Can Badger Hair Give Rash?

[FireDragon76]

Another cause is daily shaving. Your skin can grow soft through daily shaving and with exfoliation from the badger brush, could cause your face to glow red/irritated. Experiment and try to hone down the cause of the rash.

I used to have this problem until I realized I have sensitive skin and I need to be more choosy about the products I use, and I needed to invest more into skincare. Now I shave nearly every day without significant irritation. I don't get the closest possible shaves, but it's close enough and relatively comfortable.

 

[Xaltotun]

It’s probably not the brush. You mentioned Nivea cream. Do you also use Nivea Post Shave Balm, by any chance? I started using it based on all the glowing reviews on this forum, and it gave me a bad rash on my face and especially my neck.

I've used the Nivea cream for years, not the balm. Then early this year I had to switch to the 'for sensitive skins' versions out of Amazon.ca, because it's the only type Amazon carried and I could not find any Nivea shaving cream locally in any pharmacy anymore (big CVS type). But that was some weeks before I had my famous rash, so I'm not convinced that was the culprit.

But I stopped using Nivea anyway, since I discovered and liked - by accident - BullDog shave gel (tried it on a whim) and ProRaso for sensitive skins, which I like even more! I switched to thoese two products, I ten to like ProRaso more and will probably drop BullDog.

 

[FireDragon76]

I've used the Nivea cream for years, not the balm. Then early this year I had to switch to the 'for sensitive skins' versions out of Amazon.ca, because it's the only type Amazon carried and I could not find any Nivea shaving cream locally in any pharmacy anymore (big CVS type). But that was some weeks before I had my famous rash, so I'm not convinced that was the culprit.

I have since switched to Bull Dog (tried it on a whim, like it) and even better to my liking, ProRaso for sensitive skins.

What aftershave, if any, do you use?

What is your razor? How aggressive is it? Do you regularly get razor burn?

 

[Demolition]

I have never seen such products in my local pharmacy (CVS equivalent) but maybe I did not pay attention; I'll have a look-see tomorrow! If not I'll rely on Vinegar.

Even synthetic brushes right?

You probably won't find it in a pharmacy. Barbicide is usually sold in beauty supply stores. You can check the distributor list at Barbicide's website or just phone some beauty supply stores in your city (although some of them only sell to businesses). Amazon has it, as well, if you can't find a local place to sell it to you.

By the way, you're Canadian, right? (Me too.) The above mostly applies to US residents.

Barbicide is a bit harder to find here, but oddly you can buy it online from Walmart with free pickup at the store. That actually seems to be the cheapest option for us.

 

[mrlandpirate]

I'll toss 1 in ,is that handle nickel or nickel plated. might be nickel rash.

Nickel allergy is often associated with earrings and other jewelry. But nickel can be found in many everyday items, such as coins, zippers, cellphones and eyeglass frames.

 

[Xaltotun]

What aftershave, if any, do you use?

What is your razor? How aggressive is it? Do you regularly get razor burn?

To be honest I've stopped putting aftershave. I use Biotherm Homme Aquapower Lotion (like Beckham does ). I'm pretty sure it's not that, I've been using this for years, before my switch to DE shaving.

My razor is an Above The Tie R1 with Kronos handle (for the face) and a Rockwell 6S (plate #4) for the head. They are medium aggressive both, and before this weird episode of rash, I never had any problems.

(well, not entirely true, I had cuts and nicks - but not razor burn - with my first DE razor, a QShave Parthenon V1, which was notorious for being very very aggressive - I've discarded that one pretty early on!).

 

[Xaltotun]

I'll toss 1 in ,is that handle nickel or nickel plated. might be nickel rash.

Nickel allergy is often associated with earrings and other jewelry. But nickel can be found in many everyday items, such as coins, zippers, cellphones and eyeglass frames.

That's actually pretty good theory; I think it's some kind of chrome plating on - perhaps - nickel or brass. I've sine reverted to my Satin The Purest.

 

[Xaltotun]

Barbicide is a bit harder to find here, but oddly you can buy it online from Walmart with free pickup at the store. That actually seems to be the cheapest option for us.

Thanks for the tip! Will order!

But how to use? Mix, let the razors (and brush?) soak, and then throw the mix down the sink? I certainly don't want to set up one of those barber jars on the counter, my wife will kill me!

 

[FireDragon76]

To be honest I've stopped putting aftershave. I use Biotherm Homme Aquapower Lotion (like Beckham does ). I'm pretty sure it's not that, I've been using this for years, before my switch to DE shaving.

My razor is an Above The Tie R1 with Kronos handle (for the face) and a Rockwell 6S (plate #4) for the head. They are medium aggressive both, and before this weird episode of rash, I never had any problems.

(well, not entirely true, I had cuts and nicks - but not razor burn - with my first DE razor, a QShave Parthenon V1, which was notorious for being very very aggressive - I've discarded that one pretty early on!).

