d.r. harris PINK

JRTASTER · Post by **JRTASTER** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:17 pm

please help me guys with the " straight skinny" on d. r.harris's pink after shave lotion.
i generally have an oily skin, tho this time of year dry spots do appear.
EXCEPT for the neck area, after shave skin irritation is generally not a problem.
however, i frequently do get red, irritated skin in the lower neck area after a particularly close shave. i now "treat" this by splashing on a bit of gold bond powder at bedtime, but by this time the irritation has often been aggravated by my shirt collar.
i am intrigued by the harris (virtually) alchohol-free pink lotion. it is, however, SO expensive that i don't want to invest in even the smallest (100ml) size without some confidence that the product will really help with neck irritation issue.
so i ask those with experience with the product to offer their opinions and suggestions.
with thanks,
jr/john

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:36 pm

John, Sigh....okay, here goes. D R Harris's Pink is the only A/S product I use, and I've been at this a LONG time, so that will tell you something about at least my opinion of the product. But, here's the hit...the kind of problem that you are describing is, almost certainly, a technique issue and not something that it is realistic to expect an A/S product to 'fix'. The idea is to shave such that you don't get any significent irritation. An A/S product isn't something that you feel you HAVE to utilize, in a damage control sort of mode, but rather a soothing ( or bracing ) and pleasant florish at the end of the shave.
Regards,
Gordon

Hoos · Post by **Hoos** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:55 pm

however, i frequently do get red, irritated skin in the lower neck area after a particularly close shave.

In answer to your question, D.R. Harris Pink is a very nice aftershave and it has never caused me any irritation or burn. Still, it contains alcohol.

As Gordon said, this is more an issue of either choice of blade, choice of razor, or technique. Aftershave, powders, moisturizers, etc. do not remedy razor burn. Only the symptoms.

Another factor may be that people seem to think that the goal of shaving is BBS. Every day. It's not. IMHO. The goal of shaving is to remove whiskers. Comfortably. I think a more realistic goal is to find the balance between "I don't want to look scrubby" and "I don't want to look like my face/neck are on fire".

giammi · Post by **giammi** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 11:32 pm

Try not to go ATG on that part of the neck for some time. Just add a additional XTG instead and see if this does solve the problem.

JRTASTER · Post by **JRTASTER** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 7:23 am

thanks for your thoughts!!
i hear all of you re technique, blade, et al.. as i posted, irritation isn't a frequent problem. but i when i do experience it (dull blade, sloppy in a hurry technique, or whatever) " treating the symptons" becomes essential and THE priority.
if pink can do it, great. if there is better product that works on irritated "oily" skin, please let me hear about it!
jr/john

mantic · Post by **mantic** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:37 am

bernards66 wrote:....okay, here goes. D R Harris's Pink is the only A/S product I use, and I've been at this a LONG time, so that will tell you something about at least my opinion of the product....

Gordon, I thought you stopped using Pink after its reformulation a couple years ago. Are you using up a stockpile or has your opinion of the reformulation changed?

--Mark

Aztecface · Post by **Aztecface** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:28 am

Mark, I think that's the Milk.

mantic · Post by **mantic** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:31 am

Aztecface wrote:Mark, I think that's the Milk.

Ah, so it is. My bad.

TRBeck · Post by **TRBeck** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:24 am

John,

I agree with all of the comments regarding technique. However, I understand your point about needing to treat the damage once it has happened. Harris Pink is good for this purpose, but it is expensive. Some gents, myself included, have had similarly good results from Burt's Bees Rosewater & Glycerin toner (aka "Poor Man's Pink"), which is low-alcohol and has a nice rose scent but is much cheaper. Also, you might consider Clinique Post-Shave Healer. This is more milky in consistency, good for all skin types (I have oily skin and can use it), and is very soothing. However, at $17 for 2.5 oz., it's not much cheaper per mL than Harris Pink.

Regards,

paddy · Post by **paddy** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:58 am

i would say go ahead and buy a bottle of harris pink if you are thinking about it. it's excellent and will last you a good while and is economical enough when you take that into account.

