Moved to Texas: Shaving help please!

[DrumDawg]

Hi guys;


I think I posted this in another thread; BUT

background: I have been DE shaving for going on year 3 now; Love it;
I had my system worked out;

When I lived in North Central Louisiana, I shaved in the shower, with my badger brush and nice shave soap. I shaved about every other day (approx 3 times a week); with 3 passes.

Shaved my head (with headblade; assisted by a gillette tech) once/twice a week.

This system worked great. very little irritation, no nicks (not even from day one). I used a nice ASB or splash for post shower/shave. No problems.

I still am looking for these same results when i travel (use a travel gillette tech);

BUT now I have moved just south of Fort Worth. I have been here since August. I have YET to have a shave like I am accustomed to; I have tried to use creams, I have tried to use superlather; I have tried to reduce the number of passes; I have changed razors (from HD, to slant, to SS, to my gillette tech); all to no avail; I now get the same shaves that I used to get with cartridge razors; nicks/cuts and razor burn.

Help!!!!!!!

I want to go back to my nice shaves; moving back is not an option

I am wide open; I realize there are many of you that will recommend shaving out of the shower; i will try that tonight to see if it makes any difference; I just wonder if the difference in water is THAT different, and what the heck can i do, to get the same comfortable/close shaves I used to get.

Thanks

Gary

 

[Dustinl]

My grandparents are from central Lousiana. When I was I kid, I loved going there for a couple of weeks during the summer but I HATED the showers. After getting out and drying off, you still felt wet. I'm not sure how to describe it but the water felt like it stayed on you rather than dripping off. It felt........ yucky as my 2-1/2 year old would say.

At any rate, I believe it's your water. And yes, I believe there is that much difference.


DL

 

[DrumDawg]

ok; so what do all you guys with normal water do???? since I am now among you

 

[petr]

Your water is too hard. You could get a softener or ? That area is notorious for providing bad shaves because of water.

 

[DrumDawg]

I have a softener; apparently it does not make it soft enough; so any other suggestions??? i really do not want to have to go back to catridges

 

[sombra]

Bottled water? You don't shave that often, and if you were careful, you could probably shave with 3-4 cups of hot water. A 5 gallon bottle of water could last you 15-20 shaves....

 

[Dustinl]

ok; so what do all you guys with normal water do???? since I am now among you

I live about two hours south of you. Our water is hard here as well. Our prior home was 10 miles to the west and had softer water. When we moved here, I could tell the difference. I get calcium build-up on the bottom of my hot-pot, and making lather wasn't as easy as it used to be. I suppose my techniques have adjusted because i get the best shaves of my life from the best lathers I have ever made now.

Sounds like your water is really hard. As petr recommended, maybe a water softner would be your best solution.


ADDED: oops, I see now that you have posted that you have a water softner.


DL

 

[petr]

I remember shaveblog wrote about this. It's buried in there somewhere.

Intersting problem - I'm stumped for once.

 

[Matt P]

I wonder if your skin is affected by the fact that it is much less humid there. Maybe try more hot towel steaming during your prep.

 

[Mr. Scruffy]

ok; so what do all you guys with normal water do???? since I am now among you

I've been in Houston most of my life and we have hard water, too. I get good lathers from soaps and creams. Not having lived elsewhere I don't know what to tell you other than a good lather is possible. Maybe stick to creams for awhile until you can m odify your technique since they're easier to work with.

Wait a minute, are you saying I could get a better lather by moving to Baton Rouge? Hmmmm... geaux Tigers?

 

[DrumDawg]

Could be; BUT I am shaving in the shower

 

[Bobtrumpet]

Water can be hard because of a number of different ingredients, so some water can do ok and some be really terrible. Alas D-FW water is in the later category.

You might want to look at getting your water conditioner serviced - it may need to be recharged.

The only creams I have found to do acceptable (not great) are the TOBS line and Bigelow/Proraso. I haven't tried everything so there of course may be others. No soaps to speak of that do well in this water (at least for me). In any case, you need a lot more product than you do in soft water.

I finally decided to try something I thought about a while ago, and it turns out to work well (I was planning on posting about it separately). I add about a teaspoon of borax to the water I use for soaking my brush, and I also fill up the sink with hot water and add about 3-4 tablespoons of borax. It really softens up the water and makes a big difference in the lather and the shave. Calgon water softener, if you can find it, should also work well.

I'm curious to see if there are other good answers from the locals.

EDIT: While it seems borax is a very low toxicity chemical, some sites have prompted me to look for another substance. I'll try baking soda and see if it does as well.