I looked up Aquapower. It seems to have quite a bit of alcohol in the product, even though it's mostly water-based. It has several ingredients that are known to be potentially sensitizing, such as phenoxyethanol and BHT, some in quite large concentration (more than some of the oils and moisturizers in the product). It also has ingredients such as fructose or sucrose, which I would never use on my skin (can you say "yeast infection"?) I would not dismiss it as a possible source of skin problems, but as they say, "your mileage may vary".

I would definitely not recommend this as a product for sensitive skin.

Homme AquaPower Lotion

Biotherm Homme Aquapower Oligo-Thermal Refreshing Lotion has the following features: A hydrating and invigorating lotion that provides an instantly fresh and soothing sensation. To be used after shaving to perfectly hydrate the skin and improve its appearance after the effects of a razor. Gives...

akirabeauty.com

I think Malocchio is onto something about placing the blame on a fragrance ingredient but if you combine sensitizing products + a new brush + a more aggressive razor, over time your skin is going to become sensitive because the barrier function of the skin is damaged.

 

[Xaltotun]

I looked up Aquapower. It seems to have quite a bit of alcohol in the product, even though it's mostly water-based. It has several ingredients that are known to be potentially sensitizing, such as phenoxyethanol and BHT, some in quite large concentration (more than some of the oils and moisturizers in the product). It also has ingredients such as fructose or sucrose, which I would never use on my skin (can you say "yeast infection"?) I would not dismiss it as a possible source of skin problems, but as they say, "your mileage may vary".

I think Malocchio is onto something about placing the blame on a fragrance ingredient but if you combine sensitizing products + a new brush + a more aggressive razor, over time your skin is going to become sensitive because the barrier function of the skin is damaged.

Damn! I had never thought about it that way! I'll start another thread asking for recommendations on after shave balm, as the Biotherm seems to be full of junk; I blindly trusted the Biotherm brand - never had problems but I'd rather try something more natural... Thanks for looking that up!

 

[CzechCzar]

I imagine it's a bad rash for the badger

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[FireDragon76]

It could be the brush, the soap, or the daily shaving.

If the brush is scritchy, it can exfoliate the skin a bit too much. However, given that it's a silvertip badger, it should be fairly soft.

The soap can be allergic to your skin. But given that you used that cream for a long time, that's probably not it.

I don't think it's an allergy so much as perhaps a sensitivity reaction, which is a different kind of immune response that is more localized. People can develop sensitivity reactions to products they use regularly. If he were breaking out in hives, sneezing/watery eyes, experiencing changes in breathing, etc., those are all examples of allergic reactions. Merely experiencing irritation and redness from a product is not a true allergy.

Many, perhaps most folks on this forum have some kind of skin sensitivity at one time or another, in response to some combination of products. Lathering and shaving tends to disturb the natural balance of the skin and renders the skin somewhat vulnerable, potentially firing up all sorts of immune responses that could leave someone red and irritated.

 

[Timeclo]

I don't think it's an allergy so much as perhaps a sensitivity reaction, which is a different kind of immune response that is more localized. People can develop sensitivity reactions to products they use regularly. If he were breaking out in hives, sneezing/watery eyes, experiencing changes in breathing, etc., those are all examples of allergic reactions. Merely experiencing irritation and redness from a product is not a true allergy.

Many, perhaps most folks on this forum have some kind of skin sensitivity at one time or another, in response to some combination of products. Lathering and shaving tends to disturb the natural balance of the skin and renders the skin somewhat vulnerable, potentially firing up all sorts of immune responses that could leave someone red and irritated.

Yes. It can be that the skin is sensitive to certain ingredients, fragrance, combination, not an allergy. I just used it as a general statement. It's good to bring controls and variables to your shave to figure out what is causing the problem.

 

[malocchio]

Um, to be honest no I did not know there was a need for disinfecting! While I thoroughly rinse, I never disinfected. Is there a simple, cost effective way to do this? Or should I purchase a specialized product? And both synthetic and natural hair brushes have to be disinfected, or the latter?

Excellent suggestion, thanks for pointing that out.

I use Mar-V-Cide... It's the same price as Barbicide, but double strength, so it makes twice as much. Just dilute as per the instructions. No need to disinfect all the time, I give my brushes a soak every 60 days.....Marvy states " safe for brushes " , while Barbicide does not..... MARVY MAR-V-CIDE DISINFECTANT FUNGICIDE GERMICIDE VIRUCIDE 16 FL. OZ. | eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/MARVY-MAR-V-CIDE-DISINFECTANT-FUNGICIDE-GERMICIDE-VIRUCIDE-16-FL-OZ/171053369395?hash=item27d3934833:g:7SsAAOxye3BRr4i5

 

[Demolition]

But how to use? Mix, let the razors (and brush?) soak, and then throw the mix down the sink? I certainly don't want to set up one of those barber jars on the counter, my wife will kill me!

I recall that the mixing instructions are 2 oz. per US gallon of water (it says on the label), so you can use the same ratio to make a small batch to fill a coffee cup (3 teaspoons to 1 cup of water). Then, you dunk the instruments (plastic or metal) into it for ten minutes.

