Zirh face products/other scrubs

[Mike in Cincy]

I've read great reviews on Amazon about Zirh face wash and scrub. Anyone else here use them?

I know Clinique is a popular scrub on this forum, any other recommendations?

 

[bordeaaj]

I use most of the Zirh products and I wholeheartedly agree with the good reviews. If your objective is skin care it works great as long as you use the correct combination of products for your skin type (https://www.zirh.com/suggester.aspx). There are other good lines out there with the same objective that may work for you...Anthony Logistics, Clinique for Men, etc. I have tried a few but none have worked as well as Zirh for me. I am sure you can mix and match brands as long as you approximate the basic regimens of cleaner, pre-shave, shave, after-shave, and moisturizers, etc.

However, if your objectives tend to the more hedonistic, ie luxurious lathers, exotic scents, and the smoothest of shaves the Zirh brand will not be for you. In order to make an educated decision be sure to do a quick search here and see for yourself that the Zihr line has its detractors. Most of the criticisms are valid when taken from their point of view and are mainly due to the differing objectives of the end user. As you can easily see, the very existence of this forum is almost entirely devoted toward the latter (a good thing ).

But if, as with a few of us, the treatment and prevention of skin problems caused by close shaving, etc have taken priority over the pleasures of the close shave itself, the Zirh line or something similar might be for you. If you do decide to try the Zirh products I would suggest ordering online at the Zirh website as they have customizable website-only bundles that can save you a ton of money vs retail (this stuff is not inexpensive). You can also do a google search for Zirh coupon codes that will get you nice discounts, free shipping, free products with orders, etc. Also, eBay always has Zirh products at good prices but I have never ordered there. If you have any questions I will be happy to tell you my experiences and opinions. Hope that helps.

 

[Mike in Cincy]

Very informative post. Thank you!!

 

[sphughes]

Mike,

Check out www.menessentials.com for a ton of info, products, and product reviews. This should provide you with a good overview of the options available to you and present a good product mix and range of prices.

-Scott-

 

[LorenzoJunkie]

Hey, Mike.

I like the Zirh line too, but not all of the products equally. Here are some I especially like:

Clean (some find it too harsh, but not me)
Correct (hard to describe, but my favorite of all Zirh products)
Rejuvinate (good moisterizer)
Zirh shave cream is better than their gel. If you want gel, go with Sharps.
Body Scrub (smells great)

I'd avoid:

Restore (eye stuff, smells great, does nothing)
Bar Soap (nothing special, try Nancy Boy instead)
Prepare (mediocre shave oil, not worth the price)

As for scrubs, Zirh is OK, but I prefer Sharps.


Good luck & have fun!

 

[rhinoyahoo]

Just got a great deal on Zihr "starter packs" (my term, not theirs) at Nordstroms Rack. They had a couple of different packs marked down to $29 from $59.

I had hoped to find some steals on T&H or AoS, but no.

-Jim

 

[bordeaaj]

Hey, Mike.

I like the Zirh line too, but not all of the products equally. Here are some I especially like:

Clean (some find it too harsh, but not me)
Correct (hard to describe, but my favorite of all Zirh products)
Rejuvinate (good moisterizer)
Zirh shave cream is better than their gel. If you want gel, go with Sharps.
Body Scrub (smells great)

I'd avoid:

Restore (eye stuff, smells great, does nothing)
Bar Soap (nothing special, try Nancy Boy instead)
Prepare (mediocre shave oil, not worth the price)

As for scrubs, Zirh is OK, but I prefer Sharps.


Good luck & have fun!

I agree with most of this but I do like the bar soap. It has 3 alpha-hydroxy acids which I think does make a difference to the quality of my skin...not sure about Nancy Boy ingredients but have read good things here. I continue to use and love Prepare even though olive oil, saffola, or whatever would probably work just as well. I only use very small amounts of Restore because I think it may work too well on me. I think it makes me look a little hollow-eyed rather than just reducing any puffiness back to normal.

(By the way, I had an Australian friend in college who constantly used the term "Nancy Boy" as a derogatory for, shall we say, "wimps" and for those of a differing sexual orientation. I had never heard the term before and I am ashamed admit that particular association is so strong it has reduced my inclination to buy the Nancy Boy products. I guess admitting that is the first step toward getting over it.)

 

[MJS]

Great post, I've been curious about Zirh products as well.

 

[rschul2]

I find that the Zirh range is fairly good for people with oily skin. Their cleanser worked well for me but I know of many people who say that their cleaner is much too harsh. Their scrub is absolutely useless. It feels as though you are rubbing fiberglass over your skin. I would recommend Baxter of California's Scrub or California North's Gelskin Scrub--much better products. The protect moisturizer is very oily and I would not recommed it for anyone with oily skin. The last two products I tried were the Shave Gel and Shave Cream. For a brushless, I find the gel to provide a good shave but this was when I was still using a mach III. The cream on the other hand is very very intense and burned my skin. I would stay away from this product if you have very sensitive skin. Some people like Zirh products and I think they are OK, but the vast majority of people from what I've read really dislike the range as a whole. There are better skincare lines available than Zirh or Clinique (repackaged women's products). Check out http://www.menessentials.com for more information.

