Albeit blasphemic to the community, but...

brendan_boy · Post by **brendan_boy** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 2:40 pm

Ok,

Its been a good 3 months now since I embarked on the wetshaving journey.

Although my shaves have indeed improved, the "great" shaves that leave me feeling like 'this is the right direction', have been sporadic. The "good" shaves that are marginally above the multibladed razor/Philishave/Norelco have been far more ubiquitous.

I've iterated through the entire sampler pack, with my only deduction that Gillette or Feather are the ones for me.

Most of you know the serious troubles I was having some weeks back.

I refuse to go back to the multi-bladed razor, as my pockets are not lined with silver and gold. This is as much as an economic thing as it is trying to perfect an artform.

There is no more literature on the basic how-to's that I can read.

My beard hair grows very flat to the skin, and for some reason, the first angle that the razor cuts is often the most uncomfortable.

The last week I've made a good 20 or so practice bowls of Proraso with my Silvertip badger (Rooney). Mixing and matching with water/cream ratios and such. Again, nothing astonishing here. I've had dense lather, less dense more creamy and just plain awful - I've explored the spectrum here.

Heck, I even tried the Syntex - while a good brush for synthetic, this didnt ultimately solve any irritation problems.

So, for the sheer heck of it, I took a long, hot shower. Barbasol (shock, horror) is unavailable in the UK to the best of my recollection, so I went along to Target and spent a whole $1 and picked some up.

My face was drenched before application of this seemingly dry product, and I used my spritzer bottle to keep the entire thing wet.

Finally!! I had a DE shave with the red, sore feeling in my neck completely eliminated. This is why I switched to the wetshaving regime in the first place.

Folks - whats up with this?! I've tried too little water, too much water and I've whipped up so many practice batches of lather that my arm is sore and I fear from acquiring R.S.I.

But the proof in the pudding is in the eating in this case - I used this cream that is apparently atrocious and yet all sources of irritation seem to have vanished. The DE did its job with monumental success!!

What do you fella's make of this?

-Brendan

Lyrt · Post by **Lyrt** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 3:07 pm

I’m dumbfounded. Usually, it is the opposite: people can’t get satisfying results with a DE and use a cartridge razor while enjoying the heady, toxic scents of our favourite English purveyors of luxury.

brendan_boy · Post by **brendan_boy** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 3:22 pm

The multiblades seem to produce far too much resistance for my neck beard hair to handle - irritation ensues, and in plentiful amount too.

I've been at the badger brush and english/italian creams and soaps for about 90 days now, and using this canned fake-o lathery stuff provided the most comfortable shave I have ever had.

I don't want this to be regressive, but maybe due to my facial geometry I need a heavy cushion?

Any more thoughts?

-Brendan

DavidB · Post by **DavidB** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:44 pm

'Tis a mystery indeed, Brendan. But, you know, it's about what works for you. And if that means a DE razor and a can of foam, then what the heck.

Do any of the newer shaving creams/gels work for you? I've heard good things about the Nivea shaving cream in a can. Nivea does a good job on aftershaves, so maybe their shave cream would be a step up from the Barbasol, quality and skincare-wise, with the same irritation-free shave.

Dave

Post by **Sam** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 5:58 pm

Brendan, hey if it works, then it works. I don't know that anyone really is down on Barbasol, it is just that the aroma of the creams we frequently talk about is heady. But some guys love Williams soap and Palmolive cream so really, whenever you see YMMV (your mileage may vary), and seeing as how skin reactions are very personal things, use what works.

Sam

nodaktim · Post by **nodaktim** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 6:25 pm

Brendan,

Maybe your face does not like the brush. Have you tried just painting motions instead of circular?

Have you tried other brushless creams that are not in a can?

Many guys on here have mentioned that their face does not like certain techniques of brush stroke on motions. For some the bristles irritate too much to use the circular motion and they just 'paint' on the lather with success.

I say if this works for you then great. Now you have a 'go to' product to use while your face recovers and you can experiment less often as you try other products. Try to find other products that will work for you as well.

brendan_boy · Post by **brendan_boy** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 6:25 pm

Well I've been practicing on my DE technique very hard, so its nice now to see some reward.

Something I have noticed however, is my Dad mentioned that he once tried some different shaving methods and he said he discovered that his skin is very sensitive, so much so that virtually nothing worked particularly well for him after trial and exhaustion.

So I just thought hey, what have I got to lose? Granted its not the same league as Trumpers or the like, but that "cream" is thick and for me, this is the key I think. The initial angle I use now doesn't cause any skin irritation, and because this stuff is available in such immediate abundance, I can quickly cover up any missing spots.

Naturally my face is completely saturated in water, and frequently re-hydrated with the atomizer. There is no shortage of the wet stuff here.

I am just astonished to be honest guys. To have a face this smooth and zero irritation, its like a pay-off for my hard work on the technique.

