Dermatologist Recommended Shaving Soaps?
- Thread starter Clemens45
- Start date
I recommend Mitchell's Wool Fat. I am not a Dermatologist but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express. 
- Thread starter
- #3
You really shouldn't be hung up on this. All it means is one Dermotologist liked it.
I recommend Mitchell's Wool Fat. I am not a Dermatologist but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express.
What he said! There are no dyes, EOs or anything to irritate the skin and the lanolin leaves your skin moisturized and feeling really healthy. You should give it a try.
Given the fact that this is a very small niche market, I think you'd have a hard time finding a company that would be willing to pay a dermatologist to say something like that. It's more likely you'd find a label like that slapped on some goo in a can, which is what 99% of the guys out there are using.
Lots of guys on this board have dry, sensitive skin. Many companies offer unscented soaps; the fragrance and/or essential oils used in many products tend to be the main factor that trigger skin sensitivity. However, you might have problems with certain key ingredients -- like shea butter, for example -- and find that they don't agree with you. The bottom line is that it's going to be a game of trial and error until you find the products that work best for you.
If you'd like a suggestion on where to start, Art of Shaving makes great shaving soaps. They offer an unscented soap that works very well indeed. I'm sure other guys will chime in with their suggestions as well.
Good luck!
I'm always a little skeptical of things that are labeled "dermatologist recommended". There's a lot of potential ideas and caveats that can't really be captured by two words. A dermatologist could recommend something for being natural, for being hypo-allergenic, for being noncomedogenic, or moisturizing.
I'm not a doctor of any kind, but as someone who basically never talks without saying "on the other hand....", I would say that the best bet is to describe exactly what you want performance-wise, to the letter, and let the people on this board find you something like that. If it's moisture you want, I'd ask about that, not about the labels.
Edited to add: It's also true that B&B obsesses over soaps (and creams), and we know the performance a lot better than we know the labels, so that's how to best utilize the expertise of those on here.
I'm not a doctor of any kind, but as someone who basically never talks without saying "on the other hand....", I would say that the best bet is to describe exactly what you want performance-wise, to the letter, and let the people on this board find you something like that. If it's moisture you want, I'd ask about that, not about the labels.
Edited to add: It's also true that B&B obsesses over soaps (and creams), and we know the performance a lot better than we know the labels, so that's how to best utilize the expertise of those on here.
Last edited:
Almost every manufacturer of commercial brands of soap have a Dermatologist on staff just for that reason.
Better you just find what works for you.
Somewhere in the world practicing today is "The Worlds Worst Doctor" and people are taking his advice.
Better you just find what works for you.
Somewhere in the world practicing today is "The Worlds Worst Doctor" and people are taking his advice.
- Thread starter
- #9
This is what I am looking for...
1. A shaving soap that is meant for the face because as I said my skin can be very sensitive, so soaps that are meant to be used for the body can cause irritation and dry skin for me.
2. One that will not dry out my skin.
3. economy friendly.
Overall just a safe facial soap that does not have to many irritating chemicals.
How about Proraso White Tub soft soap with green tea and aloe for ultra sensitive skin?
- Thread starter
- #11
Could you send me a link to where I can find the cheapest price? Also how many shaves would this generally last me?
Just go to Amazon.com and search Proraso. It will show up similar to the picture I posted. Several vendors carry it, at about $9.00 per tub. A tub should last you several months.
Dermatologist recommended is a marketing ploy which just means that the company paid a dermatologist to recommend it. A classic example is neosporin antibiotic ointment which is 'dermatologist recommended'. The truth is that, because neosporin is one of the most common causes of contact dermatitis, I know from personal experience that over 95 percent of dermatologists do not recommend this product, despite the claim on the label. So I know it's sounds funny but, as a dermatologist, I recommend to you to be highly skeptical of the term 'dermatologist recommended.
There are actually a number of excllent shaving soap/cream products out there and while I agree with others above that mitchell's wool fat is great stuff (and from your comments about dry skin, it may be well suited for you), I would recommend getting a variety of samples from the different vendors and try to find a brand that works for your skin.
