You are very welcome from all of us. I can't speak for everyone, but I think it is safe to say that you are a work in progress for the membership and we are all looking forward to regular updates from you.
Now, with regard to the way that you USED to do things:
One day, quite some time from now, you will be able to go against the grain again. You will get no irritation and you will not believe how your skin feels even two days later when the stubble is again ready to be shaved. You will have zero irritation and zero bumps. But that is a little ways away.
A huge part of DE wetshaving is what goes on in between shaves. You mention the laziness factor, I am SO familiar with that. I have made it habitual to make washing my hands the first thing I do when I get home in the evening, or anytime I return home from being outside, because I touch my face more than I care to think about. Clean hands are the most important thing you can do for everything relating to general health but in terms of healing your face this is of critical importance. Do this one thing everytime you come home. On face washing days, you only need to give your face the full treatment once a day so that you give your skin the time to replenish itself with fresh natural oils. Take the 10 minutes ... yeah, it only takes about 10 minutes ... use the dry loofah and then wash your face gently.
Believe me, you are really going to love the entire ritual that is associated with this practice. Htown is patron saint of patience around here. Drink that kool-aid deeply, because patience is the intangible most responsible for success.
One thing to remember from the long list of acronyms here; YMMV - Your Milage May Vary. If you ask for advice you will certainly get it from us. Take it all in and then determine what applies best to you and to what you already know about your skin issues. Some things I suggest may simply not be applicable to you.
Look for much more to come from the membership, and forgive me if anything I suggest seems obvious or repetitive. It really is exciting to be able to follow your progress from the beginning of your journey.
Now, with regard to the way that you USED to do things:
Stop doing this before you shave! Loofahs exfoliate and strip away whatever protection your skin provides itself naturally. I recommend that when you begin to shave again, you do so at the most every other day. On the in-between days you can wash your face with a gentle cleanser or use the Black Opal products that you already have. You don't have to throw the loofah away, but I would try using it dry on a dry face. Use it very gently and for a short time only. Follow this by washing your face as your products recommend.In a nutshell.........I've been absolutely abusing my face up until now and never even knew it.
My current product line up and routine would be (or previous I could say)
1) Soak face with hot water and use a loofa to help loosen up the ingrown hairs
So far so good. It sounds like what many of us do. Some don't like to use anything other than water on their faces in the shower before shaving though. I am right there with you on having to open the bathroom door to let the steam clear and the mirror de-fog.2) Apply Neutrogena's Razor Defense face wash.
3) Rinse, then lather up with Neutrogena's Razor Defense Shaving gel.
4) After few minutes in the hot shower, Jump out, wipe the mirror off, open the door to let the cool air in and the steam out. (hate that part FREEEEEEEEZING, and I often set the fire alarm off. LOL)
I think you know what to do about this. Forget whatever you think you knew about shaving. You know the quote:"If you do things the way you always have, you will always get the same results."5) Using a Disposable Gillette Pivot head twin blade razor I begin to shave the above the jaw line area, downwards. Then below the jaw in an upward motion. usually ending up in more strokes than I ought to because of the little stubble that remains. Which I guess means, more against the grain, thus resulting in more irritation.
One day, quite some time from now, you will be able to go against the grain again. You will get no irritation and you will not believe how your skin feels even two days later when the stubble is again ready to be shaved. You will have zero irritation and zero bumps. But that is a little ways away.
A huge part of DE wetshaving is what goes on in between shaves. You mention the laziness factor, I am SO familiar with that. I have made it habitual to make washing my hands the first thing I do when I get home in the evening, or anytime I return home from being outside, because I touch my face more than I care to think about. Clean hands are the most important thing you can do for everything relating to general health but in terms of healing your face this is of critical importance. Do this one thing everytime you come home. On face washing days, you only need to give your face the full treatment once a day so that you give your skin the time to replenish itself with fresh natural oils. Take the 10 minutes ... yeah, it only takes about 10 minutes ... use the dry loofah and then wash your face gently.
Believe me, you are really going to love the entire ritual that is associated with this practice. Htown is patron saint of patience around here. Drink that kool-aid deeply, because patience is the intangible most responsible for success.
One thing to remember from the long list of acronyms here; YMMV - Your Milage May Vary. If you ask for advice you will certainly get it from us. Take it all in and then determine what applies best to you and to what you already know about your skin issues. Some things I suggest may simply not be applicable to you.
Thanks again for all the helpful tips people.
Look for much more to come from the membership, and forgive me if anything I suggest seems obvious or repetitive. It really is exciting to be able to follow your progress from the beginning of your journey.
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