Shaving...irritable skin (girls answer too, please)

[Mr. Mike]

Ok, so what do you guys do for razor burn? I absolutely hate shaving. I'm usually a two times a week guy, but my position at my school suggests that I have a professional appearance, clean shaven being part of that. I've tried all the standby stuff, like gillete creams, forget about generic...I've used all manners of gels, including a pretty smelling one with jasmine and a cool purple label...uh...Skintimates it was, and didn't work so well. I've used all of the required after shaves with no alcohol and lanolin and other crap that is supposed to soothe skin.

 

So after figuring out that the creams maybe aren't my problem, i moved to the razors. I've gone throughthe gillette snesor, the mach 3, the mach3 turbo, the mach 3 yada, yada and yada, I've used the four blade with lubri strips, I've used all the generic ones, I've even used the women's razor's(which as you can imagine makes for one hell of an explanation fest when I have ladies at the houseand I tell them I'm single and they see the whole le femme fatale setup), I seem to be having the best results right now with the Lady Bic Two Blade(I think it is the Persona), and no real problems...until last night. I shaved before work, and a couple of hours into my shift it felt like somebody lit my face on fire and tried to put it out with a hatchet! I've also been using a high-end body wash with cocoa and shea butter(which I use to help with my infernal dry skin, and two showers a day just aggravates the hell out of it) and making lather out of it, and this seems to work ok(better than the above mentioned gels).

 

So, what the hell is my query, you ask??? Simple, I'd like some tips from others aobut what works. I have a moderately oily skin-type, if that might factor in, and usually quite sensitive. Please don't reccomend using an electric, as I simply do not like them...I've used one before and it felt like I shaved with 87 octane and 200 grit sandpaper.

 

So what do you do?

[kimura_guy]

well I dont have sensitive skin, but when I was in the military, there was a lot of guys that did. They were usually african american and they usually used......shucks, I cant remember the name, but it was some kinda cream that they wiped off with a popsicle stick kinda thing. That might work for you.

 

Good Luck.

 

KG

[AngelaG]

well I dont have sensitive skin, but when I was in the military, there was a lot of guys that did. They were usually african american and they usually used......shucks, I cant remember the name, but it was some kinda cream that they wiped off with a popsicle stick kinda thing. That might work for you.

 

Good Luck.

 

KG

witch hazel?

[aefibird]

Well, aside from growing a beard , I'd suggest that the best thing for you to do would be to go see a dermatologist. He or she would be the best person to deal with your skin troubles.

 

Other than that you could try making sure that your razor is really, really sharp (maybe use a cut-throat razor?) and bathing your skin afterwards with Aloe Vera (use fresh Aloe, rather than something from a bottle). The bonus with Aloe Vera plants is that they grow well in bathrooms... I know, I have a AV plant in my bathroom that I'm sure could be used as the double for Audrey II.

 

Change your razor blades on a regular basis and make sure that you're not using any tubes of creams or gels on your skin that have been opened for longer that 3 weeks.

 

Try making your own shaving gel/cream from natural ingredients. As for your body wash, you could make your own with a handful of oatmeal, honey and hot water.

 

Good luck!

[KarateChick06]

2 Words: Electric razor

[Luckykboxer]

Hrmm make sure you are taking a shower or soaking your face in hot water first.

 

That softens the skin, opens the pours, and makes it easier to cut your facial hair.

 

Next use a sensitive skin style of foam to shave with.

 

next use a brand new razor, and use cold water to shave with.

 

cold will contract the steel in the razor making it sharper to work with, and warm will expand the steel and make it duller..... even if it is miniscule, which it is, it is a difference.

 

next when you shave dont shave large areas before rinsing the blade.

 

do one stroke, rinse and repeat.

 

Also dont go back and forth over the same area, that cause razor burn.

 

Also as much as you may hate doing it, spend the money for a high end aftershave.

 

I use an aftershave by Varvatos, it cost 32 Bucks, but I never have razor burn, I use a MAch 3, use the blades maybe 5-6 times each, sometimes less and sometimes more, but basically 1 a week.

