Dry flake like skin texture

[WhiskerLess]

3 weeks into DE shaving and I am concern about suddenly getting dry flake like skin texture under my lips, goatee & beard area.
I don’t have these before and I’m doing proper prep before shaving (I think so?).

Shaving 2x per week. My routine usually goes in this order and using alcohol free products.

1. Warm shower (always a practice even when I was using cart)

2. Apply pre shave cream (proraso blue or green depending on my mood)

3. Apply shaving soap (7 different soaps in my rotation usually from Rockwell, Proraso, TOBS and Chiseled Face (no cryogen)

4. Shave with 2 or 3 pass depends on mood. Washing off with warm water and re-applying lather on each pass.

Using Rockwell 6S, plate 3 which is not too aggressive, Astra SP (green) and keeping 30 degrees angle audible sound.

5. Osma Alum block, washing it off after 30 seconds.

6. Thayers original with witch hazel toner (alcohol free)

7. Apply after shave Nivea sensitive balm or Proraso green balm.


Is there anything wrong with my routine or perhaps with the products I use?

Or is this related to me being new to DE shaving caused by poor techniques?

Am I scrapping it badly which may have cause irritation?



I am trying to moisturize it a lot to recover.
Open to suggestion if anything else I should do and any advise to prevent this in future?

 

[Dave himself]

I would drop the Alum and see if that helps.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I would simplify the shave and skip the pre shave and alum, and also stick with one soap and balm. If the problem clears up then you could reintroduce one product at a time to establish the cause. If not then I would change to another soap or balm in your inventory. I find that pre shave and alum serve no purpose and I never use them but of course it is a matter of personal preference. Good luck.

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

I have a similar issue where the skin is drying out and flaking around lips and goatee. It's a known issue for 10+ years which is caused by soap or a mix of products, all which dry the skin bit by bit. Aftershaves containing alcohol make things a lot worse, in a matter of just a few days. Alcohol free aftershaves are a bit better, but still don't seem to help. Balms can improve things, especially if I apply more product 2-3 times a day.

Don't know if yours is exactly the same as mine. If it is, my solution was to use only glycerin after I am done with the shave and rinse my face. I buy mine in 99.99% purity for just a few EUR and dilute it with water until it leaves a tiny film and not feeling too 'greasy/oily'. 50 ml of glycerin will last me a whole year if I shave 340 days a year. Another benefit of glycerin is you can add a drop or two in the lather and create that uber lather, which is also more moisturizing.

Oh, and just as it was already mentioned above, drop the pre-shave and alum block. I'd start with the alum block first. If you want to use a pre-shave, you can use the diluted glycerin.

I hope this helps!

 

[abies]

3 weeks into DE shaving and I am concern about suddenly getting dry flake like skin texture under my lips, goatee & beard area.
I don’t have these before and I’m doing proper prep before shaving (I think so?).

Shaving 2x per week. My routine usually goes in this order and using alcohol free products.

1. Warm shower (always a practice even when I was using cart)

2. Apply pre shave cream (proraso blue or green depending on my mood)

3. Apply shaving soap (7 different soaps in my rotation usually from Rockwell, Proraso, TOBS and Chiseled Face (no cryogen)

4. Shave with 2 or 3 pass depends on mood. Washing off with warm water and re-applying lather on each pass.

Using Rockwell 6S, plate 3 which is not too aggressive, Astra SP (green) and keeping 30 degrees angle audible sound.

5. Osma Alum block, washing it off after 30 seconds.

6. Thayers original with witch hazel toner (alcohol free)

7. Apply after shave Nivea sensitive balm or Proraso green balm.


Is there anything wrong with my routine or perhaps with the products I use?

Or is this related to me being new to DE shaving caused by poor techniques?

Am I scrapping it badly which may have cause irritation?



I am trying to moisturize it a lot to recover.
Open to suggestion if anything else I should do and any advise to prevent this in future?

I'd try what others are suggesting first, especially forgoing the alum, but if all else fails you could try just shaving with a preshave alone or non-lathering cream. (I'm not sure what you were doing in terms of soap etc before you started DE shaving?)

DE shaving generally requires some kind of something to let the razor glide over the skin but it doesn't have to be lathering.

I think you've got a lot in your routine, which is fine, but if you're having problems you might want to try a process of elimination.

(Also, I just noticed you said you're washing off the lather and reapplying with each pass? I'd try not washing off the lather between passes and either reapplying lather as needed, or just wetting whatever lather you have left on your face.)

 

[WhiskerLess]

Appreciate all your advices.
I will reset and simplify things starting with stopping the use of alum.

I will also use 1 kind of soap and post shave blam for the time being to eliminate any variable.

I ask my wife to spare me some mousturizing face mask to help with the skin recovery. Will take a break for a day or two before my next shave.

I realized that my post about lathering each pass may have confuse you. What I mean is that I re-apply remaing soap from my brush again on each pass.

Again thanks for your advices.

 

[dotKomo]

I would drop the Alum and see if that helps.

My thought as well. Perhaps witch hazel instead?