If you do come across certan products that give you a reproducible skin reaction, you may want to go to a dermatologist and get patch tested. In this way you can know exactly what you are sensitive to and can avoid it by reading labels or asking manufacturers about their product's ingredients.
I hope this is helpful
Pete
There are actually a number of excllent shaving soap/cream products out there and while I agree with others above that mitchell's wool fat is great stuff (and from your comments about dry skin, it may be well suited for you), I would recommend getting a variety of samples from the different vendors and try to find a brand that works for your skin.
If you do come across certan products that give you a reproducible skin reaction, you may want to go to a dermatologist and get patch tested. In this way you can know exactly what you are sensitive to and can avoid it by reading labels or asking manufacturers about their product's ingredients.
I hope this is helpful
Pete
Last edited:
What luvmysuper meant was, a tub should last you several months until your acquisition disorder kicks in and you buy something else.
What luvmysuper meant was, a tub should last you several months until your acquisition disorder kicks in and you buy something else.
So true.
In which case, the tub will last you years possibly as you jump from brand to brand in your "rotation".
I decided to go on hiatus from soap and cream buying when I realized I have 16 different ones. That means 2 weeks of shaving every day without a repeat.
It's fun, but I don't want to let my favorites sit so long before I get back to them again.
Last edited:
Wise words.
You might also consider the Valobra shave stick. It's essentially identical to Art of Shaving soap (Valobra makes AOS soap) and it's much cheaper, so you can see if you like it before dropping the money on some of the AOS.
The Proraso in the white tub that Phil suggested is good, too. It's more of a soft soap than Valobra. I personally didn't care for the scent and therefore don't use it any more, but a lot of guys like it.
Edit: By the way, I think you'll find that proper preshave preparation (i.e., lathering) and use of an appropriate aftershave product (likely to be a balm or milk, rather than splash, in your case) will go a long way toward helping your dry, sensitive skin. It's made a huge difference for a lot of guys, including me
Last edited:
I'm a Doctor (for all you know) and I highly recommend Van der Spice
Not only is it good for your skin but it gives you a sleek sexy scent.
Wp
Not only is it good for your skin but it gives you a sleek sexy scent.
Wp
Proraso White burned me before I even touched the blade to my skin, almost as bad as the Proraso Green.
Truly, this is a "YMMV" issue if there ever was one. Just try them as you can afford them and when you find one that meets your needs, keep it.
If your skin is extremely sensitive to fragrances and essential oils and various things most soaps are going to be trial and error unfortunately.
The two safest choices I can think of would be an unscented shave soap from Mama Bear or Honeybee, or the aforementioned Art of Shaving unscented.
I'd probably lean more toward shave creams if I were you. My top recommendation would be the Gentleman's Refinery Unscented cream, closely followed by Taylor's Sensitive Skin in the tan tub (NOT the black tube called "Jerymn Street). Art of Shaving also makes an unscented cream but it burned my skin, so I won't recommend it personally. If you have an Art of Shaving store nearby, you can ask them for a couple of samples. I also would NOT recommend Kiss My Face Unscented as it is full of essential oils and extracts that could trigger skin reactions.
The two safest choices I can think of would be an unscented shave soap from Mama Bear or Honeybee, or the aforementioned Art of Shaving unscented.
I'd probably lean more toward shave creams if I were you. My top recommendation would be the Gentleman's Refinery Unscented cream, closely followed by Taylor's Sensitive Skin in the tan tub (NOT the black tube called "Jerymn Street). Art of Shaving also makes an unscented cream but it burned my skin, so I won't recommend it personally. If you have an Art of Shaving store nearby, you can ask them for a couple of samples. I also would NOT recommend Kiss My Face Unscented as it is full of essential oils and extracts that could trigger skin reactions.
I can use it, along with the green Proraso cream with no issues, but that doesn't surprise me. Proraso White contains Green Tea extract, a Fragrance, and Menthol. Any of those things could have triggered a skin burning reaction.
