All Natural After Shaves?

[DigJazz]

I have found that using an all-natural after shave cream severely reduces my post shave irritation. I have tried various cologne-scented after shaves, and while nice smelling, they left my face scalded and irritated. Then I tried an Edwin Jagger buckthorn all natural after shave and it completely alleviated my irritation. What are some other companies that make good all natural after shaves? I am interested in trying some other scents from EJ but wouldn't mind some other brand suggestions. Thanks in advance!

 

[Manning]

Razorock Aftershave Waxes are all natural.

I use the King Louis everyday by itself or after an AS splash.

http://www.italianbarber.com/razorock-king-louis-lavender-aftershave-wax

 

[cryhavoc]

Speick

 

[luvmysuper]

Could I ask how you are defining "all natural"? Since there isn't a standard by which it is defined, I'm interested to hear yours.

 

[Greyzer]

Weleda ASB (have it and love it)

Pure Nuff Stuff (haven't tried yet)
http://www.purenuffstuff.co.uk/mens-skincare-/aftershave-lotion.htm

 

[delamain]

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/304170-Natural-scented-aftershave

As always, I will plug Aubrey Organics Spice Island, the bay rum - vetiver with patchouli, but they do have two other selections (North Woods and City Rhythms?). This is the cream of the crop as far as I'm concerned; there isn't even any "parfum" - just essential oils. I use this 90% of the time.

Alcohol denat., aqua, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) water, aloe barbadensis (aloe) leaf juice*, glycerin, pimenta racemosa (bay rum) leaf oil, pogostemon cablin (patchouli) leaf oil, piper nigrum (black pepper) seed oil, myristica fragrans (nutmeg) kernel oil, vetiveria zizanioides (vetiver) oil, panax ginseng root extract.
*Organic / Biologique

"Real" bay rums are also generally good natural products, just consisting of alcohol and oils. (NOT Pinaud, which is full of coal tar dyes and many synthetics). I have Dominica and Ogallala - they both have their merits.

The new Lucky Tiger formulation that is paraben-free and certified organic also appears to be fine. (I have not used it but the reviews are decent) That's a citrusy choice.

The new Pro Raso formulation has dropped a lot of the problem compounds that were present in the old one. "No Parabens, No Silicons, No Mineral Oils" I wouldn't go so far as to give it a lot of natural cred but it is a better option than most of what's out there. Plus there's mentol and eucalyptus!

Speick puts out great products, and their aftershave should also suit your needs. You should be able to find an ingredients list with a little digging.

I'd also consider using pure witch hazel from the drugstore or something special like Thayer's if you want to avoid alcohol. Use them to give yourself a break from fragrances and other irritants for awhile.

Luvmysuper, this is the ingredients list for the Edwin Jagger a/s:
Aqua(water), Glycine Soja (soybean) oil, alcohol, glycerin, glyceryl stearate citrate, aloe vera gel, cetearyl alcohol, hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn) fruit extract, calendula officinalis (marigold) flower extract, Panthenol, tocopherol, bisabolol, persea gratissima (avacado) oil, unsaponifiables, sucrose stearate, echinacea angustifolia (coneflower) leaf extract, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) distillate, galactoarabinan, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) extract, xanthan gum, parfum (fragrance), menthol, citral, geraniol, hexyl cinnamal, limonene, linalool

I personally don't have any hard and fast rules for what is natural and what is not, but there are a few surfactants/preservatives/miscellaneous ingredients that I try to avoid... I am more inclined to evaluate the "risk" posed by the formulation as a whole versus my actual appreciation for the smell and performance for the product... With that said, it is not a coincidence that the products I use everyday have simple and transparent ingredient lists which predominantly use essential oils for their scent and taste. (Toothpaste/mouthwash etc)

Digjazz, here is the Skin Deep cosmetics safety database for aftershave: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/browse.php?category=after_shave&&showmore=products&start=0

I take it all with a grain of salt as there is a lot of oversimplification in those ratings, but anything with a fairly low rating should be worth a second look for your purposes, just so you can verify the ingredients.

 

[luvmysuper]

Thanks, I was just trying to determine what the OP considered "all natural" as it varies greatly from person to person.

 

[fccexpert]

Could I ask how you are defining "all natural"? Since there isn't a standard by which it is defined, I'm interested to hear yours.

