Aftershave and allergies

[raylinds]

I have allergies that are bothered by anything with a strong fragrance. Because of this, I have not worn colognes in years- it's really a PITA (especially in this hobby). I would love to try some aftershaves and am particularly interested in the old drug store standbys like Agua Velva, Skin Bracer, English Leather, etc.

Can anyone tell me which ones loss their scent fairly quickly? I think I could deal with the scent for a short period of time.
Thanks

 

[speakerwire]

Aqua Velva's "Musk" is gone pretty quickly... 10 minutes or so on my skin.

 

[Wingnut]

First, welcome to B&B, brother! You'e gonna LOVE it here.

Seeing your question and the above response, I just have to add that longevity of things like aftershave and cologne vary WIDELY form person to person. When I read the above post that AV Musk lasted only 10 minutes on the poster, I was floored. On me it easily lasts 2+ hours. This type of variation is usual and to be expected (not that it makes it any easier for you...) Skin chemistry plays a huge part on the longevity (and even scent) of a product.

...That said, I think it's pretty widely agreed that one aftershave that has fairly short legs on most people is Proraso splash. It's mentholated, so if that's a problem for you, I would avoid it. It is one of my personal favorites for the warmer months.

Another (relatively scentless) option is to use plain old witch hazel, which has it's own unique scent that some love and some loathe, but the main advantage is that the scent is gone as soon as it finishes drying. It's also an astringent, so it really soothes your newly-shaved face and closes up any little nicks and "weepers" that you may have. Thayers makes many witch hazel-based skin products (both scented and without any added scent) and there are many here who adore them. They should be available online and in your local health food store (Whole Foods carries them, if there's one close to you). As for me, I just use the cheap stuff that I get from the local Family Dollar store that goes for about $1.89 a pint. It works just fine for me, and I even like the scent of it!

One final - and totally scentless - option is to use an alum block as your aftershave. Rubbing the wet block on your wet face is antiseptic and astringent, but it has absolutely no scent. Just make sure to rinse off the alum after it has done it's work, or you may get a white powdery residue visible after a while. If you have a local Indian grocery store around, check in there. Another option is to go to your local health food store and look in the deodorant section for "deodorant stones" (Caution: make sure to get a stone made of "potassium alum" rather than ammonium alum", as the latter is a bit more agressive when rubbed on newly-shaven skin)

Reviews on all of these various products (and many more) are available in the "Reviews" section of B&B. It's divided just like the forums into colognes, aftershaves, etc. Good luck on your search, and once again, WELCOME!!

 

[buyandhold2018]

I suffer from the exact same problem. Two products I recommend; Alum and Proraso Pre/Post for Sensitive skin (the one with Aloe and Green Tea).