You may think I'm crazy for recommending this, but ...

[Greg788]

Several weeks ago a female DE shaver (legs, arm pits, etc.) mentioned that exfoliating prior to shaving helps her immensely. She works for one of the online wet shaving outfits and recommends this to all guys, most of which say heck no, apparently

So, since I'm always looking to try things and gain an edge, I bought some exfoliating grit cream stuff, generic Walgreens brand, like $4.

I've shaved several times with same (new) blade, same soap, etc. and ... IT WORKS

There are grit pads and creams with grit in them, either seems to work the same, would avoid the chemical efxfoliation stuff .... a minute or so grinding on my beard (face and neck) always makes for a better shave overall .... worth a try .... I'm a daily shaver, btw, and do 2-3 passes daily

 

[Wgg2017]

Several weeks ago a female DE shaver (legs, arm pits, etc.) mentioned that exfoliating prior to shaving helps her immensely. She works for one of the online wet shaving outfits and recommends this to all guys, most of which say heck no, apparently

So, since I'm always looking to try things and gain an edge, I bought some exfoliating grit cream stuff, generic Walgreens brand, like $4.

I've shaved several times with same (new) blade, same soap, etc. and ... IT WORKS

There are grit pads and creams with grit in them, either seems to work the same, would avoid the chemical efxfoliation stuff .... a minute or so grinding on my beard (face and neck) always makes for a better shave overall .... worth a try .... I'm a daily shaver, btw, and do 2-3 passes daily

Just curious, do you shower before shaving? I usually shower prior to a shave and I've noticed that I get a closer shave doing that than the occasional times that I shave without showering first.

Just wondering if the exfoliating is similar to taking a shower and scrubbing your face with a washcloth.

 

[Greg788]

Just curious, do you shower before shaving? I usually shower prior to a shave and I've noticed that I get a closer shave doing that than the occasional times that I shave without showering first.

Just wondering if the exfoliating is similar to taking a shower and scrubbing your face with a washcloth.

I don't shower before I shave, no. I suspect showering with sufficient face / neck scrubbing will give the same effect of getting rid of that layer of dead skin cells that acts as a barrier to get to the absolute bottom of facial hair follicles properly ...

 

[Wgg2017]

I don't shower before I shave, no. I suspect showering with sufficient face / neck scrubbing will give the same effect of getting rid of that layer of dead skin cells that acts as a barrier to get to the absolute bottom of facial hair follicles properly ...

I'd be curious to see how exfoliating compares to a shower if you are ever interested in conducting the experiment.

 

[Greg788]

I'd be curious to see how exfoliating compares to a shower if you are ever interested in conducting the experiment.

I just may and reply here. I will say this: if I get a weeper or two shaving, the remnants of it re-appear the next day after exfoliating, which tells me there's A LOT of dead skin that gets removed. I shave daily and it's always 2-3 passes, so a weeper here or there isn't uncommon.

 

[Wgg2017]

I just may and reply here. I will say this: if I get a weeper or two shaving, the remnants of it re-appear the next day after exfoliating, which tells me there's A LOT of dead skin that gets removed. I shave daily and it's always 2-3 passes, so a weeper here or there isn't uncommon.

Just speculating, but maybe by exfoliating you're removing a tiny scab that formed over the weeper, causing the wound to reopen? I'm an every 48 hour shaver so can't say for certain. My beard doesn't regrow super fast and I get better results and less irritation with every other day shaves.

 

[Greg788]

Just speculating, but maybe by exfoliating you're removing a tiny scab that formed over the weeper, causing the wound to reopen? I'm an every 48 hour shaver so can't say for certain. My beard doesn't regrow super fast and I get better results and less irritation with every other day shaves.

No, the wound doesn't re-open when I shave again. It's healed. But invisible prior to exfoliating. Pretty un-nerving knowing how much dead skin is on your face that I have to believe prohibits BBS to some degree. Truth be told, it probably impacts me more than someone who uses a much more aggressive razor. I use only really mild razors like the Henson Mild

 

[OkieStubble]

I’m not sure I would want an exfoliating type of soap with small sand or grit in it before I also run a blade over my face?

I can see why a female would want to exfoliate legs and arm pits, but it just seems to me, that a face and neck seems more sensitive to me than legs and pits?