 

[Ckmaui]

Ditto others on less which sounds like you are doing
also look into the Neutrogena Hydro Gel for post shave comfort and conditioning for many of us best stuff ever
I like mine after some AS or face tonic as the final thing


I do not like balms and was allergic to some stuff in shaving that caused issues so when doing the single thing for a bit also change it up if its still a issue as it could be a ingredient in those items

 

[Dave himself]

My thought as well. Perhaps witch hazel instead?

I never thought of witch hazel, although I use it after every shave myself. I have a large old gin bottle of it with some menthol and Tea tree EO added.

 

[JoWolf]

3 weeks into DE shaving and I am concern about suddenly getting dry flake like skin texture under my lips, goatee & beard area.
I don’t have these before and I’m doing proper prep before shaving (I think so?).

Shaving 2x per week. My routine usually goes in this order and using alcohol free products.

1. Warm shower (always a practice even when I was using cart)

2. Apply pre shave cream (proraso blue or green depending on my mood)

3. Apply shaving soap (7 different soaps in my rotation usually from Rockwell, Proraso, TOBS and Chiseled Face (no cryogen)

4. Shave with 2 or 3 pass depends on mood. Washing off with warm water and re-applying lather on each pass.

Using Rockwell 6S, plate 3 which is not too aggressive, Astra SP (green) and keeping 30 degrees angle audible sound.

5. Osma Alum block, washing it off after 30 seconds.

6. Thayers original with witch hazel toner (alcohol free)

7. Apply after shave Nivea sensitive balm or Proraso green balm.


Is there anything wrong with my routine or perhaps with the products I use?

Or is this related to me being new to DE shaving caused by poor techniques?

Am I scrapping it badly which may have cause irritation?



I am trying to moisturize it a lot to recover.
Open to suggestion if anything else I should do and any advise to prevent this in future?

Skin care for problems and sensitive skin do not start and end with shave pre and post routines. What works for one of us does not always apply to others. Our body chemistry’s are different. The only way to sort through the problem is to try the many different products available for yourself. If something is not working for you trash it do not try to use it up. Hyaluronic acid was not mentioned in the previous comments. Add it to your list. Our skin is our largest organ and easily accessible for improvements. It took me three years to achieve irritation free shaves. It can be a lengthy process of trial and error.

 

[Ckmaui]

Skin care for problems and sensitive skin do not start and end with shave pre and post routines. What works for one of us does not always apply to others. Our body chemistry’s are different. The only way to sort through the problem is to try the many different products available for yourself. If something is not working for you trash it do not try to use it up. Hyaluronic acid was not mentioned in the previous comments. Add it to your list. Our skin is our largest organ and easily accessible for improvements. It took me three years to achieve irritation free shaves. It can be a lengthy process of trial and error.

Hyaluronic Acid is in the Neutrogena Hydro Gel I mentioned
a game changer for sure

to your last point
so true and worth repeating and so worth the time to truly find the optimum products for our faces

 

[Brutus]

3 weeks into DE shaving and I am concern about suddenly getting dry flake like skin texture under my lips, goatee & beard area.
I don’t have these before and I’m doing proper prep before shaving (I think so?).

Shaving 2x per week. My routine usually goes in this order and using alcohol free products.

1. Warm shower (always a practice even when I was using cart)

2. Apply pre shave cream (proraso blue or green depending on my mood)

3. Apply shaving soap (7 different soaps in my rotation usually from Rockwell, Proraso, TOBS and Chiseled Face (no cryogen)

4. Shave with 2 or 3 pass depends on mood. Washing off with warm water and re-applying lather on each pass.

Using Rockwell 6S, plate 3 which is not too aggressive, Astra SP (green) and keeping 30 degrees angle audible sound.

5. Osma Alum block, washing it off after 30 seconds.

6. Thayers original with witch hazel toner (alcohol free)

7. Apply after shave Nivea sensitive balm or Proraso green balm.


Is there anything wrong with my routine or perhaps with the products I use?

Or is this related to me being new to DE shaving caused by poor techniques?

Am I scrapping it badly which may have cause irritation?



I am trying to moisturize it a lot to recover.
Open to suggestion if anything else I should do and any advise to prevent this in future?

I only experienced a reaction to Proraso pre/post-shave cream once, a long time ago, but I would take a couple of precautions if I were in your shoes.

Based on your list, I suggest to:
Item 2: Not use Proraso pre-shave.
Item 5: Not use alum for a while
Item 6: Maybe even stop using witch hazel for a while
Item 7: Not use Proraso Pre Barba as post-shave cream, but Nivea lotions and Proraso (and other) balms should be fine.

A shower will sufficiently soften skin and facial hair and a good lather will provide enough lubrication, so pre-shave creams are rarely needed and not many long-time shavers use them.

Based on my past experience, my confidence level in Proraso pre/post-shave products is fairly low, confidence in their shaving creams and balms is somewhat higher.
In any case, balms may go easier on your skin than after shave lotions that often contain a fairly high percentage of alcohol.

