Cold water creams & soaps

[Grim_Reaper]

I just cant seem to get this blade angle mastered and whilst my shave feels and looks ok, about 2 mins after i finish with a red rash around my neck and throat, so due to the amount of irritation i keep getting, I'm thinking of trying out cold water shaving in a bid to reduce or completely rid myself of it.
We all know that creams and soaps lather well with warm or hot water, but what are the best creams or soaps for cold water shaving.
Thanks
kev.

 

[Tonimus]

VDH Deluxe soap seems to work well with cold water. I soak my brush in warm water while I shower, and it ends up room temperature by the time I'm out. My lather ends up being cold as I work it on my face.

 

[Niles]

As for blade angle, is the blade just barely touching your face? Your irritation could be from the blade bearing down to much on your skin.

 

[Mick]

I have found that all the soaps and creams I have used work equally well in warm or cold water.

What razor blade and soap/cream are you using?

 

[Grim_Reaper]

At the moment i have
TOOBS sandalwood cream
Parmolive soap stick
Proraso white soap
MWF soap

Razor is a EJ chatsworth.

Blades im just trying 7o'clock green, but have the yellows, red persona, Astra sp, feathers,sharks sp and crome.

 

[JRL]

After more than a year doing the hot water / scuttle thing, I've been shaving with cold water exclusively for several months now. Like the cold water experience much better. I've used the following soaps and creams both hot and cold -- and have not detected a difference in performance.

Van Der Hagen Glycerin and Deluxe
Proraso green
Cella
Speick
Head Slick
Kiss My Face
Creamo

 

[Zagnut]

C.O. Bigelow (Proraso) and Art of Shaving creams work just fine with tepid water. Razorock soap takes a little more swirling on the face, but it gets lathered up as good as anything.

I don't think any of it is particularly temperature dependent.

Cold water shaving is definitely the way to go if you get irritation even after doing everything right. When I stopped using hot water to soften up my skin before shaving I suddenly found I could do more than one pass on my neck without looking like I'd tried to hang myself for the next two days.

 

[celestino]

i don't have much experience with many soaps, but the standard ones should work very well; Cella, La Toja, etc.
i get fantastic lather from Mike's and Mystic Water.
You may want to try some unrefined Shea Butter for any irritation. It is fantastic stuff!

 

[konijntjesbroek]

Alum/Witch Hazel and try 'shaving' without a blade in to practice the angle. The way I work through it is
1) 1 pass, lower the angle until you _just start_ to hear the blade on hair. Lock the wrist.
2) SAS with _no_ irritation. The more I can practice the better.
3) 2 pass, as you have already whacked off part of the hair, will have to move lower, XTG (by this time you have mapped your beard ), again, just until you start to hear the blade. Lock the wrist.
4) 3 pass, same as number 2, but XXTG (for me #3 is ear to nose, #4 nose to ear).
5) 2 passes only on neck WTG. It will still be shaggy, but no irritation 1st, then closer.

Sorta like learning to drive stick. You find the friction point, don't kill it. Later you can work on not wasting clutches. I still play games where I hold myself on hills w/clutch only (no brakes) at uphill stop lights 10 years later.

 

[Grim_Reaper]

Thanks to all you guys for the help and advice, this is great)

 

[Grim_Reaper]

Hi guys this is an update into how i have been getting on and the prep i have adopted so far, i have been shaving every 2 to 3 days.
The 3rd day seems to give better less irritable shaves though.

soaked boar brush in cold water and put some cold water in with soap to help soften it a little.
Splash face 4 or 5 times with cold water with about 5 ice cubes in it
soaked flannel in ice cold water, folded it over and wrapped around neck for about 1 minute, rinse and repeat.
splashed cold water with ice cubes on my face and neck once more.
Bowl lathered up some MWF and a dash of kiss my face cream.
Apply soap to face and started 1st pass shave very carefully and slowly using short strokes..
rinse face and neck and wrap the flannel round neck again using ice cold water.
re-lather again for 2nd pass again shaving carefully and slowly.
rinse off with cold tap water, apply alum block allow to dry whilst cleaning up.
apply 1 drop of tea-tree oil to palm of hand accompanied with some nivea ASB apply all over face and neck.

Razor: EJDE89 Chatsworth.
Brush vulfix 404
Blade: 7 o’clock green
Soap: MWF
Passes WTG, and XTG from ear to nose on cheeks only and WTG on neck
Smooth close shave, no irritation, no nicks/cuts.

Any advice or tips would be appreciated.

 

[Tonimus]

Sounds like you've got it pretty much figured out. Smooth, no cuts and no irritation... Can't get much better than that.