Right now I apply pre de provence aftershave balm after each shave and it smells great but I'm not sure how much it is helping my skin. I was thinking about using some witch hazel after shaving and then applying the pre de provence aftershave balm. What happens if I mix these two? Could this be counter-productive? Any advice would be great. Thanks.
Using witch hazel and after shave balm
- Thread starter RichardIIILouisiana
- Start date
My routine is to apply witch hazel then let it dry before any balms/spalshes
I liberally saturate 2-3 cotton balls in witchazel wipe face and neck. After that air dries, I apply some shave balm. Occasionally, after that, I apply some Clubman.
Same here, after teh shave its a cold water rinse, then WH then Clubman AS.
This.
Yep spray on WH (with a little added menthol) then Proraso balm.
- Thread starter
- #7
I just applied some Dickinson's Witch Hazel. That stuff smells like death. After it dried up I applied my balm, which is a must after applying that witch hazel. I may have to order some scented witch hazel because I can't imagine using that stuff unless I had been married for 20 years.
Thats what I do, cant go wrong.
My routine includes applying witch hazel via flat cotton square and once that dries, I apply Jason pure aloe vera gel and then moisturizer.
Same here. Then one day I realized witch hazel was sufficient and I stopped using balm.
Thayers has an Unscented Alcohol Free WH which absolutely has no smell. I find it works really well, was never a fan of WH smell either. This solved it for me.
I only use witch hazel, no balms or anything else. I suppose the MWF soap I use leaves my skin soft enough once everything dries. It was the same when I was using AoS Non Scent Cream. I have never used any type of balm since taking on Wet Shaving, I was using AS Avon Wild Country but dropped that. After I am all dressed I then spray some Ferre Acqua Azzurra on my wrist, and then touch my wrist to checks to have a soft scent for my wife as she likes the stuff. I personally prefer less product for myself but YMMV
Here's a follow-up question. I use drugstore witch hazel and drops of lavender oil as a deodorant for my armpits and sometimes Thayer's original aloe vera witch hazel as an aftershave. One morning, I absent-mindedly rubbed the deodorant witch hazel with lavender oil on my face after shaving and boy, did it burn and smell foul! What might have caused this, the drugstore witch hazel or the lavender oil?
Exactly what I do, and it works for me. Is it overkill? Could be, but then who cares, it works for me.
Try different combos and find what you like best and don't worry about anyone else.
Pretty much what I do. I splash my face with WH and gently rub it in a little. At this point my face is slightly wet from the WH, and I continue my routine of cleaning up the sink area and putting stuff where it belongs. Then, I'll lightly pat my face with a towel to eliminate any left over residual WH (which hasn't already been absorbed by the skin). Then I gently rub in a small dollop of Nivea sensitive skin ASB (which I like because it works well and has virtually no smell)
I finish off with a few sprays of my choice of Edt or cologne for the day and I'm good to go.
Combining them works great. Like many of us, I used to apply witch hazel/toner first, let it dry, and follow up with ASB but then received some instructions from a manufacturer to apply ASB then the witch hazel/toner as it helps make the ASB. It struck me as odd and gave no reasoning so I just continued doing it my own way. A year or so later I met someone working as a Hollywood makeup artist who advised the same thing with the reasoning that the witch hazel helps the ASB absorb into the skin and makes it more sheer, less greasy, etc. She also said I should use ASB and witch hazel all over the face, not just the shaving area...and that should be followed up by a moisturizer as ASB alone is not a good enough moisturizer to keep the skin looking as young as possible as long as possible. I figured since they're paid to keep actors looking young and beautiful I guess they should know better than I do...so that's what I've done ever since. Several years later I have to say my skin has never been better. I believed the advice just enough to give it a try several years ago and I believe it even more now. Applying all these creams and toners isn't very manly I suppose but it does seem to work! I only wish I had known all these shaving tips about 30 years earlier.
Last edited:
Exactly the same.
WH is an ingredient in many commercial aftershaves, if you check the ingredients you might find out you're already using it. It's sometimes listed by it's botanical name Hamamelis Virginia.
Last edited:
