La Toja Causing Irritation

[jwde2009]

Hey guys

I've spent considerable time investigating this on the internet but haven't found any threads that really address the topic. Hopefully you guys can help!

I really love La Toja - great shave, lots of slick protective lather, I really enjoy it. However, I've found that it really irritates my skin. I get a burning/tingling sensation that's not unbearable but makes me not want to use the soap again. I believe it actually has a longer lasting effect than just the shave - the other night I shaved with La Toja but didn't get a good shave because I just wanted to be done so the next morning I shaved with Stirling Bay Rum and found my skin was really irritated after this shave as well. At first I wondered if it was just the Bay Rum but I have used that scent before with no problem so I don't think so.

Anyway, I looked at the ingredients and noticed it has palm and coconut products. However, other products I use have one or both of these ingredients (Cella and TOBS Sandalwood Cream have coconut and Arko has palm). I don't have the soaps in front of me right now but the palm product used in Arko and La Toja are different. I think Palm Kernelate for Arko and maybe just Palm Oil in La Toja? I don't exactly remember right now but that leads me to believe it is not a palm allergy.

So basically I have no idea what it could be but it has to be something in the soap as I know that my technique was not the problem. Any ideas? Suggestions or comments?

Thanks for the help fellas.

 

[MrSpeedy]

Irritation from shaving soaps is usually from fragrance or essential oils. I'd start by looking at those compared to others that don't bother you.

 

[franz]

Sorry to hear that. I pulled the ingredient list from my stick:

Potassium stearate, potassium cocoate, potassium palmitate, sodium stearate, aqua, glycerin, sodium cocoate, sodium palmitate, coconut acid, parfum, mineral salts, coumarin, limonene, linalool, butylphenyl methylpropional, tetrasodium EDTA, tetrasodium etidronate, Cl 77891

It could be almost anything in that list, but I agree that the fragrances and EOs are probably a better starting point. "Parfum" isn't going to be much help narrowing things down. Maybe see if other products you can tolerate have limonene, linalool, coumarin, etc.?

If I recall correctly, there have been scattered reports on B&B of folks who have trouble with the mineral salts.

 

[Glaze3]

It's the mineral salts. I have the same problem with La Toja.

 

[SmurfK]

Trust me, i tried, same as you, to find out what is causing my burning sensation from some soaps. I actually have a bigger numbers of soaps that do that, than you do. Came out empty. I just don't use the soaps that behave this way anymore.

This is my topic:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/457602-Help-me-identify-what-i-m-allergic-to?highlight=

 

[OkieStubble]

The mineral salts in La Toja act on the skin during the shave as an alum block does on the face after the shave. La Toja is my #1 go to soap. If you like the soap, try this before giving it up.

When I first started using La Toja, it irritated my face also. It can take a whole lot of water in ratio to the soap. If you are using it as a stick, either try not putting on too much soap when rubbing the stick on your face, just rubbing it on lightly. Or, grate it into a bowl or mug and don't load the brush very heavy. attempt to incorporate as much water as you can, it is a very thirsty soap.

Doing this will thin out the concentrated mineral salts and you won't get that burning, irritation sensation when the lather is thicker and drier. It works for me. The salts in the soap is what makes it work for me, as it instantly closes up nicks during the actual shave.

And there is absolutely no reason to use an alum block after the shave. Hope this helps.

 

[fightingillini22]

Huh. Didn't realize it had salts in it or that the point is instant alum. Very interesting!

 

[jwde2009]

If you are using it as a stick, either try not putting on too much soap when rubbing the stick on your face, just rubbing it on lightly.

Thanks I'll try this! Thanks for the feedback guys, hopefully this works because I really do get great lather and enjoy the scent! I just shaved with Cella and actually did got some irritation but nothing like with La Toja. My skin has been very, very dry lately and think this may have been giving me poor shaves recently. Also I haven't let my skin heal enough since my last shave. I'll try this sometime next week!

EDIT: I just noticed I am terribly sunburnt. Could also be part of the rough shave tonight. Probably more so than the dry skin.

 

[rodmonster]

EDIT: I just noticed I am terribly sunburnt. Could also be part of the rough shave tonight. Probably more so than the dry skin.

A sunburn over dry skin is a double whammy. May not be fair to blame the La Toja for your miseries. That said, as much as I like the performance of La Toja, I find that it dries my skin. I use it on occasion but it has lost its spot in my rotation.


You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
― Mae West

 

[jwde2009]

A sunburn over dry skin is a double whammy. May not be fair to blame the La Toja for your miseries. That said, as much as I like the performance of La Toja, I find that it dries my skin. I use it on occasion but it has lost its spot in my rotation.