 

[DrumDawg]

i JUST read that about borax on another forum (googled shaving with hard water);

a lot of these ideas seem to suggest I need to start shaving at the sink, and not in the shower; hmmmmm;

if that is the case; i guess i need to by a good scuttle

have any of you with hard water found you get better results?

1. face lathering vs. scuttle/bowl?
2. shower shaving vs. sink?
3. cream vs. shave soap (most seem to indicate cream)?

i am just curious;
when i came to DE; i actually enjoy shaving for the first time in my life and looked forward to it; i have returned to seeing it as something not enjoyable; i want my enjoyment back

thanks guys

g

 

[Gafer]

Water can be hard because of a number of different ingredients, so some water can do ok and some be really terrible. Alas D-FW water is in the later category.

You might want to look at getting your water conditioner serviced - it may need to be recharged.

The only creams I have found to do acceptable (not great) are the TOBS line and Bigelow/Proraso. I haven't tried everything so there of course may be others. No soaps to speak of that do well in this water (at least for me). In any case, you need a lot more product than you do in soft water.

I finally decided to try something I thought about a while ago, and it turns out to work well (I was planning on posting about it separately). I add about a teaspoon of borax to the water I use for soaking my brush, and I also fill up the sink with hot water and add about 3-4 tablespoons of borax. It really softens up the water and makes a big difference in the lather and the shave. Calgon water softener, if you can find it, should also work well.

I'm curious to see if there are other good answers from the locals.

In Austin we have hard water too. We also have very low indoor humidity in the winter with the heat running. So, a vaporizer at night to help with the dry skin, and a tablespoon of Baking Soda in a basin of water for shaving to deal with the hard water (I don't have a softener). You'll find your shaves are great again in the summer when it gets warm and sticky. In the meantime, I think you're dealing with two things: 1) Hard water 2) Low humidity.

 

[DrumDawg]

probably so; i have had to start using a humidifier at night to help with my sinuses;

i just am looking for a solution

maybe shave at the sink in the winter (with baking soda or borax) and creams? and return to shower and my normal regiment in the summer?

thanks for all your thoughts; i really appreciate it

 

[DrumDawg]

the really ODD thing is; i still get ok shaves in the shower on my head (shaving my head); there is a little skipping;

 

[richmondesi]

Shaving in the shower... hmmm... I'm not sure why, but I didn't particularly love my shaves in the shower either. I attributed it to the humidity because I can get a great lather/shave outside of the shower.

 

[DrumDawg]

well i love shaving in the shower; just have ALWAYS gotten better shaves there;

ok; on the advice i just went and shaved (needed to anyway).

shaved at the sink; soaked the brush in very hot water; use a LOT of cream (a sample of mens science cream); and a liberal amount of water

i will say; i got GREAT lather; probably the best ive ever gotten from a cream.

it did start to dry on my face a bit (but not as much as when i face lathered);
i would lather the section of my face that i was shaving; then rinse and re lather; a trick I started doing this summer while traveling.

one thing i noticed immediately; hard water is NOT as forgiven with pressure as softer water is; so after pass one, i reduced the amount of pressure (didnt think i used much; but apparently i used more than i thought); and did two passes with my slant

best shave on my neck and chin region ive had in a while; not BBS on my neck or my right side cheek; but better than the shaves i have gotten the last month or so.

so; learning this; i will try this routine in the shower for my next shave; if it does not work; i will just shave at the sink until summer;


thanks for the suggestions gents; i also (after digesting things written here while i shaved) used jason's 6 in 1 therapy for postshave; it was too slimy (not greasy) to use in LA; but in this dryer climate; works very well.

so thanks again; other advice? keep it coming...

 

[DrumDawg]

follow up

I have had to shaves since receiving some suggestions; MUCH better shaves;

the puzzle is; in the shower i still receive GREAT shave (when I shave my head);

but started mug lathering, instead of face lathering, (while waiting for my scuttle by richard to arrive); used mens science cream first; that ran out;

used c e bigalow for the second shave; fantastic lather; but it started drying out; so those that have hard water; is that because of the hard water, or because I used too much cream???

thanks guys

heres to continued good shaves with the hard water in texas...

g

 

[Bobtrumpet]

used c e bigalow for the second shave; fantastic lather; but it started drying out; so those that have hard water; is that because of the hard water, or because I used too much cream???

You almost can't use too much product in hard water - I use about a one to one-and-a-half inch long ribbon of Bigelow out of the tube (a lot more than an almond sized dollop). Bigelow lathers great for me; one of the best I have found so far in this water.

You need more product because some of the soap combines with the minerals in the water to make that nasty hard water soap scum, while the rest gets used to make lather.

It's likely you just need to add more water, and whip the lather longer.