+1.

Not sure how anything with alcohol, and especially denatured alcohol, in it can be all natural.

 

[Seraphim]

I get this stuff at Whole Foods.

http://www.drugstore.com/earth-science-after-shave-skin-soother-for-men-aloeherbal/qxp141281

Contains all natural moisturizers and skin-soothers to keep your skin feeling great long after shaving.

• Alcohol-free
• Perfect for all skin types
• No animal ingredients
• No animal testing
• Hypo-allergenic

This unique skin care splash soothes, cools, and helps prevent razor burn and irritation, without stinging alcohols. It contains all natural moisturizers and skin-soothers to keep your skin feeling great long after shaving. ​

Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Gel, Glycerine, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Potassium Alum, Hyaluronic Acid, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Comfrey (Symphytum Officinale) Leaf Extract, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Sorbic Acid (A Preservative), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Allantoin (Comfrey Root), PEG 10 Soy Sterol, Fragrance, Menthol, Annatto Extract (Color)
​

Nice

 

[luvmysuper]

FWIW - as I said in a different thread, many product manufacturers try to tell you they are "all natural" by avoiding the use of the word "parabens" when in fact they are just using different words for the same thing.
Grapefruit Seed Extract is used as a preservative because Grapefruit Seed extract is parabens. The "paraben free" bandwagon folks will tell you there are no parabens in their product, but read the label.
Does the list of ingredients include Grapefruit seed, green tea, olive, mango, cucumber, strawberries, blueberries, vanilla, or cocoa? All of these contain parabens and are used specifically as preservatives because they do.

 

[finotti]

FWIW - as I said in a different thread, many product manufacturers try to tell you they are "all natural" by avoiding the use of the word "parabens" when in fact they are just using different words for the same thing.
Grapefruit Seed Extract is used as a preservative because Grapefruit Seed extract is parabens. The "paraben free" bandwagon folks will tell you there are no parabens in their product, but read the label.
Does the list of ingredients include Grapefruit seed, green tea, olive, mango, cucumber, strawberries, blueberries, vanilla, or cocoa? All of these contain parabens and are used specifically as preservatives because they do.

Genuinely asking: do you have references for these claims? I have seen that some companies ADDED parabens to grapefruit seed extract to make it actually work as a preservative, but GSE itself does not contain parabens. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraben.

 

[Seraphim]

From Wiki:

Parabens are a class of chemicals widely used as preservatives by cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Parabens are effective preservatives in many types of formulas. These compounds, and their salts, are used primarily for their bactericidal and fungicidal properties. They can be found in shampoos, commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, personal lubricants, topical/parenteral pharmaceuticals, spray tanning solution, makeup,[SUP][1][/SUP]and toothpaste. They are also used as food additives.
Their efficacy as preservatives, in combination with their low cost, the long history of their use, and the inefficacy of some natural alternatives likegrapefruit seed extract (GSE),[SUP][2][/SUP] probably explains why parabens are so commonplace. They are becoming increasingly controversial, however, because they have been found in breast cancer tumors (an average of 20 nanograms/g of tissue).[SUP][3][/SUP] Parabens have also displayed the ability to slightly mimic estrogen (a hormone known to play a role in the development of breast cancer).[SUP][3][/SUP] No effective direct links between parabens and cancer have been established, however.[SUP][4][/SUP] Another concern is that the estrogen-mimic aspect of parabens may be a factor in the increasing prevalence of early puberty in girls.[SUP][5][/SUP]

