Shaving soap for acne-prone skin

Solingen · Post by **Solingen** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 9:00 pm

Hi, nice forum here. I recently heard about single blade razors being good for sensitive/acne skin and switched a few weeks ago from a Fusion/spray foam to a Merkur classic /w Taylor's rose, badger brush, feather blades and Paula's alcohol-free aftershave. I'm enjoying the experience, but my acne hasn't gotten better, but worse. I used the search function and see that glycerin and scented products can irritate the skin. I think my cream may be the problem. What would you recommend I get? I'd like to try a soap.

yomuppet · Post by **yomuppet** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 9:19 pm

Solingen wrote:Hi, nice forum here. I recently heard about single blade razors being good for sensitive/acne skin and switched a few weeks ago from a Fusion/spray foam to a Merkur classic /w Taylor's rose, badger brush, feather blades and Paula's alcohol-free aftershave. I'm enjoying the experience, but my acne hasn't gotten better, but worse. I used the search function and see that glycerin and scented products can irritate the skin. I think my cream may be the problem. What would you recommend I get? I'd like to try a soap.

One vote for Mama Bear's unscented shave soap.

J

notthesharpest · Post by **notthesharpest** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 10:05 pm

Trying it without any aftershave would be a better first step in my opinion. Just because something is alcohol-free doesn't necessarily mean it's good for your skin. (Nothing against the aftershave you have, just that any aftershave is a suspect when you have a skin problem.)

But if you would like to try a soap, I suggest any of the well-known old brands from England, or another soap that's made in the same style.

- Trumper
- Mitchell
- Taylor
- Truefitt & Hill
- Harris
- Art of Shaving

There are more good brands, but all those five are good choices for sure, and you're sure to be able to find at least one of them somewhere.

Solingen · Post by **Solingen** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 8:42 am

Thanks for the suggestions. Do you know if Mama Bear's unscented soap contains gylcerin? I'll try going without aftershave- I'd still like to get a milder cream or soap, I noticed the Taylor's does sting a bit. Is there any specific unscented/non-glycerin products from those brands you could point me to?

yomuppet · Post by **yomuppet** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 12:06 pm

Solingen wrote:Thanks for the suggestions. Do you know if Mama Bear's unscented soap contains gylcerin? I'll try going without aftershave- I'd still like to get a milder cream or soap, I noticed the Taylor's does sting a bit. Is there any specific unscented/non-glycerin products from those brands you could point me to?

Yes, MB is a glycerin based soap.

First entry on http://bear-haven.com/Page3.html .

J

Cavman · Post by **Cavman** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 12:18 pm

I have always had oily skin. Williams shave soap & Aqua Velva Blue Ice are the best thing I have ever found for my face. I tried all kinds of expensive products when I was younger.

CMur12 · Post by **CMur12** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 2:19 pm

Hi Solingen - Welcome to SMF!

I'm surprised that glycerin is a cause of acne, as it is usually promoted as being very skin-friendly. I can always stand to learn something new, however.

Most soaps contain glycerin, and I don't know if they contain less glycerin than creams.

Cold-pour soaps, such as Mama Bear's, St Charles, Classic Shaving, QED, and Tryphon, are not truly "glycerin-based" as they are sometimes described. They are based on one or more saponified oils and they have glycerin as an ingredient, usually in the middle of the list. There are some nearly pure glycerin soaps, however, but I haven't used them.

My hard soaps have glycerin in them, too: Mitchell's Wool Fat, T&H Luxury Shaving Soap, and Williams Mug Shaving Soap. Similar to cold-pour soaps, these have glycerin in about the middle of the ingredients list. The proportion may be a little bit lower than in the cold-pour soaps, but I can't say this with any certainty.

As others have suggested, there are other products that could cause irritation and could impact your individual skin sensitivities. Some guys have skin sensitivities to preservatives, such as methylparaben (and other parabens). These preservatives are more commonly found in creams than in soaps. (In fact, I'm not aware of any solid soap that contains preservatives. Some soft, pliable soaps do, such as Proraso/Omega.) Many after-shave balms have these preservatives, as well.

You may also be sensitive to specific scenting agents, used in all of these products. Some men are sensitive to lavendar, or citrus, or perfume/cologne scents, etc. This is a very individual matter, and you will discover what your sensitivities are by trial and error.

I wish you the best in finding the products that work for you.

- Murray

stealth · Post by **stealth** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 1:43 am

I've been using Trumper's Coconut Oil cream lately and noticed that some of the persistent acne on my chin cleared up in about a week (acne treatments weren't doing anything for it - i've had it for a while). I can't make any guarentees that it's the cream that cleared the acne up, but I've still got the rest of a tub to go through and I'll keep with it as a daily cream if the acne stays away. I must say though that I was less than impressed by the scent.

Nocturne · Post by **Nocturne** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:40 am

L'occitane soap leaves your face rather oil-free and is not really moisturizing. Could be a good option if you have extra sebum.

Hugo · Post by **Hugo** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:05 pm

Try Smart Shave. If you have acne this will clear it up. It's a cream that can be used with a brush.

yomuppet · Post by **yomuppet** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 3:07 pm

Hugo wrote:Try Smart Shave. If you have acne this will clear it up. It's a cream that can be used with a brush.

A warning that this stuff smells very chemical... at leat mine did. Best of luck.

