Helps eliminate de razor burn for beginners

I'm a DE beginner and have been going through the usual razor burn, redness and nicks mostly on my neck. So instead of using one of my soaps today I tried King of Shaves Alphagel. It's not a typical can of gel like Edge that you rub into your beard until it foams. Alphagel comes in a tube and when you apply it stays as a gel and remains clear on your face, which makes it nice because you can see through it and see the areas and whiskers that you're shaving. Also, this stuff is so dense and gooey that it provides a very effective barrier between your face and the blade. It's almost impossible to cut yourself. I did 3 passes: WTG, XTG and ATG plus some touch ups. And you don't have to reapply it between passes, it clings to your face so well that just rubbing some existing gel in the area will do. What a difference! I got a VERY close shave with only a few tiny nicks and almost no razor burn. It conditions your face very well too, you almost feel as if aftershave isn't necessary when done. The only minor draw back is that it takes a little longer to rinse out of your razor and rinse off your face. I'm not necessarily planning to use it permanently, because I also enjoy the traditional mug& brush ritual. But this is great stuff to use when you're going through your learning process. It gives you more confidence, you can relax and concentrate on improving your technique. Just thought I would share this, has anyone else tried it? CVS carries it.

I saw a tip on here about using hair conditioner in a pinch. It worked very well for me this morning, about how you're describing the gel. No foam but a perfectly fine lube. It was some cheap "Equate" brand conditioner too, not anything fancy.

It's a little weird though, because my face smells like my wife's noggin now.

Just lighten up. Literally, lighten the pressure, watch the angle and you should be able to acheive these results without a miracle gel.

Whatever works for you , but I hope the gel doesn't slow development of your technique. It does sound like a good choice for a beginner in a hurry, or one with some irritation that still needs a daily shave. But if you rely on it too much, I wonder if you'll learn the proper angle and pressure (the gel may mask improper angle or too much pressure).

After about 3 months of Double/Single edge shaving plus one month of rigid cartridge shaving while learning lathering, I have found I can get at least a DFS with pretty much any razor or blade I own (that a lot of razors!) with any of my soaps or creams. Yes, I still get the occasional nick or irritation, usually from getting sloppy on either angle, pressure or prep. Each time is a reminder to do it right!

Lucky Tiger Molle is a nice brushless as well. Very protective and moisturizing. Great for winter.
Also, the nice thing about a brushless cream is that you can check your progress and touch up as you go.

T Rick said:

Just lighten up. Literally, lighten the pressure, watch the angle and you should be able to acheive these results without a miracle gel.

Whatever works for you , but I hope the gel doesn't slow development of your technique. It does sound like a good choice for a beginner in a hurry, or one with some irritation that still needs a daily shave. But if you rely on it too much, I wonder if you'll learn the proper angle and pressure (the gel may mask improper angle or too much pressure).

After about 3 months of Double/Single edge shaving plus one month of rigid cartridge shaving while learning lathering, I have found I can get at least a DFS with pretty much any razor or blade I own (that a lot of razors!) with any of my soaps or creams. Yes, I still get the occasional nick or irritation, usually from getting sloppy on either angle, pressure or prep. Each time is a reminder to do it right!

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I agree with you 100%. It's kind of like riding a bike with training wheels for too long. It's nice when you're in a hurry though, you don't have to be careful and it saves prep time. And you're right, it helps a lot if your face is irritated. I still plan on mastering it with soaps.

if it works for you, roll with it!

(I wont be putting my soaps and creams away though)

I've seen it. Its blue and looks like hair gel. Never tried it. Being new it is nice to have it clear so you can see your face while you shave. for this reason I used to put a very thin lather of Trader Joe's brushless cream starting out till I got the hang of it.

I've used the King of Shaves stuff. In fact, I still have 3/4 of a tube. I found the shave was fine, but it was quite difficult to clean the gunk from my razor and I didn't like the feeling like I couldn't wash the stuff off my face.

TheBigL said:

I've used the King of Shaves stuff. In fact, I still have 3/4 of a tube. I found the shave was fine, but it was quite difficult to clean the gunk from my razor and I didn't like the feeling like I couldn't wash the stuff off my face.

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Sounds like you needed to use a little more water with it. The edge infused shaving cream in a tube is just like it. They recomend a thin layer with lots of water. For me it was slick and a little irritating, not much cushion.

Clayton

Your issue is formed on the basis of experience or the lack thereof. Once you adapt to different tools and become more adept at the task at hand (Shaving with a DE) the more you'll be able to analysis your mistakes and correct them. My opinion is the angle is probably off, the lather isn't that great, or the pressure is way too severe.

Try a new soap, like Tabac, and see if that helps.


Like I said, these things come with experience, in six months you'll see what I mean.

TheBigL said:

I've used the King of Shaves stuff. In fact, I still have 3/4 of a tube. I found the shave was fine, but it was quite difficult to clean the gunk from my razor and I didn't like the feeling like I couldn't wash the stuff off my face.

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You're right, it really clings to your face and razor when rinsing. A wet wash cloth helps with the face.

Disburden said:

Your issue is formed on the basis of experience or the lack thereof. Once you adapt to different tools and become more adept at the task at hand (Shaving with a DE) the more you'll be able to analysis your mistakes and correct them. My opinion is the angle is probably off, the lather isn't that great, or the pressure is way too severe.

Try a new soap, like Tabac, and see if that helps.


Like I said, these things come with experience, in six months you'll see what I mean.

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Aint' that the truth. My first 10 or so DE shaves were with some homemade soaps and creams I got from eBay, Derbys and an HD. I had pretty much consistent irritation. Then the Tabac cream came in. What a difference!! Then I got the Tabac soap. Even better. Then the Speick cream, feathers, and a Tech; better yet. Then the Provence Sante Green Tea soap, a new EJ razor and a switch to Personnas from Derbys; the best so far. It just keeps getting better, but now I don't know what to attribute improvements to anymore. So I'll just call it technique. But a change in soaps definitely started the ball rolling in the right direction.

Mmmmmm Tabac