I have oily skin and I'm wondering if the TSD aftershave milk would be a good product for me. I currently use Aqua-Velva & love the cooling sensation but even when I don't have a bad shave the alcohol tends to make my neck red. In the past when I've used a balm I end up with a super shiny face all day that just feels greasy & nasty. I appreciate the benefits of your experience.
Never tried the milk so I can't help you there, but have you tried something like Thayer's Witch Hazel? It's more expensive than Dickenson or generic brands, but doesn't smell like gym socks either. I don't use it anymore but it is rather soothing and won't dry your skin out either.
I currently use Wally World witch hazel. I have some w/ & w/out alum. The smell of the witch hazel doesn't bother me as it dissipates quickly & I use a cologne anyway.
I also have oily skin and would suggest the regular splash over the milk. In order for me to use the milk, I need to mix it 50/50 with water. Even then it's too much on a hot, humid day. The splash however, works great as-is. It's not as drying as typical cheap Wal-mart or drug store splashes, but even with oily skin I think that's a good thing. For me, it keeps my skin from over-reacting with extra oil production.
Thanks Erik! Have you tried OCM? I've just started trying it myself. Will see how it goes but would appreciate your experience if you've tried it.
I would suggest getting an alum bar/stick and seeing how your face fares with that. For me using the alum it clears my face up well, so much so even with oily skin I can get away with using a balm or milk afterwards.
I picked up some alum at my grocery store & have mixed that in with my witch hazel. My face is fairly clear. I get the occasional whitehead & rare blackhead. My face is just oily & can be very shiny when adding moisturizers. It's sounding like I will most likely need to stick to splashes. Are there any low/no alcohol splashes out there?
I think the majority of them are alcohol based actually or as the 2nd ingredient, do you not want the burn?! If so I think Brut's aftershave is pretty balanced, there's some burn and a very faint hint of menthol, or you could try Alt Innsbruck, it tames my face pretty well even without using Alum.
I don't mind the burn at all. What I'm trying to minimize is the redness of my skin from irritation. This may all just be a factor of technique & just improve on its own as I shave more. I actually had an almost zero irritation shave this morning followed by witch hazel + alum spray & Aqua Velva Classic splash. I love the menthol & like the burn. Fortunately today my neck did not get red after everything!
Gillette Aftershave Gel Have you tried the Gillette Aftershave Gel? I use that after my Aqua Velva has dried and it seems to help me. I also have oily skin but my head is the worse. I shave it and use everything but by about noon it feels oily.
My suggestion is Geo F Trumpers Skin Food. http://www.trumpers.com/product_detail.cfm?ProductID=111547335
You can expand your selection to women products. Yes, cosmetic products for women! If you look carefully the ingredient list on any "face toner", you will discover most of them are basically aftershave splashes marketed toward women. Many of them have witch hazel (hamamelis), rose water or orange flower water. See this Wikipedia description... I like Druide Facial Toner because it doesn't have a girly scent (lime+chamomile). I don't know if it sold in the USA. All the big brands of cosmetics (Neutrogena, Nivea, Olay, L'Oréal, Thayers, Burt's Bees, ...) have their range of toners. Since you have oily skin, look for the word "astringent". A starting point for you...
