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Hello, Badger & Blade Community

M

mtcn77

Hi,
I'm Turkish and also a member of our local "Geltir" classic shaving community.

I like reading quirky stuff like skin tanning manuals that bring chemist knowledge into my shave. That is how I know acids pull the skin tight and alkalines instead make it coarse and hard.

I shave with my Merkur 37C and Yaqi Agamemnon DOCS Globetrotter.

I like Permasharp and Shark branded blades, those are the only two I've tried - I like to develop a knowledge basis with which I trial and error.

My latest presoak preparation involves household vinegar & glycerine soap.

The vinegar is an acid and works to pull skin creases clear and make skin grooves disappear. You just put on 1ml of vinegar like a preshave cologne right after soaking your face with water. Thereafter, applying the second coat of glycerine soap is the tricky part. The prior vinegar preparation helps to neutralise and seperate out the soap into its fatty acid components.

What you get is neither vinegar, nor soap: it will infuse your face with the glycerine and a lot of hydration. Your skin will feel sticky and oily, also it helps to soften the skin. Now, you are ready to foam up your face as usual.

This preshave will increase the consistency of your shaves and reduce your skin resistance. You'll be able to get around using more demanding shaving gear like I do with permasharp blades without issues.

Happy shaving.
 
Interesting comment. Learning from each other is a great way to expand our knowledge. Perhaps others at B&B can offer thoughts on this process.
 
M

mtcn77

@Ed Gcom , @BigJ good to meet you.
@Ed Gcom there is a thread and passing mention on this:
I was doing some other reading on other properties. I would like to not that you stated: Acidifiers They keep the pH around 2.5-3.5 which causes the somewhat scaly cuticle to tighten up.

One of the few common sources of Acidifiers are of the citric type. I was reading info on the affects of citric acid on hair and it does keep the pH at that level and actually helps repair damage done by alkaline. However ironically it actually raises up the cuticle allowing saturation similarly to alkaline. I am not sure if that is countered by the pH level or not but it may be something to avoid in a conditioner. I also wouldnt necessarily want it in a preshave as it may need significantly high amounts of citrus to effectively open the cuticles to counter the effects of the pH level.

I dont know if it is accurate information but Wiki states When applied to hair, citric acid opens up the outer layer, also known as the cuticle. While the cuticle is open, it allows for a deeper penetration into the hair shaft. It can be used in shampoo to wash out wax and coloring from the hair. It is notably used in the product "Sun-in" for bleaching, but is generally not recommended due to the amount of damage it causes.

The Wiki info is not where I derived my initial info but it is interesting. I am not sure whether or not the last part about the damage it causes is referring to the acid or the product Sun-In.

Also Acetic acid (another common Acidifier) seems disconcerting in some of its descriptions.

The last Acidifier I looked at is the Lactic Acid and it actually seems to do the job that is required keeping the proper pH Level and seems safe and non damaging to hair. So if you have a choice on what you have as an acidifier in your conditioner I would recommend this. As far as preshave I would just not use any as it would be difficult to determine if it is properly doing the job of opening the cuticles which you really dont have to worry about anyway if you have a proper alkaline.

It is how I chose your community.:001_smile
 
M

mtcn77

Just wanted to inform anyone interested - I shaved my shaving order.

Normally, I would rinse with water and then vinegar followed up with glycerine soap.

Now, I start with vinegar, wash it off and then lather up as usual.

If you would like a calming effect, you can rinse your face with a glycerine soap after the shave.
Anyway, thanks!
 
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