs and razor bumps around my neck and I always look red around my nose. My main goal is to get rid of the shave bumps and to create an overall healthy look for my face.

What do I need to do to do this?

Remember I know NOTHING about facial care! Right now I wash my face with body wash and shave with a mach 3 and gillette shaving cream. I do use this Bump Stopper stuff I get from Walgreens for black guys (I am white) but it does not totally get rid of the bumps and ingrown hairs.
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post #2 of 8
6/9/08 at 2:42am
Adopt a decent shaving method. Cartridge razors and canned shaving cream are pretty awful for your face: poor moisturizers, limited protection, and the blades are way too aggressive.

Here's a decent intro to wet shaving Check out his other videos for more ideas, too.
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post #3 of 8
6/9/08 at 12:09pm
I'd suggest you go to a dermatologist, just for a consult. But for a quickie primer,
  1. Wash face with a wash or bar that doesn't contain soap -- the detergents dry out your skin. Neutrogena makes several products for all skin types for less than $10. L'Oreal has a line for guys that inexpensive and pretty decent.
  2. Buy a emollient-rich shave cream. For just a few bucks, you can get Edge Advance shave cream w/Vitamin E (not the gel) for $7. For $15, you can get Baxter's of California Super Shave which is really good. Again, Neutorgena has a shave cream for under $10 as well. A pre-shave oil might help as well.
  3. Jacques' suggestion on blades is worth considering. I'm about to switch to a single blade safety razor (being a black man with occasional razor bumps, I feel your pain)
  4. If your skin's a bit oily (which sounds like part of the problem) use a post-shave face gel instead of lotion. It won't add additional oil to your skin.
When I originally read this post, I thought you wanted products for under $20. I'll stick with my assessments, but suggest checking out sites like Men's Essentials, the Grooming Lounge, and Shavearama for a broader range of products.
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post #4 of 8
6/10/08 at 5:09pm
Clinique Face Scrub really helped me with razor burn and ingrowns. You want a fine grit here as opposed to an apricot scrub...apply once or twice a week in a circular motion with gentle pressure after washing your face, before shave.

Mach 3's are fine, but try a richer, thicker shave cream or oil. Razor will glide across the face much easier due to better lubrication. Use light pressure and avoid shaving against the grain of beard, esp on the neck. http://www.kiehls.com/_us/_en/men/cl...rmula-31-o.htm

Shave after showering so your beard soaks up some water. Whiskers soften and swell = easier shave = less irritation. After shaving, rinse thoroughly with cold water to close pores and then apply a good moisturizer.

Its hard to know what face cleanser to get without knowing your skin type - that said, I'd try to steer clear of body wash or bar soap. They're harsh and the perfumes in them can dry the face out, leading to irritation and redness. Think about getting a professional facial - you can learn a lot about your skin and what it needs this way.
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post #5 of 8
6/10/08 at 7:36pm
Thread Starter 
No I wasn't categorizing this to only products under $20. I was looking for complete skin care for a 20 year old.

In addition to the shaving issues should I be using a mask or creme at night to keep my face looking healthy and young?
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post #6 of 8
6/10/08 at 9:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Lowry View Post
No I wasn't categorizing this to only products under $20. I was looking for complete skin care for a 20 year old. In addition to the shaving issues should I be using a mask or creme at night to keep my face looking healthy and young?
Art of Shaving has a Willow Bark Night Cream for razor bumps that's worth its weight in gold.
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post #7 of 8
6/10/08 at 10:44pm
Single blade (safety razor) shaving is the only thing that ever got close to curing irritation issues I've always had on the left side of my face under the jawline, for what it's worth. I tend to use sorta expensive shaving stuff (Art of Shaving, sometimes the real English creams, sometimes soaps from different brands, sometimes Anthony Logistics), but that's just a personal decision. At the very least, I'd definitely pick up a brush for lathering and I'd an alum block if I were you. If you want cheapo facial care products (a cleanser to use instead of soap and a moisturizer) I highly recommend danielkern.com products. I started using their BP gel (2.5% instead of 10% benozyl peroxide because 2.5% works as well with less irritation) a long time ago just for the occassional zit, and then they came out with a moisturizer and a cleanser that were pretty much no frills. I've used high-end products (Menscience and Anthony Logistics), and I've never noticed any real difference other than the Menscience moisturizer being a little lighter than anything else I've ever used.
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post #8 of 8
8/6/08 at 4:43pm
A safety razor would probably be your best bet to replace ingrown hairs and annoying red bumps with smooth skin. I use the classic safety razors from www.westcoastshaving.com and they've worked pretty well for me.
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