HA at the end for me.
Â
Hyaluronic Acid Is Magic For My Post Shave Skin | It's A Game Changer
- Thread starter Chan Eil Whiskers
- Start date
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
I apply the HA to my damp face and then follow up with moisturiser, which my wife assures me is the correct method. I then apply aftershave, edt, or cologne after that. I am using the HA twice per day and after a couple of weeks my skin feels good but there are no dramatic visual changes. I will continue to use HA for the foreseeable future as I am enjoying doing so but if the cost of it doubled then I probably would not bother.
Â
HA first on a damp face, then balm or splash.
Â
Hyaluronic acid is supposed to be one of the better skin care ingredients as it is produced naturally by your body. Peptides are polymers of amino acids, the building blocks of protein.
Some shaving soaps contain protein such as those from silk and from various milk and milk products (whey, yogurt).
The use of hyaluronic acid is still pretty unusual in the shaving market. However, Grooming Dept does offer a Hydrating Gel that contains 2% hyaluronic acid. I have not tried it, so I do not know how effective it may be.
Â
I thought I would try the instaskincare brand shown on the first post here, but read on amazon that it was not 100% HA, but a 2% solution that used 100% HA. I also read that some believed the amazon instaskincare product was fraudulent, had no inner seal and did not smell like what they purchased retail. And finally I read this from one of the people that bought the instaskincare brand:
WARNING: CONTAINS Phenoxyethanol--banned in Japan and Europe
So I ordered the neutogena version directly from the neutrogena website. I'll post my results after I use it for a while.
WARNING: CONTAINS Phenoxyethanol--banned in Japan and Europe
So I ordered the neutogena version directly from the neutrogena website. I'll post my results after I use it for a while.
Â
I think the B&M aftershave balms include HA too, they’re still fairly new I haven’t used one yet.
Â
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
A 100% hyaluronic acid product would be impossible to use and I do not believe any such product exists. In my opinion every single commercial HA product shown here is using 100% HA at a solution of no more than about 5%. It is simply the standard unintelligible language of sales and marketing.
Â
Short Version: I tried it. It works. I will never spend another godforsaken NY winter without it.
Long Version:
I have very dry skin under any circumstances, but during the NY winter it's quite unpleasant. My hands often get so dry that the skin splits enough to bleed if I forget to use lotion on a daily basis. Unfortunately, my facial skin is also pretty sensitive to most lotions, and I've never found one that didn't leave me red and irritated. As a result, I just avoid drying soaps like Arko during the winter, and accept my lot as penance for not getting pimples in high school. I make my own after shave with glycerin to help retain moisture, but this can make the face "shiny" if you add too much. Workable, but not ideal.
I'm intrigued by hyaluronic acid because it's not a lotion, and I was hopeful that it would not cause irritation. I bought some Neutrogena "Hydro Boost Water Gel", which is their flagship hyaluronic acid product. It cost me $15.00 at Walmart and has 1.7oz. I'm sure any HA product will do, but Neutrogena seems like a trustworthy brand. More importantly, I could buy it at Walmart; if I bought it on Amazon, my wife would see it and tease me mercilessly, and be emboldened in her cosmetic acquisition disorder. It seemed like a princely sum for such a small quantity, but I figured if it worked it would be well worth it.
I've been using it for 2 days after shaving, and I could feel the difference pretty much immediately. My face feels as hydrated now as it normally would on a humid July day. I don't know whether I look any different, but I don't really care. My skin feels much better than it ever has in Oct. This stuff really works, and it doesn't irritate my skin like a lotion.
Long Version:
I have very dry skin under any circumstances, but during the NY winter it's quite unpleasant. My hands often get so dry that the skin splits enough to bleed if I forget to use lotion on a daily basis. Unfortunately, my facial skin is also pretty sensitive to most lotions, and I've never found one that didn't leave me red and irritated. As a result, I just avoid drying soaps like Arko during the winter, and accept my lot as penance for not getting pimples in high school. I make my own after shave with glycerin to help retain moisture, but this can make the face "shiny" if you add too much. Workable, but not ideal.
