How my face has trained me to avoid stuff that burns

Alright, I've been at this about a little more than a month and it has had its ups and downs. Firstly, I love using luxurious shaving soaps and a brush and I am now devoted to using a double edge razor and very sharp, inexpensive blades. However, I may be too impatient and have been experimenting with every shave. The experimentation may not be serving me well.

You see, I have a great friend who has been singing the praises of wet shaving for about a year now and I've finally succumbed. He and another gentlemen at work have graciously supplied (some would say "dumped") me with, I'm sure, over one hundred samples of shaving products from creams and soaps, to pre- and post-shave products, to razors, blades and brushes. Quite generous, really, and very much appreciated. So, in order to figure out what is what. I've been trying as many as possible with one shaving session (yes, probably my first big mistake). I purchased a starter package from Maggard and started enjoying the sensation of warm lather and a gliding razor. As with most things that can cut you, there is a learning curve. But, I think that my maturation went smoothly and within about a week, I could create a nice luxurious lather and get a shave that wasn't too patchy or bloody. I even learned that I needed more than one pass and cannot shave against or across the grain without reeking significant havoc on my face. Though, how was I to deal with all of these samples? Eureka! I know, since it takes me a couple or three passes to get a really good clean shave, I'll switch blades and soap on each pass. So, there you go. I could be extremely efficient in my testing process and reduce the backlog of shaving products by doing an "all-up" test with each pass. So, that is what tried. I would choose a blade and a soap, lather up for the first pass, try not to scrape off skin along with the lather, rinse and repeat. This actually went pretty well to start and I even started keep a spreadsheet with notes and rankings so that I could keep track and remember what I'd tried (I know; ridiculously nerdy). Then, I tried something with menthol.

I had lined up samples and blades for a 3 pass morning and set off to increase the rows in my spreadsheet. The samples were all from the same maker and they all had similar characteristics. That being herbal or citrusy. The smells reminded me of something crisp, fresh, or of pine. I started with a sample that was heavily herbal and heavily mentholated, though I didn't really know how mentholated it was at the time. I lathered up and started feeling a cool tingliness of the soap. About the time that I placed the razor against my face, I noticed that the tingling was now burning. Not liking the burning, I washed it off and moved on to the next soap. The next soap was an orange and menthol that also did not agree with my face; so, I washed it off. Now my face is burning and red, but that didn't stop me as I still needed to shave anyway. The next soap was tea based with sage. I figured that it might be milder, but it was only barely milder. Besides, at this point, my face was on fire and it wouldn't have mattered anyway, even if the last soap was unscented or just lard. The damage done. Each small stroke was pure agony. I seem to remember that it was like using a tree saw to scratch an itch on your extremely sunburned back. Yeah, something like that, only worse. I even tried a second pass which, by now, was completely pointless and masochistic. But, I thought that I could use a soap for sensitive skin and that it wouldn't hurt. To my dismay that last soap was labeled "for sensitive skin" and was very soft, but it contained menthol. So, the burn continued. I tried to finish with a cool rinse, absolutely NO alum, and an aftershave balm with no alcohol. It hurt, it all hurt. I was sooooo glad that this shaving session was finally over. I shuddered to think about when I would be able to put a DE razor to my face again. Probably sometime in the next century, I thought; and that, hopefully, the scarring wouldn't make me look like Phantom of the Opera.

I was devastated. I wanted so badly to like wet shaving. I wanted it too feel so good. Up to that moment, I loved how my face felt after a good shave. I wanted to be hip and popular. This wet shaving thing is, so... retro. Criminy! I don't even remember which blade I used, but I never did change it. I swore that if I tried to wet shave again that I would make sure that I remove the blade from the razor, apply an entire bottle of unscented pre-shave lotion and have a large bowl of ice water for afterwards. I've attached a photo of the aftermath. The picture is from the next day. I didn't shave to 3 days and it took that long for my face to calm down.


So, kids, don't do what I did. I am sure that blending the soaps and the menthol were a definite problem. Not too mention that I am still learning how to do this wet shaving thing. Certainly, blending soaps was a risky proposition. But, you might ask why I think that menthol is an issue, if not the issue. Well, since that episode, I've tried a couple of things. One of which is to use just one soap per complete shave and not per pass. I've also tried a couple of pre-shave lotions and oils that have small amounts of menthol with soaps that have none. And, that soap for "sensitive skin?" I've used it for several shaves since then. The result is always the same, it leaves me with a mild burning sensation. Not fire breathing, but noticeable. The "sensitive skin" soap contains menthol. It might be something else (I noticed this burning with another "sensitive skin" cream that is from a very established company), but menthol is the common thread. I don't seem to have problems with other products or fragrances. I am now trying to avoid menthol. So, that is my story and hopefully a bit of wisdom to prevent anyone else from self-inflicted agony.

Enjoy your shave.

 

When experimenting, reducing variables allows for objective evaluation of the know variables. There is a group around here some where... 30 day Rule/ Focus that helps folks new or experienced to figure out what works best for them.

 

That looks like what happens if I use menthol or lanolin. I believe you've hit on the problem. The only issue being that many "sensitive skin" formulae include menthol because it's supposed to be soothing. (Also lanolin) be careful and check the ingredients.

 

It's a shame that some of the most beautiful scents also seem to be irritants.

 

Wow, what a horrible experience... I'm glad you stuck it out! I've also have had some less than pleasant experiences, though nothing like yours, with certain shave soaps. While I still experiment on occasion, I now mainly use Arko, its gentle on my face, lathers and protects very well and as an added bonus it's cheap uh inexpensive!!

 

Thanks to all of you for your support. What a fantastic crew I've found here. I think the 30 Day Rule/Focus is what I've been missing. I guess that I felt the pressure of wanting to try "everything as quickly as possible" to figure out what I liked and what would work. There are just too many options and not enough daily facial hair (at least, not on my face). But, it's a journey, not a race. I have found some stuff that I think will be my "go to" for products and I should just stick with that for awhile. But, you thank you all again. And, thank you for welcoming me to our common adventure.