"Healing properties"?

[scentient]

What exactly are people referring to when they say this in the context of aftershaves?

Are there specific ingredients that are good for this?

Which aftershaves do you consider the best for "healing"?

 

[Graybeard57]

Speick touts its natural ingredients add this effect. Others make similar claims. I've always taken it to mean it can soothe razor burn somewhat, but that's just my assumption. I'll go out on a limb here and guess it means different things to different people. I look for glycerin in my splashes; it adds the right amount of moisture to my freshly shaved, slightly oily skin. Witch hazel is a bonus, but not a necessity for me. I generally shy away from AS without glycerin, but recently have found Old Spice Swagger w/o glycerin to be excellent for my skin, too. YMMV.

 

[Racquet]

Most splashes seem to be nothing but alcohol,fragrance and glycerin. These are fine but I like some type of healing or conditioning ingredients. Cold River soap Works is my current favorite, non greasy and makes my skin feel great. Most
of the "balms" leave my face a little too greasy even with a minimal amount used. They all have their place it seems.

 

[Newmania]

I've found that splashes with allantoin, especially Myrsol Antesol leave my skin feeling smoother post shave. I don't really reach for that if I have a bad shave though, it's just the only ingredient I've noticed tending to be in products with better results.

Minor irritation is helped by a good splash but if I have a bad shave with lots of irritation I go straight to Nivea sensitive balm. I've also had similarly great healing results from the Lab Series balm.

 

[Shiloh]

Lucky Tiger After Shave and Face Tonic... great non-alcoholic with soothing ingredients. I use it after every shave, before my splash du jour.

Speick is a good one, but Stirling splashes have a simple ingredient list, and it's become my favorite splash... makes my face feel great!

 

[Snurgblat]

Speick or Aqua Velva balm. Both do the trick for me.

 

[adamchur]

La Toja Aftershave is very soothing because of the mineral salts that it contains
Honeybee Gardens Bay Rum is also very soothing because of the witch hazel
Aqua Velva, Mennen Skin Bracer and Floïd Vigaroso provide a sense of relief too

 

[Inigo Montoya]

I've found that splashes with allantoin, especially Myrsol Antesol leave my skin feeling smoother post shave.

Exactly this.
Antesol is really something else.
For a particularly bad shave or for some protection against extreme cold weather the Myrsol Emulsion takes it to an even higher level.

 

[BigJ]

Great question!

Different splashes take varied approaches to 'healing' characteristics. For some it is primarily the combination of menthol and alcohol (Proraso green and Floid vigoroso for example.) Others use no alcohol whatsoever but rely on witch hazel and herbs (Lucky Tiger for example). Still others use herbs and mineral salts (La Toja and Speick for example). It is great to have a number of options to help your skin IMO.

 

[scentient]

Exactly this.
Antesol is really something else.
For a particularly bad shave or for some protection against extreme cold weather the Myrsol Emulsion takes it to an even higher level.

What is the scent like on Antesol?

 

[Inigo Montoya]

It is an intoxicating scent unto itself.
I have heard some describe it as somewhat citrus like...which it might kind of.
I believe Maggards does have samples.

 

[RobW]

I take the phrase to mean something along the lines of "anti-inflammatory" or "soothing". The Speick plant extract (valeriana celtica), witch hazel (hamamelis virginiana), or aloe vera extract are all good examples of these kinds of ingredients.

 

[HMan]

What is the scent like on Antesol?

It goes on with an orangey scent then dries down to something I don't know how to describe better than to call it the distilled essence of Spanish aftershaves. It also lasts a bit longer than most of the other Myrsol aftershaves, it's great stuff.