I am not rendering the brush + creams as just not for me as a hard-line decision. However, until the finesse of the DE is so good that my shave-time - results has hit its utmost plateau, then I will certainly give it another bash.

I am in Buffalo, NY at the moment and I know that I've been struggling to whip up a lather with my brush here. Not to the point where I can't at all, but with much difficulty.

So for the rest of my duration in the states, I am going to use my HD and really enjoy it for the next 2 weeks until I get home and I get to use my Tech again (thanks DavidB..!!

).

I now know that things will only go in 1 direction, because I have a method of ensuring that they do so!!

..Brendan

prism · Post by **prism** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 6:30 pm

Brendan, after what you've been through, if the Barbasol works, by all means, use it!! Congratulations on a thoroughly satisfying shave, and continued success! Vic

giraffejumper · Post by **giraffejumper** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 6:31 pm

Are you still using the Merkur HD?
It usually either works for someone or doesn't!
It DOES NOT work for me - as bad as I would like it to.
It is aggressive and mean to my face and neck, leaving a lot of it a red mess.
I thought that after a year of DE experience and mastering many other DE's that I could come back to it and wield it better.
WRONG!
It just doesn't like me.

brendan_boy · Post by **brendan_boy** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 6:33 pm

nodaktim wrote:Brendan,

Maybe your face does not like the brush. Have you tried just painting motions instead of circular?

Have you tried other brushless creams that are not in a can?

Many guys on here have mentioned that their face does not like certain techniques of brush stroke on motions. For some the bristles irritate too much to use the circular motion and they just 'paint' on the lather with success.

I say if this works for you then great. Now you have a 'go to' product to use while your face recovers and you can experiment less often as you try other products. Try to find other products that will work for you as well.

I've tried brushing (circular) and painting with various levels of pressure - good decent painting to feather touch (which takes ages to get a good cushioning lather on the face).

I've tried the Syntex too and I've got another Rooney brush.. All converge to the same effect... very little variation in results from brush to brush and motion to motion.

But as you quite rightly said, its nice to have something to fall back on, during the experimentation process; a lifeline to keep hold of.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with my setup:

Futur (rarely use...very clumsy with this beast)
HD - I've been using this frequently in the states, comfortable razor
Tech - I used this primarily in the UK (where it is right now), very gentle razor.

I've been using Rooney Pure + silvertip brushes and Omega syntex as of late.

Creams + Soaps...Mama bears range (3 different types), Proraso tube cream and soap bowl, Taylors Lemon + Lime and Avocado, Ingram tube cream.

Considering such (at least I'd consider for myself) a variety in products, one would surely expect a discernible difference if it was just one nuance of a product or another.

It got frustrating because I'd spend literally hours trying to get the perfect balance of water/cream and so forth, with little reward apart from the wonderful smell.

I'm sure you can understand that even though this stuff doesnt smell anywhere near as good as even a cheapo "real" shaving cream, the fact that I did a 3 pass shave with a new, sharp Gillette (Swede), and it just did the job with SUCH efficacy that I am almost singing from the rooftops here.

I was dreading for a while that I'd have to revert to paying through the nose for Mach-3 blades that I can seldom afford, for a mediocre shave.

A big day in Brendan's shaving history folks... A stepping stone, hopefully!

-Brendan

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 8:50 pm

Brenden, Two possibilities occur to me. One is that you may simply be soap sensitive. It's not very common, but some folks are. Canned foams like Barbasol are detergent based, and so, will not kick off a reaction if one is somewhat allergic to soap. The second is that Barbasol anyway, actually does have quite a bit of 'cushion' despite how it feels. Back in the '50s, some gents, who were used to a brush and soap, would complain that they couldn't get a close enough shave with the new canned stuff. FWIW, I used canned Barbasol ( either the Original or the Lime ) for 20years with my Gillette Adjustable and got okay shaves, and never any irritation. Of course, in those days I only did one pass, but, there you are. And I'd still prefer to use it, over any of those expensive dept. store gels and gunks that I've tried. On the other hand, for me, it's not nearly as satisfying ( and luxurious ) to use, nor is the shave as close, as with the high end traditional creams/soaps and a brush. But, it works, and perhaps, for you, at least at this point, it seems to have advantages.
Regards,
Gordon

brendan_boy · Post by **brendan_boy** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 11:12 pm

Definitely so...

One strange thing I noticed some time ago, and is written in some previous posts of mine, is the quality of the shave I got with a high-end canned gel (Virgin...around $20 a can dare I say - smells great) and any soap or cream that was whipped up with a brush... The canned gel won, hands down everytime.

I've tried so many different combinations of the brush + cream variety that I actually started to draw blanks, hence why I just tried the canned stuff again, albeit a thick-dry foam and not a high quality gel.. I just thought $0.92...why not? I've lost more than that down the back of the couch.

With the spritz bottle I managed to thin out the foam a fair bit, and it was holding a significant amount of water to my face - I soaked every facet of my face moments before globbing foam onto it, then proceeded to disperse it to a thinner consistency.

