What do you do to your face after shaving ?

Originally Posted by FlyingLotus

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Ive pretty much always avoided shaving with a razor - it leaves my face too tender afterwords, so I usually just trim with a hair clipper and keep the stuble/5oclock shadow look, and only did close shaves with a razor for special occasions.

Now i just picked up a Philips electric razor to try out, so far no problems, my face still feels a little sensitive after but not too bad.

Usually 2 days after shaving with a razor id get little red bumps around my neck, is there any way to avoid that sorta thing?

Do you guys moisturize, or put alcohol or anything on your face after shaving ? It always has seemed like a bad idea to put anything on my face when its feeling so sensitive..

Any help is appretiated.

You should never followup a shave (or ever, besides that) by putting any product that contains significant amounts of alcohol on your face. It ages you and reaps havoc on your face. If you get razor bumps/burns on your face, after you shave spray some facial thermal spa water on your face. Vichy is what I use. It helps heal the skin a lot faster. I use the stuff all the time before applying any moisturizer. After you let the stuff dry a bit, apply whatever moisturizer you have (it's been scientifically prove that all skin moisturizers are, essentially, the same).

Cheers!

Originally Posted by emperor3d

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You should never followup a shave (or ever, besides that) by putting any product that contains significant amounts of alcohol on your face. It ages you and reaps havoc on your face. If you get razor bumps/burns on your face, after you shave spray some facial thermal spa water on your face. Vichy is what I use. It helps heal the skin a lot faster. I use the stuff all the time before applying any moisturizer. After you let the stuff dry a bit, apply whatever moisturizer you have (it's been scientifically prove that all skin moisturizers are, essentially, the same).

Cheers!

good info, thank you..
ill take a look for the Vichy spa water

I have a really light beard so I do little if anything.

Nonsense! Jesus people, Patrick Bateman is not an authority on this sort of thing!

The alcohol found in aftershaves is NOT isopropyl alcohol, and it will not dry out your face. People have been using alcohol based aftershaves for many years with no problem, and I have been using Aqua Velva (the highest alcohol content of all) for several years, and my normally dry skin is more moisturized after an AV splash than any aftershave balm I've tried.

The only real drawback to an alcohol aftershave is the initial sting after applying it. But, you will need that alcohol if you want relief from razor burn or bumps.

All I'm saying is don't disregard a skin care product because it contains alcohol. Not all alcohol is the same. You can do just fine drinking grain alcohol, and you will be just fine splashing cetyl alcohol on your face. Don't assume when something contains alcohol that it's always isopropyl. Read the labels.

Originally Posted by emperor3d

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You should never followup a shave (or ever, besides that) by putting any product that contains significant amounts of alcohol on your face. It ages you and reaps havoc on your face. If you get razor bumps/burns on your face, after you shave spray some facial thermal spa water on your face. Vichy is what I use. It helps heal the skin a lot faster. I use the stuff all the time before applying any moisturizer. After you let the stuff dry a bit, apply whatever moisturizer you have (it's been scientifically prove that all skin moisturizers are, essentially, the same).

Cheers!

To the OP, fwiw and ymmv, electric razors are the worst if you have sensitive skin or are prone to bumps. My allergy to electric razors led me on my path to DE shaving enlightenment... Truly the only delightful shave is with a single blade, a brush, and some kind of simple lubricant. Yes, shaving can be a treat.

Originally Posted by javyn

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Nonsense! Jesus people, Patrick Bateman is not an authority on this sort of thing!

The alcohol found in aftershaves is NOT isopropyl alcohol, and it will not dry out your face. People have been using alcohol based aftershaves for many years with no problem, and I have been using Aqua Velva (the highest alcohol content of all) for several years, and my normally dry skin is more moisturized after an AV splash than any aftershave balm I've tried.

The only real drawback to an alcohol aftershave is the initial sting after applying it. But, you will need that alcohol if you want relief from razor burn or bumps.