A razor blade taking off surface level dead and dried epidermis, is very exfoliating all on its own? Strip away that surface level skin off first with a gritty soap or cream type before the shave?

I can now see that blade possibly causing irritation because of over exfoliating from the grit in the soap and from the sharp blade? I may not know what I’m talking about here, but it seems feasible to me?

 

[BigJ]

Interesting discussion!

Wish I could add something, but I have no personal experience with exfoliation.

 

[ewk]

I have used a scrubbing pad in the shower before a shave, which produced a whole face full of weepers. In my opinion, hydrating the skin and hair is more beneficial and less damaging. If I do not shower before a shave, I always thoroughly wash with a glycerine soap, without abrasion.

 

[Alex Jr]

Don’t do physical exfoliation, you’re already doing that with a blade.

Salicylic acid, azelaic acid and others on the same category are way gentler on the skin and much more effective on exfoliating without causing damage.

Physical exfoliation should be done rarely and usually by a professional.

 

[ERS4]

The abrasive particles in these products are actually plastic products, and 95% of manufacturers use polyethylene.

They are difficult to eradicate during the water purification process, so they can cause serious water pollution and return to our stomachs through the food chain.

Some states/regions have banned such products.
And science has proven that other methods of exfoliation are more effective and cause less skin irritation.

As for the shaving related discussion.
My opinion is that the blade itself may cause skin irritation, so there is no need to add extra burden to the skin before shaving in order to be "more BBS".

 

[Greg788]

The abrasive particles in these products are actually plastic products, and 95% of manufacturers use polyethylene.

They are difficult to eradicate during the water purification process, so they can cause serious water pollution and return to our stomachs through the food chain.

Some states/regions have banned such products.
And science has proven that other methods of exfoliation are more effective and cause less skin irritation.

As for the shaving related discussion.
My opinion is that the blade itself may cause skin irritation, so there is no need to add extra burden to the skin before shaving in order to be "more BBS".

Not true. SOME of the abrasives can be polymer. What I'm using has ground up corn shells

To the other recent poster, I guess Gillette's off their rocker, too:

Why Exfoliating is Essential for a Smooth Shave | Gillette UK

Learn how to get a smooth shave by exfoliating to prepare your skin for the razor and by using Gillette products that guarantee precision and performance.

www.gillette.co.uk

I have VERY sensitive skin and I can easily exfoliate then do 2-3 passes with a mild razor DAILY ... no big deal, honest

 

[Ravenonrock]

I don’t give a gee whiz about what people want to do to their own face if they find something that works. I do believe Gillette is pushing a product however, the whatever whatever exfoliating razor. Essential? Not for me, but then I’m not searching for better shaves, already found a system thats working for me.

 

[Roedeer]

A razor blade taking off surface level dead and dried epidermis, is very exfoliating all on its own?

That was my guess, too — a sharpened bit of steel is surely going to do all the exfoliating that I need.

I do wash my face first, if I haven't showered, because ordinary face bacteria, or anything that landed there during the day, might not be so harmless if they get embedded in a shaving cut.

 

[Quaznoid]

Greg 788, you should have stopped at “female shaver”. Women do all kinds of things that men should not. Don’t go down that rabbit hole.

 

[SalS]

Don’t do physical exfoliation, you’re already doing that with a blade.

Salicylic acid, azelaic acid and others on the same category are way gentler on the skin and much more effective on exfoliating without causing damage.

Physical exfoliation should be done rarely and usually by a professional.

The chemical exfoliaters, mild acids, are much gentler and more effective. Anything that smooths your skin will help with shaving.

 

[Alex Jr]

The chemical exfoliaters, mild acids, are much gentler and more effective. Anything that smooths your skin will help with shaving.

Exactly. And you also get a lot of secondary benefits. Azelaic acid for example is anti inflammatory, reduces redness, makes skin less reactive to irritants, fades dark spots and improves sun damage. (And more)

It is so tolerable that it’s used for rosacea and similar conditions.

 

[NiOOH]

I let my boar brush to do the exfoliation. After all, that's one of the benefits of using a brush.

 

[Frank Shaves]

The light bulb moment for me was understanding that irritation is caused by too much exfoliation. See what @Steve56 said at How many passes before your get irritation? - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/how-many-passes-before-your-get-irritation.619117/post-11610172.

This is why it is common to use multiple passes versus going over an area over and over.