Soaps that cause burning

[Ender7584]

So...I've used lots of soaps this past few months (considering I have a bad case of AD). The past TWO new soaps I've tried caused a moderate burning sensation....these are the only soaps that have ever caused it, and it's really weird they were back to back.

They were "My time bath and body" cannibis scent, and Kell's hemp oil based arabian spice scent. They both started burning about when they were good and lathered up (I face lather).

So a few questions. Is it bad for my face to use them? I know some aftershaves (like pinaud bay rum) burn like hell (and not from alcohol burn either), but that's "normal". I really liked the way Kell's lathered up and smelled, but if it's counterproductive to use....

And, this one's a long shot, but anyone have any idea what could be causing it? I've used prarie-creations, omega, mama bear, lothantique, QED, Ogallala soaps and old spice, trumpers, AOS, and JM fraisers cream without any burning at all.

So far I like mama bear soaps the best. They lather so well, and every scent I try smells great (except the cannabis scent....not a fan).

 

[guitarslinger]

I don't think it's "bad" for your face, but I HATE it when a soap burns. I usually sell immediately. MB fragrances have been hit or miss with me, burning wise.

Hydrogen and Pipe Tobacco burned me like fire.

 

[kingfisher]

I wouldn't use them again. If they produce a burning sensation, your skin is telling you it doesn't like them.

As to what is causing it, I don't know but if I had to guess I'd say that hemp and cannabis probably have a few chemicals in common, so that's the likely culprit. Might want to avoid cannabis/hemp-containing soaps in the future.

 

[maurerc]

It is possible to learn to enjoy mild pain--many folks enjoy eating chillies or dousing a face with alcohol-based after-shave--but pain is the brain's signal that nerve endings are being stimulated in a worrisome way. Unless you know that the stimulation is benign, the sensible thing is to avoid it.

 

[Bulldawg]

I had problems with soaps burning too and the biggest mistake I made was to sell them immediately. Turns out, the top layer was causing me problems for whatever reason. All the soaps that once burned are fine if I shower with them once (I guess this wouldn't work with melt and pour type soaps) before using them to shave. I made the mistake of selling Tallow First English Fern x 2, Provence Sante, Lothantique, L'Occitane and numerous other soaps because they burned upon first use. Just a thought...your situation may be different though because there may be some other ingredient causing the problem. Just throwing that out there in case you had some way to test that theory. Good luck...I hope it works out for you

EDIT: I guess if you wanted to test the "top layer" theory on a new soap you could also lather up the soap with a clean wash cloth at the sink. That should also do the trick and would probably be better if you're considering resale on B/S/T.

 

[Ender7584]

I had problems with soaps burning too and the biggest mistake I made was to sell them immediately. Turns out, the top layer was causing me problems for whatever reason. All the soaps that once burned are fine if I shower with them once (I guess this wouldn't work with melt and pour type soaps) before using them to shave. I made the mistake of selling Tallow First English Fern x 2, Provence Sante, Lothantique, L'Occitane and numerous other soaps because they burned upon first use. Just a thought...your situation may be different though because there may be some other ingredient causing the problem. Just throwing that out there in case you had some way to test that theory. Good luck...I hope it works out for you

Interesting....both soaps were indeed pretty new (where-as most of the soaps I try are ~90% full bought off BST). I'll try them again sometime....

It's a shame to have soaps that irritate your face...esspecially when you like them. I suppose if they don't work I'll have to post a FT on the BST.

 

[WhosYerBob]

Some soaps and - more especially - creams really do a number on my face. I find that the oils and other additives that give them their scent can often be the culprit.

 

[cvac]

If the soaps really do burn and showering with them doesn't solve the problem, I would discontinue using them ASAP. When a soap burns because your skin doesn't like what's in it, you could be experiencing contact dermatitis or some type of chemical burn.

I've had problems with a few different creams and soaps. The last cream that burned me left residual irritation for several days and caused my face to be irritated by just about everything I put on it save Neosporin.

Check out this recent thread:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=124383

 

[benvh]

I just tried out the Mama Bear's Green Irish Tweed shave stick and my face started burning right away. Too bad too because it smells awesome and made an awesome lather. I have the lavendar peppermint as well and I have no problems with that.

Ben

 

[Wil Dorenbos]

I have that with Almond: had to trade my Cella. P.160 is really bad for me, as there's much almond in it...

 

[professorchaos]

How are the shaves with soaps/creams which burn? Those which burn are often my best performers.

 

[joshmpdx]

How are the shaves with soaps/creams which burn? Those which burn are often my best performers.

Can this be true? SMN, MWF are top tier and make the face feel fabulous!

 

[slamjet]

Try out the unscented soaps. I just tried Honeybee and Mama Bear unscented and there was no burn for me. This told be that:

- The fragrances and oils used in the soaps is what my skin doesn't like.
- It's not the glycerin.

It's a much more enjoyable experience to have a pain-free shave than to endure it just for the little bit of smell.

 

[2hansom]

I once bought some soap for shaving and it burned like it was trying to singe the hair off my face. I contacted the maker and he states that due to the different PH levels in the soaps and the different PH levels of your skin, you sometimes get a reaction like that...it was a bummer, cause I really liked the scent....

 

[SliceOfLife]

Kells Hemp Blend arabian spice caused some mild burning for me. (It's the scent, not the soap, unscented hemp didn't cause any problem). I'd equate it to hot pepper on unbroken skin... a mild warmth and a very slight stinging nettle sensation. I really liked the scent and kept using it though, and after maybe 10 shaves it stopped. I'd guess it was possibly a mild allergy to something in it that went away with continued use.

As for the shave. Kells took me awhile to finally get the mix right (my VDH (VanDerHagen) likes to drown the brush in soap and get whipped for forever and a day and doesn't really care how wet the brush is, Kells seems to prefer a more moderate amount of soap, a wrung out brush to begin with and much less whipping and only 1-2 additions of a few drops of water. I whip in a giant mug though, I find smaller vessels are much more forgiving (less apt to over-sud). Both provide a nice lather in the end, but the Kells does it with about 1/4 the amount of soap and time.