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Looking for a soap that won't dry out the face

Hi,

I'm looking for a soap which preserves the moisture maximally (given the highest priority) and also allows the generation of dense and silky lather.

I'm still new to DE safety razors (about 3 weeks long) and have experience with a few popular soaps till now, e.g., Taylor of Old Bond Street, Dr Harries, Tabac, out of which Tabac provides the densest lather through drying out my face aftershave.

One more question about Rockwell 6C razor: given coarse whiskers or stumbles around the mouse and chin, which the optimal plate number with feather/Personna is to give a clean and irritativeless shave.

Currently, I'm using plate 2/3 but I have a stinging or burning feeling after shaving though no visible cut. I don't know why.

Thank you all in advance, and the friendly and helpful environment in B&B!
 
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Welcome to B&Bm Sir Smpl!
You're certainly starting with some well-respected items!
Tell, what is your pre-shave prep?
That can have a lot to do with moisturizing face both before and after your shave!
And, later, I will give you a tip on regaining moisture/glycerin!
But, sorry, cannot offer any advice on the Rockwell, but you're certain to receive that shortly!
 
Welcome to B&Bm Sir Smpl!
You're certainly starting with some well-respected items!
Tell, what is your pre-shave prep?
That can have a lot to do with moisturizing face both before and after your shave!
And, later, I will give you a tip on regaining moisture/glycerin!
But, sorry, cannot offer any advice on the Rockwell, but you're certain to receive that shortly!

My preshave is quite simply, rinsing my facial hair with hot water and then get started.
 
My preshave is quite simply, rinsing my facial hair with hot water and then get started.

ok, try this.
do your pre-shave rinse, then lather with whatever shave soap.
(you could also use a pre-shave soap, but regular shave soap will work as well!)
next rinse that shave soap off lightly, leaving some residue.
then proceed to lather again to shave with.
don't worry, shave soap is cheap and with the products you have, there'll be lots of lather around.
wait, there's more.
after you've finished shaving, use whatever leftover lather is in your brush to smear over your shaven face.
that will restore some glycerin and moisture.
let it sit for a half minute or so, then wipe off and use a cool, damp washcloth as cleanup.
give it a try!
 
Some of the soaps that does not dry out my face are Stirling, Noble Otter, Spearhead, and Zingari Man soaps.

I'd say Spearhead soaps feel the best of those but I can use any of them, any day and be fine.
 
My preferred plates on the 6S/6C are R5/6 efficient but not aggressive, as for soaps/creams with a great moisturizing post feel there's plenty but here's some brands I like...scent is subjective

Phoenix artisan accoutrements
Barrister & mann reserve base
Stirling
Haslinger Schafmilch
 
Another vote for preshave here. It really helps with getting a moisturised postshave feeling. Many soaps can get you there and it will really be a case of trial and error. Consider something like Proraso preshave as well. I like the Green with it's menthol kick. Not only does it moisturise the skin it also helps boost the cushion of soaps that need it.
 
My preferred plates on the 6S/6C are R5/6 efficient but not aggressive, as for soaps/creams with a great moisturizing post feel there's plenty but here's some brands I like...scent is subjective

Phoenix artisan accoutrements
Barrister & mann reserve base
Stirling
Haslinger Schafmilch

No offense. It is said that the plate with a higher number means more aggressive. If it is already aggressive for me in plate 3 (feather blade), do I need to go for R5/6, will it give me a better shaving experience in R5/6? I haven't tried R4/5/6 till now.

@TinyT, Thanks! I have ordered Proraso green preshave. It will arrive tomorrow. When I have time in weekends, I would use them for sure.
 
I am relatively new to wet shaving. I have found both the Taylor of Old Bond St. Coconut shaving cream and several of the Soap Commander Soaps to be very full lathered, slick and moisturizing. For Soap Commander I have tried the "Vision" (aqua, amber, mint), "Strategy" (classic old spice) and "Purpose" (bay rum) soaps.

For Pre-shave I wash my face with Nivea Men's facial gel. Then I do either a beard oil or more recently have been using the Proraso green pre-shave cream more often and like the results quite a bit.

