Splashes, and milks and gels – OH MY! – A/S Comparo *pics*

[joel]

So – we’ve got a/s splashes, gels, creams, balms, liquid creams, skin foods, milks – you get the idea… but really… what is the PRACTICAL difference? Which works best at relieving irritation? Which ones are more “show” than “go?” Well – I aim to address this issue, well – as best I can with the limited test area I am able to experiment with (my face).

Let me first start with Trumpers Skin Food. Basically, I own two bottles, and very much like the stuff. It smells nice, seems to do something, and out and out feels nice to put on. It “seals” the skin when the gummie like substance dries – but does it actually DO anything as far as reducing irritation? Well… I found out on its own (I’ll get more into “paring” later) no, it does not really make a big difference, and is not nearly as effective as some of the alternatives. What I found is that is DOES soothe the skin a bit, adds a slight touch of moisture and will reduce irritation, but it is not markedly more effective than a few splashes of cold water, and waiting a few minutes to irritation to “die down.” I find a few spritzes of QED DaVinci water is more effective at reducing noticeable redness/irritation. This was rather shocking, as I have always been in the skin food defense camp – so much to my surprise, I found this product did not do much for ME on its own.

0-2 Points possible (2 being best)

Scent – 2
Soothability – 1
Moisturizing properties – 1

0-4 Points possible (4 being best) – Rating weighted toward efficacy.
Ability to reduce noticeable redness – 1

Total Points (out of 10)
5 out of 10

Gels/Aloes –
These feel fantastic right away – especially if they have some benzocaine in them. They FEEL incredibly soothing, and do a wonderful job at reducing irritation and seem to have a lasting effect. Gels do not offer much moisturization, but seem to make up for it with the wonderful soothing properties.

0-2 Points possible (2 being best)

Scent – 0
Soothability – 2
Moisturizing properties – 0

0-4 Points possible (4 being best) – Rating weighted toward efficacy.
Ability to reduce noticeable redness – 4

Total Points (out of 10)
6 out 10

A/S Milk/liquid creams –
I threw liquid creams and DR Harris into this category – although DR Harris is noticeably thinner. Milks are a neat mix of a splash and a liquid cream, in that they seem to have a nice antiseptic quality, yet also provide formidable moisturization. Personally I prefer the C&E liquid cream, as it seemed to have superior redness reducing/soothing properties, yet it should be mentioned the DR Harris was no slouch. I was surprised, as these concoctions (mainly the DR Harris) seem to be more of a moisturizer than a redness/soothing preparation. The aforementioned products have an outstanding ability to moisturize just the perfect amount and are effective for daily use.

0-2 Points possible (2 being best)

Scent – 1 (Most smell medicinal unless scented)
Soothability – 1
Moisturizing properties – 2

0-4 Points possible (4 being best) – Rating weighted toward efficacy.
Ability to reduce noticeable redness – 2

Total Points (out of 10)
6 out of 10

A/S Creams/Pastes –
These are thick creams which provide copious amounts of moisturization, soothing relief, and chutzpah. These are not to be taken lightly, and are INCREDIBLY powerful…. In fact, maybe TOO powerful. They often leave your face feeling heavy, and you can often feel the product “sitting” on your face. For normal to oily skin, these can even leave your face just plumb oily. An example of a cream with possibly TOO much moisture/power is Proraso pre/post. Even when a small dab is used across the entire wet face, this stuff is mighty strong, and packs one hell of a punch. If you have oily skin and you use this product, it will feel as though an Exxon oil rig sprung a leak over your face. On the other hand, a brilliant a/s paste/concoction such as CAR peppermint a/s balm will give you the BEST overall results of any SINGLE product – in my opinion. These tend to work best after a light spritz of hydrosol.

