Post Shave Routine. To Moisturize or Not to Moisturize?

[another bozo]

Cold splash
Witch Hazel applied with a gauze pad

I always considered my skin oily, but after using WH for a while I think I was causing the oiliness by using drying soaps, perpetuating the problem I aimed to solve. Less is more for me.

 

[EddieSlick]

Cold water rinse.
Alum.
Cold water rinse.
Witch Hazel.
Small schmear of Lubriderm or Cetaphil unscented body lotion. Find it works just as well as any post-shave balm. Cheaper too.
Aftershave if I'm in the mood.

 

[AtreyuOcampo]

I actually never use an aftershave splash.. I warm rinse the lather off, then cold rinse my face and neck.. pat dry, and then add Nivea Aftershave balm sensitive... Works as a aftershave and a moisturizer.. especially now its winter in NY, cold, does great for my face where as normally my face gets really dry in cold weather.

 

[RogueTrooper]

I think that if you need to moisturize after a shave you need to try a different cream - a good cream shouldn't leave your face feeling too dry. Long time lurker, first post!

 

[mj0829]

It all depends on my current skin condition. I usually use one or the other, but never both products at the same time. When I've been outdoors in the sun, wind , or cold I'll use a moisturizer. The other times I'll use an aftershave

 

[Milhaus]

Cold water
witch hazel
nivea asb
done.

 

[Shiloh]

Warm water rinse
Cold water rinse
Lucky Tiger
AS splash of choice (Speick today)

Both AS potions have glycerin and other soothing ingredients.

 

[Mullen88]

My Routine:

Cold rinse,
Alum Block,
Cold rinse,
Witch Hazel,
Skin Food, or Castle Forbes aftershave balm,
Floid or GFT aftershave.

Leaves skin smooth and moisturized.

If not using a balm, I would try to close your pores up with cold water before putting on an alcohol-based aftershave. Less irritation.

 

[Milhaus]

My Routine:

Cold rinse,
Alum Block,
Cold rinse,
Witch Hazel,
Skin Food, or Castle Forbes aftershave balm,
Floid or GFT aftershave.

Leaves skin smooth and moisturized.

If not using a balm, I would try to close your pores up with cold water before putting on an alcohol-based aftershave. Less irritation.

With all due respect, I really wish people on this site would stop propogating this myth of hot and cold water opening and closing pores as if they have tiny muscles that flex and contract opening gateways in your epidermis.
there should probably be a sticky for skincare myths on this site somewhere. In this day and age, we all have so much more access to science.

 

[Mullen88]

With all due respect, I really wish people on this site would stop propogating this myth of hot and cold water opening and closing pores as if they have tiny muscles that flex and contract opening gateways in your epidermis.
there should probably be a sticky for skincare myths on this site somewhere. In this day and age, we all have so much more access to science.

Actually, that is the case. Heat expands, cold contracts. Even if the cold doesn't contract each pore, it contracts the skin, making pores smaller. This concept has been know for a long, long time.

What evidence are you referencing your thoughts from?

 

[tejolot3]

Actually, that is the case. Heat expands, cold contracts. Even if the cold doesn't contract each pore, it contracts the skin, making pores smaller. This concept has been know for a long, long time.

What evidence are you referencing your thoughts from?

Actually...

Heat expanding things (if it has any effect on skin pores at all) would make the actual THING expand, not the void in the middle of the thing. The effect that hot water has on your skin is that your skin swells, i.e. expands. That swelling would only REDUCE the size of the pores within that skin not increase it. Cold water's ability to contract your skin, then would only INCREASE the size of the pores.

It's like putting an inner tube around your waist and increasing or decreasing the amount of air in the tube. The more the tube swells, the less wiggle room you have. The more it contacts, the wider the opening.

As I said, though, it's not scientifically clear that hot and cold water actually have anything but negligible effect on the size of your pores. That is to say, when your skin swells and contracts, the aperture of your pores doesn't seem to change very much at all.

But why are we talking about pores at all anyway? They are tiny holes that your sweat comes out of. Nothing to do with shaving, really. Hairs grow out of follicles.

 

[drdave2387]

I typically use alum, rinse, aftershave, then Clinique face lotion, its the one in square pump bottle, light yellow in color. Used to use the mens M type lotion but its discontinued and the woman at the Clinique counter said this other stuff is the same. Does a great job and feels identical to the M type. Its expensive but only takes 1 pump and ive had mine for 4 months and use it after ever shave and still have 85-90% left. Little goes a really long way.

 

[Mullen88]

Actually...

Heat expanding things (if it has any effect on skin pores at all) would make the actual THING expand, not the void in the middle of the thing. The effect that hot water has on your skin is that your skin swells, i.e. expands. That swelling would only REDUCE the size of the pores within that skin not increase it. Cold water's ability to contract your skin, then would only INCREASE the size of the pores.

