Hi everyone, I'm a 17 year old with sensitive skin, and I just tried Williams' Mug and when I lathered it on, I immediately felt like my face was on fire and had noticeable rashes wherever I applied it. This was the first lather I used besides "canned goo" so any idea what I may have reacted to? Or any specific soaps/cream that would least likely have this kind of effect.
Williams mug
- Thread starter Sunnys
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The only thing I can see in the ingredients list that might cause an allergic reaction is Titanium Dioxide (used in cosmetics to make things white). Some people get a rash or acne when them come into contact with it.
Try another soap without that in it. Perhaps something from Proraso, Sterling or RazoRock
Try another soap without that in it. Perhaps something from Proraso, Sterling or RazoRock
Sorry to hear your first lathering soap didn’t go well, that sucks! You could be allergic to coconut oil, I know a few people who are and most of these lathering soaps and creams contain coconut oil where most canned stuff does not. I’d see a dermatologist in the meantime before trying anything else though.
- Thread starter
- #4
Thanks for the advice, I’ve scheduled a dermatologist appointment, the burning hasn’t gone away yet so I’ll stay away from shaving for a while. I’ll most likely get a proraso green from Amazon once I get back to it.
Try Proraso White, it's for sensitive skin.
What brush were you using?
I found when I first started that a combination of a cheap, not broken in brush, poor technique, and poor quality soap made my face do similar things.
Also I would advise against proraso as it has menthol in it and may react adversely to sensitive skin.
Maybe look at Arko or unscented offerings from an online vendor like Stirling or Zingari Man. Might take longer to get but could be worth it.
If you need to stay with what's available on store shelves maybe try Gillette Pure.
Just my two cents. Good luck.
I found when I first started that a combination of a cheap, not broken in brush, poor technique, and poor quality soap made my face do similar things.
Also I would advise against proraso as it has menthol in it and may react adversely to sensitive skin.
Maybe look at Arko or unscented offerings from an online vendor like Stirling or Zingari Man. Might take longer to get but could be worth it.
If you need to stay with what's available on store shelves maybe try Gillette Pure.
Just my two cents. Good luck.
+1 for Gillette Pure. Easy to find, and can be used with or without brush.
- Thread starter
- #8
I used a van der hagen brush, I'll look into those brands of soap when I get the chance.
If that's the VDH boar brush, it could be that you're getting brush burns. That boar is very scritchy and I could not use it for a long term. A soft synthetic brush from Maggard's or Stirling might be a good choice.
- Thread starter
- #10
It did feel scratchy but I thought it was just exfoliating or something. I'll give synthetic a try too, thanks for the tips, didn't know the brush could do that to you.
A van der hagen boar brush did the same thing to me the first time i used it
All good advice, I just wanted to add that I’m impressed with you doing this at the age of 17. I wish I had discovered the pleasure of wet shaving at your age. Keep it up and stick with it! You’re going to be a Boss.
What makes you think the soap is the culprit?
To test, apply some lather with your fingers on the inside of your elbow. If rashes occur, you are right, your skin has a reaction to an ingredient of the soap.
If not, maybe it is brush burn, since your skin is sensitive and most likely not "used" to the scrubbing action of the brush.
Just a thought.
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- #15
Yea it's definitely because of the brush, I just tried putting some lather on my forearm and it didn't do anything to it. I'm using a parker 98r with the razors it came with but it always worked ok with gel, so definitely brush's fault.
That's good to know. I have a real sensitivity to almond in soaps, but I love to eat them.
I mean I love to eat almonds, not soap.
If it's a new brush, it could also be due to chemicals from the factory (treatment of the hairs) and you could give it a cleaning. I would suggest a bath of 10 minutes in half a teaspoon of citric acid with water in a normal coffee mug and thoroughly rinsing it later on, of course. Or simply lathering it with shampoo or soap a few times. Do not use an ultrasonic because it can damage the glue.
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I had similar issues with my first brush. With some soaps I don't get brush burn, but with some I do. When I first tried the Arko shave stick I attributed the burning sensation as the soaps fault, but when revisiting Arko I did not get any irritation. When I used Arko with my first brush however after revisiting the soap, I instantly recognized the burning sensation after the shave. It was the brush, not the soap.
@Sunnys what you need is a RazoRock Bruce synth with Plissoft knot. It's a great starter brush, super soft. You also need a Gillette Tech, which is a great mild razor that your great grandpa probably shaved with. Shoot me a PM and I'll PIF you both 
www.italianbarber.com
(Bruce Handle) RazoRock Plissoft Synthetic Shaving Brush – ItalianBarber
The idea for this handle was given to me by one of our loyal clients, Bruce, in Winnipeg. I love the shape so we decided to bring the handle to life and...
If I push too hard with a boar brush, this will happen to me.
