SMF

Ok, this relates to my recent re-appearance after going back to the darkside. As I explained this was due to several reasons, the main one being increased irritation from what I thought was trying too many products etc. It's early days but my epiphany the sequel may be down to one specific reason - smoking ( or stopping to be more precise ). Bear with me, it's not as daft as it sounds.

Now I wasn't what I'd call a heavy smoker, anything between 10-20 a day, and not all my life. I picked up this habit serving on operations in the military, smokers are always more sociable during down time and they wore me down in the end, so I started, my choice, no excuses. Anyway, I noticed a while back that even anti-perspirant started to irritate me under my arms (where else!), so I had to switch to deodorant only, which seemed to ease things. Then I had the same with shaving products on my face, which seemed to make my face really dry ( Even the woolfat at times - incredible I know! ). So after many attempts to stop, I finally picked up on vaping and haven't had any tobacco for quite a while now, and don't feel the need to either - so far so good, I feel much better for it. So I picked up on DE shaving again recently, as previously posted about, and things have been much better, my skin has never felt so good, at least not for along while. So I started using Anti-perspirant again, which I prefer anyway, again, no more itching, no irritation. So I decided to throw the dice once again and today I even tried a long forgotten tub of Trumpers Sandalwood shaving cream which I found at the bottom of a drawer. Now this stuff used to leave my face feeling tighter than a Yorkshireman in a charity shop ( Sorry Yorkshiremen everywhere but you know it's true, I could have used Scotsman but you always get an easy ride and you're just as "thrifty" ). Well today no issues, no tightness, no irritation, no dryness - happy days

So here's what I've concluded, smoking either made my skin so dry that this was what caused my issues, or the toxins reacted chemically in my body to cause some sensitivity to other things, or maybe both. Either way stopping has definitely made things better on the anti-perspirant/shaving cream & soap front. My skin is clearly grateful for it, everywhere. Now I'm awaiting a stick of Arko for the ultimate test, now this stuff used to extract every bit of moisture from my whole body and leave me looking like prune extracted from a blast furnace. It is the test of skin irritation bravery for me, like sandblasting my face with washing powder. I'm quietly confident but not suicidal, I shall go easy and write my will beforehand, just in case, with a bucket of C45 cream and a paintbrush next to the sink, so fear not, I am prepared.

So in summary, if you're smoking and getting irritation, this could be the reason, I'm very convinced it was an issue for me. Vaping is fine, just like drinking coffee really and I enjoy a puff without the horrible side-effects, it's a hell of a lot cheaper too. If you can't beat the ciggies I feel for you, but give vaping a try, it's much kinder all round. One last thing, please, no lectures on smoking or vaping, I've been using an electric razor for a few years, you can't bring me any lower than that

StGeorge wrote: . . . . if you're smoking and getting irritation . . . .

I am quite irritated about the high price of pipe tobacco.

Tony, glad to hear you found an unanticipated solution to your onetime shaving ills.

If a product dries your skin, can you use a moisturizing balm to compensate?

- Murray

CMur12 wrote:Tony, glad to hear you found an unanticipated solution to your onetime shaving ills.

If a product dries your skin, can you use a moisturizing balm to compensate?

- Murray

Hi Murray, I tried that but it didn't work, in fact even balms irritated my skin, it might do now but to be honest I don't appear to be suffering with it any more.

Squire wrote:

StGeorge wrote: . . . . if you're smoking and getting irritation . . . .

I am quite irritated about the high price of pipe tobacco.

I think you'd be even more irritated if you had to pay what it costs here Squire.

Vaping is available to pipe smokers too.

brothers wrote:Vaping is available to pipe smokers too.

I had a pipe, people loved it, unfortunately it started leaking so and it also ended up in the washing machine (don't ask!) but I would like to get another one, it's classier

There's a good deal more to pipe smoking than nicotine consumption although admittedly without that I wouldn't bother.

I gave up cigarettes 21 years ago, after smoking for 28 years, and have never looked back; in fact, today, I find the smell of cigarette smoke quite unpleasant. I also stopped smoking a pipe and cigars, but I must say that when I smell smoke from either I still yearn for a smoke of either. None of this has anything to do with my daily shave.

Residual cigarette detritus (stale smoke or crushed butts) is nasty, on that we can certainly agree.

I'm not an ex-smoking zealot, I firmly believe that if people want to smoke that's up to them, you certainly pay a lot of tax for doing it here that's for sure. However, I can say that my skin is much better for stopping and definitely irritation free. I had a great shave with a small travel tech this morning with a Derby blade, something I could never do before. Tomorrow I shall try my triple milled L'occitane shaving soap, a soap I couldn't use before, though I love the smell, I have no trepidation that it will kill my skin this time - happy days.