 

[ravkesef]

(By the way, I had an Australian friend in college who constantly used the term "Nancy Boy" as a derogatory for, shall we say, "wimps" and for those of a differing sexual orientation. I had never heard the term before and I am ashamed admit that particular association is so strong it has reduced my inclination to buy the Nancy Boy products. I guess admitting that is the first step toward getting over it.)

your Australian friend is correct--it denotes a gay male. That's why the product is so named. A couple of gay guys in San Francisco started a product line and decided to make a derogatory term respectable. (some examples; products carry the notation: "tested on boy friends, not on animals." or this one: "use to wash hands, especially if you've been bad.") Whatever your sexual orientation (I'm straight,) they make a truly fabulous line of products, are honest businessmen, and easy to deal with. And to top it off, they have a delightful sense of humor.
My advice: if you can get past your negative feelings, you'll find a product line that you'll keep coming back to again and again.

 

[bordeaaj]

your Australian friend is correct--it denotes a gay male. That's why the product is so named. A couple of gay guys in San Francisco started a product line and decided to make a derogatory term respectable. (some examples; products carry the notation: "tested on boy friends, not on animals." or this one: "use to wash hands, especially if you've been bad.") Whatever your sexual orientation (I'm straight,) they make a truly fabulous line of products, are honest businessmen, and easy to deal with. And to top it off, they have a delightful sense of humor.
My advice: if you can get past your negative feelings, you'll find a product line that you'll keep coming back to again and again.

Thanks for the backgrounder. Nancy Boy has some of the the best reviewed products on this forum and as such have become of some interest to me. Maybe I will just have to give them a try.

 

[mrob]

I'd echo the above plug for NB stuff. The advertising can be an eye opener at first, but I actually stopped by their brick and mortar store in SF while there on business and they could not have been more helpful. Also great businessmen in terms of service and customer care--truly first rate.

Having said that, I'm a bar soap guy all the way--and my faves are the NB soaps--huge, moisturizing and they smell great!

Face washes don't leave my skin feeling clean, and I usually break out in zits (at 48!) after using them for an extended period.

 

[shavingbandit]

I've been using the urth Skin Scrub for the past 5 weeks and hands down, it is the best scrub on the market. The smell is great, and a lot of very fine scrub granules. Leaves your face clean and tingly. It is very refreshing and doesn't dry the skin out.

www.geturth.com

http://www.geturth.com/products/treatments.htm

 

[bananimus]

I've pretty much tried their entire line (from face wash to shaving), and while they worked OK for the most part, I found them to be wholly unremarkable. I also discovered at the time that I was allergic to salicylic acid (a component of their face wash), which gives me a nasty rash/itch. I think that's what I was allergic to (based on reactions to similar products)... I could be wrong.

Their face wash is certainly the best product in the line as far as efficacy goes (if you aren't allergic). I wouldn't recommend it for dry or sensitive skin.

For the price, though, you can do better.

 

[ogopogo]

I like the Soothe after shave balm. I have the "Scrub", but I haven't tried it yet. However, I got a really bad reaction to the "Protect" lotion, this stuff really did a number on me. My face, particularly the area over my cheekbones under my eyes got very red and irritated, almost like a burn. It lasted for about 3 days and left it feeling kind of leathery. I wish I knew which ingridient caused this, because I've never had an allergic reaction to anything before.

 

[bordeaaj]

I like the Soothe after shave balm. I have the "Scrub", but I haven't tried it yet. However, I got a really bad reaction to the "Protect" lotion, this stuff really did a number on me. My face, particularly the area over my cheekbones under my eyes got very red and irritated, almost like a burn. It lasted for about 3 days and left it feeling kind of leathery. I wish I knew which ingridient caused this, because I've never had an allergic reaction to anything before.

I get a similar burn-type reaction from too much salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide so I have to be careful in what I use. I use most of the Zirh products and though they work great for me I can definitely feel something in Protect going to work on my skin every time I put it on (no burns or anything though). Protect has about 4 or 5 alpha-hydroxy acids so it is on the potent side. Maybe you can discontinue Protect and ask for a sample of Defend which is similar but made for sensitive skin. If you happen to use Clean and find it a little harsh you can substitute Wash...also made for sensitive skin. The stores in my area that carry the Zirh products (Macy's, Nordstrom, Sephora) are usually generous in giving out any samples they have so you can try before you buy.

 

[ravkesef]

I like the Soothe after shave balm. I have the "Scrub", but I haven't tried it yet. However, I got a really bad reaction to the "Protect" lotion, this stuff really did a number on me. My face, particularly the area over my cheekbones under my eyes got very red and irritated, almost like a burn. It lasted for about 3 days and left it feeling kind of leathery. I wish I knew which ingridient caused this, because I've never had an allergic reaction to anything before.

Wow! same here. I loved the scent, but had precisely the same reaciton you did. Cleared it up with Ahava face cream (contains Dead Sea minerals--truly the best I've ever tried.)
and here's the funny thing: Protect doesn't have any SPF. Now who would make a face cream these days without it?????