All I'm saying is don't disregard a skin care product because it contains alcohol. Not all alcohol is the same. You can do just fine drinking grain alcohol, and you will be just fine splashing cetyl alcohol on your face. Don't assume when something contains alcohol that it's always isopropyl. Read the labels.

Originally Posted by denimdestroyedmylife

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To the OP, fwiw and ymmv, electric razors are the worst if you have sensitive skin or are prone to bumps. My allergy to electric razors led me on my path to DE shaving enlightenment... Truly the only delightful shave is with a single blade, a brush, and some kind of simple lubricant. Yes, shaving can be a treat.

What they said!

FWIW - electrics don't work for me simply because they pull the hair before cutting it. If they pull too hard or your follicles/skin is flexible, then your hair is getting cut beneath the surface. Hello ingrown hairs and bumps. A sharp single-blade razor should never pull, so your beard is always above the skin and won't grow out (although shaving into the grain will probably hurt more than help you).

Thanks for all the info guys, i don't know the first thing about DE shaving though.. I was pretty excited about my new electric shaver but would definitely be willing to give it up to get rid of the painful process of my hair growing back through my skin.. thats the worst part of shaving for me - is the second or third day after the shave when the hair is coming back.. i get zits and irritation, i hate it so do i need one of these razors ?

^ that's advanced Dungeons and Dragons. Ease into it with a safety razor, aka, double-edged razor: Merkur is a good place to start.

Originally Posted by FlyingLotus

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Thanks for all the info guys, i don't know the first thing about DE shaving though..
I was pretty excited about my new electric shaver but would definitely be willing to give it up to get rid of the painful process of my hair growing back through my skin..

so do i need one of these razors ?

I use one of these every morning and love them dearly. They do take a bit of nerve some mornings, though.

Originally Posted by denimdestroyedmylife

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^ that's advanced Dungeons and Dragons. Ease into it with a safety razor, aka, double-edged razor:

Merkur is a good place to start.

Highly recommend the Merkur HD. I'd tried a Gilette tech and it bured me up badly, while the HD was much easier to use and comfortable.

The blade to skin contact thing about straight-razors isn't what puts me off, but the blade maintenance, stropping and whatnot, that puts the fear in me.

Originally Posted by denimdestroyedmylife

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The blade to skin contact thing about straight-razors isn't what puts me off, but the blade maintenance, stropping and whatnot, that puts the fear in me.

The initial sharpening is the most work you'll put into it. I strop on scrap leather before each shave, maybe a minute, less if I'm rushed. When the razor starts pulling I'll strop a few passes on leather treated with green Chrome oxide.

However, I have maybe 6-7 razors in regular rotation so I use the CrO every few months or so, and can switch razors in mid-shave instead of stopping to sharpen. I haven't used a stone in forever.

In each case, it's simpler than you imagine. The spine of the razor sets the stropping angle - you strop and sharpen with the blade flat against the stone/strop. It's just a matter of finding a razor that cuts to your liking, since the grinds can be so different (hollow-flexible vs wedge-stout, and all points in between). I was intimidated at first, but found that all the high-dollar pageantry (hanging strops and camellia oil and whatnot) is nice to have but hardly necessary.

Is something like the Merkur HD really that much different than using a Gillette 'mach 3' type razor ?
Is it more for aesthetics or will it actually make a difference with pain of sharp hair growing back in through my skin ?

^ it will be different. A single blade cuts the follicle above the skin. The "lift and cut" of something like a MACH III is the problem, cutting the hair too short, essentially, and causing ingrown hairs, and gross bumps. I lack the vocabulary but I am sure you can understand me, right?

Yup it sounds good to me, hopefully this solution will work for me. I notice with the safety razor it has those teeth, is that so you can adjust how close the razor gets to your face ? adjusting how close the shave is ? If that is the case i could leave a tiny bit of room so the hair doesnt have to break through the skin every time..

Some razors are adjustable but I don't think that one is. You can adjust the blade angle by trying different angles of holding the razor.