Got Shaving Brush Burn

I've noticed my badger brushes can take more of a beating than my boars. the boar bristle is 2x or more thicker so I think its more brittle. I suppose if you're careful enough with it and you soak it properly before you start lathering it'll be fine though. I get brush burn with my wee scot in best if I face lather then do 4 passes with the brush - I think its because of the short loft.

doug1066 said:

Chris,

I love boar brushes. After reading about the various problems people have had with Rooneys, Simpsons, Kents, Vulfix, etc. concerning shedding and irritation and the expense, I think I'll stick to the porcine end of the spectrum.

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As long as you stay away from Pure badger you should be OK.... Fine, Best and Super are all very comfortable on the face.

Yes, I think the easy thing to do here is also the right thing - blame it on the brush and try a new one
Those pure and even black badger knots have a reputation for scritchyness that no others have. I agree with Chris about even the low end boars being more forgiving. I have a $12 Omega Boar that has good backbone, but especially now that it is broken in I can't imagine it giving me irritation. Your Pure brush may just be too prickly for face lathering.

Just goes to show how the YMMV comes into play. I only face lather and prefer a good scratchy Pure Badger for the purpose!

Gareth

It depends on how sensitive your skin is. I'm in the 10% (just a guess) of people who have trouble facelathering with Best, forget Pure. I have even gotten brush burn from a silvertip before.

Once it's broken in, you can get very soft tips from a $10 boar. For equally soft tips in a badger, you have to pay a lot more...

inspiringK said:

Yes, I think the easy thing to do here is also the right thing - blame it on the brush and try a new one
Those pure and even black badger knots have a reputation for scritchyness that no others have. I agree with Chris about even the low end boars being more forgiving. I have a $12 Omega Boar that has good backbone, but especially now that it is broken in I can't imagine it giving me irritation. Your Pure brush may just be too prickly for face lathering.

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I was planning on getting a new brush (or two) anyways

Speaking of boar... I just got brush burn from a non-broken in Omega. Hopefully after I break it in it will be better.

Too bad this topic is two years old. This is exactly what I'm looking for. But thanks anyways guys, I got some good advice.

I've gotten "burned" a couple times from fairly well broken in badger brushes - one a Vulfix 1000A "Pure" and, the other, a Simpsons Wee Scot "Best". But, my Omega 49 is getting softer by the day. I'm still afraid to try face lathering. But I am tempted to try hand lathering as a burn-free alternative for now.

I have never experienced this. I've used pure, best, silver tip, and now using the latest B&B Omega boar. Wondering if I understand "scritchy."

i have this issue. some suggested to soak my brush for like 10 minutes didnt help. my face is on fire sometimes from the brush. i ordered a silvertip im going to try next hopefully better than the boar i was using.

Zoro said:

I was planning on getting a new brush (or two) anyways

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sorry to hear about your brush burn, just goes to show we are all different.

you didn't say whether you were using a new soap/cream - could it have been due to some type of allergic reaction? also, how many facelathers did you make? - if you spent a long time lathering it may not be the brush that is the issue, it may have been the length of time you lathered.

I can recommend a nice cheap synthetic brush for you if you are reacting to the badger - it is a brush you can get on ebay - Frank Shaving synthetic 24mm Richmond with faux ebony (or ivory) handle. I have two of them, one in each colour. they are nice an soft on the face, great for face or bowl lathering. they cost me less than $20AUD including shipping and are about a million times better than the synthetic Omega brushes. (it's not my ebay store! => http://stores.ebay.com.au/Ian-Tangs...63933015&_sid=997286275&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322). good luck.

I've been using an Omega 49 for a couple of weeks now, and find that it is breaking in really nicely. And, the bristles are really softing up (on the tips), while the knot itself remains quite firm. I may have found the perfect combination for me. I'm anxious to explore more with the boar bristles. (Actually, I'm waiting on a Semogue brush to come...)

I only get burn from a boar, myself, but not bad. But if you get it from a Pure, definitely go for a cheap silvertip or best. Larry has some for pretty small coin that will do the job nicely. Also there are the Lijun brushes. A silvertip doesn't have to be all that expensive.

vegas said:

I test lather in my palm. How common is shaving brush burn?

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I have never heard of it! Never experienced it as well. But I have wet shaved for a long time already, so I think my skin is used to being brushed and lathered.

What I have had, is a reaction to a particular shaving soap. But I would not call that shaving brush burn.

A timely thread for me

I received my first brush in the mail today: Tweezerman Badger. I was so excited about it, that I had to try out my lathering skills, gained from youtube (mantic59) and here.

Ran brush under warm water.Drain excess, then:
(1) Bowl lathered (VDH - deluxe). Went ok, I got 2 passes and shaved with a fusion, since the de safety razor is still in the mail.
(2) Face lathered (Proraso - green tube). Couldn't tell if burning, or the menthol effect. Washed off. Face lathering is tricky, thus far.
(3) Hand lathered (TOBS - Sandlewood). Applied to face. Woo, burn baby burn. Washed off.

It's either (a) The brush - over did it with the circular action. It does feel a bit prickly. (b) Fusion cartridge not exactly sharp (c) Reaction to sandlewood / menthol. (d) No prep. - woops! (e) all of the above.

Will keep posted haha. I should try just one cream/soap per day, so I can isolate what's going on. Maybe try a fresh fusion cartridge too.
The good news is I enjoyed slapping the brush over my face, minus occasional prickles.

Sandalwood can do that. Many people (myself included) have had bad reactions to products with sandalwood EO in them. Ironically, not all sandalwood products give me the burn. T&H sandalwood cream and AS balm do, but not GFT sandalwood cream and skin food. Some people are sensitive to menthol as well. Also, I believe that if you aren't used to brushing cream onto your face or facelathering, you will experience some irritation regardless of potential allergies.

Is the Tweezerman Badger a pure badger brush? I know that of all of my brushes, the one that is the scritchiest and most irritating is my EJ travel brush in pure badger.

So, yes, it could be all of the above to some extent. Keep trying though, you will eventually get used to it and find what works best for you.

Ben

Yeah, the Tweezerman is a 100% badger brush and it certainly was prickly.

I need to do some prep first, (shower/hot towels etc.), get a fresh blade, soak for brush for longer and use only one soap/cream per session. I'll figure it out.