Post-shave I thoroughly rinse my face with warm water getting all the soap off. If I feel like I have any weepers or nicks I run an Alum stick over my still damp face and let that dry a bit. Then I rinse that off with cool water. After that a nice aftershave balm or sometimes I hit my face with some Lubriderm moisturizer before the aftershave balm. My face has been nicely mosturized after all this and I do tend to get dry skin if I am not careful.
 
No offense. It is said that the plate with a higher number means more aggressive. If it is already aggressive for me in plate 3 (feather blade), do I need to go for R5/6, will it give me a better shaving experience in R5/6? I haven't tried R4/5/6 till now.

@TinyT, Thanks! I have ordered Proraso green preshave. It will arrive tomorrow. When I have time in weekends, I would use them for sure.
You said early on that you are new to DE shaving. While there is a lot of good suggestions here, I didn’t see the suggestions we usually give new shavers.
  1. You have good shave soap and razor, stick with what you have until you get your technique polished. This can take a few months. Stick with the three plate until you are able to get an irritation free shaves then boost up to 4 and see if it’s for you... it might not be. That’s why they have 6 plates.
  2. Be patient. Don’t get in a hurry, that’s when you make mistakes that lead to irritation.
  3. A preshave cream is a good idea, but not absolutely necessary. As Saranento1 said, you can use the shave cream as a preshave. I use the lather that spills over the edges of the tub when I load my brush.
  4. Try a blade sampler. The blade you are using might not be for you, especially if you are using the Rockwell blades that came with your razor. Www.tryablade.com is a good place to customize a sampler, or you can buy them from Amazon, West Coast Shaving, Maggerds, Shave Nation, etc.
  5. You didn’t say what shaving method you were using, but I’m assuming you were using a cartridge razor. If so, cartridge razors lead to a lot of bad habits. First of all, on a DE razor, don’t press. Hold it lightly between your fingers, much like throwing a dart. Hold the razor to your face so that the blade and the guard comes into contact with your face, but no more pressure than that. DE blades are sharp, you don’t need to press. Many folks say to let the weight of the razor hold it to your face. A Rickwell is pretty heavy, so it needs no help
  6. Another bad habit from cartridge razors is not paying attention to blade angle. A cartridge razor has a swivel head and with the pressure it will stay at the right angle no matter what the handle angle is. A DE razor does not pivot. You need to hold the razor so that the blade is at a 30° angle with your face. That is difficult to envision, so I recommend start with the handle parallel to your face and then rotate the handle until the blade makes contact. At that point, the blade will be at the correct angle. Lock your wrist to keep the angle from changing and remember to rotate your wrist as you move from a flat spot, like the cheek, to a rounded spot like the jaw line. Remember, no pressure
  7. Map your face. That is, know which direction your beard grows. Make your first pass in the direction your whiskers point (WTG). The next pass should be across the direction of beard growth (XTG). until you get your technique perfected stay away from an against the grain pass (ATG). If you don’t have good technique an ATG pass will cause irritation and ingrown hairs.
  8. Rinse your face with cold water in between passes, if you make more than one pass. This will reactivate the residual lather and you will feel the slickness. Don’t wash off the residue, just the lather part. When you reapply the next round of lather, or may not be as thick and pesky as the first round. That’s okay, don’t worry about it
  9. After your shave, rinse all the soap/cream off with cold water. Cold water tightens the skin and helps minimize any irritation. For an aftershave treatment, many use aftershave with alcohol, an alum block, witch hazel, etc. I use an Alum block, yes it will sting, because of its astringent properties. I then rinse it off with cold water after about a minute. I then follow the rinse with Nivea Shave Balm, while my face is still damp
  10. Don’t keep chasing a BBS shave. It will happen when your technique is perfected, not before. A little stubble that only you can feel is okay for now.

    While these are not hard and fast rules, it’s what worked for me and many others. The two big takeaways I hope you get from this is No Pressure, and be patient.

Good luck and happy shaving.
 

musicman1951

three-tu-tu, three-tu-tu
It's certainly a fine idea to use a soap that doesn't dry your face. If you have dry skin you might also consider avoiding any product with alcohol and using a balm or moisturizer post shave.
 
I see you use hot water during prep. Try lukewarm or a bit colder water to prep and during the shave and after. As for the soap, MWF and Cella might work. Aftershave something like Myrsol Emulsion or Mitchell's Hand and Body lotion.

