Taylors of Old Bond Street - Irritation

[cooperm88]

Dear all,

I recently purchased a pot of "Mr Taylor" shaving cream from Taylors of Old Bond Street. I am keen to use traditional shaving techniques rather than canned gel/foam. However, I have found this cream extremely irritating. After applying the cream with a badger hair brush, my face starts to burn before I have even taken a shaving stroke. Having completed one fairly light shave with this cream using my usual shaving technique and razor I was close to being in agony and my face was as red as a beetroot.

I wonder whether anyone else has found this when using these creams. Also, could anyone advise me as to whether I am likely to find the same problem with other creams? It would be a great shame if I were not able to use traditional creams and brushes because of this.

 

[ackvil]

I have tried the almond and sandalwood and like both. No irritation for me.

 

[cymric]

Sounds like a serious allergic response because you hadn't begun shaving yet. It's annoying, but happens to lots of us all the time (that is, until we figure out what's causing the problem and then avoid it). I very much doubt it is a response to 'traditional creams' in general; more likely is a specific scent and/or preservative and/or stabilising ingredient. Locate a hypoallergenic cream, that is, one formulated to be as simple as possible (that's not the same as 'loaded chockful of stuff you don't really need but we include anyway so you as customer don't get wise about the fact that we syphon off more money from you by selling you less') and attempt anew. There's been tons of suggestions in the past on this board as to specific brands, I recommend you search around for a bit.

 

[Boba Fett]

Sounds like a serious allergic response because you hadn't begun shaving yet. It's annoying, but happens to lots of us all the time (that is, until we figure out what's causing the problem and then avoid it). I very much doubt it is a response to 'traditional creams' in general; more likely is a specific scent and/or preservative and/or stabilising ingredient. Locate a hypoallergenic cream, that is, one formulated to be as simple as possible (that's not the same as 'loaded chockful of stuff you don't really need but we include anyway so you as customer don't get wise about the fact that we syphon off more money from you by selling you less') and attempt anew. There's been tons of suggestions in the past on this board as to specific brands, I recommend you search around for a bit.

+1. If it is bothering your face, go with a different cream, and try something hypoallergenic. Don't be afraid to try another cream though. You may only be sensitive to a select few. Try another 3 or 4 if you can before you can consider there is an issue with some commonly used ingredient. There is the possibility you have some allergy to the badger hair, too. Take a little bit of the cream, and place it on your forearm or the inner bend of the elbow. If you are getting irritated there, it is likely the cream. If not, it is possibly the brush.

Try that before you go too far; you wouldn't want to assume its the cream, and miss out on some great scents. If it's the badger hair, you would also have the boar or synthetic option, neither of which is bad if you buy a well made brush.

 

[Dewaine]

+1. If it is bothering your face, go with a different cream, and try something hypoallergenic. Don't be afraid to try another cream though. You may only be sensitive to a select few. Try another 3 or 4 if you can before you can consider there is an issue with some commonly used ingredient. There is the possibility you have some allergy to the badger hair, too. Take a little bit of the cream, and place it on your forearm or the inner bend of the elbow. If you are getting irritated there, it is likely the cream. If not, it is possibly the brush.

Try that before you go too far; you wouldn't want to assume its the cream, and miss out on some great scents. If it's the badger hair, you would also have the boar or synthetic option, neither of which is bad if you buy a well made brush.

+1 on verifying the brush is not the problem. I thought for months that I couldn't use TOBS Sandalwood because I was allergic to the creme. It turns out I had no problems when I switched from a pure badger to an Omega Boar with TOBS Sandalwood.