I am definitely in BBS country - those hairs stood no chance against the Gillette Swede.. Astonishing really!

Weird times....

-Brendan

CMur12 · Post by **CMur12** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 11:55 pm

Hi Brendan -

While the solution you have found is certainly unexpected, it is also hard-won, and I'm glad to read that you are getting the results you have sought all this time.

Congratulations, and (as Oscar says) enjoy your shave

- Murray

Risky · Post by **Risky** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 12:32 am

What ASB were you using?

My only guess is that you are allergic to something that is in all the other products you have tried but which Barbasol does not have or your previous combination of soap/cream and ASB caused you to react.

brendan_boy · Post by **brendan_boy** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 8:50 am

I am using Proraso ASB currently, but previously I was using Nivea ES ASB; they seem very similar to me and cause no adverse reaction and are very pleasant to use.

I remember my very first DE + Badger/Cream shave...I had to take 2 Tylenol (Paracetamol) after it as the pain was that excruciating. It'd hurt to touch my face with my finger, let alone water of any temperature - cold or warm. I had to wash off the Nivea ASB because that just made things worse.

If you look back to my previous posts, theres some images of me during troublesome times.

Once the current, ever-so-slight redness clears from my shave about 3 days ago, I'll take a picture of my face after my shave with the Merkur HD with probably a Feather blade and Barbasol foam, comparatively with the old post-shave results. It'll be a real juxtaposition of position I'm in now to then!

-Brendan

JohnP · Post by **JohnP** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 9:16 am

Brendan,
Good on you, if Barbasol works, use it!
Just curious, when you were running your gamut with the brush/soap/cream routine, did you try lathering directly on your face at any point? I prefer it to using a bowl, and perhaps it's my imagination, but it seems to work better for me, even if the consistency looks the same in the bowl...
regardless, good to know you've found your magic formula...
I've even seen a segment on TV once that suggested whipping up a mixture of shaving cream (like barbasol) and gel, with a shaving brush, for a good shave....seemed weird to me, but they claimed it worked well.
Good deal.
John P.

Pete_T · Post by **Pete_T** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 9:55 am

Well, you came here looking to get a good shave, and it seems like youve got it. If barbasol works, great, you dont have to mess around with all that damn lather building. You can sell off what you dont want on here and make back a good percent of the money you invested, and get into collecting razors. With all the money youll have from not buying brushes and such you should be able to get a pretty sweet collection. Oh, you can get a pretty nice AS collection too. Or just spend it on hookers and blow, everybody loves those.

As far as all your experimenting with lather, youre not doing anything wrong. Ive had all kinds of lathers that Ive shaved with, from so thin and runny that they barely stayed on my face to Santa claus thick, and I havent had any issues like you. Its some bizarre allergy or something, maybe what Gordon mentioned. Either way, youve got the perfect shave now, so go with it.

brendan_boy · Post by **brendan_boy** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 10:18 am

JohnP wrote:Brendan,
Good on you, if Barbasol works, use it!
Just curious, when you were running your gamut with the brush/soap/cream routine, did you try lathering directly on your face at any point? I prefer it to using a bowl, and perhaps it's my imagination, but it seems to work better for me, even if the consistency looks the same in the bowl...
regardless, good to know you've found your magic formula...
I've even seen a segment on TV once that suggested whipping up a mixture of shaving cream (like barbasol) and gel, with a shaving brush, for a good shave....seemed weird to me, but they claimed it worked well.
Good deal.
John P.

Yup...tried building the lather on my face too. My face could handle it, just about, and the consistency would appear excellent. I mean I've gone from super thick/dry to super wet/watery and all in between. The situation has always been the same.

There's a picture of some lather I built in one of my older posts. That is what I was aspiring to. The lather made in that picture (looks like an ice-cream cone) contained a fair amount of water..it was a very slick mix, but offered no such remedy to my initial strifes.

I'll be shaving in a little while; I'll show you the results. In fact, my moustache area which I predominantly experimented the Barbasol on, isnt going to require a shave today. It's still so damn smooth from yesterday!

Thanks fellas...

-Brendan

brendan_boy · Post by **brendan_boy** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 2:57 pm

I bought some Nivea ES Shave gel today - smells just like the ASB. I'll try that out tomorrow see how it goes.

Today's shave was of great success too by the way - I used the Feather blade instead of the Gillette for the neck area and it just annihilated those neck hairs; its still all irritation free.

I can't wait to try the Gillette Tech again, now I can get a neat, irritation free shave.

Good times....

-Brendan

SilverKarn · Post by **SilverKarn** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 3:08 pm

Drop the Proraso and get some good cream, like KMF, Trufit and hill, Taylors, Toms of Maine, ect. ect. ect.

I started off with Proraso, and after using many different soaps and creams, Proraso cream is rarely put into the rotation anymore.