Soap is NOT Moisturizing

[IMightBeWrong]

I just turned 31. Within the past few years I have discovered the importance of good skincare fueled by an issue with Basal Cell Carcinoma, a mild but unsightly form of skin cancer that likes to make its home on the face and neck. Luckily for me, mine was on the neck behind my ear where I don’t mind the 1 inch scar where it had to be sliced off.

I got into wet shaving before the cancer was removed. It never ran in my family and I was advised literally everyone can get it. The best thing you can do is to wear a moisturizer on your face and neck with SPF. So I wear one everyday now.

The story is simply because my tastes really changed because of this. I found that once I started using a moisturizer with SPF, the soaps with tons of ingredients and fats that are supposed to be “moisturizing” simply made me greasy. Simpler soaps became my staple soaps, my skin got more clear and felt better and the moisturizer kept me from ever needing any kind of super fatty soap.

I have come to realize that asking for a shaving soap to be moisturizing is silly. Soap isn’t a moisturizer, it’s an alkaline material that disrupts the acid mantle and will never be optimal for that role. So now I use simpler soaps. Old school classics and some nicer artisan soaps as well. My absolute most used soaps are Martin de Candre now. I wasn’t even crazy about the soap because I found it “drying” before I started properly moisturizing my skin after my morning shave. Now that I know better and don’t ask my soap to be moisturizer, I moisturize post shave and my skin is the healthiest it has been since I started this hobby in 2012.

I would encourage everyone to try this. Don’t ask your soap to be moisturizing. Protect your skin post shave so you don’t need to bear a scar later. Give it a try and I think you’ll appreciate the results.

 

[Sethology]

Ariana and Evans feels pretty moisturizing lol

 

[SliceOfLife]

With respect to soap moisturizing basically just means it’s less effective as a soap. This is why something like an olive oil soap would more likely be used as a face soap versus coconut oil which may more commonly be found in body soaps. Olive oil soap is less cleansing and therefore more “moisturizing”. With shaving soap since we don’t necessarily need particularly high cleansing properties, and are more looking for lubrication, soaps don’t need to be particularly cleansing. We actually use coconut oil not for it’s cleansing properties but for the type of lather that it creates, which meshes well with fats that are high in steric acid such as palm oil and tallow.


Now if you have average or greasy skin and shave once a day or every other day the moisturizing nature of a shaving soap is almost irrelevant. However if you have extra sensitive skin or for some reason are shaving multiple times a day, You’ll quickly notice that soaps with lower concentrations of oil’s such as coconut oil and other effective cleansers leave your skin less irritated.

 

[IMightBeWrong]

My skin runs dry around the beard and oily on the nose and forehead. More “moisturizing” soaps have actually been worse on my skin than the more “drying” soaps since I started using a moisturizer. That is, they caused more redness and spots. Since moving to simpler soaps, the redness and spots are lesser and my skin looks and feels better. All comes down to a cleaner lather and better moisturizer after the shave.

 

[Sethology]

i have sebhorriec dermatitis, which rules out using basically every moisturizer i can think of lest i wish to feed the condition. So post shave feel is important to me and is definitely relevant in whether i keep a soap around.

 

[old_school]

i have sebhorriec dermatitis, which rules out using basically every moisturizer i can think of lest i wish to feed the condition. So post shave feel is important to me and is definitely relevant in whether i keep a soap around.

Hear that. I do as well and must wash 2 to 3 times per day including daily use of topicals help keep things under control.

Soaps commonly describe with great PSF are proactively avoided. Clean fresh non fatty soaps, typical alcohol based AF splash and my skin is clean and fresh for a few hours.

I get a kick out of folks that tell me well "you wash too much so your skin is over producing". No, been at this for 5 and 1/2 decades. My skin is over producing so I have to wash to much. LOL!

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

I just turned 31. Within the past few years I have discovered the importance of good skincare fueled by an issue with Basal Cell Carcinoma, a mild but unsightly form of skin cancer that likes to make its home on the face and neck. Luckily for me, mine was on the neck behind my ear where I don’t mind the 1 inch scar where it had to be sliced off.

I got into wet shaving before the cancer was removed. It never ran in my family and I was advised literally everyone can get it. The best thing you can do is to wear a moisturizer on your face and neck with SPF. So I wear one everyday now.

The story is simply because my tastes really changed because of this. I found that once I started using a moisturizer with SPF, the soaps with tons of ingredients and fats that are supposed to be “moisturizing” simply made me greasy. Simpler soaps became my staple soaps, my skin got more clear and felt better and the moisturizer kept me from ever needing any kind of super fatty soap.

I have come to realize that asking for a shaving soap to be moisturizing is silly. Soap isn’t a moisturizer, it’s an alkaline material that disrupts the acid mantle and will never be optimal for that role. So now I use simpler soaps. Old school classics and some nicer artisan soaps as well. My absolute most used soaps are Martin de Candre now. I wasn’t even crazy about the soap because I found it “drying” before I started properly moisturizing my skin after my morning shave. Now that I know better and don’t ask my soap to be moisturizer, I moisturize post shave and my skin is the healthiest it has been since I started this hobby in 2012.

I would encourage everyone to try this. Don’t ask your soap to be moisturizing. Protect your skin post shave so you don’t need to bear a scar later. Give it a try and I think you’ll appreciate the results.

