I am new to the forum. I have been a DE shaver off and on for years. I go back to cartridge for convenience then get irritated at the price of a cartridge razor and head back to using my DE razors. I have been testing out a variety of blades. Seem to get a pretty good shave with little irritation from an Astra but found the Gilette Silver Blue really irritates my skin. With my cartridge razor I tend do shave up toward my nose (against the grain) to get a BBS finish. I notice with my DE that tends to irritate my upper lip. Any thoughts, tips suggestions? I am an every day shaver.
Blades and Irritation
- Thread starter Mile High Shave
- Start date
Welcome to the forum @Mile High Shave! Have you tried other blades to see if they work better for you? If not, I'd suggest a blade sampler from one of the vendors on B&B. I find myself changing blades and razors depending on how my face/stubble feels that morning (and what kind of mood I'm in).
Ridpath
FIGHTER!
Do you need to shave against the grain on your upper lip in the first place? You mention that it’s what you’ve always done, but I wouldn’t do it if that was your only reason, especially if you’re a daily shaver (less time for the skin to heal in between shaves).
A variety of reasons could contribute to irritated skin, including improper technique, blunt blades and an overly aggressive razor, among others.
If you’re getting good results with one blade but not with another, it might be that the blade/razor combination isn’t suitable for your skin. You could try shaving with a generally milder blade such as the Derby Extra and see whether it alleviates the irritation. Likewise you could try a milder razor - this is a bit more expensive to carry out trial and error with, though. If you tell us what razor you’re using we may be able to give you some recommendations.
Oh, and I’m assuming you’re lathering and applying the lather properly. Goes without saying, but dry shaving ATG is not something you want to do.
A variety of reasons could contribute to irritated skin, including improper technique, blunt blades and an overly aggressive razor, among others.
If you’re getting good results with one blade but not with another, it might be that the blade/razor combination isn’t suitable for your skin. You could try shaving with a generally milder blade such as the Derby Extra and see whether it alleviates the irritation. Likewise you could try a milder razor - this is a bit more expensive to carry out trial and error with, though. If you tell us what razor you’re using we may be able to give you some recommendations.
Oh, and I’m assuming you’re lathering and applying the lather properly. Goes without saying, but dry shaving ATG is not something you want to do.
A lot of good advice already. I do wonder if your skin prefers the platinum coating on the Astra SPs, and doesn't like the lack of coating on the Silver Blues.
I'm the opposite of you - I don't like the Astra's but love the Silver Blues. All my blades are stainless steel, no coating.
I'm the opposite of you - I don't like the Astra's but love the Silver Blues. All my blades are stainless steel, no coating.
Maybe try going sideways both directions on your upper lip. You can avoid the irritation from ATG and get just as close a shave I think.
This is exactly what I do. I daily shave, usually 2 passes sometimes 3, and almost never go ATG. XTG is plenty close enough for me without leading to irritation.
What soap or cream are you using? I have found that using a great soap, properly hydrated, goes a long way to reducing blade irritation. You need a soap that produces a extremely slick lather, but still provides a cushion of protection between the blade and your skin. I have sensitive skin, but can easily do a three pass shave plus a clean-up pass with zero irritation. It also helps if beard is clean and well hydrated at the start of your shave as that makes the hair easier to shave.
- Thread starter
- #8
Ha yes...no dry shaving here! Using TOB with a good lather. Was using an old Parker 60R for years. Just treated myself as a birthday gift to a Rex Ambassador. Shaves very well with an Astra Blade, tried the Gillette Silver Blue today and it really created a fair amount of irritation. Was thinking (maybe wrongfully so) that a sharper blade = closer shave? Appreciate all the advice. Just trying out a few blades from a sample pack now. May just stick with the Astra as it seems to work well for me. Does a pre-shave provide significant benefit?
- Thread starter
- #9
Good call there. That may be the case. I seem to do well with the Astra
Pre-shaves can be an aid for protection and razor burn. Proraso preshave is the best bang for the buck. You should also try a shaving soap for comparison. Ive found that soap lather give me better cushion and glide than creams. Basically you have to discover what works best for you. It’s a journey.
OP, for me, in general, "platinum" = almost always better than "stainless".
Silver blues kind of suck for me, but the blue platinum is my number 1 blade.
It seems to work the same way for me with other brands.
Silver blues kind of suck for me, but the blue platinum is my number 1 blade.
It seems to work the same way for me with other brands.
Welcome to B&B.
Use of blades is very subjective so you really need to find what suits you best. Good lather and technique also helps to avoid irritation. I suggest XTG is both directions on the upper lip as a compromise; it may get you acceptable results.
I have found the Voskhod blade to be the best in my Rex Ambassador, very smooth and sharp..
I too shave ATG between my lip and nose. I do it after a couple WTG passes, very gently. I have always used Nivea AS balm and that seems to keep my skin elastic-y enough to handle shaving ATG around the lips.
Welcome to B&B.
I live in Denver too.
Forget the ATG for a while.
Are you able to get a DFS?
- Thread starter
- #16
Good to know. I do seem to do well with the Asta SPs
- Thread starter
- #17
Have some samples of those as well. I’ll give them a try.
- Thread starter
- #18
DFS for sure
Welcome aboard! Some great advice above!
I don’t go ATG on my upper lip. After a fair bit of trial and error, I settled on two XTG passes in different directions.
In terms of blades, there is no substitute for trying a fair number of options. My personal top tier (in no particular order):
Personna lab
Personna red
GSB
Nacet
Astra SP
The main thing IMO is to ENJOY trying different options!!
I don’t go ATG on my upper lip. After a fair bit of trial and error, I settled on two XTG passes in different directions.
In terms of blades, there is no substitute for trying a fair number of options. My personal top tier (in no particular order):
Personna lab
Personna red
GSB
Nacet
Astra SP
The main thing IMO is to ENJOY trying different options!!
Irritation is (barring allergies) caused by scraping off too many skin cells. A preshave perhaps lessens this effect, a postshave balm may help your skin to cope with the damage inflicted. As skins differ all the factors mentioned above may come into play. One I would like to add is you may, or may not, benefit from a milder razor in combination with a very sharp blade, in order to cut hairs but not scrape the skin - or at least scrape it less than before.