I'm intrigued by hyaluronic acid because it's not a lotion, and I was hopeful that it would not cause irritation. I bought some Neutrogena "Hydro Boost Water Gel", which is their flagship hyaluronic acid product. It cost me $15.00 at Walmart and has 1.7oz. I'm sure any HA product will do, but Neutrogena seems like a trustworthy brand. More importantly, I could buy it at Walmart; if I bought it on Amazon, my wife would see it and tease me mercilessly, and be emboldened in her cosmetic acquisition disorder. It seemed like a princely sum for such a small quantity, but I figured if it worked it would be well worth it.
I've been using it for 2 days after shaving, and I could feel the difference pretty much immediately. My face feels as hydrated now as it normally would on a humid July day. I don't know whether I look any different, but I don't really care. My skin feels much better than it ever has in Oct. This stuff really works, and it doesn't irritate my skin like a lotion.
Â
Thanks for posting this. Just ordered one from Amazon Canada for under $10US.Short Version: I tried it. It works. I will never spend another godforsaken NY winter without it.
Long Version:
I have very dry skin under any circumstances, but during the NY winter it's quite unpleasant. My hands often get so dry that the skin splits enough to bleed if I forget to use lotion on a daily basis. Unfortunately, my facial skin is also pretty sensitive to most lotions, and I've never found one that didn't leave me red and irritated. As a result, I just avoid drying soaps like Arko during the winter, and accept my lot as penance for not getting pimples in high school. I make my own after shave with glycerin to help retain moisture, but this can make the face "shiny" if you add too much. Workable, but not ideal.
I'm intrigued by hyaluronic acid because it's not a lotion, and I was hopeful that it would not cause irritation. I bought some Neutrogena "Hydro Boost Water Gel", which is their flagship hyaluronic acid product. It cost me $15.00 at Walmart and has 1.7oz. I'm sure any HA product will do, but Neutrogena seems like a trustworthy brand. More importantly, I could buy it at Walmart; if I bought it on Amazon, my wife would see it and tease me mercilessly, and be emboldened in her cosmetic acquisition disorder. It seemed like a princely sum for such a small quantity, but I figured if it worked it would be well worth it.
I've been using it for 2 days after shaving, and I could feel the difference pretty much immediately. My face feels as hydrated now as it normally would on a humid July day. I don't know whether I look any different, but I don't really care. My skin feels much better than it ever has in Oct. This stuff really works, and it doesn't irritate my skin like a lotion.
I have been using the InstaSkincare version for the last month or so and really like it. Hyaluronic acid really does make a big difference IME.
Â
Is sounds like good stuff. I did a screenshot to check it out laterThanks for posting this. Just ordered one from Amazon Canada for under $10US.
I have been using the InstaSkincare version for the last month or so and really like it. Hyaluronic acid really does make a big difference IME.
Â
Thanks for posting this. Just ordered one from Amazon Canada for under $10US.
I have been using the InstaSkincare version for the last month or so and really like it. Hyaluronic acid really does make a big difference IME.
Let us know how it compares to the InstaSkincare you've been using. I'm brand agnostic, and I'll happily switch to whatever works better. Neutrogena just happened to be what was on the shelf locally.
Â
Wow times change. Back in 2015 it was vegetable glycerin both in Uber lathers or just on skin.
Â
Has anyone tried any other acid instead to see if it just helps because it is acid? I mean, the soap is alkali and thus any acid will neutralize and bring down the pH of the skin. Common acids anyone could use are vinegar and some fruit juices (like lemon).
Â
Glycerin uber lathers will always be awesome! I don't think glycerin is going anywhere either. There is a reason that glycerin is an ingredient in pretty much every aftershave.
Glycerin and HA are both humectants (draw moisture into the outer layer of skin). The tricky think with glycerin is that too much makes the skin shiny and "sticky". Not a great look. Although they both do the same job, it seems like you can use more HA without getting the glycerin shine or stickiness.
I think the best results probably come from using both, which is easy do by adding aftershave once the HA has absorbed. That's my very non-scientific guess anyway.
Â
This is why Hydrovance is superior to glycerin, IMO.
Â
- Thread starter
- #177
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
My understanding from Frank is 2% is about as strong as you can make it, but perhaps I misunderstood him or he was wrong about the concentration (I doubt he was wrong though).
From the Amazon ⬇ information on the product I use, the product in the OP ⬆.
Is that phenoxyethanol stuff safe in this concentration? According to this article it is, and also according to the article it's used in many countries other than the US. The article could be wrong, too. I'm too lazy to do a lot more homework right now, but I'll fumble about and do a little just 'cause I'm interested in my health, too, and don't want to do stupid things if I can easily avoid them nor do I want to advise anyone to use anything unsafe.
