The burn, the burn!!!

G

Gigahurtz

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287
After such a fantastic start i have hit a razor burn wall. The Gillette Yellows have been great but last few shaves i have been sore and needed multiple passes to get an acceptable shave. Before i was having great shaves. I am not sure if it just laziness with the razor, angle of blade or poor prep.

I simply splash with hot/warm water after washing face in shower and then apply shave soap directly to face (lather on face method). Pre shave tips and advice welcome. What pre shave wash/soap do others use?

I have ordered some of the Prof's shave oil in hope it will provide extra cushion when shaving.

:huh:

:icon_sad:
 
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Always difficult to diagnose when you can't see the process.
The words multiPle passes may be an issue.
I never go for a smooth as shave. I'm going for beard reduction in two
Passes. One with and accross the grain. Plus I think of shVing as lather removal. Carefully and gently remove the lather as nimbly as possible.
I still have a habit of pressing too hard. Especially Onmy neck.
Prep sounds ok. Most shaving issues come out of too aggressive a razor or too much pressure or trying to get a smooth smooth finish and going over the face too many times.
Give your face a couple of days off. Keep it moisturised.
Then when all the fuss has died down enjoy the prep and the sunshine coming in the window and get up
15 mins earlier and really take your time. Actually I sometimes shVe at a quarter speed just to really suck all the niceness out of the morning.
Then get your self a Gaggia Classic and am iberital grinder and all will be super well. Yrs
Slick
What razor are you using. ?
 
if its pressure

try to concentrate on getting the lightest touch between blade and skin

try to block out the weight of the razor

might be your using the wrong angle as well as pressure.

personally though. first thing id try


lather as normal but dont shave. wait fine mins and then run finger over lather


if its dry thats most likely your problem

(i still have to keep checking lather because i make it too dry usually or stop after just top lip and add more water because it's dried out)
 
I had the same experience after a few months of real shaving with too much pressure being one of the problems. I also dropped back to blades that weren't so unforgiving like yellows, I now use Gillette green SS and Personna reds most of the time and have also been enjoying some wonderfully smooth wilkinson classics. The combination of a lighter touch and more suited blades has worked wonders for me and I find most shaves really comfy with a mixture of razors from a New up to a 37c. Somehow it all just seemed to have clicked into place.
 
I found myself getting some duff shaves a while into this too, after initially thinking I had it cracked...I think complacency can creep in then the technique gets sloppy...concentrated on lightness of touch...no pressure...on really getting a good lather..and on resisting the temptation for just another pass to get that little bit smoother. That made the difference and I rarely get a really bum shave now.
 
I use the same razor and blades, got no burn from these blades though.

Something I have been doing for the past week or so is applying Nivea ASB to my warm, wet face after my shower, then applying the lather. No idea if it actually works or if it's the placebo effect but I feel it makes some difference (probably because my lather is too dry). I actually miss the slickness of canned goo...

I tried leaving the lather on for two minutes and shaving and it was awful - had to rinse and reapply - the lather had gone so dry my face was drying out and getting really grippy.

I use TOBS Jermyn St BTW, as it's the only one I've ever used I'm not sure I'd recommend it.

How many passes do you use and how old is your blade?

I find it really very difficult to stop myself from going for that extra pass to get BBS, but it really is the difference between a shave that irritates me all day (sometimes the next day too) and a fantastic shave. My thinking is, hair grows back in a few hours, irritation lasts all day!
 
I am currently using Nivea sensitive face wash. Next in line I have Boots Botanic face scrub. I generally prefer the milder scrubs like Nivea, Groomed, and Superdrug.

I don't use shaving soaps because I tend to get sore skin from them. I prefer to use shaving creams, and that could be something to consider if you are getting razor burn.

Make sure you change the razor blades frequently. It could be that you are using sharp blades in a medium aggression razor with a largish blade gap. All Edwin Jagger razors have a largeish gap - I use the Chatsworth Barley chrome razor. I avoid using Feather blades with it because they are too sharp for this razor, yet milder blades work well with it like the Wilkinson Sword Classic, or Gillette 365.