Barbicide recommends that barbers change the solution daily because it spoils within 24 hours of touching contaminated items. To dispose of it, you can pour it down the sink with lots of water.

I wouldn't put a natural hair brush into it. There's at least one thread here where people cleaned their brushes with it and the knots fell apart. There are also some Reddit threads where people phoned Barbicide customer service and were told that it shouldn't be used on non-porous surfaces. I'm not sure if that means that synthetic brushes are okay... I suspect that it dissolves the glue.

 

[weizemanner]

I recall that the mixing instructions are 2 oz. per US gallon of water (it says on the label), so you can use the same ratio to make a small batch to fill a coffee cup (3 teaspoons to 1 cup of water). Then, you dunk the instruments (plastic or metal) into it for ten minutes.

Barbicide recommends that barbers change the solution daily because it spoils within 24 hours of touching contaminated items. To dispose of it, you can pour it down the sink with lots of water.

I wouldn't put a natural hair brush into it. There's at least one thread here where people cleaned their brushes with it and the knots fell apart. There are also some Reddit threads where people phoned Barbicide customer service and were told that it shouldn't be used on non-porous surfaces. I'm not sure if that means that synthetic brushes are okay... I suspect that it dissolves the glue.

2oz per 32oz of water, so one cup per gallon. One splash, or teaspoon in a coffee cup is enough.

Barbicide is only rated to completely disinfect non-porous surfaces. So in a barbershop with multiple people using a brush, a synthetic brush is necessary. But just cleaning your own brush every couple months, the porous and non-porous point is moot.

I would be careful with barbicide and your knots. Don't soak for more than the recommended 10 minutes. But that goes for anything you soak, it can corrode metal and it softens plastic brushes and warps combs if you soak it too long, but that usually comes from forgetting it in the bath overnight not from a 10-15 min soak.

Benzalkonium chloride, the same ingredient in barbicide and mar-v-cide is in many household disinfectants too especially Lysol, kitchen disinfectants, soaps, wipes... It's in a ton of stuff and it's becoming one of the most common causes of contact dermatitis and skin allergies.

There have been some thorough tests using regular 3% Hydrogen Peroxide as a disinfectant and it's been shown to kill almost everything and the spores as well as being especially effective against fungus. Also a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide won't damage most non metal materials. Though it will cause non-stainless steel to rust almost immediately. I would use Isopropyl Alcohol for disinfecting metal.

Good news is that a huge bottle of hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl alcohol can be purchased at the dollar store. Also neither HP nor IPA leave any residue.

 

[Demolition]

Thanks for the info, weizemanner. It's nice to have an actual barber who uses this stuff on our forum!

 

[BigJ]

2oz per 32oz of water, so one cup per gallon. One splash, or teaspoon in a coffee cup is enough.

Barbicide is only rated to completely disinfect non-porous surfaces. So in a barbershop with multiple people using a brush, a synthetic brush is necessary. But just cleaning your own brush every couple months, the porous and non-porous point is moot.

I would be careful with barbicide and your knots. Don't soak for more than the recommended 10 minutes. But that goes for anything you soak, it can corrode metal and it softens plastic brushes and warps combs if you soak it too long, but that usually comes from forgetting it in the bath overnight not from a 10-15 min soak.

Benzalkonium chloride, the same ingredient in barbicide and mar-v-cide is in many household disinfectants too especially Lysol, kitchen disinfectants, soaps, wipes... It's in a ton of stuff and it's becoming one of the most common causes of contact dermatitis and skin allergies.

There have been some thorough tests using regular 3% Hydrogen Peroxide as a disinfectant and it's been shown to kill almost everything and the spores as well as being especially effective against fungus. Also a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide won't damage most non metal materials. Though it will cause non-stainless steel to rust almost immediately. I would use Isopropyl Alcohol for disinfecting metal.

Good news is that a huge bottle of hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl alcohol can be purchased at the dollar store. Also neither HP nor IPA leave any residue.

Great explanation! Thank you!

 

[FireDragon76]

2oz per 32oz of water, so one cup per gallon. One splash, or teaspoon in a coffee cup is enough.

Barbicide is only rated to completely disinfect non-porous surfaces. So in a barbershop with multiple people using a brush, a synthetic brush is necessary. But just cleaning your own brush every couple months, the porous and non-porous point is moot.

I would be careful with barbicide and your knots. Don't soak for more than the recommended 10 minutes. But that goes for anything you soak, it can corrode metal and it softens plastic brushes and warps combs if you soak it too long, but that usually comes from forgetting it in the bath overnight not from a 10-15 min soak.

Dettol will also do that. In fact hobbyists will soak painted parts or figurines overnight in Dettol to strip the paint. But a much higher concentration has to be used than just the amount you would use to sterilize toothbrushes or razors.

 

[Xaltotun]

All great information! Thanks a lot to all, very informative!