Creams, ingredients and skin types

[woodbane]

Good morning gentlemen,

A question/observation: I shaved with a sample of Trumpers Lavender this morning and had a very different shave to all my other shaves this week with either Tom's or Bodyshop cream.

I found the razor did not glide over my skin at all well and I got a fair amount of irritation on my neck which particularly displeased me as yesterday I thought I had all but conquered the dreaded neck rash. I also thought the cream seemed to dry out quickly on my face. Anything to do with the scent?

So, are there certain shaving creams that are more likely to set off irritation and is this based on the ingredients? My hypothesis is this: If using a cream with some kind of cologne or oil in it (which I'm guessing most of the floral scents have), is this more likely to dry your skin out and cause irritation?

I guess what would be really handy would be a list of creams split into categories maybe relating to their properties, something like "moisturizing", "heavily scented/perfumed", "oily", "neutral" and the such like or even combinations.

Sorry if this has been delved into before, I just wondered if there was more information available?

[rschul2]

This has been a highly debated topic. There is no doubt in my opinion that there are ingredients in each soap that does indeed irritate/bother people with certain skin types. But to group creams as being designed for oily vs. dry skin types is probably ridiculous. Most lime creams are supposedly designed for people with oily skin types, yet I know of a few oily-skinned people who find trumpers lime cream to dry out their skin. It's all about how the cream makes you feel. You certainly can use other people's experience as a barometer for how you MIGHT react to a certain product, but in the end it is all depends on your skin type. Remember no one skin type is just oily or dry but usually some combination of the two.

[Kyle]

Andy,

Ditto what Randy said, and...

I have not used the Trumper's Lavender but most of the feedback it gets would indicate that it is one of the top creams in terms of lubrication and shave. I have used the Taylor's Lavender, which is supposed to be very similar in composition, and get very good shaves from it.

Have you used other Trumper's creams, and if so how do they compare?
(you could be allergic to something in Trumper's formula)

Have you used a Lavender cream of any other brand?
(you could be allergic to Lavender)

Are you sure that your lather build was top notch?
(not trying to point a finger, but if you are new to wet shaving, this is certainly possible)

Hopefully these questions can get us a step or two closer to figuring out the problem.

[woodbane]

Andy,

Ditto what Randy said, and...

I have not used the Trumper's Lavender but most of the feedback it gets would indicate that it is one of the top creams in terms of lubrication and shave. I have used the Taylor's Lavender, which is supposed to be very similar in composition, and get very good shaves from it.

Have you used other Trumper's creams, and if so how do they compare?
(you could be allergic to something in Trumper's formula)

Have you used a Lavender cream of any other brand?
(you could be allergic to Lavender)

Are you sure that your lather build was top notch?
(not trying to point a finger, but if you are new to wet shaving, this is certainly possible)

Hopefully these questions can get us a step or two closer to figuring out the problem.

Hey Kyle! Get your damned finger out of my eye!!

It's certainly a possibility it was my lathering technique although I seem to have done rather well with both Tom's and The Body Shop creams this week, nice, slippery and plentiful lather. Funnily enough, I did actually get a close shave, it was just the skin irritation that surprised me.

It was my first time using any kind of Lavender, it was a sample that Scotto sent me. Now I'm questioning whether it was Trumpers, Taylors or Truefitt, dang it! Scotto, weigh in here?? (Pretty sure it was Trumpers tho')

I'm hazarding a guess I may well not get on with Lavender produce in general as I do suffer from hayfever (hmmmmmmm, why I didn't think of that one before I don't know!). I'd say my skin probably leans towards drying fairly easily (my wife thinks I have leper hands in winter!!), so I'd also guess I may not get on well with overly perfumed creams.

Thanks for the advice guys.

[Scotto]

Well, Trumper's doesn't make a Lavender cream, so I suppose it was Taylor's.

In any case, people's faces react differently to different products. At the beginning of my wet shaving journey, may face could not countenance any cologne-scented creams. Now I have toughened up and I have more flexibility.

My gut tells me it was non-optimized lathering technique, since that cream should give you a stellar shave. If that isn't it, you are just sensitive to perfumes. Try one of the other samples, perhaps an Almond, and see if that works better for you.

[woodbane]

My gut tells me it was non-optimized lathering technique, since that cream should give you a stellar shave. If that isn't it, you are just sensitive to perfumes. Try one of the other samples, perhaps an Almond, and see if that works better for you.

Dammit! I'm going to have to go home and root through the recycling bin now to find the piece of tape you wrapped around the sample so I know whether it was Taylors or Truefitt.

As I said, the quality of the shave, in terms of the smoothness of my face was great, just the irritation that caught me off guard. I shall take the insinuation that I have a namby-pamby n00b's face with a pinch of salt Scotto!

[PoshRichM]

I'm generally a fan of lavender creams. I'm curious to discover whether this was Taylor's or Truefitt & Hill. If this was Taylor's lavender, I do find that Taylor's creams in general need more hydration to avoid skipping. Once properly hydrated, though, they're pretty much second to none in the lubrication department.

-Rich

[Scotto]

I don't own T&H Lavender, and since I was the source of the offending sample, it was Taylors.... Note this is the old formulation, before they switched to pure EOs.

[woodbane]

Scotto, you've saved me from the indignation of having to rummage through the recycling bin....thanks! So, Taylors it was then.

I hope you don't take offense at my post as it was your sample and I'm still eager to try out all the others you sent me.

In my mind, it was extremely generous of you and a useful exercise as I will get a much better picture of perhaps what creams my face does and doesn't like.

Has the switch to EO oils in Taylor products made a big difference then?

[Scotto]

Andy,

Of course no offense. Samples are perfect for trying things out. It may be that if you return to that cream a few days or weeks down the road, you have a different response.

I haven't tried the new Taylor's formulation. Then again, I have never had a problem with the old; I kind of like the quirky aroma, and the shave is generally top-notch.