& Products: dlaroe's sensitive skin exporation

[dlaroe]

I've been DE shaving for about 5 months and thought I'd post the journal I've been keeping. I've been focusing on blades for the thick/heavy bearded and my never ending quest to find soaps and creams that don't burn my skin.


I've got my razor preference down to 3" 3-piece Gillettes alternating between a thick cap Old Type, LC NEW and a couple of Techs with an heirloom late 40s Aristocrat thrown in for variety. I do a two pass WTG/XTG shave with touch ups if needed. I use straight witch hazel as an AS due to fragrance sensitivity and I like the smell. Its a tequilla shot for my face.


_BLADES_


I've been through a blade sampler and a few odd balls from worst to best from my perspective:


_Bad_
Zippy cutter replacement blades
Not a shaving blade! Not sharp, not smooth.


Derby Extra
not very sharp, binned after one shave and gave the rest away


_Acceptable_


drug store Israeli and Crystal
lasted 5-6 shaves, sharp enough


_Good_
Personna Red
seem a little sharper, last a while 7+ shaves


Bluebird
in progress, but promising


Astra (my fav so far)
sharp, smooth and lasts 7+ shaves


Feather
first shave is damn sharp, will snag and cut me if I'm are not careful
mellows over the next 3-4 shaves and starts to drag a little


After the Blue Birds I've got 4 Russians to play with.




A while ago I started collecting ingredient lists and my reactions to products as I try them.




_CREAMs_


Gillette Edge Gel (major burn)
Water, Palmitic Acid, Triethanolamine, Stearic Acid, Isopentane, Sunflower Seed Oil Glyceride, Sorbitol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Fragrance, PVP, Isobutane, PEG-90M, Blue 1.


Gillette Foamy (burn)
Water, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Isobutane, Laureth-23, Propane, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Fragrance, BHT, Butane.


Nivea Sensitive (scent bothers me, a little burn)
Water, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut), Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive), Fragrance, Dimethicone, Sea Salt, Chamomilla Recuitita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Bark, Capric Triglyceride, Caprylic, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Maltodextrin


C.O. Bigelow (burns like heck)
Aqua (Water), Stearic Acid, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Menthol, Camphor, Eucalyptol, Eucalyptus globulus Leaf Oil, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Metasilicate, Tetrasodium EDTA, HYdroxyehtyl-cellulose, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Geraniol, Parfum (Fragrance).


Godrej Rich Foam (good but breaks me out horribily)
Water, Stearic Acid, Gylcerol, Potassium hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Myristic Acid, Perfume, Sodium Hydroxide, Borax, Cera Alba, Sodium Silicate, Ethoxylated Lanolin, Methyl Paraben, Propyl Paraben


RSC (a little warmth from the tea tree oil but
Aqua (Water), Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Coconut Acid, Glycerin, Triethanolamine, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium Hydroxide, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Limonene, Linalool.


KMF Fragrance Free :-/ (works great, miss the scent)
Aqua, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Allantoin, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Arnica Montana (Arnica) Flower Extract, Hydrastis Canadensis (Golden Seal) Root Extract, Equisetum Hyemale (Horsetail) Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris (Lady’s Mantle) Leaf Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass) Leaf Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Extract, Saponaria Officinalis (Soapwort) Root Extract, Nasturtium Officinalis (Watercress) Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose


Cremo
Water (Aqua), Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Polyether-1, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Xylitol, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit and Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Linalool, Limonene, Perfluoromethylcyclopentane, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Titanium Dioxide, Citric Acid, Fragrance (Parfum)


_SOAPs_


Moondance Bay Rum (dermatitis!)
Saponified oils of Olive, Coconut, Castor, Shea Butter, Bentonite Clay, Glycerine, Wheat Germ Oil, Fragrance Oil, Essential Oils, Tocopherol T-50 (Vitamin E), Rosemary Oleoresin (a natural antioxidant)


Moondance Forest Glen (dermatitis!)
Saponified oils of coconut, olive, palm, shea butter and castor; distilled water; bentonite clay; glycerine; wheat germ oil; Tocopherol T-50 (Vitamin E); rosemary oleoresin extract (a natural antioxidant);fir needle essential oil; fragrance.