 

When it comes to health products, like conditioners, shampoos, aftershaves, colognes, lotions, any of that crap. I have seen a huge difference by going to really high end products.

 

Sure it would be easier to go to the grocery store and buy cheap crap, but I got tired of razor burn, so i started buying the good products and it works great

[pineapple]

I think that the best solution is to tell your instructor about your problem and see if he'll be more understanding and allow you to have a neatly trimmed beard. I never heard of a school that forced their students to shave, only to be neat.

[Mr. Mike]

I usually wear a mustache/goatee, or just a goatee, which is just fine with the inst. But, I was thinkng of going totally clean, just for the perception of the general public. I might just have to start shelling out some bigger bucks on ther products is all...I've noticed that after springing for the top dollar shower gels, body washes, etc, I have little proplems with dry skin....maybe I jsut have to follow that same advice all around...argh, and I'm a cheap buzzard too

[monkeygirl]

Well, I've personally never had razor burn, but I can just offer some shaving tips:

 

-shower first to soften the skin and hair

 

-shaving WITH the grain of the hair reduces resistance, ingrown hairs, and irritation...although you may have to sacrifice a bit of a closer shave.

 

-I've always thought warm water was better for your skin than cold when it comes to shaving...it's not a shock for the skin.

 

-gel, not foam. Much thicker.

 

-sharp, sharp blade!!

 

-moisturize!! This keeps your skin supple and healthy, and may even soften up your facial hair a bit. Your lady friends will appreciate softer stubble to reduce that painful "beard rub" effect. You will want two kinds of moisturizer: day and night. Your day moisturizer should leave you feeling refreshed and clean, not oily and bogged down. You might want to stay away from moisturizers that have acne medications such as salycilic acid/benzoyl peroxide, especially for your day moisturizer. These acids actually dry out your skin, and it'll probably get flaky. Since you have dry skin problems anyway, you probably just want to avoid anti-acne or other harsh face washes (like Noxzema!) altogether. If you have acne problems, just keep your skin clean, don't touch it, and watch what foods you eat. Your night moisturizer should be nice and thick. You may even want to put one drop of lavender essential oil into your nightly moisturizer. This is great stuff!! It helps with acne (and is an exception to the acne stuff I told you earlier), speeds the healing process in your skin, and lavender is also naturally relaxing, so it helps you sleep at night.

 

-when you dry off your face, use a nice soft towel, and dab...don't rub! Pat at your face until it's just moist...you do not want a really dry face. Then, when you moisturize directly after that, your skin will actually absorb more moisture.

 

All of those tips will hopefully help with both your skin dryness and your shaving problems. You said you have a moderately oily skin type, but dry skin problems. Could you elaborate on that?

 

My final suggestion--and I hesitate to make this--would be to think about using one of those "epil-stop" sprays you see on TV. To be honest, I don't know how well (if at all) they work, so I would consider it a last resort.

 

If it works like the commercials say they do, however, it should solve many of your problems. No blade involved, and it prevents the hairs from growing back, drastically reducing irritation. You said your skin is sensitive though, so that adds to my hesitation to suggest such a product.

 

Here are some general tips for oily skin:

 

A lot of people tend to want to wash and wash at oily skin and never moisturize, in an attempt to "zap out" the oiliness. To a point, this will dry out your skin...but it will probably be TOO dry. Even more washing will cause your body to produce more oil to save its parched skin, leaving your epidermis even oilier than before. Use a gentle soap and a light moisturizer for your face and any other parts of your body that are oily. Dryer parts need heavier moisturizers/lotions.

 

*phew!* That was long.

[battousai16]

whew... someone takes care of her skin...

 

i used to have razor burn troubles, but i found that if i used the trimmer on my electric razor first, i didn't get that 200 grit sand paper feeling you mentioned that i did before... then again, i didn't have a trouble with the mach 3 turbo, either... man, they sent me one in the mail, it's a miracle razor! but evidently not for you, so, uh... if you've already tried the trimming before the shaving thing, ignore this.