Where would aftershave fit in?

Hello all,

I'm a newbie, but after a shave I'll first use an alum block. then i'll rinse it off with cold water. Then I'll apply thayer's witch hazel. If i'm feeling dry, i'll put on some facial moisturizer (w/o scent).

Where would an aftershave splash fit in? Would it replace the witch hazel? Would it have any benefit in addition to witch hazel besides the smell? I've been interested in trying some bay rum (because its cheap), and might pick it up if i ever see it at a drug store. Just curious if its worth the extra step.

I wouldn't apply aftershave after a moisturizer.

What soap or shave cream do you use? It might be drying out you skin.

Superior 70 Bay Rum - $2.

I guess i was wondering if it would make sense to apply witch hazel (thayer's original astringint 10% alcohol), then bay rum or some other aftershave. Or would this be overkill?

For drying out...main factor is the acne wash I was using. I'm trying a more gentle wash....but we'll see how that goes. Either way I'm still trying to adjust my routine to allow for less irritation and less acne. I've been using proraso soap (hard cream in tub) for shaving. I should probably experiment more with my prep.

For prep I've been showering (washing face in shower with acne wash), then splashing warm water. Then I'll lather up, and let it sit on my face for a few minutes. Then wash it off and start a new lather and shave. I can't seem to fit a hot towel in there...because i get water dripping all over the place...

If using splash it would replace the WH and you could apply the moisturizer after that, I'd give it a couple of minutes in between. If you suffer from dry skin or if your cleanser dries your skin try to stick to alcohol free toners and AS's.

You can apply AS after the WH. I would recommend that let the WH dry on your face. Rinse, then apply the AS.

Alum, cold water, witch hazel, splash and moisturizer are ALL aftershave products.
They just each perform slightly different actions on your skin, and they all overlap to some extent - the key is to figure out what works best for you.

Personally, I'd go minimal, use nothing but one product for a week. See how your skin reacts, then try mixing and matching. Figure out exactly what each product brings to the mix, and use only the ones that you feel contribute positively towards your skin health, and can the rest.

I rinse with warm water, then cold water, towel dry, then splash on some witch hazel. I let that air dry. Then I use a balm or a splash. Might be redundant, but it feels good ...

You could also try a nice splash that addresses a lot of the skin issues you're thinking about. Splashes like Speick or Musgo Real are very well regarded to treat your face quite well, and you may need only that, or alum block + splash.

Interesting. I think i'll try out some bay rum (the walgreens says that there is a superior 70 in stock in my area....). Otherwise i'll experiment to see if i can get good results before venturing into more expensive aftershaves. Doesn't mean I don't want to...I've just got to calm my AD

Wetshaving is like learning any other skill, whether it's skiing or swordfighting. At first, you work on mastering the basics. Then, as you start to get good, you begin to tack on all the bells and whistles. Once you get to a certain point, you realize that now you have to strip away most of what you've been learning and gathering up. Do away with all the extraneous bull%$@&.

For me, that's how it goes with alum block, moisturizers, splashes, lotions and potions. Now I shave, rinse off my face, slap on some aftershave and I'm done.

For most people, the issues that are addressed by most of the things you discussed are cleared up as their technique improves. I wish that I had some advice about acne, but I would think that minimizing extra stuff on your face is always a good idea.

I go with a cold rinse, WH, ASB, Tend Skin, then finally a SPF face lotion.

I let the WH dry on my face then rinse off with cold water. Same goes for the ASB. No rinse between the Tend Skin and lotion, I just let it dry first.

well i've still got some experimenting to do. Found one walgreens in my area with two bottles of superior 70 for 2.39 a piece. Bought both of them. Smells great just like christmas. I'll see if i can't find a more suitable bottle for it though. thanks for the advice all

Well tried it out, and not sure what exactly was the trick, but I got a very comfortable shave.

Tried tabac for the first time, lathered it up for a kyle's prep. Did two WTG passes, rinsed with cold water, splashed on some superior 70 and done.

Skipped the shower, skipped the alum, skipped the thayer's.

I select my aftershave based on how the shave went and how dry my skin feels. Balm for dry days, WH for bad shaves, and splashes for the rest. But I never apply more than one thing.

I pretty much just use a cold water rinse then a splash ideally. When I get a little aggressive I use an alum block first to seal up any nicks then cold rinse and a splash. I save the witch hazel and moisturizers for at night.