Why Rotation?

[MR.Z]

Is there a reason to rotate the products you are using. It appears that everyone has many soaps, aftershaves and even razors on SOTD.

Once you have found products that you like and work well, why not just use the same things everyday? You know you are going to get a good shave rather than experiment and hope for the best. If there are 1000 different soaps and aftershaves, I have now probably tried half of them. (OK, maybe a slight exaggeration).

Boring Irv
:?

[druphus]

Many of us just like the variety.

However, there are those gents - like Buzz with Trumper Sandalwood Soap and Wendell with MWF, who prefer the same, presumably comfortable, routine.

[notthesharpest]

Because you have more than one that you like, and you're easily bored.

Or because you can't stop experimenting.

In other words, there's no good reason at all, if you're satisfied with your shave - and frankly, experimenting probably just gets in the way of a good shave after you've been at it a while.

[SiR-ed8]

Irv,

Soap proprietors introduce new scents and those who have such great experiences will no doubt try the new samples.

Experimenting allows you to expand your horizons and widen your inventory.

[marsos52]

until i joined smf, i never had or knew there were soaps and creams other than what was on the drug store and supermarket shelves.

so thru the 70's. 80's 90's and into the 2000's my choices were gillette and edge gel. williams and col conk.

now i have tried many of the biggest name and the best thats out there
i have at least tried ten or twelve of the better products ,, and they really make a difference and add to the enjoyment of de shaving

now the dust has settled , and i have found two brands that give me what i call the WOW FACTOR the wow is when i get a great shave time after time, great protection and cushion, and love the scent and when i have that i say wow

so MWF and trumpers soaps and creams are my wow factors

marc

[gsgo]

"Variety is the spice of life"...but it seems many of us here at SMF can go either way on this one. Sampling the wide variety of products can be fun and interesting in the same way that one might find complete fulfillment with a small collection or even a few single products.

The nice thing, your free to choose your own path as everyone's tastes will surely vary.

[Harris-tradition]

Well, for me "variety is the spice of life" especially pertaining to 'scents' with me these days, I admit most of my usual gear is Harris or Trumper's, but I do have quite a stash of other products I like to incorporate into my shaving routine from time to time. I really enjoy changing 'scents' depending on the time of the year (meaning season.)

[Gareth]

Irv, for me atleast, it's because I have several products that I enjoy using. Although if I absolutely HAD to, I could settle on one brush, one cream etc, I'd rather have the choice.

Gareth

[brothers]

Is there a reason to rotate the products you are using. It appears that everyone has many soaps, aftershaves and even razors on SOTD.

Once you have found products that you like and work well, why not just use the same things everyday? You know you are going to get a good shave rather than experiment and hope for the best. If there are 1000 different soaps and aftershaves, I have now probably tried half of them. (OK, maybe a slight exaggeration).

Boring Irv

Not trying to be smart or sarcastic Irv, but I guess we could also say, well, I like ham and eggs, so why not eat just ham and eggs. There are a variety of wonderful razors and blades, soaps and creams, brushes, after shaves, colognes, on and on. Or, if you have a favorite shirt and pants, shoes and suit, then one should be all you ever need. There's no reason not to have more than one thing that we like.

[Julius_Rodman]

Is there a reason to rotate the products you are using. It appears that everyone has many soaps, aftershaves and even razors on SOTD.

Once you have found products that you like and work well, why not just use the same things everyday? You know you are going to get a good shave rather than experiment and hope for the best. If there are 1000 different soaps and aftershaves, I have now probably tried half of them. (OK, maybe a slight exaggeration).

Boring Irv

because they are all out there.

and i can.

--------------------

Kent

[95%]

I agree with Gary. There's no reason not to like more than one thing. I like spaghetti with meat balls, but not seven days a week. Tonight spaghetti, tomorrow pork chops, Wednesday chicken korma on a bed of basmati rice, and so on. Spaghetti will come around again in the rotation.

[drumana]

My rotation is getting smaller and smaller as time goes on. I have about 4 soaps that I use regularly. I have two brushes I use. One razor, one blade. As time goes on, I have less and less patience for products that don't work The Best for me.

