Shaving aid for Philips shaver (Nivea alternative)?

[MortyDK]

Dear all,

I tried looking in the FAQ etc before posting, and while the question isn't exactly on topic, I did not see anything saying it's so off topic as to be unwelcome...? And I think this forum is the very best place worldwide to get qualified answers for this specific question...

I'm using a Philips electric shaver, one of their wet shavers which is intended to be used together with a proprietary shaving liquid made by Nivea. This shaving liquid is hard to buy where I'm currently living (in a small town in Eastern Europe).

Now, the shaver works without this overpriced liquid, but it's clearly better with... More smooth, less skin irritation. Can anyone think of a complementary product that I could use instead? Perhaps cheaper, or just readily available from some of the Internet shops that advertise here on B&B?

I'm thinking that a replacement should match the following:

• Have quite high viscosity, i.e. not be a thick creamy thing, because a thick substance would stick to the shaver and clog it up(?).
• Not irritate the skin (like a plain soap might), but rather soothe it.
• Not be oil based. I'm not sure about this one, but I'm guessing that an oil would result in a lesser deep shave. I'm willing to try oils though.
• IMHO it does not need to fit inside the shavers dispenser, I could just apply it to my skin by hand before shaving.

This may seem trivial to most people, but it's actually important to me. I have very dry and sensitive skin, not normal "sensitive" skin, but so that I take medicine for it daily (atopic dermatitis, a.k.a. eczema).

I'm aware of the benefits of real wet shaving -- but for now I'm just looking for a good lubricant for use with my electric razor.

Thank you,

 

[mblakele]

Welcome to B&B!

Of course we're going to tell you that wetshaving would be better for your skin. You knew that, right?

Is http://www.drugstore.com/qxp226875/philips_norelco/nivea_for_men_refill_lotion_3_pack.htm the stuff you are trying to buy? Here are the ingredients:

Water, Glycerin, C13 15 Isoparaffin, Panthenol, Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Bisabolol, Cyclodextrin, PEG 45M, Acrylates/C10 30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Fragrance (Parfum), Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben

My guess is that water and a few drops of glycerin would do much of the job. You can probably find glycerin in the local drugstore or pharmacy. I would use distilled water, to avoid clogging the electric with mineral deposits and to ensure neutral pH. If you want to add a drop of soybean oil, you can probably buy that as a cooking oil. Here, about 1/3 of the generic cooking oils are soya.

 

[MortyDK]

Welcome to B&B!
Of course we're going to tell you that wetshaving would be better for your skin. You knew that, right?

Is http://www.drugstore.com/qxp226875/philips_norelco/nivea_for_men_refill_lotion_3_pack.htm the stuff you are trying to buy? [...]
My guess is that water and a few drops of glycerin would do much of the job.

Nice, good find! Yes, that is in fact the Nivea thingy that I'm trying to buy. (And it's priced like the classic Gillette / inkjet printer model: Cheap to buy the platform, but the consumables are expensive...).

I might try to mix my own version based on the ingredient list. But I'd like to just buy something as well... Is there a common, very thin (runny) pre-shave oil or shaving gel that sounds like it might fit my needs?

 

[kingfisher]

Nice, good find! Yes, that is in fact the Nivea thingy that I'm trying to buy. (And it's priced like the classic Gillette / inkjet printer model: Cheap to buy the platform, but the consumables are expensive...).

I might try to mix my own version based on the ingredient list. But I'd like to just buy something as well... Is there a common, very thin (runny) pre-shave oil or shaving gel that sounds like it might fit my needs?

Pacific Shave shave oil is very light and runny. Might work perfectly. Most shave gels are pretty thick. Paula's Choice makes one that's mostly aloe vera. You could check it here http://skincare.paulaschoice.com/search?w=shave+gel&filter=itemtype%3Aproduct&asug=&x=0&y=0.

 

[40boy]

I don't know if you can get either of these where you are, but it has a lot of similar ingredients to the regular Nivea aftershave balms.

This is list of the Nivea "Replenishing" after shave ingredients:
Water, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Panthenol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Tapioca Starch, Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Bisabolol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract (Matricaria), Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean), Triceteareth 4 Phosphate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Fragrance (Parfum)

Also, in the drugstore.com reviews of your item, one guy says he uses the Headblade product in place of it too.

Maybe a slick non-lathering product like Cremo would work?

 

[MortyDK]

Thanks all! I will go shopping and try these excellent suggestions.

 

[gunter]

I used to use the Norelco electric that took packets of Nivea shave balm. I would try some Nivea aftershave balm.