I have Rockwell 6S and I have better shaves with plates 5/6 than 3/4. I do 2 pass only, 3 is almost every time too much as irritation takes place. So, more effective plate = less passes = less irritation.

Pay attention to lather what ever you do, keep it WELL hydrated and wet. I've been shaving with too dry lather too many times and always en up with irritation, itchiness.
 
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I see you use hot water during prep. Try lukewarm or a bit colder water to prep and during the shave and after. As for the soap, MWF and Cella might work. Aftershave something like Myrsol Emulsion or Mitchell's Hand and Body lotion.

I have Rockwell 6S and I have better shaves with plates 5/6 than 3/4. I do 2 pass only, 3 is almost every time too much as irritation takes place. So, more effective plate = less passes = less irritation.

Pay attention to lather what ever you do, keep it WELL hydrated and wet. I've been shaving with too dry lather too many times and always en up with irritation, itchiness.

Thanks for your post. I hope to discuss with you more about the usage of Rockwell 6S/C. With plates 5/6, do you have a daily shave or once a couple of days? Do you have coarse whiskers or facial hair? Do you have problems with shaving short stubbles (rather than long hairs)?

I do feel the irritation starts to grow from the third pass, but I cannot have a close shave with only two passes. I mainly have coarse short stubbles. Probably it is because I'm using the plate 2. I haven't tried the plates 4/5/6 as I'm worried that it may cut my face.

For the following posts in this thread, it is welcome to talk about the experience with Rockwell 6C/S as currently, I have already seen lots of solid advice on soaps. Thank you!
 
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Thanks for your post. I hope to discuss with you more about the usage of Rockwell 6S/C. With plates 5/6, do you have a daily shave or once a couple of days? Do you have coarse whiskers or facial hair? Do you have problems with shaving short stubbles (rather than long hairs)?

I do feel the irritation starts to grow from the third pass, but I cannot have a close shave with only two passes. I mainly have coarse short stubbles. Probably it is because I'm using the plate 2. I haven't tried the plates 4/5/6 as I'm worried that it may cut my face.

For the following posts in this thread, it is welcome to talk about the experience with Rockwell 6C/S as currently, I have already seen lots of solid advice on soaps. Thank you!
I use plate 4 and shave daily. I sometimes hit a stretch where I don’t shave, like now. It’s been three days since my last shave and that’s unusual. I will use the #4 plate and a Feather blade with 9 shaves on it when I do finally shave. I am expecting it to be a smooth close shave as that is what I usually get. I do two passes, XTG and one ATG. I then usually have to clean up my right jaw.

I’ve tried the 5 plate, but it seems a little too aggressive for me. I try it every so often to see if my feeling about it changes, but so far it hasn’t.

I suggest you give the 4 plate a try. Go slow and concentrate on shaving, not what you have to do today, or whatever else tries to invade your mind. Think about every stroke and you will be fine. If the 4 plate feels okay, shave with it a few times and then try the 5 plate.

There are shavers out there that shave with the 6 plate and wished for a 7 & 8 plate.
 
Thanks for your post. I hope to discuss with you more about the usage of Rockwell 6S/C. With plates 5/6, do you have a daily shave or once a couple of days? Do you have coarse whiskers or facial hair? Do you have problems with shaving short stubbles (rather than long hairs)?

I'm a huge fan of the 6S. I shave daily and use the 6S for a week, then change to my Karve CB for a week.
The Rockwell gives me a comfortable BBS shave using plate 4 or 5 or 6. Even plate 3 if I take the time for pickups. Kevy Shaves has a good video where he gets a great shave with plate 1. They all work well if you use almost no pressure. It took me quite a while to feel what light pressure really is. I felt I was using light pressure, but the slightly irritated feel on my skin told me otherwise. Angle is also important, but to me pressure is the number 1 way to spoil a good shave. If you feel that you are holding the razor lightly, try holding it even lighter. The Rockwell is a fairly heavy head; it has all the weight it needs to glide over the skin and slice stubble, you do not have to add any pressure. I'd bet that if you focus on this for a while the irritation problem will disappear. Just give it some time and practice.

Oh, and as others have said, get rid of the Rockwell blades. The razor is pretty forgiving as to the blades you use, but the rockwell blades are junk.
 
My go-to winter soaps are Haslinger’s schafmilch and MWF! Both work great during the cold months! :a29: :a29:
 
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