So I've been meaning to start DE shaving for some time, based on the recommendations of others, and I've gradually been picking up pieces of the "routine" - I switched to shaving in/immediately after a shower, started using high-quality creams such as Real Shaving Co. and Proraso, and have just started using a brush in the past week (the last step is now to actually start using a DE instead of a cartridge face-raker ). So here's the question - I've always used an exfoliating scrub such as Nivea For Men or St. Ives' Apricot prior to shaving, but I've found that combining this with a brush leads to irritation. Does a brush exfoliate enough by itself, or is this really a mater of YMMV?
I don't think the brush exfoliates that much. I use a face wash scrub every couple day in addition to the brush and shave and have found any irritation to be the result of improper technique not the scrub. But to each their own.
I use a scrub on my forehead and nose. I've found that I just don't need it where I shave and it will make any shaving irritation worse. Also, have you tried Burt Bee's Deep Pore Scrub? While I find BB a hit and miss product line, the Deep Pore Scrub is a winner in my book. Of course with St. Ives being so well priced I keep going back and forth between the two.
I like BB's products in general but have not tried that particular one. My local Target has a huge BB display so they probably have it.
I would say that whether or not a brush and soap exfoliates is largely dependent on the brush. Softer brushes obviously don't scrub with the vigor of a super stiff boar brush. I'd also guess that someone who face lathers spends more time scrubbing the soap on their face than someone who mug lathers and simply paints the lather on their face. There are lots of variables at work here. I've never been big on exfoliating but I can say that my skin feels much cleaner and much tighter now than before I started wet shaving. The combination of stiff boar brushes, good soap, and witch hazel and/or moisturizing creams/lotions seems to work very well.
I think I've got the same problem: I've been using St. Ives for years, as they've got that Apricot thing, and nothing else seems to work to keep the acne away. At my age (30), it's a little humiliating to have adult acne, so I use whatever product I know works, and stick with it. But, I've noticed a lot of irritation and razor burn (haven't gotten rid of the cartridge myself, yet, waiting on the Merkur 38c to come in stock downtown (I live in Germany, so it's WAAAY cheape here)), and whenever I brush on lather, it's a little painful (I think because of scrubbing in the shower beforehand). Normally my face is a little sore after a shave for an hour or two, even with the application of "soothing" balms. Is this due to overwashing/scrubbing my face as well? A little extra info is that I'm using a boar brush (Can't yet afford a badger, but it's a VDH brush, so it can't be all that bad, right?). I've only been using the brush for a week and a half, but I'm thinking that by now it's broken in, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong to cause all the irritation. On top of all this, I don't know if I'm supposed to make the lather in the bowl, then pain it on, or make it for 40-60 seconds, then finish on my face, further exfoliating. As is probably obvious, I'm totally confused. I picked up Michael's book to get some more clues, but I think I just confused myself more, mostly because I've read so much about technique that I honestly don't know what works for me, and don't know where to start.
Tom, to me it sounds like you may be overdoing it with the scrub,you really shouldn't feel any pain when using a brush on your face, and the VDH brush can be a little scrubby when new. Now sometimes it can be tough to build a good lather in a bowl with a boar brush, and if your face is too sensitive to build lather on, maybe try building the lather in your hand and then just painting it on.
Both DE blades and straights do an excellent job of exfolliating. When you shave you do lose some skin. This is one of the reasons why your skin feels so good after a shave. But if you exfolliate and then shave you are taking off way too much skin. Some people have skin as thick as leather and they can do this, but I wouldn't recomend it.
OK, now I'm feeling a little like I should start looking for a camera somewhere. I just the other day read about OCM, and went to the apothecary to get the implements, solvents, oils, whatever the chemist thought I might want to get started. Apparently, OCM is not just an old technique, but one widely used here in Europe, and people make their own concoction of stuff all them time. JoAnna: Your question about acne is very valid, trust me. I thought for a while that I've just had hives (because the effect comes and goes, never stays for long periods, just a few weeks at a time), and recently went to two different dermatologists, who told me the same thing, almost verbatim (although, one in English, the other in German): I've not only got adult acne, but I've had it for over ten years, and I've been treating it only as oily skin; over the years, I have simply exacerbated it by trying the myriad products available to help fix the problem. I was told that, basically, I've been a victim of consumerism, bad medical advice, and crappy advertising, and there's plenty of natural, gentle solutions out there. I honestly didn't know what to say to the second doctor (mostly because my German is REALLY bad, but also because I was a little dumbfounded). So, I went to the chemist, asked an obscene amount of questions, made that chemist really earn her pay for the day, and walked away with probably 200 Euros of stuff. Now it's off to my own little chemistry set in the shower. Here's the link to the post where I talked about it, and the rest of my recent insanity: http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?p=314866#post314866 I'll letcha know what happens. I've completely stopped using any other cleansing method but OCM, so wish me luck.
I don't think you need to exfoliate your skin. Letting a blade gliding on your skin will remove enough skin .
I don't think the brush exfoliates, but your razor sure will Using a scrub prior to a shave sounds to me like overkill.....
