Weleda After Shave Balsam

I've been on the lookout for an aftershave balm/splash combo kinda thing. I was thinking about getting the tabac lotion but when I found out my local whole foods stocks this swanky french weleda product, I thought I'd give that a shot.

The price is a tad high. $20 for 100ml but that is at whole foods which is notoriously high-priced. It does come in a really nice heavy blue glass bottle so you do feel that you are getting your money's worth. The cap is white plastic and the sticker on the front of the bottle is kind of generic but overall it's some nice packaging.

This balm REALLY fights razor burn! The first time I used it I had finished a 2-pass straight shave with a not so prime razor (lots of tugging and scraping) that followed up another 2-pass straight shave from the day before with the same blade. This was all in my attempt to learn my way with straights. Needless to say my face was red and angry, looked like i had a bad sunburn or rash. there's no way I was going to put clubman on so I thought I'd see how well this weleda stuff really works. A few splashes went on nice and smooth, not burning at all. and within 5 minutes my face looked completely calm and clear.

What really surprised me was the cooling sensation. it's not a blast of cooling like menthol but just a nice hint of coolness, like a breeze on your face, but its definitely there even after 30 minutes. I kept checking the ingredients for menthol but it has none. After some looking on the net I found out myrrh oil has a cooling effect on the skin.

The scent is the weakest point. It's pleasant but not amazing. lasts maybe 15-30 minutes. It smells strongly of chamomile and citrus oils. I'd describe it as chamomile tea with a lemon peel. Different from most products, and kinda refreshing, but not very manly.

It's nicely moisturizing, but if you put a little too much on you can get greasy skin for a while until it soaks in all the way. good winter aftershave for sure.

The product is also completely natural and organic and all that, which is a big plus in my book. so many balms have tons of preservatives and antimicrobials and silicone, etc. It's nice to find a chemical free product that works well. I noticed it had magnesium aluminum silicate on the list which concerned me a tad, but it turns out that it's kaolin clay so I can live with that since clay particles probably aren't going to absorb into my skin.

overall, a really nice balm, best I've tried thus far.

A thick, heavy balm, mostly suitable for excellent protection during real winters. Avoid if in warm climates or if your skin is steadily with oily/combination characteristics. A solid performer, highly recommended under the right conditions.

I had introduced this in my shaving routine and I never thought to change it. I'm thinking only around the other Weleda Lotion, I use as a pre-shave. For the cooling sensation I prefer the use of cold water and then apply my Weleda Balm. Wow!