I should have been more clear. The sunburn was why the Cella shave last night was bad - I wasn't sunburnt during the shave with La Toja. And last time I got the burning sensation from La Toja I didn't have dry skin. I'm going to try the suggestion of using more water with the soap to see if that helps but honestly it's such an unpleasant experience I am not in a rush to give it a try. We'll see when I get there!

 

[rumpleme]

La toja burns my face too. I can't use it. I've tried bowl lathering and properly hydrating it first (I usually face lather, though don't rub the stick on my face). I tried using less soap. I tried different brushes. Nothing I tried seemed to help, it still burned/tingled/uncomfortable sensation on my face. It's upsetting because with the performance of it and the scent it would definitely be a keeper, if not for the burn. It ended up a shower soap for a few days, but burned then as well just not as bad. I ended up tossing the last bit of it in the trash. Sorry for the unfortunate reaction.

 

[Boar Fighter]

First shave with Latoja stick and lather all good, but, boy, i 've never seen this drying effect! It's not irritation, is the mineral salts sucking dry every drop of water in your skin. I have oily skin and i even mixed the brush with some oil of argan hand cream for added emollients and still, it's the first time that after the shave, i couldn't drag my fingers over my skin. The friction was so high! Aftershave didn't help much, one needs balm for this.

My skin is now back to normal, but it took 1 hour and one extra rinse with water to rehydrate my skin... I will have to see how things go in future shaves, but this is the only soap that had me wonder if i can really use it.

 

[J-MN]

I get a slight burning/tingling sensation from LaToja, too. It's not unbearable, but after using it for a while, I finally decided to stop using it. It sure provides a great lather, though.

 

[Boar Fighter]

I get a slight burning/tingling sensation from LaToja, too. It's not unbearable, but after using it for a while, I finally decided to stop using it. It sure provides a great lather, though.

Yes, the burning is the water rushing out of your skin, leaving a desert behind. I had to use balm at the end... There was no way around it.

 

[J-MN]

Yes, the burning is the water rushing out of your skin, leaving a desert behind. I had to use balm at the end... There was no way around it.

Yes, the burning is the water rushing out of your skin, leaving a desert behind. I had to use balm at the end... There was no way around it.

It's interesting how different soaps react on different people. While I did experience discomfort while shaving, I never thought it was drying at all. While not the best post shave feel I've experienced, it did actually make my skin feel quite nice afterwards, which was the primary reason I kept it around as long as I did.

 

[FL shaver]

If you like the scent, try the sensitive cream.

 

[Boar Fighter]

It's interesting how different soaps react on different people. While I did experience discomfort while shaving, I never thought it was drying at all. While not the best post shave feel I've experienced, it did actually make my skin feel quite nice afterwards, which was the primary reason I kept it around as long as I did.

I used the stick for a second time yesterday. This time, i followed my normal routine. Hand cream as preshave and then i loaded the brush directly from the stick and at the end, i used straight away balm. Much better, but i am still uncertain on what to do with it. I will have to use it further to see how it behaves. I will not use it with direct face application again, that's for sure.

 

[Boar Fighter]

I ended up grating the stick into a bowl and use it as normal soap, so that i can do my usual ritual of hand cream as preshave. The situation is much better, but i stick to using balm. At least this way i have no burning sensation. Using it as a stick, i think causes the burning, because initially, it's too concentrated and has ample time to dry the skin. While using it it from a bowl, you apply it diluted, so it's better.

Well, at least now i can use it. But after i finish the 6pack that i bought at bargain price, i don't think i will buy it again for a long time.

 

[Bleedrunner]

If La Toja makes that to you, then use another soap. there are so many nice soaps out there, these days...
La Toja is a favourite of mine though, has been for many years, and the salts in their soap/ AS makes the skin feel so very nice postshave, plus it is one of the better latherers with great slickness.
It needs water though, keep applying water until it shines/reflects light, otherwise it may feel drying. Or, grate it just like Boar Fighter mentioned and don't rub it directly on your skin and don't face lather either, instead use a bowl. Doing that makes soaps much milder to the skin.
I have always had really sensitive skin, and for instance found I could only use Arko after it had been sitting with part of the wrapper of for some time, but that doesn't go for La Toja since it is already well ventilated without wrapper and holes on the top.
YMMV

 

[bluesman 7]

Just finished 14 consecutive days of three pass shaves with a sample of La Toja. No indication of any irritation. I like the soap. A simple inexpensive veggie soap.

Probably will not purchase, only because of so many soaps to try and nothing really special about La Toja.