How long before you wash aftershave off?

[ssidks]

Hey,

I got a very oily skin that becomes oily the second I leave my house on a hotter day. It gets soaked with sweat and oil if I do some running or walk faster. If I have aftershave balm on my face, it makes it even messier. Normally, I carry around wipes with me which I use every hour or so, however, sometimes I feel the need to use them about 10 minutes after shaving! What would be the effects of doing that? How long do I have to leave the aftershave on to protect my skin?

Thanks!

 

[kevtex]

I've never heard of anyone washing aftershave balm off. Have you ever thought about using an aftershave splash with some alcohol in it?

 

[prometheus]

Hey,

I got a very oily skin that becomes oily the second I leave my house on a hotter day. It gets soaked with sweat and oil if I do some running or walk faster. If I have aftershave balm on my face, it makes it even messier. Normally, I carry around wipes with me which I use every hour or so, however, sometimes I feel the need to use them about 10 minutes after shaving! What would be the effects of doing that? How long do I have to leave the aftershave on to protect my skin?

Thanks!

Why dont you use an Alcohol free Facial toner as an aftershave splash instead of a balm. They are especially great for oily skin and they are totally non-greasy. The witch hazel one seems to be popular here, and I quite like the one made by Kiehl's as well.

 

[ssidks]

Wow you guys are quick! Thanks for your replies.

The reason I asked about washing it off was because, quite simply, I have to wash my face very often as otherwise it becomes shiny and drenched with sweaty-oily substance that my pores spew out at an unusually high rate. If I used alcohol-based aftershaves or witch hazel, would that allow me to wash my face sooner than if I used the balm? Is witch hazel the same as a toner?

Thanks!

 

[sehrgut]

You only "have" to leave the aftershave on until it drys. After that, you're left with only the scent. YMMV on the balms, of course, but if you have oily skin, you probably don't want much in the way of moisturizing, so the sooner after the shave it's washed off, probably the better.

Also, have you tried using talc? I have rather oily skin, but have had much less trouble with it since I started using the big green bottle of Pinaud talc I picked up at the local Walgreens.

 

[kevtex]

Witch hazel is a toner and most contain a little alcohol like T.N Dickinson's brand (14%). You may be over doing it with cleansers and soaps, have you ever tried using warm water only to wash your face? I have an oily forehead and nose so I wash with warm water in that area and it has helped with the shine and oily feeling. The more you dry your skin out with soaps and cleanser the more oil your skin will produce to compensate for the dryness.

 

[ssidks]

Nope, haven't tried talc. Never heard of it in this context either!
It seems like there are a lot of things that I need to try out. Do you think its a good idea going for witch hazel first? Would I just replace my "vitamin enriched" and "soothing" balm for something as simple as witch hazel? Would it do the job of protecting my skin?

 

[ssidks]

kevtex:

I use warm water followed by splashes of cold water, I almost never use soaps or cleansers, so I don't think that this is what's causing the problem.

 

[sehrgut]

Witch hazel is luvverly! You may want to spike it with a bit of aloe like I do, but then again, you might not. YMMV. I use it as my sole aftershave about half the time.

Different ways of applying talc are used. One member makes a "powder puff" from a dry washcloth containing enough talc for several weeks of use. I just sprinkle it in my (dry!) hands, rub them together, and then rub it over my face, neck, and back of neck.

Some people also use Gold Bond or unscented baby powder instead of shaving talc, but I like to stay away from anything with corn starch in, which can get gummy in hot weather. Talc is so much nicer.

 

[ssidks]

So are you saying that all that stuff about magic protective vitamins in various balms should just be ignored?

 

[sol92258]

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=26493

you might give that link a shot, see what you info you can glean from there; it's about the Oil Cleaning Method, seems counter-productive, but I've been doing it since February and no soap other than shaving soap, or shampoo runoff if I'm not quick enough, has touched my face since, and I've definitely noticed less oily face

 

[Jarmo P]

Some people, me included don't think that balms are not actually so good. Could even close pores on skin. Living in Finland where in winter -20C temperatures can happen, the skin might get a bit dry and then the balms perhaps are needed. I did not like Nivea sensitive balm much last winter, but I will see this one if I need. I never did wash it off. Could be the answer if after the shave still at home for an hour that it takes care of that relieve needed. Actually I don't think aftershaves are not that necessary if you have had a good shave.

Some splashes are actually very soothing even if they contain some alcohol and we like them cause of that nice sting after the shave. I have one 10 year old here unknown Berner Barracuda splash that has a very nice fleeting scent and leaves the skin very well taken care of and even a bit moisturized.

My Tabac splash is also nice, but perhaps not as good in winter. Musgo Real is one splash I've been thinking of getting when this Barracuda splash rans out (still 80 ml left so it should last a while) and there is no way to have another one since it is out of production, that I have been thinking of getting, though some say it leaves a sticky residue.

 

[RoyalKooparillo]

I've had similar experiences in the past. I used to carry around those oil-absorbing sheets with me everywhere, what a drag.

Some good advice above...If I were you, I'd stay away from the balm--especially in the hotter months.