0-2 Points possible (2 being best)

Scent – 2
Soothability – 2
Moisturizing properties – 2

0-4 Points possible (4 being best) – Rating weighted toward efficacy.
Ability to reduce noticeable redness – 3

Total Points (out of 10)
9 out of 10

A/S Splashes –
These alcohol based preparations tend to sting a little on impact, but do THE best job at reducing irritation in the shortest amount of time. What these tend to lack however, is a lasting “soothing” effect. Once applied, they have a warm, menthol like feeling, and do a wonderful job at toning the skin. Splashes seem to work best for folks with oily skin, and with frequent ingrown hair problems. Some splashes have a light moisturizing effect – such as the Musgo Real A/S, and tend to work best. Others are fortified with vitamins, such as the Aqua Velva Ice Sport, which I feel is the best value buy of the bunch.

0-2 Points possible (2 being best)

Scent – 2
Soothability – 0
Moisturizing properties – 0

0-4 Points possible (4 being best) – Rating weighted toward efficacy.
Ability to reduce noticeable redness – 5

Total Points (out of 10)
7 out of 10

Now – what I am about to propose is a touch radical, which is why I have waited so long to post this little guide… I recommend layering aftershaves, based on the weather, your skin type and the amount of irritation suffered. As you can see, I have decanted some cheapie Aqua Velva a/s splash into a cheap atomizer. Now when used as the “first line of defense” this offers the perfect medium for the next application of product. For example, if you want a long lasting, soothing relief for a sore face, spritz on some a/s splash (do not splash – spritzing seems to work best) then follow up with an aloe vera based gel. This will give you immediate relief (splash spritzes) as well as lasting, soothing relief via the gel – without copious amounts of moisture. Lets say it is mid winter, and you WANT gobs of moisture. A few spritzes of a/s splash, followed up by an a/s cream and your are hot to trot.

I found the skinfood was best used as an actual “sealant” for the skin, to “seal in” what you are applying to it. For example, spritz some a/s splash on, follow it up with an a/s liquid cream/milk, then once dry (in a minute or so) follow up with a light coat of skinfood, and you will have INCREDIBLY soft, supple, healthy looking skin in a week. It does a wonderful job of fighting oil buildup, and really locks the moisture INTO your skin instead of sitting on top of it.

Basically – my test pointed towards the daily use of a/s splash spritzes, and I have been doing so for 2+ weeks with STELLAR results. Give it a try, and we’ll see if I am onto something!

 

[roughrider]

Any recommendation on a particular brand of Aloe gel?

 

[joel]

Any recommendation on a particular brand of Aloe gel?

I really like that Waikiki Comfortcain 94% aloe with lidocane.

 

[Scotto]

Nice review, Joel! I have always mixed my after shave treatments, with great results. I'll use something either hydrosol or witch-hazel based, then layer with some sort of balm or milk. Very effective indeed.

 

[DoubleE]

Nice review, Joel! I have always mixed my after shave treatments, with great results. I'll use something either hydrosol or witch-hazel based, then layer with some sort of balm or milk. Very effective indeed.

Nice job Joel. I know you've invested a lot of time into this (not to mention irritated faces). I never thought of spritzing and after-shave splash however.

Scotto:

I do the same. I either use one of Charles' hydrosols or Thayer's witch hazel every day before my ASB.

Jerry

 

[Nick]

Thanks for the review Joel.

I always do a hydrosol before a cream or balm. I too never thought about putting a splash in a spray top.

-Nick

 

[gage0921]

Thanks for the review Joel.

I always do a hydrosol before a cream or balm. I too never thought about putting a splash in a spray top.

-Nick

ditto

 

[gage0921]

So if splashes are best for guys with oily skin and prone to ingrowns what about guys with dry skin and ingrowns.

 

[Cliff]

Nice job Joel, It's good to see someone else praising CAR's Peppermint A/S moisturizer. I've been using it and think it's the best thing on the market, at least for me.

 

[mantic]

This is a timely thread for me, as winter has finally reached central Texas and my skin is getting into its noticably dryer "winter coat." I've been using Thayer's Lavender Witch Hazel (pure WH, no alcohol) to both clean my face of whatever dibris is leftover from my shave, and to (hopefully) provide some toning and moisturizing. I then follow up with Skin Food as a sealant. This kit seems to have been working fine up to now, but I'm beginning to wonder whether I need "more" during these drier months.

