Will an alcohol-based AS splash ALWAYS sting?

[kingfisher]

I've never used an alcohol AS before. (I never used one at all until March of this year, and since then I've only used a mixture of witchhazel and aloe vera.)

This morning I had what a thought was a completely trouble-free shave; no irritation, no nicks, no weepers. Smooth and comfortable.

Then I splashed on the AS and it stung. Not terribly, but it stung a little.

So I wonder: is it possible to shave so perfectly that there would be no sting at all, or is it the nature of the beast that shaving produces just enough disturbance of the face to cause the splash to sting?

 

[mmack66]

Yes, it is possible. It is not possible, however, to escape the burn that some aftershaves have, such as Pinaud Bay Rum.

 

[BigRich]

The reason for the burn, even with a trouble free shave is that you are taking the surface layer of your skin off with that razor in addition to the hair. That "raw" skin will usually react with an alcohol based splash. That said it depends on your skin type and how much pressure is used during the shave.

 

[thanks]

When I shave with my straight, as long as it's really sharp and I don't do an ATG pass, my face never stings. With a DE, it's about 50% chance that some small areas here or there will sting. Reminds me to let up on the pressure sometimes.

 

[bladebuff]

Pinaud Bay Rum burns mainly due to the fact that it is actually made as a cologne yet most use it as an after shave.

 

[Walter Sobchak]

In theory, I guess it's possible to do a very light shave that leaves the skin so undisturbed as to render it unstingable...but what fun would that be?

Yesterday I was in a BIG rush, so I shaved with some type of dual-blade disposable I found in our vanity. It gave a comfy and passable shave with the normal setup of brush and cream (Proraso in this case). However, I was very disappointed when I got virtually no sting and a nominal cooling effect out of my Proraso splash. I look forward to the little zing and cooling blast from a liberal dose of Proraso splash. It peps me up. Somewhat akin to a tasty Jr. Mint. Very Refreshing.

 

[kingfisher]

So could you use how much sting you get as a measure of how good your technique is?

It seems to me that if you want to get a really close shave, there's always going to be a sting, but I could be wrong.

 

[joto]

I don't get any burning unless I screw up the shave in some way. Then, pain city.

 

[mmack66]

Pinaud Bay Rum burns mainly due to the fact that it is actually made as a cologne yet most use it as an after shave.

I thought it was from the ingredients. Florida Water burns as well.

 

[Walter Sobchak]

So could you use how much sting you get as a measure of how good your technique is?

It seems to me that if you want to get a really close shave, there's always going to be a sting, but I could be wrong.

I believe both of those are true. As long as the parameters are constant, I think you can pretty much tell how good your technique was by how much sting you get, keeping in mind that some splashes are inherently stingful.

Seems that no matter how good your technique is, there's always going to be a bit of trauma to the dermis. More often than not, there's going to be some level of sting (no matter how tiny) associated with that.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

Where is ClubmanRob when you need him? This seems like the perfect question for him!

 

[Luc]

I usually add a few drops of cold water with my AS splash so I won't get a 'Home Alone' moment.

 

[VolpeVerde]

I can't do any alcohol type after shaves. Usually use some type of cream or lotion, such as Proraso Liquid Cream or Clubman Complete cream.
I once tried regular Pinaud Clubman after shave lotion and it burned like a ****** ******!

 

[mdunn]

depends on paticular brands. Not all sting if you have a great shave, but if youve flown too close to the sun then get ready to feel the burn

 

[Walter Sobchak]

I just remembered that there are some gents who prefer to apply the splash to a moist face. I'm guessing that moisture mitigates the burn quite a bit.

My face is usually dry when I splash it on.

 

[ClubmanRob]

Where is ClubmanRob when you need him? This seems like the perfect question for him!

Some brands are going to sting like a bee no matter what kind of shave you had. Then, there are some folks who are just not sensitive to alcohol splashes and some who are (if an alcohol splash burns my skin, it's either Pinaud Bay Rum or I had a real bad shave that day). Then, there is quality of shave. Even if it felt like an awesome shave, maybe that's where the problem lies- you shaved too close to the skin- not enough to cause any noticeable problems until you've splashed the fire water on.

Then, there are environmental factors like air quality, UV exposure, humidity, diet, hydration of skin- etc etc. Also, maybe the type of alcohol used or the way it was processed is not something your skin agrees with. Maybe there's more alcohol in this batch than there was your last bottle.

In short, there are too darned many variables at play to think that because your alcohol splash stung more today than it did previously, you must have had a bad shave or something. Don't base sting on quality of shave. Using the same aftershave all week long, I could have a great shave and have it burn like the dickens, or I could have a shave that looked like Freddy Krueger got after me in the dark and not have any sting from the splash. There's too many factors at play to blame any one thing in particular.

 

[Hausmets]

Taking the burn out of my AS is like taking the warmth out of my whiskey!

 

[Samouraï]

i only get the burn if i go for bbs and/or get irritation
.
.
.
(so almost every shave)

 

[haiti222]

I have found a primarily alcohol based product that has never stung me yet...

It has three ingrediants (in order):

1) Denatured Alcholol
2) Water
3) Fragrance

The product: Johnson and Johnson Baby Cologne (Phillipines).

The original has a citrus scent that seemed good for mixing, so I bought some. I have used it straight as an AS, and no burning.

The American version is alcohol free, but I did not buy that one......

 

[OpusX]

Yes, it is possible. It is not possible, however, to escape the burn that some aftershaves have, such as Pinaud Bay Rum.

But why would you want to escape it? The heat and burn of that great cinnamon splash, is why I like it .