Irritation from Mitchell's Wool Fat - Lanolin?

[ToffeeBob]

Hi everyone. I'm in my first couple of weeks of wet shaving and have so far gone through the usual drill of cutting my neck to shreds, razor burn, patchy shaves, poor lathers and putting the base plate back on upside down and wondering why I'm getting nowhere with my passes. It's been fun

I'm now getting somewhere with improving my technique and the rudimentary basics of screwing a razor together I'm actually managing decent shaves with no nicks and a pretty smooth face - all thanks to the great advice on here and various youtube tutorials.

However - I have been getting some irritation on my cheeks which at first I put down solely to technique but I've noticed that I get the same burning sensation when I lather up with MWF before I even begin shaving. It's a great soap which I can lather up a treat and has a lovely fresh smell but soon as it comes into contact with my face I get the burning sensation and I'm guessing it may be the lanolin?

I've picked up a stick of Palmolive and I don't get the same irritation so I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a good high end soap for me as although I really like the Palmolive I'd like a less everyday soap for some occasions. Or any other explanation than lanolin irritating me?

 

[vickywally]

Lanolin allergy gets mentioned a lot - so I wanted to see what the actual prevalence is - and it appears fewer than 9 people/million are allergic (i.e. 0.0009% people; see this). I suspect Lanolin gets blamed unfairly sometimes.

My point is - while Lanolin is certainly a possibility - so are the several other ingredients in MWF. The only way you can know for sure if you're allergic to lanolin is to do an 'elbow patch test' with lanolin itself (can be purchased at you local pharmacy or online).

As for other soaps - the choices are endless. I've been reading some posts myself for which soaps get the most love - and in the same price point as MWF - Tabac seems to be very popular (and has no lanolin).

 

[mblakele]

Welcome to B&B!

You might try a patch test. If you are sensitive to lanolin, applying it to your inner arm or inner elbow should produce a similar reaction.

But buying more soap is still a fine idea. Where are you located? We might recommend different soaps depending on whether you are in USA, Canada, UK, etc.

 

[ToffeeBob]

I'm based in the UK.

I did have a look at lanolin allergy and I doubt very much it's anything so severe. I definitely think there's something in MWF that's irritating me and figured if I try a couple of non-lanolin alternatives I can start the process of figuring out by a process of elimination what it is that is specifically causing irritation.

The irritation is just on my cheeks however so it may just be a case of a mild sensitive reaction to a particular ingredient being exacerbated by my face still adjusting to a new shaving regime.

 

[branford]

Unfortunately, I have the exact same reaction as you to MWF. I do not, however, have any allergy or reaction to lanolin as I have used many products containing the ingredient, such as Musgo Real, without any ill effects. In my case, I believe I am sensitive to the fragrance oils or one of MWF's many ingredients.

I would recommend that you try Proraso (my favorite soap is the White), Cella or one of the many varieties of Razorock. If you want to go really high-end and expensive, Martin de Candre is always an option.

I would, however, caution you to initially avoid spending big money to experiment with soaps and creams, and instead first try samples from vendors like Gary's Sample Shop and others. It's an easier method to determine your scent preferences, product effectiveness and if you might have any adverse reactions to some of the more popular products before buying expensive, full size offerings. I only wish that I had such counsel and opportunity when I began my wet shaving journey.

Good luck.

 

[mblakele]

Sensitivities are often fragrance-based - as difficult that might be to imagine with a mild scent like MWF. But keep it in mind.

So... "a less everyday soap" than Palmolive, available in the UK, no lanolin? There are plenty of options, but D.R. Harris springs to mind. The Harris shave soaps perform well, and are posh but not ridiculously expensive. As far as scents go I like Arlington, but if you can find a stockist in your area it might be worth a trip to smell for yourself. The wiki pages UK_Nationwide_Various_Locations_Shaving_Supplies and England_Shopping_and_Suppliers might help with that.

Avoid Kent soap because it is identical to MWF. Also avoid the Wilkinson blue bowl because it gets quite a few poor reviews. If you can find it, the Wilkinson stick might be interesting because it contains lanolin. Mostly it only seems to show up in Germany, though. If you have a Turkish community nearby you might stumble across some Arko: great soap in my opinion, but it might strike you as even more pedestrian than Palmolive. For me, Palmolive is also a slightly better soap.

Speaking of going further afield, you might consider some of the European soaps: Institut Karité, Provence Sante, Calani, La Toja... oh, and all the Italians too. Some of those you might be able to find locally, but mostly this is mail-order territory.

 

[TacticalPanda]

MWF sometimes gives me irritation. Must be one of the other ingredients as Mike's gives me no problems.

 

[driftwood]

I got irritation with my first couple uses, but not now. I think the brush I was using was just too scritchy and that was causing the problems.

 

[Mitty]

ToffeeBob,

I would put the MWF away for now, but don't throw it out!

I had a similar irritation when I started using it, and have since determined that it must have been a combination of poor technique (I had only just started shaving with a DE) and drying out my face with too many "practice lathers" as I tried to develop good lathering technique.

I focused on keeping my face hydrated, and once my technique improved I tried da Fat again and had fantastic results without irritation.

To answer your question, you might try the Speick stick. I bought it just to have a stick around for travel but found that my face feels quite good after using it. It is made in Germany but I have found it to be widely available. You should be able to get your hands on some.

Then try that Fat again in about a month!

Good luck,

Mitty

 

[ToffeeBob]

Thanks for all the answers, suggestions and recommendations.

I've put the lid on the MFW for now and have cut back to shaving only every other day. The irritation I had has completely gone and I'm now getting an XTG pass or two into my routine without problems.

So many variables on what it could be! Maybe my brush needed breaking in, my skin taking time adapting to a new shaving method or just plain old technique needed practice. Whatever it is I'll definitely be lathering up the MFW again come the end of November and seeing how it goes.

Are there any good UK based companies offering samples of soaps? I've found a couple of US ones but the shipping charges negate any value.

 

[onotoman]

I think I get a reaction to MWF too, I say THINK because I seem more susceptible to the irritation in winter, but I don't have the same problem with any other soaps.

If you are in the UK, then try Executive Shaving or SafetyRazors.co.uk both stock a good range of soaps and creams. If you go to Executive Shaving (Brian) or SafetyRazors.co.uk (Eddie), tell them that Dave at RestoredRazors sent you and they'll look after you (I'm sure they will anyway

 

[ToffeeBob]

Update - After a bit of time working on technique and the rest I broke out the Fat again and had a problem free, reaction free shave! Also noticed that my 60p stick of Palmolive looks like it'll last a year! Been using it every other day and I've barely made a dent in it - great stuff.

 

[vickywally]

Update - After a bit of time working on technique and the rest I broke out the Fat again and had a problem free, reaction free shave! Also noticed that my 60p stick of Palmolive looks like it'll last a year! Been using it every other day and I've barely made a dent in it - great stuff.

Congratulations ToffeeBob! Just goes to show me - I should also always wait for 7-10 shaves before formulating final opinion on any product..