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Dry skin while using DE razor

I agree with the suggestion that you use more water in your lather. I prefer to see some ‘sheen’ in my lathers, rather than the thick ‘yogurt’ often shown in photos.
 

tankerjohn

A little poofier than I prefer
Hmm, interesting. I always thought those "lubrication strips" on carts were gimmicky nonsense, but maybe its more of a YMMV thing than I considered. So, for DE shaving...lots of good suggestions already to make your lather more hydrated and slicker. You might try dripping in a drop or two of glycerin to boost it even more. Also, I am not generally a fan of elaborate pre-shave routines, but they do seem to work for some dudes. So that's something experiment with. Pre-shave oils, olive oil, Noxzema, using latherless creams like Crema as a pre-shave, all that stuff. And the last thing to try is an open comb razor, maybe one on the milder side like the Merkur 41c "1904" or Gillette NEW-type. The more common "closed comb" or "safety bar" razor head (Merkur 34c, EJ DE89, Gillette Tech, etc) scrapes the lather off like a mm(ish) before the blade gets there, but an open comb design ensures that lather remains on your whiskers right up until the blade whacks it off. The original "lubrication strip", if you will. I honestly don't notice much difference between open and closed comb in that way, but, again, some dudes swear by it. And you needed a good reason to rev up your RAD anyway, right? :thumbsup:
 
Try using a shave oil for your final pass. Not only does the oil moisturize the skin but any uncut hairs you've missed will glisten and the oil great for trimming/shaping side burns as you can actually see what you're doing.
 
Hello guys, i just switch from cartridge to DE razor. i started with Gillette King C DE razor and Gillette King C blade.
My problem is that my skin gets very dry during the shaving with the DE razor, something i didn't have withe the cartridge razor.
After i do some strokes , the area gets very dry. i have tried proraso red shaving cream, cremo red tube, and Marlowe shaving cream.
all, gave me the same result. what can be my problem? am i doing something wrong?
i have normal to oily skin.
Thanks.
Apply a shave oil (my fav is Shave Secret) before lathering up. It will leave your skin conditioned rather than dry after the rinse. I also had dry skin after a shave but the oil as a pre-shave works for me.
 
Thanks guys for the tips. i've tried all of them, (except for the open comb razor) added more water to my lather, use pre shave cream (not oil) , tried different shaving creams but still no change. i want to explain my issue once again .after i finish lathering my face, i start to do the first strokes (WTG), but if i want to do one more stroke on that area i just did, which has now doesn't have shaving cream on it, that area is very very dry, and it is really difficult for me to glide the razor once again on it. i wonder, is it normal ? i know that i shouldn't do another strokes on an area without a shaving cream, but i don't think it should gets dry so quickly after the first stroke. thanks in advance for your tips .
 
Seems like you’re saying that your lather lacks residual slickness, not that your skin is dry in the traditional sense. Honestly this could still be due to too dry a lather, but sometimes just a quick splash of water will re-slicken the skin without necessarily needing to relather. Best bet is to relather at least until you know how your skin will react to quick passes on lather residue versus fresh lather. There is no rule stating that you must relather your entire face if you just need to hit one spot, just grab your brush, quickly lather up that spot and shave away.
 
Seems like you’re saying that your lather lacks residual slickness, not that your skin is dry in the traditional sense. Honestly this could still be due to too dry a lather, but sometimes just a quick splash of water will re-slicken the skin without necessarily needing to relather. Best bet is to relather at least until you know how your skin will react to quick passes on lather residue versus fresh lather. There is no rule stating that you must relather your entire face if you just need to hit one spot, just grab your brush, quickly lather up that spot and shave away.
thanks, but i have no problem with my lather, the razor glides on it perfectly, but leaves the spot very dry right away. so if i want to do another stroke on this spot right away, i cant cause is it very dry.
 
It was perhaps a bit buried in a wall of text with my reply, but maybe try a quick splash of water? That may be enough to re-slicken the area. Other than that, what you’re describing seems pretty normal to me. The small bit of water left on the skin after passing the razor over it dries rather quickly, and once it does the razor will not glide over the area well at all.
 

lasta

Blade Biter
Shave faster.

If not, more water still. Lather should be on the "verge" of drooping wet. Barbasol is not a role model.
 
