Looking for Advice

[Jeremy Stephens]

At 40 years old I got tired of searching for the latest and greatest shave equipment and still winding up with the same ingrown hairs and razor irritation so I decided to go to a straight razor. Still new to the process and its coming along quite well but I still get a little bit of razor irritation and although I think some of it is due to my evolving technique that is improving a little bit every time i do think buying a cheap soap is part of the problem as well so I am looking to upgrade there and have been looking at the Proraso sensitive line up but before I go and jump in head first does anyone have any other recommendations? And just because it's my 1st post here and I'm proud of my blade I posted a pic of it. Cheesy I know but it's still new to me so hopefully you can cut me a little slack [emoji16].

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[EB Newfarm]

Nothing cheesy about it. Nice looking razor! I bet the Proraso line will do you right. I have had good results with that line. I might also suggest you look into Stirling products. It is rare to find anyone who does have success with them. I am a relative straight newbie, and find that technique is more important than what products I use. Keep your lather runny and stretch your skin! A lot of wiser and more experienced people will probably chime in.

 

[Robini]

I don't know that your soap choice would be causing ingrown hairs. Possible irritation, yes.

Regarding soaps, there are so many. I would recommend you look at Grooming Dept., Barrister and Mann, Mike's Natural, and Declaration Grooming to name a few. I would also recommend you trying Grooming Dept. Pre Shave, just awesome stuff IMO.

The main things I would concentrate on are:
1. Are you sure your razor is honed properly?
2. Are you using a strop? If not, you need one. If so, are you using it correctly?
3. How much pressure are you using? Very little is needed.
4. Too steep of an blade angle can cause problems with irritation.
5. How many passes are you making? WTG/ATG/XTG. Several passes, especially with a poorly honed razor or improper technique can cause your face to become angry.
6. Make sure to stretch the skin.

I hope this helps! Enjoy the journey! It is very rewarding when you get the hang of it.

 

[ohansen]

@Robini Pointed out some excellent issues. I would put number 4 at the top of the list though. I suggest to intently focus on keeping your angle under 30° for most of the shaves. Muscle memory will develop over time. I also suggest getting a second razor from someone else to compare the sharpness and how the edge differ. Most people who are new to straight razors, will likely blunt the edge on the strop within the first week.

 

[Jeremy Stephens]

Thanks for the input! Ingrown hairs thankfully aren't an issue anymore I may not have been clear on that. I've been trying to watch my angle and pressure pretty religiously since my 1st couple of shaves. I'm still at the point where I am laying the blade flat on my face then setting my angle based off of that. Pressure wise I try to keep a light touch really just letting the weight of the blade do the work as best as i can. I've been stropping before every shave and doing the "drop hair" test so based off of that I think that I'm dealing with a sharp blade. Granted, like my shave technique, my stropping is a work in progress but I expected as much so I bought a cheap strop as to not destroy a premium one. I'm only doing 1 pass right now wtg until I get past the irritation issue. Learning quite a bit as I'm going as researching probably far too much in the meantime but as far as the benefits are concerned I've been sold since day one. Plus I have to say it's nice to be able to "bend people's ear" on this because honestly noone near me that I know of does this so I'm kinda on an island so to speak lol.

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[Pattorashu]

If you prefer creams, I highly recommend TOBS. Easy lather, great scent, good protection. I swirl a damp brush 4-6 times and get a bowl full of rich lather.

Jermyn Street (sp) is their sensitive skin with a lovely scent of bergamot, citrus, and lavender IIRC.

Proraso has always been an under performer for me, TBH. I haven't tried their soap or their sensitive skin, but their green tube of cream was lackluster.

 

[Frozenshades]

If you prefer creams, I highly recommend TOBS. Easy lather, great scent, good protection. I swirl a damp brush 4-6 times and get a bowl full of rich lather.

Jermyn Street (sp) is their sensitive skin with a lovely scent of bergamot, citrus, and lavender IIRC.