Arko (my next purchase)
Potassium Tallowate, Stearic Acid, Potassium Cocoate, Aqua, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Glycerin, Parfum, Parafinium, Liquidum, Tetrasodium EDTA, Etidronic Acid, Disodium Distrylbiphenly, Disuffonate Amyl Cinnamel, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool


VDH Select Shave Soap
Propylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Water, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Myristate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Fragrance, Titanium Dioxide, Triethanolamine.


Modern Williams
Potassium Stearate, Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Cocoate, Water, Glycerin, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Titanium Dioxide, Stearic Acid, Pentasodium Pentetate, Tetrasodium Etidronate; may also contain Sodium Palm Kernelate.


Cella
Cocos Nucifera Oil, Tallow, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Aqua, Potassium Carbonate, Parfum.

 

[dlaroe]

Still haven't gotten Arko dammit but I'm working through some Russian blades. We had a good buy from Shaveabuck.

Bluebirds
were good but not great, a little more blade dragging than Astras and not as long lived.

Voskods
Very sharp blade, not quite Feathers but close. Way easier to shave with however, smooth and didn't have that "I'm going to bite you" that Feathers have for me.

Like Feathers though the sharpness is short lived, 4 shaves or so and it starts to become "meh".

Working on Ladas now..

I'm starting on aftershaves!
I got a 5 piece Captains Choice sampler most drug store *** were nixed by SWSMM (she who smells me most).

Sandalwood is the fave, subtle but seems to stick around.
The Lime is nice, a little spicy but I'm just not feeling it.
North is nice for a change or special occasion, I like the juniper so much I might need to try gin again. Too much for every day for me though.

I'm not a Bay Rum guy and the regular had too much burn for me so I haven't even tried the Cat o' Nine Tails.

I tried Cremo with a brush.
Never again. I foams up a little bit but loses most of the wonderful slickness.

I also learned how to lather Williams with a Bambino brush. Make a big brush worth of soap slurry on top of the puck and just revisit it each pass!

I'm also gravitating towards boar for soaps, even Cella, I just get bored loading the silvertip for long enough to make a good lather. Its less than a minute longer but it feels like an eternity!

I think I'm going to talk myself into needing a medium sized boar that splays better than the Omega 65.

 

[dlaroe]

Finally tried Arko, despite my affinity for the industrial citrus smells of Williams and citronella I'm not fond of the smell. There is a moth ball component that lingers.

Easy to lather but the quality is short of Cella. Its just barely slick, not enough for touchups without re-lathering but it does rinse easily.

Started playing with EOs, putting a few drops to some vodka and adding it to witch hazel. Citronella, lavender and (soon) cedarwood in some combination is what I'm headed towards. The cost of Sandalwood is just to damn high!

I've added glycerine to my scented witch hazel and like it very much adding just a little at a time. I do not like it during the shave added to the face or lather.

It would be good to record the amounts and details here... duh.

I'll try to write it down next time.

Russian blades
Rapira Platinum Lux and Stainless are not sharp enough to be comfortable.

I'll give Ladas another shot though as I've forgotten.

 

[eventi]

Subscribed - great journal!

It would be good to keep track of which blades work in which razor, since some razors will perform better in some razors.

 

[dlaroe]

None of the Russians we're any better than Astra's for sharpness and longevity.

Pretty much using Bull City Soap Worx "luxury shaving soap" with occasional revisits to Cella and Williams with Clubman scented KMF and Creamo used when convenient.

Shaving with a NEW with soaps and a brush or a 70's SS if I smear on a cream for an expedient shave.