My preference is to shave first, then shower and then apply moisturizer if my face is dry that day. Given that, would there be any point in me using aftershave given that I would be washing it off in 5 minutes? Does aftershave work right away, or does it work throughout the day? I have never used aftershave but am thinking about it as if I try to get BBS i do get some ingrowns no matter what my prep is and I think the aftershave may help.
Is there a point in me using aftershave?
- Thread starter celishave
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I doubt very much that an aftershave would help with ingrowns, so you can leave that out of your calculations.
If you do want to use an aftershave you could wait until you are done with the shower.
PLease forgive the indelicacy of this question, but what is your ethnicity? Some folks are more prone to ingron hairs than others, and if you're finding that they are a problem for you, perhaps a product like PFB Vanish, or something else containing salicylic or glycolic acids will work to help you. Personally, I switched to DE shaving because of the problems I'd had with irritation and ingrowns, along with insane prices for cartridge systems, and I have not had a single ingrown since...but as in all things, YMMV...
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I'm Italian - my beard growth is thicker/faster/coarser than anyone I have ever seen. If I do one pass I'm OK and I can go to work like that, but the girlfriend doesn't like it too much. If I do go for the BBS then I pay for it in the following days.
Usually people shave after a shower because their pores are more open and the skin is very moist. But whatever.. anyways. My purpose for aftershave, it accents my cologne, dries my skin (I have oily skin), and also sterilize my face.
Back when I was using multiblade systems, I'd shave before showering. I'd put aftershave on after my shower. Worked fine! For a facial wash I use Every Man Jack (house brand at Target for about $5) that contains salycylic acid.
I used to shower after shaving, but have found that showering first really helps with reducing the amount of ingrowns I get. I find that Speick Splash works extremely well at calming my irritated skin if I go too far trying to get close shaves. I don't think the splash does too much to battle ingrowns.
It may be that your skin/beard type won't allow for you to go for BBS without ingrowns no matter what you do. A good splash still feels pretty nice, though.
It may be that your skin/beard type won't allow for you to go for BBS without ingrowns no matter what you do. A good splash still feels pretty nice, though.
I'd suggest shaving after the shower ... the shower softens your whiskers. If that does not tickle your fancy, then try aftershave after the shower and before the balm.
I shave before my shower, always have. I use my ASB after the shower. Works fine for me.
back to your original question...
I have stopped using aftershave for a week and can honestly say that I can not spot the difference. I shave during the shower and my skin is just as smooth as if I applied aftershave to it.
It boils down to whether you think you can splash out on a small perk.
I am tempted to try one of the expensive aftershaves that supposedly soften hair over time and allow for smoother shaves next time. Lab series triple remedy something. But I guess in the end common sense will get to me and I'll buy a cheap and cheerful bottle of Nivea aftershave which is so loved around here.
I have stopped using aftershave for a week and can honestly say that I can not spot the difference. I shave during the shower and my skin is just as smooth as if I applied aftershave to it.
It boils down to whether you think you can splash out on a small perk.
I am tempted to try one of the expensive aftershaves that supposedly soften hair over time and allow for smoother shaves next time. Lab series triple remedy something. But I guess in the end common sense will get to me and I'll buy a cheap and cheerful bottle of Nivea aftershave which is so loved around here.
If I go nuts with supplies and shave daily for about 5 days, I notice my skin becoming irritated. Pre shave, shave soap, brush contact, razor, afershave - all this stuff irritates the skin. Especially if you do it once a day or even twice as some of the folks suffering from AD tend to do when trying new products 
It seems to me we can divide your question into two parts: (1) Is there any point in you using aftershave before you shower? (2) Is there any point in you using an aftershave after you shower, either to treat ingrowns, or for some other purpose?
Part (1) is simple: if all you're going to do is hop in the shower after shaving, then don't bother putting anything on your face. It will just rinse off, and you'll waste your money.
Part (2) is a little more involved. I agree with Bob that an aftershave (assuming you mean some form of an alcohol-based splash) probably won't do much to help with ingrowns. Received skin care wisdom says that moisturized skin helps free ingrowns better because it's softer and allows the hairs to break free more easily; thus, using an alcohol splash might work against this principle, since it might tend to dry the skin, rather than moisturize and soften it. That's if you subscribe to the principle to begin with. I believe that when it comes to ingrowns, an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure. There isn't an ingrown treatment in existence that works better than developing your technique so that you don't get them in the first place. Personally, the few times I get ingrowns, I just prefer to get them the heck out of there NOW using tweezers or the tip of a needle. Why wait for some overpriced product to slowly do its work? But I digress...
As for other reasons you might want to use a splash after your shower, that's up to you. Scent? The way it makes your skin feel? The texture? I prefer splashes to balms or moisturizers after shaving, but I shave after I shower, not before. I find showering tends to dry my face more, and if I don't use some kind of moisturizer or balm after my shower (assuming I'm not shaving after it), my skin will feel dry. What will work best for you is something you'll have to find out through experimentation. There's no harm in picking up a bottle of some splash and seeing how you like it. But then again, if you already find that using a moisturizer post-shower works well for you, why fix what ain't broke?
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