It's like putting an inner tube around your waist and increasing or decreasing the amount of air in the tube. The more the tube swells, the less wiggle room you have. The more it contacts, the wider the opening.

As I said, though, it's not scientifically clear that hot and cold water actually have anything but negligible effect on the size of your pores. That is to say, when your skin swells and contracts, the aperture of your pores doesn't seem to change very much at all.

But why are we talking about pores at all anyway? They are tiny holes that your sweat comes out of. Nothing to do with shaving, really. Hairs grow out of follicles.

If you pull a sock do the holes get larger or stay the same? And pores have a lot to do with shaving. If they're always clogged and irritated what kind of a shave would you expect?

 

[tejolot3]

If the threads in that sock were to all swell larger, would the holes get larger or stay the same? Stretching and swelling are not the same thing. Do a Google search for {do pores open and close}. Every other hit includes the word "myth" in the title. The ones that take the other side are mostly wikihow articles written by who knows whom.

By the way, how is "closing your pores" supposed to keep them from getting clogged?

 

[Mullen88]

I'm sorry my suggestion brought so much debate. It was not my intent.

Cold temperatures will tighten the skin. No argument needed.

After you've shaved and rinsed your skin it is relatively clean. You close your pores in attempt to limit the amount of dirt and debris you absorb through the day.

 

[EPMD]

Wet face
Shave cream
Shave
Shower (includes cleansing my face)
Aftershave
Moisturizer (non-comedogenic only...Aveeno is one of the few widely available lotions in this category)

I have tried shaving after showering, but I am more prone to irritation and occasional acne that way. I only use alum if I see blood after my shower, and then only on the cut itself. Alum is too harsh on my skin to be used in an all-over manner.

 

[Milhaus]

I'm sorry my suggestion brought so much debate. It was not my intent.

Cold temperatures will tighten the skin. No argument needed.

After you've shaved and rinsed your skin it is relatively clean. You close your pores in attempt to limit the amount of dirt and debris you absorb through the day.

doesn't work that way, bud. You aren't "closing" anything.
http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/cleansing/myths/pores-in-hotter-water.htm
all you can really do is keep them clean. its a never ending battle.
I don't care how cold the water you splash on is, once your skin returns to its normal temp (hopefully in seconds) youre back where you started. there is no "lock" on the door.

the grain of truth to the myth, likely just comes from the fact that hot water helps move oils better than cold water, so it may make it more effective for cleaning your pores, but not because it "opens them". but the splash of cold afterwards doesn't seem to have any basis in medical or scientific literature.

 

[Milhaus]

Actually...

Heat expanding things (if it has any effect on skin pores at all) would make the actual THING expand, not the void in the middle of the thing. The effect that hot water has on your skin is that your skin swells, i.e. expands. That swelling would only REDUCE the size of the pores within that skin not increase it. Cold water's ability to contract your skin, then would only INCREASE the size of the pores.

It's like putting an inner tube around your waist and increasing or decreasing the amount of air in the tube. The more the tube swells, the less wiggle room you have. The more it contacts, the wider the opening.

As I said, though, it's not scientifically clear that hot and cold water actually have anything but negligible effect on the size of your pores. That is to say, when your skin swells and contracts, the aperture of your pores doesn't seem to change very much at all.

But why are we talking about pores at all anyway? They are tiny holes that your sweat comes out of. Nothing to do with shaving, really. Hairs grow out of follicles.

you got it. This guy explains it as well.

 

[Mullen88]

doesn't work that way, bud. You aren't "closing" anything.
http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/cleansing/myths/pores-in-hotter-water.htm
all you can really do is keep them clean. its a never ending battle.
I don't care how cold the water you splash on is, once your skin returns to its normal temp (hopefully in seconds) youre back where you started. there is no "lock" on the door.


the grain of truth to the myth, likely just comes from the fact that hot water helps move oils better than cold water, so it may make it more effective for cleaning your pores, but not because it "opens them". but the splash of cold afterwards doesn't seem to have any basis in medical or scientific literature.

Thank you for your information, bud. We'll have to agree to disagree. Maybe consult a dermatologist for some quality information and not youtube. I will do the same. Again, this was just a helpful tip I have found works and wanted to pass it on. And unless you work for a gas company I'm not sure why the use of cold water would upset you so much.

 

[tejolot3]

I shave with cold water nearly exclusively. I have nothing against cold water. It seems to reduce the amount of irritation I get because my skin doesn't become overly sensitive. I advocate a cold-water splash as well. Just saying that pores aren't closeable. No argument needed.