I feel your pain. For the past five years, my dermatologist has frozen actinic keratosis off of me on every six month’s visit. A year ago, I had a squamous cell carcinoma come up on the back of my hand. The dermatologist cut it out and did an impressive job stitching it up. Monday I go back for what looks like another squamous cell carcinoma on the back of my calf. I asked her why I was getting all of these and she said it’s from years of sun abuse. Basically I’m paying for my sins as a kid. I didn’t wear a hat until I met my dermatologist, now I don’t go outside without one. She threatened to cut off my ears! The photos below are just after the surgery and just after the stitches were removed. Now I can barely see the scar.

I also have seborrheic dermatitis and I’ve found that since I switched to Mitchell’s WoolFat bath soap and started applying a good quality moisturizer, that I don’t have problems with it anymore. I’m not sure which one is doing the trick, just that I haven’t had a flare up in five months.

 

[PreachTheWord]

I have been wet shaving since about 2011 and for some reason I've never depended on my soap to moisturize. In fact, my post-shave routine consist of washing my face and using a moisturizer.

 

[Clay S]

I think the point should be to put on some form of SPF. No to determine whether you should moisturize your face with soap, SPF block, or moisturizer.

 

[ouchyfoot]

Hmmmm. Maybe I should should just go back to an electric razor.

 

[karacha]

I've said this before, but I am going to re-iterate: the only people who should care about moisturizing properties of the soap or the so-called "post shave feel" are people with very sensitive skin or certain skin condition(s). Otherwise, the soap simply needs to create slick lather and you should use a splash, balm or facial cream afterwards. Facial sprays containing rose water, aloe, witch hazel, chamomile etc. are also good.

 

[Sethology]

Hear that. I do as well and must wash 2 to 3 times per day including daily use of topicals help keep things under control.

Soaps commonly describe with great PSF are proactively avoided. Clean fresh non fatty soaps, typical alcohol based AF splash and my skin is clean and fresh for a few hours.

I get a kick out of folks that tell me well "you wash too much so your skin is over producing". No, been at this for 5 and 1/2 decades. My skin is over producing so I have to wash to much. LOL!

I find splashes make my seb derm afflicted areas hyper sensitive :/. I basically have to rinse everything off

 

[old_school]

I find splashes make my seb derm afflicted areas hyper sensitive :/. I basically have to rinse everything off

No easy fix is there? Just have to muddle through until landing on something that works.

 

[IMightBeWrong]

I've said this before, but I am going to re-iterate: the only people who should care about moisturizing properties of the soap or the so-called "post shave feel" are people with very sensitive skin or certain skin condition(s). Otherwise, the soap simply needs to create slick lather and you should use a splash, balm or facial cream afterwards. Facial sprays containing rose water, aloe, witch hazel, chamomile etc. are also good.

These are essentially my thoughts that I hoped to convey, but more concise and better communicated since I can tend to be long-winded and miss my own point.

 

[IMightBeWrong]

I feel your pain. For the past five years, my dermatologist has frozen actinic keratosis off of me on every six month’s visit. A year ago, I had a squamous cell carcinoma come up on the back of my hand. The dermatologist cut it out and did an impressive job stitching it up. Monday I go back for what looks like another squamous cell carcinoma on the back of my calf. I asked her why I was getting all of these and she said it’s from years of sun abuse. Basically I’m paying for my sins as a kid. I didn’t wear a hat until I met my dermatologist, now I don’t go outside without one. She threatened to cut off my ears! The photos below are just after the surgery and just after the stitches were removed. Now I can barely see the scar.

I also have seborrheic dermatitis and I’ve found that since I switched to Mitchell’s WoolFat bath soap and started applying a good quality moisturizer, that I don’t have problems with it anymore. I’m not sure which one is doing the trick, just that I haven’t had a flare up in five months.

View attachment 1160486View attachment 1160487

MWF is wonderful. Sorry to hear about all these repeat Carcinoma cases. I have only had to do one of those outpatient surgeries once and that’s enough for a lifetime.

 

[razorhead63]

As for me I don’t do any real post shave moisturizer. I’ve got some Nivea balm but only use it occasionally just when it feels right.... I have oily skin so I love the astringent qualities of an alcohol based AS splash. The attitude that one must moisturize post shave seems a little bit silly to me.... just my 2 cents. YMMV

 

[RayClem]

Skin cancer is normally cause by exposure to sunlight or other UV rays accumulated over a lifetime. Some people are more susceptible than others. I have a fair complexion and Rosacea, so I am one of those folks. I do not have skin cancer, but I periodically go to the dermatologist to have pre-cancerious spots removed.

An alkaline soap does interrupt the pH of the skin. However, a well made shaving soap is super-fatted, which means that it contains more fats than required to consume all of the sodium and potassium hydroxide used to make soap. While such soaps are still slightly alkaline, they are not as high in pH as some soaps.

I have sensitive skin on my face. While my forehead tends to be oily, my face tends to be dry. I greatly appreciate the skin moisturizing and conditioning properties of luxury shaving soaps. Some contain antioxidants like Vitamin E and other ingredients to nourish the skin. My dermatologist does recommend that I apply high SPF sun block and wear a hat and sun glasses any time I go out in the sun.

 

[karacha]

My dermatologist does recommend that I apply high SPF sun block and wear a hat and sun glasses any time I go out in the sun.

I think that's a good advice for pretty much anyone, especially us folks who don't have a lot of hair left on top of their head. Flat caps are stylish too.

 

[RayClem]

I think that's a good advice for pretty much anyone, especially us folks who don't have a lot of hair left on top of their head. Flat caps are stylish too.

The trouble with a flat cap, however, is that it does not provide any sun protection for the ears or neck. My biggest issue with pre-cancerous spots in on the tips of my ears. Thus, I have to wear a wide brimmed hat. I can no longer wear baseball caps or flat caps, etc.