I usually shave with just 2 passes - WTG, XTG.

But at some point you should be able to find the blade/razor combination that works best.

Do you use a shaving brush?
 
shavecraft said:
I found myself getting some duff shaves a while into this too, after initially thinking I had it cracked...I think complacency can creep in then the technique gets sloppy...concentrated on lightness of touch...no pressure...on really getting a good lather..and on resisting the temptation for just another pass to get that little bit smoother. That made the difference and I rarely get a really bum shave now.
Click to expand...

+1
 
Gigahurtz said:
After such a fantastic start i have hit a razor burn wall. The Gillette Yellows have been great but last few shaves i have been sore and needed multiple passes to get an acceptable shave. Before i was having great shaves. I am not sure if it just laziness with the razor, angle of blade or poor prep.

I simply splash with hot/warm water after washing face in shower and then apply shave soap directly to face (lather on face method). Pre shave tips and advice welcome. What pre shave wash/soap do others use?

I have ordered some of the Prof's shave oil in hope it will provide extra cushion when shaving.

:huh:

:icon_sad:
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that you are having razor burn, but i am very happy to see all the advice from the people from TSR,looks like you've got a lot to think about,and try out, if you press to hard with your razor your asking for a good burning, a new blade will help, and the moisturiser will help to shanky887614 's right about the drying out of your shaving cream,wet shaving is er wet. Can try a face cloth on your face as that can help your face should be glistening with water after the face cloth is removed if not do it some more, above all take your time! It's not a race :icon_smile:
 
antdad said:
shavecraft said:
I found myself getting some duff shaves a while into this too, after initially thinking I had it cracked...I think complacency can creep in then the technique gets sloppy...concentrated on lightness of touch...no pressure...on really getting a good lather..and on resisting the temptation for just another pass to get that little bit smoother. That made the difference and I rarely get a really bum shave now.
Click to expand...

+1
Click to expand...

I also had this a few months into DE shaving. I think it's a phase that several of us go through, and, even now I still find myself occasionally pressing a bit.

I also wonder whether you're doing what Dan sounds like he does i.e. not adding quite enough water when making lather. I know for a fact that, if I find my razor juddering or gripping slightly towards the end of a pass that my lather is drying-out. To complete that pass I stop, dip my finger in the water in the basin and rub that finger through the lather remaining on my face to re-hydrate it. I then make sure to either dip my brush in the water lightly or put a couple or three big drops of water into y lather bowl and work the lather a bit before reapplying it to my face.
 
1) Shave after shower.
2) Use Musgo Real Lime Glyce soap(Dr. Bronner's Peppermint or similar glycerin soap and warm water) to wash face.
3) Use a pre-shave like Prep or Proraso pre and post or make your own with olive/castor oil and glycerin (shake it up and use a few drops) before each pass.
4) Try a shaving cream. They are easier to get a good lather. Use enough water. Use circular motions to lift beard and then paint the lather. If it dries before you get to shave an area, re-lather.
5) Hold razor with very little to negative pressure. Go slow. Use small strokes. Rinse razor head frequently with hot water.
6) Do not shave over and over an area without lather. Don't make as many passes. Maybe one or two, until burn clears. You could give your face a break and not shave for a few days. That's what I did when I got razor burn and lots of nicks. Let it heal and then come back to shave.
7) Aloe vera gel with a drop or two of glycerin in the hand to cool the face down.
8) Witch Hazel splashed on after a shave.
Your razor is a great and mild razor and can be used without pressure. Also, cortisone cream is the quickest healer of razor burn and rashes. And don't use alcohol based splashes, aftershaves or lotions.
 
And THAT, right there is why I shave with cartridge systems and gel out of a can.

You're having to adapt by adding in so much 'faff' for something to work properly. Something that all the posters on all the forums are trying desperately to convince the entire male population of the world is better than what they are currently doing.

Rinse, slap, shave, rinse.
 
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