Recommend a routine

[johns777]

Hey everyone,

I am reaching out to get some help with my shaves. I have pretty bad razor burn and really sensitive skin and cannot find a routine that works for me. Below is a list of the current products I own, recommend which I should use and if I should buy other things. All help is appreciated. I do prefer creams and I am mostly a face lather-er. If lathering on the face is part of the breakout I can switch to hand lathering the creams. Current routine is shave around 9pm sometimes in shower sometimes not. Then nivea, after 5 minutes a/s usually clubman. Usually only go wtg - 2 passes. Also like to throw a Thanks to anyone that has helped to get me to this point so far and those that have been very generous to me!

Razors:
1917 Gillette Single Ring
1956 Super Speed
5 Different Techs including a Travel Tech
Old Merkur 42c

Blades:
Walmart Swords
Astra's
Feathers - seem to sharp for me
Derby's
Sharks - never tried yet
Gillette in yellow box - never tried yet

Creams:
Proraso green tub - doesn't lather well for me
Barbon
C.O Bigelow
RazoRock fresco in tub

Pucks:
New Williams
Mamma Bear soap - think its coconut

Brushes:
Cheap VDH boar
Tweezerman Badger
Rudy Vey Silvertip

Aftershaves/Creams:
Nivea
Proraso
Bump Fighter
Aramis
Aspen
Chrome
Clubman

 

[Go West Young Man]

Too many choices! Pick one item in each category and spend a few months learning to master it.

 

[dtezla]

Agreed - If you are new, just pick on set up and stick with it for a while. I will say that when I recently purchased my Feather Popular Razor for $20, my irritation on my neck went away completely since it was such a mild blade. I even use it to touch up after a straight razor shave without any lather and it still doesn't cause irritation (not recommended).

 

[BarryP13]

try the super speed with the Derbys. first pass on 5, second pass 3. You need to find a cream or stick that will lather and protect your beard. Since you want to face lather I would try a stick of Arco.

 

[BarryP13]

whoops. I was thinking about a slim...still, he should use the super speed.

 

[canascrews]

I would say to grab a Tech , any blade but the feathers , and buy some good protective soap . Mike's is great . Maybe MWF or even Arko . It will be worth it . You know the Rudy Vey is a given ! And stick with the same set up for weeks to get it perfected .

 

[RondeB]

I second the mastering of one setup and then moving on. I use a proraso preshave after wetting my face with warm water. The preshave may or may not be voodoo, but I am not having any razor burn now.

 

[bodistaffa]

you might consider giving your skin some time to heal. I also have extremely sensitive skin. I bowl lather with arko and palmolive and get great perrformance. alum block heals my face nicely I also use a superspeed with astras. at the end of the day i have been told technique is key.

 

[cpcohen1945]

What everybody else says:

. . . Pick one soap, one razor, one blade,
. . . . . and learn to use them.


Suggestions, FWIW:

. . . Superspeed or Tech razor, or a Weishi (very cheap, mailorder). IMHO an Edwin Jagger DE89 is milder than the Gillettes (and harsher than the Weishi), but just one more item to buy.

. . . Astra blade (which I consider second to Feather)

. . . Proraso soap (I haven't used the rest of the ones that you own). If you can get better (thicker, more protective) lather from another soap, use it.

. . . Add a little glycerin to the lather -- improves the protection.

. . . _no_ aftershave ! nothing that contains alcohol ! It just irritates your skin.

. . . Use some kind of pre-shave treatment -- hair conditioner, or almond oil, or a commercial pre-shave "balm". Put it on a few minutes before lathering, and lather right over it.

Razor burn is usually the result of too much pressure. With an Astra blade in a Tech, you should be using the weight of the razor -- _not_ pressure from your fingers -- to remove the beard.

Your first task is to learn to shave without hurting yourself, in a pure WTG shave with one pass.

After that, you can concentrate on XTG / ATG passes to clean up whatever the WTG pass missed.

. Charles