Dry Skin Culprits

Roy_FR

Roy_FR

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I have tried a couple of high end soaps, most notably TOBS but they always dry my skin out the next day..

Daily, I use an extremely cheap French Supermarket soap and I don't have any problem at all... "Monsavon - Bol a raser.. ". I can also use Prorasa for Sensitive Skin soap which is fine too...

I do not suffer from dry skin but is has become clear to me that some of the soaps contain an ingredient which definitely dries my skin the following day, regardless of whether I used an after shave balm or not.. I use the either a Prorasa After Shave balm or a Niveau Balm neither of which is particularly strong..

Which of the ingredients in the higher end soaps would be the most likely culprits ?

Both TOBS and the Monsavon share the following ingredients and after my rather succinct research this morning I believe that the following elements should not be a major cause of skin drying or sensitivity
  • Water
  • Stearic Acid ( Tallow)
  • Potassium Hydroxide + Sodium Hydroxide (The balance between the two being used to keep the soap in it's solid or semi solid state)

  • Glycerin ( Helps keep things hydrated - lubed up )
  • Coconut or Palm Acid( No idea what this is used for)

  • Benzyl Alcohol ( Not sure what this does bit is appears to be common on many/most soaps, possibly it's antibacterial or cleansing properties )

The following I "presume" might cause dry or skin sensitivity
  • Parfum ( now this could be anything, it's always a very vague term - Linalool, Citronellol, Limonene etc)
  • Triethanolamine ( This is in TOBS but not MonSavon)?
  • Methylisothiazolinone ( This is in TOBS but not MonSavon)?
  • Sodium Chloride ( No idea why would would use salt....)
  • Disodium Phosphate ( In Monsavon but not TOBS so shouldn't be a problem )
  • Lauric Acid ( In Monsavon but not TOBS so shouldn't be a problem )

Could anyone point in the right direction as what should be avoided in general for someone that is sensitive to ingredients within some shaving soaps and which if any of the higher end soaps are known for being gentle on the skin ?

Cheers
 
Will be interesting to see what guys with more experience on ingredients will say. Personally I have similar issue however only with lime scented soaps/creams - so for me it was easy enough to figure out what was the culprit.
 
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) and coconut oil can both dry the skin. You may be best with ingredients that are in the mid Noncomedogenic range?
 
Noncomedogenic range ?

I had to look that up, if correct it means "non-pore clogging". Do you which ingredients are known for this phenomenon ?
 
I'm going to caveat this by saying that I'm not a professional so don't really know what I'm talking about.

I'm trying to avoid stuff with a high Comedogenic rating but my issue is the opposite to yours. I'm wondering if ingredients at the lower end of the range would make dry skin feel drier? I have no scientific basis for that though.

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Bear in mind also, that these oils in the soap are saponified - their actual constitution has been changed with the presence of alkalines.

These residual alkalines are the ingredients that dry your face. Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) and the like. Some ingredients do not fully saponify and so leave behind some of their oils to reconstitute the upper epidermis. Some achieve this by simply forming a layer that holds water in the skin, preventing evaporation - emollients. Lanoiln and Shea Butter are good examples.

TLDR?

Soap dries skin. End of ...

Some soaps contain additional adjuncts to lesser the effect of skin drying by leaving behind emollients that trap moisture in the upper layer of your skin, giving the appearance that the soap is less drying. As that layer wears away, your skin will dry - there's both a chemical and an abrasive action when washing your face with soap, certainly an abrasive action when shaving.

It will only be restored by your sebaceous glands releasing triglycerides (fat) that will replenish your skin's oily protective layer.
 
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pjgh said:
Bear in mind also, that these oils in the soap are saponified - their actual constitution has been changed with the presence of alkalines.

These residual alkalines are the ingredients that dry your face. Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) and the like. Some ingredients do not fully saponify and so leave behind some of their oils to reconstitute the upper epidermis. Some achieve this by simply forming a layer that holds water in the skin, preventing evaporation - emollients. Lanoiln and Shea Butter are good examples.

TLDR?

Soap dries skin. End of ...

Some soaps contain additional adjuncts to lesser the effect of skin drying by leaving behind emollients that trap moisture in the upper layer of your skin, giving the appearance that the soap is less drying. As that layer wears away, your skin will dry - there's both a chemical and an abrasive action when washing your face with soap, certainly an abrasive action when shaving.

It will only be restored by your sebaceous glands releasing triglycerides (fat) that will replenish your skin's oily protective layer.
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree that soap dry's the skin, I presumed that this is the main reason for need for after shave balm. But with the El Cheapo Monsavon I don't have any problems that's why I was wondering which of the ingredients was most likely to be the cause.
 
pjgh said:
Not just ingredients but the ratios, amounts and interplay between them.
Click to expand...
Yes, I can understand this too , the difficulty lies in the fact that we don't really know the ratios, for obvious reasons....

Can anyone confirm if any of Ariane and Evans range does "not" have a tendency to dry out the skin ? Or any other of the higher end stuff.
 
Roy_FR said:
Yes, I can understand this too , the difficulty lies in the fact that we don't really know the ratios, for obvious reasons....

Can anyone confirm if any of Ariane and Evans range does "not" have a tendency to dry out the skin ? Or any other of the higher end stuff.
Click to expand...

A&E is the opposite, very hydrating to the point that people with oily skin might find it too much. Fragrances also tend to be very strong which can cause a burning sensation on the skin (usually around the lips area.)

I'm guessing you're not in the UK? A pity, I would have sent you a sample of A&E to try. However if you are, let me know your address and I'll post it to you.
 
Roy_FR said:
Yes, I can understand this too , the difficulty lies in the fact that we don't really know the ratios, for obvious reasons....
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's one of those circumstances that you just need to try things out to see if they suit ... like razors, like blades, like aftershaves. I don't think we can be quite so prescriptive as to determine just how a soap will behave from the ingredients alone, but hopefully the collective experience of the forum can guide you towards potential good candidates without you having to waste money on soaps that don't suit you.

Happy hunting!
 
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