I'm starting to suspect that shaving with this soap dries my skin to the point extreme flakiness. There's a couple other variables at play (I'm new to DE razors and I'm experimenting a lot, switching blades, creams, soaps, etc.), so I'm not 100% sure, but it seems like any time I use the Cade, whether alone or in a superlather, I get really flaky skin, almost like the after effects of a sunburn. Has anyone else experienced this with this soap?
You may be allergic to something in it. I had that sunburn feeling before and figured out that a certain brand of conditioner that I was using as a pre-shave was the culprit.
Soap does not do that to me. After Shave with Alcohol does give the flaky skins and redness like sunburn. It does sound like an allergic reaction to me.
The Cade soap also had a bad drying effect on my skin so I had to stop using it. A pity because it's really good stuff lather and scent-wise.
I sounds like an allergic reaction to me also. I suggest not using it. Allergic reactions can become worse each time they happen. With hundreds of other soaps and creams to try I would throw this one in the trash.
If you like the Cade lather and scent, I suggest finding a shaving combination that doesn't cause any reaction (DE,blade, brush, soap, aftershave) and repeat it for a few days. Then change out the soap to the Cade and see if it's causing the effect. If you don't particularly care for the Cade anyway, just quit using it. If you have a reaction and can find the ingredient list, you might be able to determine which ingredient is the culprit and avoid it in the future.
Like BigT said, allergic reactions usually get worse over time with repeated exposure. If you really need to know, I'd say take a small dab and put it on the inside of your arm or somewhere like that. Leave it on for a minute or so then rinse it off. If you get a red spot there or irritiation, you'll know that's it and then you can PIF it.
When I was a PA I used to tell many of my patients this: Just because sharks don't attack you when you wear shark repellant does not mean that the repellant works...it may just mean that you're in the middle of Arizona. The point is many folks see allergic reactions or sensitivities as an A+B=C sort of deal. The problem with that equation is that A and B are not always so obvious. You may have an environmental factor at play that you do not realize (air filter in need of replacement, that new shampoo, gremlins licking your face at night while you sleep) or it may be the Cade. You won't be able to tell until you initiate some control over your product use. Examine everything that you use piece by piece. Even if the Cade turns out to be safe, it could be causing you issues in combination with something else. try finding a comfortable combination of products that cause you absolutely zero issues and then introduce possible trouble products one at a time. Eliminate as many variables as possible before deciding on a culprit. L'Occitane Cade is one of my favorite soaps, I love everything about it, but it does have some stuff in it that I could see causing some folks issues. If the Cade does turn out to be the culprit, then I am sure you will have zero trouble finding someone to trade it to, maybe you can turn a product that does not work for you into one that becomes your new favorite.