J

Bond · Post by **Bond** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 3:13 am

i know this goes against the shave my face forum, but are you sure wet shaving is the best way to go if you acne, if you start nicking and cutting the heads of those spots you'll make them worst, i hestiate to mention an electric shaver as it might get me banned, and you wont get as good a shave with one but it wont effect the acne

if your dead set on wet shaving, green proraso has eucalyptus oil http://www.grooming-health.com/gifts-fo ... -cream.htm which is good for spots

hyperwarp · Post by **hyperwarp** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:47 am

TOBS Avocado, Nancy Boy Rejuvenating Shave Cream, Nancy Boy Signature Shave Cream.

The NB's are available in a 2 oz travel size for cheap, definitely worth a try.

ScottS · Post by **ScottS** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 9:11 am

yomuppet wrote:
Solingen wrote:Hi, nice forum here. I recently heard about single blade razors being good for sensitive/acne skin and switched a few weeks ago from a Fusion/spray foam to a Merkur classic /w Taylor's rose, badger brush, feather blades and Paula's alcohol-free aftershave. I'm enjoying the experience, but my acne hasn't gotten better, but worse. I used the search function and see that glycerin and scented products can irritate the skin. I think my cream may be the problem. What would you recommend I get? I'd like to try a soap.
One vote for Mama Bear's unscented shave soap.

J

Artisanal soaps probably aren't the best choice for those trying to avoid glycerin

Chris Richards · Post by **Chris Richards** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 9:12 am

I have very oily skin. So oily, it's embarassing to have my picture taken because of the reflective sheen... must be the Italian in me... anyway it has always lead to slight acne, even as an adult.

I have always gone against a lot of what is said here because of my oily skin. I would guess a soap that actually dries the skin might work in your situation. I've heard that Williams mug soap (never tried it myself) is a soap that can dry the skin. Also, I do use alcohol-based aftershaves which also dry the skin.

The alcohol kills the bacteria. What is a "pimple?" A hair follicle that has become blocked and becomes infected with bacteria. I *honestly* have found that since I started shaving with a DE in combination with an alcohol-based after shave gel (I use Afta Sport - it's clear, smells decent and is cheap) my face has really cleared up.

So I am in agreement with Cavman.

Of course your mileage may vary.

Good luck.

Chris

(PS: Electric Shavers are *horrible* for acne. If anything I have found electric shavers promotes pimples.)

dbenus · Post by **dbenus** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 6:13 pm

I also have very oily skin and a tendency toward acne. Since starting the DE shaving experience, I've noticed that finishing my shave with The Gentlemen's Refinery After Shave Balm has been really good for my skin. It was highly recommended when I looked into putting together my first purchase of wetshaving equipment and supplies, and I'm very happy to have found it.

I use many different types of creams, alternating them constantly while I look for my favorite (I bought some Truefitt & Hill Ultimate Comfort, Taylor of Old Bond Street, Geo F. Trumper, Proraso, etc.), so I believe that it is the balm that keeps my acne from acting up as it sometimes did after shaving with my Mach III and Gillette canned foam.

After shaving, I rinse my face with cold water and then use 2 squirts of the TGR product. My face always feels soothed and tightened, smooth and never oily, and I haven't had any acne flareups at all since beginning to use this product.

Try it; see if you have the same good experience with it as I have.

Solingen · Post by **Solingen** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 3:43 pm

I went with mama bear unscented soap. I didnt say i was allergic to glycerin, but i read in another thread that some people are. sometimes i'll have really oily skin and someones its not oily at all, i dont know whats going on there, i quit using aftershave but maybe ill try something alcohol based. i quit shaving for a couple weeks and my acne got alot better, which leads me to believe the shaving isnt causing acne but makes it worse if i shaveover it.
shaving has been torture since i started back up last week. my face burns really bad while shaving and the blade whether new or broken in always pulls and skips.. i get a really shotty shave with uneven and mised spots.
what could i do to get an easier shave?

innotivity · Post by **innotivity** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 10:46 pm

Cheat.

Go to your doctor and get a prescription for Duac. It's an anti-biotic gel. Acne and shaving mix badly because bacteria eat flesh, and shaving opens up the door for them to get in. One doctor told me alcohol can (can) be bad because if it dries your skin too much the skin can crack like a dry lake bed and let all of the bacteria in. A lot of people have had very bad reactions to alcohol for this reason. Even though it "kills" bacteria, any that survive now have an open door to their food source.

One note if you try this, it literally contains a bleach agent, so it can bleach your hair and other things pretty well. Bye bye shirt collar, so I just use it at night.

db

notthesharpest · Post by **notthesharpest** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:28 am

Are you using other products that dry your skin?

rkowalick · Post by **rkowalick** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:21 pm

FIRST POST wooo!

anyway, although alcohol does dry one's skin out, aqua velva and many other alcohol based aftershaves contain quite a bit of glycerin. This, I would imagine, would prevent your face from drying out and leaving those miniature "fissures" you are referring too. To be honest, using aqua velva has appeared to improve my complexion. I have a feeling its the combination of the cleaning and anti-bacterial properties of alcohol coupled with the skin protecting properties of glycerin.

SMF

Shaving soap for acne-prone skin

Shaving soap for acne-prone skin

Re: Shaving soap for acne-prone skin

Re: Shaving soap for acne-prone skin