Mitchell's Wool Fat drying my face?

[es99]

Just started using this and was very excited because I have dry skin, but this seems to have actually dried out my face. After using, my face tighter.

Before using, I grated the puck into a mug. Woke up. Added some warm--not hot--water to the mug to soften the surface of the soap. Used a dry, pretty firm badger and had no problems loading heavily. Face lathered and got good lather. Lather was dry at first, so just kept adding water till it built up nicely and showed peaks. Applied. Shaved. Rinsed. Face didn't feel tight/dry at first, but did after my face fully dried. Applied aftershave. Still felt dry.

No problems while shaving--lots of good lather with a badger brush and face lathering--and I have used lanolin in the past, so I know I am not allergic.

What gives!? Am I doing something wrong? Could it be a bad batch?

 

[Mick]

What are you using for an aftershave?

 

[Luc]

I don't have that issue with MWF. +1 on the AS

 

[es99]

Nivea sensitive skin. I haven't had a problem with it in the past, though.

Could it be because I am not using enough water?

It also feels kind of dry on my hands, to be honest, which is what lead me to think I might have a bad batch. Has that ever happened to anyone?

I used to use lanolin on fissures between toes, etc, and never had an allergy issue. (Sorry--that may be tmi)

 

[wazza]

I had this when I first used the soap, I had only used creams by this point but used mwf everyday and it seemed to dry out my skin, making it feel tight. I have since started using a different balm after the shave and I use mwf very regularly so it must have been the balm which wasn't doing its job.
Maybe try using a different product after your shave?

 

[es99]

Sounds good! What do you recommend?

 

[Useless shaver]

You might need to add more water. And of course do try another AS.

I have never had drying problems with The Fat.

 

[es99]

Will do!

Proraso good? Very new, so shooting a bit blind here.

I was really thrown by my MWF experience... Seems impossible that it would dry my face. I did get a ridiculously close and good shave, though.

 

[Useless shaver]

Too hot for me now in summertime but EJ ASBalm Aloe Vera makes wonders with my face.

 

[mistercitizen]

This is like the "Bizzaro World of the Fat". You're getting great lather but it's drying..... usually guy's struggle with the lather but it's very moisturizing afterward. I think it's the aftershave and possibly not enough water in the post shave routine. Rinse your face good after you shave and apply the balm to your wet face or lightly patted dry face within a minute or so after you rinse. The balm will help lock the moisture in..... I think after a few days like this you will notice an improvement. Water is your biggest friend during a wetshave.

Ben

 

[es99]

Should I be washing my face with soap after using MWF?

 

[mistercitizen]

Should I be washing my face with soap after using MWF?

No. Just rinse the leftover shave soap off with warm or cold water. I usually wipe most of the lather off with a towel and then rinse with warm water.... and then switch it to cold (as cold as I can get).

Ben

 

[es99]

Ok, thanks! Will try all this tomorrow and skip the AS.

 

[Edinburgh]

Make sure the lather is sufficiently hydrated before shaving. Add water slowly while building the lather.

 

[FozzieBear1971]

You are just another in the long line of people that experience difficulties with MWF.

 

[daccpa]

Try some Speick ASB (lotion) (the splash is good too but the ASB is even more moisturizing) also another suggestions would be razorock wax - both are great products and make my skin feel great.

 

[rxonmymind]

Do rinse very well after using MWF. The drying sound like soap or some other residue has been left. So rinse with warm water thoroughly then let your skin dry naturally for fifteen minutes. This is the way I gauge a soaps performance on whether I need a/s or not. Most timesI don't but use it anyway. Good luck.

 

[es99]

Gave it another try today, and I think it was better, but I'm honestly so new to all this that I'm not sure.

Did everything by the book: let a little cold water soak on the puck, soaked the brush, soaked my face a bit, then, using a pretty dry brush and after pouring the water off the puck, loaded heavily with nearly 100 swirls, and the fun began. I started face lathering, slowly added more water to the mix, lathering some more, adding some more water, lathering some more, repeat a number of times, until I had what has to be the greatest lather I've had to date... gobs of thick, white meringue-like lather. It looked like a can of Barbasol had exploded on my face.

And it produced one hell of a shave. I did nothing fancy -- one pass, with the grain -- to make sure to remove the possibility of anything else complicating things. I got, again, one of the closest shaves I've had with no events. After, I washed my face thoroughly with water.

Unfortunately, though, after a quick pat and 15 minutes of air drying, my face did still feel a bit dry, like I had washed it too much. No irritation, no itchiness, just some tightness. I put some aftershave on and things improved, but I'm still curious as to why the soap might leave my skin dry. After all, it has fat in it!

Maybe my face needs time to get used to it? Maybe I got a puck that has less lanolin than another?

Perhaps I am asking too much? I mean, it lathered beautifully and I got an amazing shave... It was so smooth that I had to resist a XTC pass.

 

[Edinburgh]

Perhaps I am asking too much? I mean, it lathered beautifully and I got an amazing shave... It was so smooth that I had to resist a XTC pass.

Just be thankful that you are not allergic to the lanolin in MWF and use a moisturizing balm afterwards!

 

[Skyrider55]

Do rinse very well after using MWF. The drying sound like soap or some other residue has been left. So rinse with warm water thoroughly then let your skin dry naturally for fifteen minutes. This is the way I gauge a soaps performance on whether I need a/s or not. Most timesI don't but use it anyway. Good luck.

This is spot. I find warm water rinses tallow and lanolin better than cold. I actually massage my face to make sure all the soap is rinsed. Pat dry.