--Mark

 

[gage0921]

I finished off my shave tonite with a good aqua velva spritz followed by CAR's peppermint a/s...that is a nice tingling sensation....skin feels preety though, very supple and refreshed.

 

[PoshRichM]

Question: when applying layers, do you guys let each layer dry, partially or fully, before the next? I tried layering this AM without drying in between (Em's Place Lavender hydrosol, CAR Sandalwood A/S, Trumper's Rose SkinFood) and felt like I was mixing as much as layering.

Skin is in good shape, though, even some areas that have been irritated of late.

-Rich

 

[m1truckin]

This all sounds great in theory and, apparently, in practice. I do have two questions though,

1. What are the consequences, if any, of layering different fragrances on top of one another, e.g., aqua velva, C&E sandalwood, the rose skin food? I've never used aqua velva personaly, but I imagine it has a characteristic and lingering (?) fragrance.

2. Are there any deleterious effects to putting so much product on one's face?

Thank for the input and, as always, fantastic work Joel.

Randy

 

[gage0921]

This all sounds great in theory and, apparently, in practice. I do have two questions though,

1. What are the consequences, if any, of layering different fragrances on top of one another, e.g., aqua velva, C&E sandalwood, the rose skin food? I've never used aqua velva personaly, but I imagine it has a characteristic and lingering (?) fragrance.

2. Are there any deleterious effects to putting so much product on one's face?

Thank for the input and, as always, fantastic work Joel.

Randy

Aqua velva has no lingering scent

 

[Scotto]

1. What are the consequences, if any, of layering different fragrances on top of one another, e.g., aqua velva, C&E sandalwood, the rose skin food? I've never used aqua velva personaly, but I imagine it has a characteristic and lingering (?) fragrance.

Most of these things have scents which don't stick around very long, so there is rarely an issue. However, it is fun to match the scents. Or you can go to the Ron extreme of layering cream, after shave, cologne, deodorant, hair gel, and actually enclosing yourself in a hermetic bubble filled with the matching scent.

Are there any deleterious effects to putting so much product on one's face?

I wondered this myself, but my conclusion is that if the products are high-quality and you don't overdo it, your face will actually benefit.

 

[guenron]

Greetings Sean,
I am sure that you heard the old song, "There's Something About an Aqua Velva Man." Well that something is they have no sense of smell...
I find that the menthol-like smell lingers long after you get done using the ice blue flame thrower on your cheeks.

 

[gage0921]

LOL...........im not one to normally use alcohol based a/s but yes this flame thrower could possible numb every sense of smell one might have. Luckily my a/s and cologne all fit preety well with what ever scent AQ might leave behind so I have not noticed it.

 

[gage0921]

Ive been using this method for a couple days now and ive noticed that my skin is actually more moisturized after a shave. Usually when im done shaving I use davinci water followed by CAR's peppermint a/s and then when things are absorbed I use another thicker moisturizer. Now all I do is aqua velva and immediatly apply the car's and im good.

 

[guenron]

Hey Sean,
I haven't tried the car's A/s. Is it moisturing? Antisceptic? Astringent?
I have an asb that is really very interesting. It is perfect for the individual that likes the "sealant" quality of a GFT skin food and the light to medium mositurizing of a DRH aftershave milk or C&E aftershave balm.

 

[gage0921]

Hey Sean,
I haven't tried the car's A/s. Is it moisturing? Antisceptic? Astringent?
I have an asb that is really very interesting. It is perfect for the individual that likes the "sealant" quality of a GFT skin food and the light to medium mositurizing of a DRH aftershave milk or C&E aftershave balm.

Hey Ron.....

I find it to be very moisturizing quite honestly....alot of people rant and rave about the price but a little goes a long way and the feeling you receive when applied to your face is outstanding. When applied after a few shots of QED water it spreads nicely and soaks in quickly with no greasy feeling what so ever. The only complaint I have is the container....while it is sturdy and what not I would prefer a container like the proraso pre/post comes in. I would reccomend this product to anyone....with out a doubt Ron you would not be dissapointed.