Proraso has always been an under performer for me, TBH. I haven't tried their soap or their sensitive skin, but their green tube of cream was lackluster.

IMO Proraso's single blade line is notably superior to their standard product line.

 

[elswood]

Jermyn Street (sp) is their sensitive skin with a lovely scent of bergamot, citrus, and lavender IIRC.

+1 on the Jermyn Street. I get a bit of irritation on my lower neck especially at this time of the year and Jermyn Street is one of the creams I turn to. The matching alcohol-free aftershave leaves my skin feeling great too. It took a couple of uses for me to appreciate the scent but now I really like it.

 

[Steve56]

You might try putting some soap on the inside of your elbow (sensitive skin there) and seeing if you get irritation after 10-15 minutes. If not, it probably isn’t the soap.

Unless you have a sensitivity to a specific soap ingredient, one of the things @Robini listed is the likely culprit. A SR exfoliates really well, and if the edge isn’t sharp, the angle low, and the pressure light, it will exfoliate maybe too much. To much exfoliation is razor burn/irritation, you’ve gone down to live skin cells and they are expressing their displeasure with your technique, lol.

 

[steveclarkus]

At 40 years old I got tired of searching for the latest and greatest shave equipment and still winding up with the same ingrown hairs and razor irritation so I decided to go to a straight razor. Still new to the process and its coming along quite well but I still get a little bit of razor irritation and although I think some of it is due to my evolving technique that is improving a little bit every time i do think buying a cheap soap is part of the problem as well so I am looking to upgrade there and have been looking at the Proraso sensitive line up but before I go and jump in head first does anyone have any other recommendations? And just because it's my 1st post here and I'm proud of my blade I posted a pic of it. Cheesy I know but it's still new to me so hopefully you can cut me a little slack [emoji16].

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I haven’t had any razor burn since changing over to straights two years ago and I use any kind of shave soap. Now using simple ole Barbasol foam with no problems. Technique is the key but that will develop over time so just stay with it and you will eventually get the best and most pleasant shaves you have ever had. Straights are much kinder to the face than DE’s or carts. Make certain your razor is sharp, you keep a shallow blade angle and use light pressure. The rest, you will figure out as you keep at it. It is mostly OJT so don’t be impatient. It will get better. Nice razor btw.

 

[Omarz]

Arko cheap great smell, Taylor of old bond st great for straight shaving but it’s very expensive if you get a hard soap I prefer the hard stuff but you may differ and like creams

 

[Yukonmark]

At 40 years old I got tired of searching for the latest and greatest shave equipment and still winding up with the same ingrown hairs and razor irritation so I decided to go to a straight razor. Still new to the process and its coming along quite well but I still get a little bit of razor irritation and although I think some of it is due to my evolving technique that is improving a little bit every time i do think buying a cheap soap is part of the problem as well so I am looking to upgrade there and have been looking at the Proraso sensitive line up but before I go and jump in head first does anyone have any other recommendations? And just because it's my 1st post here and I'm proud of my blade I posted a pic of it. Cheesy I know but it's still new to me so hopefully you can cut me a little slack

.

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What's your pre shave face prep look like.
Do you use an exfoliating face scrub pre shave?
I had A problem with ingrown hairs and a face scrub has eliminated the problem

 

[never-stop-learning]

Cyril R. Salter creams are great for sensitive skin and are outstanding on an overall basis. Connaught Shaving is where I purchased them.

Highly recommended.

 

[Jeremy Stephens]

I recently started using a tea tree based face wash as a prep. Before I was using something I had gotten from dollar shave and I had liked it alright but I'm eliminating that service from my rotation going back to basics and since I'm familiar with their products if I like the way they perform I will go back on an case by case basis. Plus I did keep my preshave oil that I had been using however, just because I am brand loyal, once I settle on a cream I like I will look for a preshave made by that company and if I need to adjust from there I will but for now I'll stick with my current oil just because I do see the benefits of preshave. All in the mean while working on my shave technique and keeping my blade in tip top shape.

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