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Here's something I wrote a while back for The Chap magazine; I thought it might make a good introduction to the wonderful world of post-shave skin care. Hope you like it and find it helpful.
After a good shave a chap's mind turns to how best to care for the old fizzog. And after a bad shave (yes, we all have them: rushing the razor around the face, or poor prep, or trying out new kit) the question become positively paramount. Post-shave treatments fall into two opposing camps: the astringent and the moisturising.
Astringents are usually of the alcoholic variety: the classic “after-shave†splash and the accompanying sting of ethanol on freshly scraped skin. There's a lot to be said for this: if you are prone to oily skin, or heading out into a scorching sirocco, or (heaven forfend!) about to engage in activities likely to engender perspiration then the drying effect of alcohol might be just the job. Contrary to currently popular opinion it certainly still has its place in a chap's bathroom.
Other astringents also exist: witch hazel and tea tree are both sometimes used as an ingredient in various products and the perennial favourite, alum. This is a clear or white cloudy crystal, a mineral salt, sold in blocks or occasionally in powered form. In block form alum is an excellent treatment: wetted and rubbed over the skin it tightens and tones the skin. It will also stop any bleeding from small nicks and cuts – the old “Styptic Pencils†were made from alum. It can even be used as an industrial-strength antiperspirant: I use a few “rocks†in an atomiser, topped up with water and few drops of my favourite essential oil (sandalwood or vetiver are both good); this, when sprayed under the arms and on the feet, will keep one fresh all day. (For a stronger and longer-lasting effect try rubbing the wetted block directly under one's arms.)
Alum blocks are readily available from General Stores, especially those run by our brethren from the Subcontinent, where it has been a staple of the morning ablutions for generations. One thing to note: wet alum blocks are slippery beasts and will become smooth with use. They will then do their best to escape from your grasp and hit the floor – or worse, the sink – whereupon they will shatter into a billion bits as surely as any chandelier. All one can do then is salvage the larger shards (good for use in the atomiser) and sweep up the rest. Under no circumstances should one attempt to sell the pieces as crack cocaine.
Finally, moisturisers. If you are prone to dry skin or facing winter weather then a nourishing embrocation might be just the job. There are literally thousands available but typically they are emulsions which emulate the natural oils and hydrate the skin. Cheaper ones are usually based on mineral oil (including paraffin) but these can sit on the skin rather than being quickly absorbed. This is handy when you want a barrier between you and the elements, e.g. a long ride on a vintage motorcycle with an open-faced helmet on a fine Winter morning. On the whole I tend avoid moisturises based on mineral oils, however some of them do have UV filters which may come handy when visiting the more tropical parts of the Empire.
Moisturisers based on natural ingredients tend to be more expensive but are also more readily taken-up by the skin and use plant-based oils such as sweet almond, grapeseed, jojoba, avocado or wheatgerm. As well as these, they may include such natural wholesomeness as shea or cocoa butter and aloe vera; glycerin is often used as a humectant and to soften the skin. Essential oils such as cade, frankincense, tea tree, and lavender are also often used, both for their fragrance and their beneficial effects on the skin. Companies such as Lush and L'Occitane make some excellent natural products with ingredients that lie somewhere between the alchemist and the apothecary (rose water and beeswax, anyone?)
The only thing to add here is that one must try as many of these products as possible: some are thick and heavy (in warmer conditions they can make one feel cloyed and clogged) others light and much less viscous (usually more easily absorbed); some perfumed, others plain. And so on. Indeed, the sheer number of such balms available and the almost endless list of ingredients mean that a succinct summary is impossible; furthermore, what suits one chap's complexion and context may be anathema to another. Finally, it's worth remembering that a moisturiser makes a fine fixative under one's cologne, holding it and slowing its evaporation, giving it longevity at the expense of short-term sillage.
After a good shave a chap's mind turns to how best to care for the old fizzog. And after a bad shave (yes, we all have them: rushing the razor around the face, or poor prep, or trying out new kit) the question become positively paramount. Post-shave treatments fall into two opposing camps: the astringent and the moisturising.
Astringents are usually of the alcoholic variety: the classic “after-shave†splash and the accompanying sting of ethanol on freshly scraped skin. There's a lot to be said for this: if you are prone to oily skin, or heading out into a scorching sirocco, or (heaven forfend!) about to engage in activities likely to engender perspiration then the drying effect of alcohol might be just the job. Contrary to currently popular opinion it certainly still has its place in a chap's bathroom.
Other astringents also exist: witch hazel and tea tree are both sometimes used as an ingredient in various products and the perennial favourite, alum. This is a clear or white cloudy crystal, a mineral salt, sold in blocks or occasionally in powered form. In block form alum is an excellent treatment: wetted and rubbed over the skin it tightens and tones the skin. It will also stop any bleeding from small nicks and cuts – the old “Styptic Pencils†were made from alum. It can even be used as an industrial-strength antiperspirant: I use a few “rocks†in an atomiser, topped up with water and few drops of my favourite essential oil (sandalwood or vetiver are both good); this, when sprayed under the arms and on the feet, will keep one fresh all day. (For a stronger and longer-lasting effect try rubbing the wetted block directly under one's arms.)
Alum blocks are readily available from General Stores, especially those run by our brethren from the Subcontinent, where it has been a staple of the morning ablutions for generations. One thing to note: wet alum blocks are slippery beasts and will become smooth with use. They will then do their best to escape from your grasp and hit the floor – or worse, the sink – whereupon they will shatter into a billion bits as surely as any chandelier. All one can do then is salvage the larger shards (good for use in the atomiser) and sweep up the rest. Under no circumstances should one attempt to sell the pieces as crack cocaine.
Finally, moisturisers. If you are prone to dry skin or facing winter weather then a nourishing embrocation might be just the job. There are literally thousands available but typically they are emulsions which emulate the natural oils and hydrate the skin. Cheaper ones are usually based on mineral oil (including paraffin) but these can sit on the skin rather than being quickly absorbed. This is handy when you want a barrier between you and the elements, e.g. a long ride on a vintage motorcycle with an open-faced helmet on a fine Winter morning. On the whole I tend avoid moisturises based on mineral oils, however some of them do have UV filters which may come handy when visiting the more tropical parts of the Empire.
Moisturisers based on natural ingredients tend to be more expensive but are also more readily taken-up by the skin and use plant-based oils such as sweet almond, grapeseed, jojoba, avocado or wheatgerm. As well as these, they may include such natural wholesomeness as shea or cocoa butter and aloe vera; glycerin is often used as a humectant and to soften the skin. Essential oils such as cade, frankincense, tea tree, and lavender are also often used, both for their fragrance and their beneficial effects on the skin. Companies such as Lush and L'Occitane make some excellent natural products with ingredients that lie somewhere between the alchemist and the apothecary (rose water and beeswax, anyone?)
The only thing to add here is that one must try as many of these products as possible: some are thick and heavy (in warmer conditions they can make one feel cloyed and clogged) others light and much less viscous (usually more easily absorbed); some perfumed, others plain. And so on. Indeed, the sheer number of such balms available and the almost endless list of ingredients mean that a succinct summary is impossible; furthermore, what suits one chap's complexion and context may be anathema to another. Finally, it's worth remembering that a moisturiser makes a fine fixative under one's cologne, holding it and slowing its evaporation, giving it longevity at the expense of short-term sillage.