I found this ⬇ without doing much work.
Whether the 1,300 banned ingredients include phenoxyethanol I don't know as I don't have the list, but I found an article suggesting otherwise, an article supposed authoritative, the Opinion on Phenoxyethanol from the publications office of the EU. Is it up to date and current? I don't know.
Here's another article. It says explicitly that both the EU and Japan allow the stuff to be used in concentrations an order of magnitude higher than that found in the brand I use.
I can find information saying phenoxyethanol is disallowed in certified 100% organic products, but so are other chemicals. To me, that's a so what thing.
The material linked above ⬆ in bold says what and comes from where? Let's see. Here it is ⬇
This ⬆ is from an Amazon review.
Frankly, I don't believe the review is accurate at all. If it is, I can't find supportive documentation of any form. Maybe it exists, but I doubt it. It's another badly mistaken Amazon review.
The latest review I was easily able to locate is this one. It doesn't seem to conflict with what I've already posted. It might be the best of the articles I found if you're into that level of detail.
At any rate, after doing the little bit of homework I just did, I'm comfortable using the product I've been using.
I'm also open to further information and too lazy to dig any more today.
I'm not opposed to any brand or wedded to the brand I've been using. If something else is truly better or even if you you just think it's better I want to hear about it. If you find definitive information saying the chemical of concern really is of concern, I really want to know.
Happy shaves,
Jim
⬅What's The Deal Here➡​ |
From the Amazon ⬇ information on the product I use, the product in the OP ⬆.
Is that phenoxyethanol stuff safe in this concentration? According to this article it is, and also according to the article it's used in many countries other than the US. The article could be wrong, too. I'm too lazy to do a lot more homework right now, but I'll fumble about and do a little just 'cause I'm interested in my health, too, and don't want to do stupid things if I can easily avoid them nor do I want to advise anyone to use anything unsafe.
I found this ⬇ without doing much work.
Whether the 1,300 banned ingredients include phenoxyethanol I don't know as I don't have the list, but I found an article suggesting otherwise, an article supposed authoritative, the Opinion on Phenoxyethanol from the publications office of the EU. Is it up to date and current? I don't know.
Here's another article. It says explicitly that both the EU and Japan allow the stuff to be used in concentrations an order of magnitude higher than that found in the brand I use.
I can find information saying phenoxyethanol is disallowed in certified 100% organic products, but so are other chemicals. To me, that's a so what thing.
The material linked above ⬆ in bold says what and comes from where? Let's see. Here it is ⬇
This ⬆ is from an Amazon review.
Frankly, I don't believe the review is accurate at all. If it is, I can't find supportive documentation of any form. Maybe it exists, but I doubt it. It's another badly mistaken Amazon review.
The latest review I was easily able to locate is this one. It doesn't seem to conflict with what I've already posted. It might be the best of the articles I found if you're into that level of detail.
At any rate, after doing the little bit of homework I just did, I'm comfortable using the product I've been using.
I'm also open to further information and too lazy to dig any more today.
I'm not opposed to any brand or wedded to the brand I've been using. If something else is truly better or even if you you just think it's better I want to hear about it. If you find definitive information saying the chemical of concern really is of concern, I really want to know.
Happy shaves,
Jim
Â
Last edited:
Okay, go to:
Put in “phenoxyethanol” search for studies that include humans and exclude monkeys, mice, rats, insects, animals.
Whenever in doubt, always dismiss animal studies. When 100% certain, always dismiss animal studies. If your pet or livestock get into your stuff, always read animal studies.
In vivo is good. In vitro is garbage. A country banning or not banning a substance is based on decisions rarely involving safety or efficacy.
Multiple studies showing the same results are better than a single study. A lack of multiple studies is maddeningly common.
Â
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
I live in the UK and purchased my Hyaluronic Acid from Boots The Chemist, the largest high street pharmacy in the UK. The product is 'The Ordinary':
Here is the ingredient list and detail, as you can see it includes Phenoxyethanol and is 2%. My wife has a product which is 5%, and in my opinion 100% is not possible no matter what the manufacturer states. I do not believe that Phenoxyethanol is anything about which to be concerned, but in a large enough sample there will be someone who is concerned about the presence of the water. I suspect the level of worry and stress to which those people subject themselves does more harm than this skin treatment.