If you should find that above steps help, you might want to re-introduce witch hazel first, followed by alum, but do not leave alum on the skin for too long and rinse it off after a few moments.


Of course, the easiest way might be to take Proraso completely out of the equation - at least for a while.
Many people like or even love Proraso, but truth be told, Proraso is IMO kind of a right of passage and there are many other excellent products to choose from that won’t break the bank either.


Hope this helps…



B.

 

[Life Is A Dream]

The good folks here have already covered the suggestions that popped in my mind.

I hope you find a solution soon!

 

[horizon]

What you're describing sounds a lot like Seborrheic Dermatitis, in fact, I'm pretty sure that's what it is.
For starters, you might start by eliminating alum from your routine. Soaps that contain many chemicals and allergens as well. Do not use anything alcohol based.
To be honest, this won't solve the problem, but it might alleviate it.
To get lasting and effective results, you should seek help from a dermatologist. Here I must say that visiting a specialist does not guarantee you anything. Sometimes finding the right therapy takes a lot of time experimenting with different medications.

 

[Salty_Shaver]

Go old school hot towel, shave cream and a cold water rinse that’s it. Then start adding stuff back. You could be getting a chemical reaction to all the different chemicals you are putting on your face. Making a chemical soup that could be the cause.

 

[WhiskerLess]

I have a similar issue where the skin is drying out and flaking around lips and goatee. It's a known issue for 10+ years which is caused by soap or a mix of products, all which dry the skin bit by bit. Aftershaves containing alcohol make things a lot worse, in a matter of just a few days. Alcohol free aftershaves are a bit better, but still don't seem to help. Balms can improve things, especially if I apply more product 2-3 times a day.

Don't know if yours is exactly the same as mine. If it is, my solution was to use only glycerin after I am done with the shave and rinse my face. I buy mine in 99.99% purity for just a few EUR and dilute it with water until it leaves a tiny film and not feeling too 'greasy/oily'. 50 ml of glycerin will last me a whole year if I shave 340 days a year. Another benefit of glycerin is you can add a drop or two in the lather and create that uber lather, which is also more moisturizing.

Oh, and just as it was already mentioned above, drop the pre-shave and alum block. I'd start with the alum block first. If you want to use a pre-shave, you can use the diluted glycerin.

I hope this helps!

@ZeelandsRoem can you kindly share what brand of glycerin you were referring to.
Amazon is where I shop because they ship internationally. However I can only see those 100% vegetable type of glycerin?
Honestly I'm not sure if those are the same and if it is safe for shaving use.

 

[DesertIguana]

We are in season change, weather is changing. As temperate rise drink more water, many skin problems like dry skin is from not drinking enough water.

Coffee, Tea, Pop, Starbucks, Beer, Booze, Wine, etc is not WATER, drink more H2O.

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

However I can only see those 100% vegetable type of glycerin?

That’s it. The reason why you want to buy it pure is to get glycerin and not a different type of product which blends other ingredients as well.

Then dilute it, I’d say start with 1 part glycerin and 5 parts water. Shake it a few times to mix it well. I keep mind in an old aftershave glass container.

Pour 2-3 drops in your palm and spread well on your face after shaving. After a few minutes, check your skin and how the glycerin feels on it.

If it’s feeling too ‘oily’/sticky, you can dilute it even more until you find a good balance. Add more glycerin if you find it too thin or just apply more diluted glycerin on the face.

Idea is to have a small film of glycerin on the skin, helping it stay moisturized.

Give your skin a few days to recover.

I use this every day and completely stopped using comercial after shaves. The alcohol in commercial aftershaves make things a lot worse, while the alcohol free ones do not contain enough glycerin and have to use quite a bit of product.

Also, if you have an after shave which is alcohol free and your skin does not have any negative reactions from it, you can add a few drops of extra glycerin in it if you find the original formula not good enough.

 

[WhiskerLess]

my solution was to use only glycerin after I am done with the shave and rinse my face.

Thanks, just want to confirm my understanding.
You apply it after your final cold water rinse as your after shave and leave it for the rest of the day?

Does it feel a bit sticky in your skin?

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

Thanks, just want to confirm my understanding.
You apply it after your final cold water rinse as your after shave and leave it for the rest of the day?

Does it feel a bit sticky in your skin?

Yes, I apply it after my final cold water rinse as my aftershave and leave it on for the rest of the day. I don't use anything else.

It can feel sticky if it's too much glycerin. The right amount for me is to just feel my skin soft and supple, without being tight. If I apply a bit more than what is necessary, it feels like there is something on it but without bothering me; I doubt someone could tell if it's oil, glycerin or a commercial balm. If it's far too much, then it will be sticky and will have to rinse my face to wash off some of that glycerin. If it's not enough, the skin stays tight and will crack in a few hours.

Few weeks ago I was in holiday and I forgot to take my glycerin with me. My skin cracked after a few days, so when I was back, I had to apply more glycerin than usual to help the skin recover. When I was applying more, it did feel sticky to the skin, but that stickiness was a small price to pay comparing to the look and feel of dried flaky skin.

Hope this is helpful.