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, tried different shaving creams but still no change. i want to explain my issue once again .after i finish lathering my face, i start to do the first strokes (WTG), but if i want to do one more stroke on that area i just did, which has now doesn't have shaving cream on it, that area is very very dry, and it is really difficult for me to glide the razor once again on it. i wonder, is it normal ? i know that i shouldn't do another strokes on an area without a shaving cream, but i don't think it should gets dry so quickly after the first stroke. thanks in advance for your tips .
All of have skin that react differently but I simply don't pass a blade over skin that doesn't have lather on it. There may be a bit of residual slickness but you just passed a very sharp instrument over your skin scraping any and all the lubrication off it. If I need to get a spot I missed or touch up it always with lather. If in a hurry and I try to get a second stroke without lather, I am guaranteed to get irritation.
 
You can put a small amount of Grapeseed or Extra Virgin Olive oil on dry skin. It will absorb faster than lotion and your skin will not be as oily after as you think. Grapeseed oil is a common ingredient in personal care products.
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
There is a solution possibly to your issue, I would suggest if your happy with your hydrated lather and like to go over the same area with your razor is to keep your left hand available if razor is held in the right hand and drag down a little lather to re-lube the area of concern with your left hand. I like to have a small plastic container(Glade sandwich container) at the bottom of the sink with water to rinse my razor(beats opening & closing valve constantly) more often because it will carry water up to the area to activate the slickness. The razor acts like a squeegee and wipes away moisture so you have to find a way of replacing water or lather to help in lubricating the slickness of the lather for the razor.
Old archived photo just for this easy explanation method, instead of filling the whole sink and it also cuts down on cleaning up because of smaller foot print and suds just overflow into the drain. Protects the razor also, have been using this method for about 4 years now.
20180618_181002_crop_707x488[83843] (2).jpg

Have some great shaves!
 
Hello guys, i just switch from cartridge to DE razor. i started with Gillette King C DE razor and Gillette King C blade.
My problem is that my skin gets very dry during the shaving with the DE razor, something i didn't have withe the cartridge razor.
After i do some strokes , the area gets very dry. i have tried proraso red shaving cream, cremo red tube, and Marlowe shaving cream.
all, gave me the same result. what can be my problem? am i doing something wrong?
i have normal to oily skin.
Thanks.
Something I took two years to grasp and understand. I have sensitive skin and the sooner you make adjustments to your skin. The better your shaves will be. Look after your skin. pre shave, post shave and between shaves if not a daily shaver. The biggest improvement for me was vegetal products. No sense in me pimping products. What works for me might not work for you. You need to try the products that you think may help you. Very recently I threw out a lot of balms and skin products. Not because they were bad. They just didn’t work for me. What I mean by that is if you do not feel an improved skin reaction to the product in a good nourishing comfortable way. Don’t use that product. That’s why I threw them out.
 
Thanks guys for all your replies. another issue i have,( and i read some posts about it) is that my shaving cream is probably drying my skin after a while, cause when i reach my neck area after a i shaved my cheeks and chin, the skin is very dry in my neck area, and it is difficult for me to glide the razor on my neck. i've read that the problem is adding more water to my lather , i did so but didn't help. tried also pre shave cream/oil , still no results. i have to mention that the water in my area is hard water. maybe that is the reason?
thanks
 

lasta

Blade Biter
Hi Guy_AR,

How long does it usually take you to complete a shave? Also, please show a picture of your lather. Would help with diagnosis.

Not to boast or anything, but I find your problem "rare". Personally, I get enough residual slickness by rubbing a wet palm even with canned foam. I've lived in areas where scale cakes on a kettle after just one boil, no big difference in shaving.

Mind you, my passes are done in under a minute.
 
My problem is that my skin gets very dry during the shaving with the DE razor, something i didn't have withe the cartridge razor.
After i do some strokes , the area gets very dry.
You are describing, that the issues with the dry skin only appeared when using DE razor and never happened with a cartridge.
To me this indicates, the cause is likely related to the DE razor, blade or your shaving technique (assuming you did not change your soap)
Changing from a cartridge to a DE requires some adaption in technique related to pressure and blade angle. If your technique is not yet dialed in you will likely experience some level of razor burn and irritation that can leave the skin itching, red, rough and dry.
 
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