JRTASTER · Post by **JRTASTER** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 12:02 pm

thanks again for bearing with me, guys.
the burt's bee's toner sounds like a possible, tho i now use thayer's alcohol-free witch hazel rose scented and it doesn't help much with irritation. the glycerine may help!!
ah, clinique. i used to work for the co. that owns clinique, but the post-shave skin healer wasn't yet introduced. i may have to try it just for old times' sake. thanks for that, tim
i have to say, tho, that the gold bond powder , dusted on at bedtime, works wonders overnite!
been away from this site for a while but find that the best advice and opinions can still be found here!
p.s. i may con some family member into gifting me the d.r. harris pink for some special day. valentine's day is just around the corner!
jr/john

Nitrox · Post by **Nitrox** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:14 pm

I find the Pink to be one of the best aftershaves around. It doesn't sting, it has a true rose scent, and it soothes the skin after a rough shave. Well worth it in my opinion.

rsp1202 · Post by **rsp1202** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:51 pm

Clinique Post-Shave Healer and Trumper's Limes Skin Food have turned out to be surprisingly effective on irritated, oily skin. Harris Pink comes in third for me. But they're all expensive. Humphrey's Witch Hazel is cheap but soothing. (Cheaper than a fave here, Thayer's, and just as effective.)

ATLpr8head · Post by **ATLpr8head** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 11:35 am

I would like to hear how the current version varies from the original "milk" version. I had the older version and it was quite nice. I have been reluctant to pull the trigger on the new version with the so-so reviews on it.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 10:13 pm

ATL, The current D R Harris's A/S Milk is a much heavier weight product, a full-bore aftershave 'balm', similiar to T&H aftershave balm etc. Interestingly, years ago, when I first encountered this product it was similiar to what they offer now...a heavy weight balm. Then around the late '90s sometime they reformulated it into that much lighter weight fully absorbing version that I loved. But a couple or three years ago they reverted back to a denser product. I can't really compare the current Milk to other balms as I don't like products of that type period.
Regards,
Gordon

jww · Post by **jww** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:04 am

Pink is one of those products which I have never, ever tried because I don't use aftershave beyond Body Shop razor relief and Skin Food. So - while my curiosity is tweaked, I am not too sure that I would give it a go.

What is the fragrance and performance like?

TRBeck · Post by **TRBeck** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 6:24 pm

Wendell,

It's very different stuff compared to Razor Relief or Skin Food. Pink is a light splash, low in alcohol, with a very pleasant and very fleeting rose scent. It is soothing and feels great on the skin and goes away in a few minutes at most.

To the OP, I want to throw out one more possibility, again not really cheaper but very different. L'Occitane sells a skin care line made with organic red rice that is just for oily skin. One of the products is a moisturizer called Ultra-Matte Face Fluid. It comes in a little 1 oz. pump bottle for $26, but a single pump will take care of you for the day, so it lasts a long time. I find it very moisturizing, but my skin is never greasy or oily after application, and it soothes nicely when you need it to. No shea butter, unlike their regular line for men, and no lanolin. Both of those ingredients can irritate my skin, but this stuff is incredibly gentle. I've been using it occasionally like an aftershave balm for almost a year, and I'm not through my first bottle yet. Very light scent, practically not there. It's good stuff and might be worth a shot if other things don't work.

Regards,

rsp1202 · Post by **rsp1202** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:38 pm

Tim, don't mean to take this off-track, but the L'Occitane is an interesting suggestion, and their line of oily skin combatants sounds like it's worth investigating. Thanks for that.

Blue As A Jewel · Post by **Blue As A Jewel** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 10:10 am

jww wrote:Pink is one of those products which I have never, ever tried because I don't use aftershave beyond Body Shop razor relief and Skin Food. So - while my curiosity is tweaked, I am not too sure that I would give it a go.

What is the fragrance and performance like?

Pink is lovely stuff, with a light rose fragrance, very little if any sting and actually leaves your skin feeling refreshed and conditioned...

Let the embers in your mind begin to glow...

JRTASTER · Post by **JRTASTER** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 8:14 pm

light dawns on marblehead!! following up on suggestions re: a rosewater/glycerin based solution and i realized that skin food is similar. had some, tried it, didn't help. couldn't find burt's bee version locally.
found a product ( from moore unique) marketed primarily to african-americans as a bump fighter AND a post-shave razor burn remedy. jury still out on this item; medicinal odor, light and easily absorbed. per ounce nearly as expensive as the clinique product recommended above. found it at walgreen's the same visit that i purchased a bump=fighter razor.
more to come after i've experimented a bit more. jr/john