THE ORDINARY HYALURONIC ACID 2% + B5
This oil-free formula delivers long-lasting hydration to your skin, making it your new daily go-to. The winning combo of Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin B5 will help with moisture retention on the skin for a plump and smooth complexion with a fresh, dewy feel.
INGREDIENTS
Aqua (Water), Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Panthenol, Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ppg-26-Buteth-26, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Citric Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Here is the ingredient list and detail, as you can see it includes Phenoxyethanol and is 2%. My wife has a product which is 5%, and in my opinion 100% is not possible no matter what the manufacturer states. I do not believe that Phenoxyethanol is anything about which to be concerned, but in a large enough sample there will be someone who is concerned about the presence of the water. I suspect the level of worry and stress to which those people subject themselves does more harm than this skin treatment.
THE ORDINARY HYALURONIC ACID 2% + B5
This oil-free formula delivers long-lasting hydration to your skin, making it your new daily go-to. The winning combo of Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin B5 will help with moisture retention on the skin for a plump and smooth complexion with a fresh, dewy feel.
INGREDIENTS
Aqua (Water), Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Panthenol, Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ppg-26-Buteth-26, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Citric Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Â
- Thread starter
- #180
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
I use HA after every shave.
After shaving, while my skin is damp, I apply the HA. If my skin is still actually wet I dry it in a half hearted manner first. I don't want my skin dry nor do I want it wet. I want my skin damp.
I use about a dropper full of HA. Less is okay. More is okay. It's a slimy, easy to spread everywhere gel. If there is extra on my hands I rub it up my arms because that area gets dry (for me), too; the HA has help my forearm dryness, too, and not just by a little bit.
After the HA I apply moisturizer next, letting the HA dry a bit first. After the moisturizer has dried some and before it's 100% dry I apply my aftershave splash.
Sometimes I shake it up and apply a splash after the HA and before the moisturizer. I used to use just HA and a splash, but found my results were slightly better using both HA and a moisturizer.
There's only one rule: HA is always first and always applied to damp skin.
If my skin is especially dry feeling I might wash my face in the evening and then go with a second application of HA and moisturizer. I don't have to do this very often (but only because of using HA after every shave).
Since I began using HA my shaves have improved, the comfort level of my skin has improved, and not just a little bit, and I'm far more handsome. A small bottle lasts a couple of months or longer, and the refill bottle is an even better deal (except it doesn't have the very useful eye dropper, so keep the small bottle and refill it).
That's all I know about it, but I decided it was time for an update on how I use the product.
One of the above statements might cause a certain character's nose to grow, but mine is as large as it always has been.
Happy shaves,
Jim
After shaving, while my skin is damp, I apply the HA. If my skin is still actually wet I dry it in a half hearted manner first. I don't want my skin dry nor do I want it wet. I want my skin damp.
I use about a dropper full of HA. Less is okay. More is okay. It's a slimy, easy to spread everywhere gel. If there is extra on my hands I rub it up my arms because that area gets dry (for me), too; the HA has help my forearm dryness, too, and not just by a little bit.
⬅ This is one of post shave kits.​ |
After the HA I apply moisturizer next, letting the HA dry a bit first. After the moisturizer has dried some and before it's 100% dry I apply my aftershave splash.
Most days I use either the splash above ⬆ or this one ➡. As far as I know all splashes work great with HA and a moisturizer.​ |
Sometimes I shake it up and apply a splash after the HA and before the moisturizer. I used to use just HA and a splash, but found my results were slightly better using both HA and a moisturizer.
There's only one rule: HA is always first and always applied to damp skin.
If my skin is especially dry feeling I might wash my face in the evening and then go with a second application of HA and moisturizer. I don't have to do this very often (but only because of using HA after every shave).
Since I began using HA my shaves have improved, the comfort level of my skin has improved, and not just a little bit, and I'm far more handsome. A small bottle lasts a couple of months or longer, and the refill bottle is an even better deal (except it doesn't have the very useful eye dropper, so keep the small bottle and refill it).
That's all I know about it, but I decided it was time for an update on how I use the product.
One of the above statements might cause a certain character's nose to grow, but mine is as large as it always has been.
Happy shaves,
Jim
Â
Similar threads