This is after about three years of experimenting quite a bit. Especially with shave soaps...

[Thalay Sagar]

Cause it's fun. And, frankly, it doesn't interfere with my shaves.

[MR.Z]

Thanks for all your comments. I was not clear as to my question. I was wondering about rotating lanolin vs. glycerin vs. shae butter etc. for medicinal reasons. Does the skin need a break from certain chemicals applied daily?

My question must have appeared pretty stupid. Sorry.

Thanks,
Irv

[95%]

Irv, I can only speak for myself, but my skin seems to like the rotation among products with different ingredients. Some are tallow based, some palm-oil based, some contain shea butter, olive oil, etc. This is not, however, to say that the opposite would be true. If I used only Tabac, for example, would my skin object? I have no idea.

[druphus]

Irv, I can only speak for myself, but my skin seems to like the rotation among products with different ingredients. Some are tallow based, some palm-oil based, some contain shea butter, olive oil, etc. This is not, however, to say that the opposite would be true. If I used only Tabac, for example, would my skin object? I have no idea.

I would agree with this 100%! My skin has objected to using Tabac every day. I've got it, and use it' at most, once a week, primarily in the summertime. Obviously, some guys don't seem to experience this issue, but I get a benefit from changing up.

[gsgo]

Thanks for all your comments. I was not clear as to my question. I was wondering about rotating lanolin vs. glycerin vs. shae butter etc. for medicinal reasons. Does the skin need a break from certain chemicals applied daily?

Irv,

Actually that's an interesting twist on products to think about, just because something is good, more does not always equate to better. Lucky for me I have no skin issues with using shea or lanolin and like the way they work, many shavers are not so lucky.

Recently I have reduced the amount of alcohol based after shaves that I have been using and have noticed an improvement, while it's still present in some of the products that I am using, the overall reduction seems to have made a difference.

In general I would think that most of what we use and the quantity involved is not that significant.

[BullGoose]

Simply because variety is the spice of life. Just as I would not want to eat the same thing every day, I like to vary my shave from day to day as well.

[KAV]

We enjoy an unprecedented variety because of the internet and the modern global market.
You will not see Don Draper using an Iridium blade in his Superspeed next season.
The upside, is sites like SMF give a user specific feedback on products Don Draper JR cannot counter with the Gillette account. And if we do find something simply isn't for us a ready market exists.
Indonesian archaeological sites have a very easy event horizon. If you find pig teeth it was pre islam.
Mississippi engineers studying depositional rates on the delta took core samples and identified the time frames by beercan opening methods.
It will be interesting to see what shaving middens have to say in 200 years.

[notthesharpest]

Thanks for all your comments. I was not clear as to my question. I was wondering about rotating lanolin vs. glycerin vs. shae butter etc. for medicinal reasons. Does the skin need a break from certain chemicals applied daily?

My question must have appeared pretty stupid. Sorry.

Thanks,
Irv

Ah, I see. A serious question was missing a word or two.

Some people find themselves irritated by certain products. They should avoid those completely. If any of your creams/soaps/aftershaves irritate you, then sell them or throw them away.

(Example: I was irritated by the oil coating on one brand of blades. It was only a five-pack, so I threw them out and that was that.)

Otherwise, no, I think the skin does not need a break.

Added note: There are a number of people who avoid certain ingredients in their shaving products. Most of those people do not know what they're talking about, though there are notable exceptions. In general, seeing an item on the ingredient list of a product is NOT a useful indicator of whether that product might irritate you. One reason (just one) is that many of soap's ingredients react with each other. Example: table salt "contains" chlorine, which is a lethal poison - but of course we know salt isn't poisonous, and we know why. In the same way, many kinds of soap "contain" lye; there's no lye at all in the finished product, because it reacted with other things. Unless you have worked in a soap factory, then you probably don't know why this or that ingredient is on the list. I certainly don't know - but unlike some of the people who write fear-mongering web sites about this or that "bad" ingredient, I know that I don't know.