Grapefruit seed extract (GSE), also known as citrus seed extract, is a liquid derived from the seeds, pulp, and white membranes of grapefruit.[SUP][1][/SUP] Self-made natural GSE processed in the laboratory without solvents or synthetic agents is prepared by grinding the grapefruit seed and juiceless pulp, then mixing with glycerin.[SUP][1][/SUP] Commercially available GSE sold to consumers are made from the seed, pulp, glycerin, and synthetic preservatives all blended together.[SUP][1][/SUP] Grapefruit seed extract is sold as a food supplement and used in cosmetics because it is a claimed natural antimicrobial.[SUP][2][/SUP]An early proponent was Dr. Jacob Harich (1919–1996).[SUP][3][/SUP] A long time promoter of GSE was Aubrey Hampton, the founder of Aubrey Organics.[SUP][4][/SUP] Some marketers of GSE affirm this extract to be a safe, natural, and an effective preservative.[SUP][5][/SUP] This extract has been stated by some practitioners of alternative medicine to possess antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties.[SUP][3][/SUP] It has been recommended by some nutritionists for the treatment of candidiasis, earache, throat infections, and diarrhea.[SUP][3][/SUP] GSE is promoted athealth food shops and on the internet.[SUP][6][/SUP][SUP][7][/SUP]
There are conflicting scientific demonstrations of the efficacy of GSE.[SUP][1][/SUP] Suspicions about the true nature of the active compounds in GSEs arose when synthetic additives were found in commercial products.[SUP][2][/SUP] Suspected counterfeit grapefruit seed extracts were adulterated with synthetic preservatives.[SUP][8][/SUP][SUP][9][/SUP][SUP][10][/SUP] When preservatives were not present in some of the extracts, laboratory tests found the natural extracts had no natural antimicrobial attributes of their own.[SUP][5][/SUP] Some manufacturers of GSE have stated that their extract has compounds nearly identical to benzethonium chloride, but a 2001 study supervised by chemist G. Takeoka has documented that commercial GSE preparations contain the synthetic compound benzethonium chloride that could not have been made from GSE.[SUP][5][/SUP]

 

[finotti]

FWIW, I (now) have also seen this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylparaben.

 

[luvmysuper]

Genuinely asking: do you have references for these claims? I have seen that some companies ADDED parabens to grapefruit seed extract to make it actually work as a preservative, but GSE itself does not contain parabens. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraben.

I'm not at home so I don't have the links I've used previously, but here are a few interesting reads.
Evidence indicates that GSE without parabens is pretty useless as a preservative. Ipso facto - a company that is using GSE as an effective preservative must be using GSE that contains either naturally occurring, or synthesized parabens.

NOTE: My intent is not to disparage GSE as much as I personally believe the research that currently indicates that naturally occuring parabens are a safe and effective preservative, and that the breast cancer lies about parabens are baseless.

http://www.treasuredlocks.com/trabpringrse.html

http://personalcaretruth.com/2011/05/a-closer-look-at-grapefruit-seed-extract-gse/

Some links I have from home;

http://www.futurederm.com/2008/12/17/are-you-aware-of-the-parabens-you-eat/

http://suite101.com/article/the-truth-about-parabens-and-why-they-are-beneficial-a406365

 

[alohakid]

T.N. Dickinson's Witch hazel ?
All Natural Astringent
100% natural , contains no artificial fragrances or dyes
Our 100% natural astringent gently cleanses and conditions skin without removing essential moisture .

 

[rob_NH]

For me, things I consider all natural enough for my definition:

QSC after shave balm. Love it!
Lucky Tiger AS tonic, love it!

Haven't tried yet:
Hydrolast, but I have it in my den. Going to try it after a month with the QSC and see what happens then.

 

[finotti]

I'm not at home so I don't have the links I've used previously, but here are a few interesting reads.
Evidence indicates that GSE without parabens is pretty useless as a preservative. Ipso facto - a company that is using GSE as an effective preservative must be using GSE that contains either naturally occurring, or synthesized parabens.

NOTE: My intent is not to disparage GSE as much as I personally believe the research that currently indicates that naturally occuring parabens are a safe and effective preservative, and that the breast cancer lies about parabens are baseless.

http://www.treasuredlocks.com/trabpringrse.html

http://personalcaretruth.com/2011/05/a-closer-look-at-grapefruit-seed-extract-gse/

Some links I have from home;

http://www.futurederm.com/2008/12/17/are-you-aware-of-the-parabens-you-eat/

http://suite101.com/article/the-truth-about-parabens-and-why-they-are-beneficial-a406365

Thanks for the links!

 

[rushchairman]

i love Aubrey's North Woods. My only complaint is that given it's distinct lack of chemical turbo-boosters, its aroma is as fleeting as unicorn giggles.

 

[cluelessdude]

Crown Shaving Co. find it at West Coast Shaving. Great stuff!

 

[pirateskull]

lagona for men,emsplace,aubrey organics are just a few.