My skin tends to get very oily in warm weather, and balms just exacerbate the situation. After shaving, I use a cold-towel (or an ice cube if I'm in a hurry) to close the pores, and while the skin is still slightly damp I splash on an alcohol-based aftershave. Not too much, mind you--just enough for full coverage. If necessary, I'll put a smidgen of balm on my neck, but NEVER on my face. Give that a try, and I bet it will cut down on your oiliness quite a bit.

If you want to try witch hazel as a toner, I'd suggest splashing it on after your shave, letting it soak in for a moment, then rinsing with cold water. Then splash on a little A/S, if desired.

Keep in mind that some aftershave splashes will make your skin oilier than others...FWIW I find Pinaud's and Musgo Real to make my skin more oily than, say, Proraso splash (which is my favorite for warm weather--great for the skin and never leaves me oily). Good luck!!

 

[sehrgut]

So are you saying that all that stuff about magic protective vitamins in various balms should just be ignored?

Natch.

Magic protective vitamins, voodoo charms, and other paranormal phenomena do not exist. *grin*

 

[Paris]

I have heard that if you use an alcohol aftershave it, of course dries the skin, but for some this makes the skin work harder - producing oil.

 

[ssidks]

So much information in less than a day! You guys are the best

Of course, I can't try everything at once, so this morning I made two changes to the routine, which now consists of using the oil cleansing method and shaving.

For the oil cleansing method, I:

1.) Covered my face with a 50/50 mixture of extra virgin castor oil and extra virgin olive oil.
2.) Applied a hot towel until it cooled down (did it a few times in the shower).
3.) Washed the oil off.

I will let you know about the results (if any). The only problem I had with this method was that washing the oil off was quite hard. It was very sticky and my hand kept on reaching for the soap, though since we're using this as a replacement for it I only used water.

For the shaving I did the usual:

1.) I rubbed a few drops of King of Shaves shaving oil into my face.
2.) I covered my face with shaving soap (using an Erasmic shaving stick). I don't know whether its a good idea to do so as the oil and the soap might cancel each other out (?) but this has given me reasonably good shaves in the past.
3.) I used my Merkur HD gold with a new Derby blade (that's what I do every day) to shave my face. One with-the-grain pass only as I'm very rash-prone.
4. I applied witch hazel as an aftershave, leaving my gilette and nivea balms alone for the first time in years!

I hope this works! If not then I will try the other stuff that you guys recommended. Oh, and if you guys can see flaws in my routine, please let me know! I still get rashes quite often and any suggestions are highly welcome!

Regards.

 

[Jarmo P]

To me it sounds a bit strange.

I covered my face with shaving soap (using an Erasmic shaving stick). I don't know whether its a good idea to do so as the oil and the soap might cancel each other out (?) but this has given me reasonably good shaves in the past.

All this oil while you say you have an oily skin? Why not just get a shower and then shave? A normal shave to me does not involve any oils for sure.
Do you use a brush to build lather instead only rub a soap stick?
This sounds more as a joke to me, sorry if I am wrong.

 

[htownmmm]

I've never heard of anyone washing aftershave balm off. Have you ever thought about using an aftershave splash with some alcohol in it?

first,

Why dont you use an Alcohol free Facial toner as an aftershave splash instead of a balm. They are especially great for oily skin and they are totally non-greasy. The witch hazel one seems to be popular here, and I quite like the one made by Kiehl's as well.

second.

Wow you guys are quick! Thanks for your replies.

The reason I asked about washing it off was because, quite simply, I have to wash my face very often as otherwise it becomes shiny and drenched with sweaty-oily substance that my pores spew out at an unusually high rate. If I used alcohol-based aftershaves or witch hazel, would that allow me to wash my face sooner than if I used the balm? Is witch hazel the same as a toner?Thanks!

You may not even have to wash your face at all. Witch hazel is a type of toner, but not the only one.


marty

 

[ssidks]

htownmmm: I'm not sure if I'm following you. Are you implying that I should use alcohol aftershaves instead of witch hazel? Or that I should experiment between the two?

To me it sounds a bit strange.


All this oil while you say you have an oily skin? Why not just get a shower and then shave? A normal shave to me does not involve any oils for sure.
Do you use a brush to build lather instead only rub a soap stick?
This sounds more as a joke to me, sorry if I am wrong.

Are you talking about the oil treatment thingie? Well, apparently there's a way of "fighting oil with oil" and it worked for a lot of people here. I'm yet to see the results, however. Here's a link to the thread that explains it all: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=26493

The King of Shaves shaving oil is just to make the blade glide better. Not sure how useful it is, but lots of people like it. Yes, I do use a brush to build lather once i cover entire face with soap using the soap stick.

 

[micah1_8]

I have particularly oily skin as well. I've had very good luck with alcohol splashes, but lately what I've been doing is using a blend of cheap drugstore witch-hazel with some essential oils and grapeseed oil and just a little glycerin. I've found that it does wonders. Put it in a travel spray bottle and give it a good shake before you use it. You could drop the EO's if you don't like having a fragrance.