Aftershave for Ingrown Hair/Sensative Skin

[Darnell]

I find it interesting that although Tend Skin has a high degree of Alcohol, they "recommend" applying it when the face is "dry". As if I'd trade burning daily for removal of bumps, no thank you.

I won't be trying it on a dry face. My testing of the product will be based on how it performs when my face is WET. Either wet from water or wet from some Bay Rum applied first, but either way, I'll be cutting that potential burn with something. And if it can't perform like that, I'll just go back to my Proraso Splash that works fine when the face is wet.

[Darnell]

Been using Tend Skin + Ogallala Bay Rum After Shave for 4 days now. I'm very impressed with Tend Skin. The first 2 days I did as they recommend and used it at night too. It did not interfere with my CPAP therapy at all.

Things are looking very smooth. I basically use the Tend Skin as a splash while my face is still a little moist from using a cold towel after shaving. Then after the Tend Skin I let my face dry and then I put on my Bay Rum splash, in a very light amount, for fragrance.

The Tend Skin smells like alcohol and as was mentioned, that smell does go away right after applying it. So it works and ultimately smells like nothing. It seems me using a little Ogallala Bay Rum After Shave has not caused any issues either. I figure I can probably use the Tend Skin with Geo F. Trumper Skin Food Sandalwood fragrance in the colder months with no issues.

So now I must agree with the masses of Tend Skin users, it's the best . I can't say I've found anyone who used Tend Skin and said "it didn't work" .

I've got some after shave splashes and milks made by The Shave Den on the way. Their house brands include allantoin + witch hazel and they mix it up in most any fragrance you want. I'll probably play around with the Tend Skin + some of The Shave Den stuff. But bottom line is that Tend Skin is the new staple. For me, testing is officially over, Tend Skin wins. Everything else is stuff I'll apply after the Tend Skin for the sake of fragrance and giggles .

[KevinM87]

Darnell,

Do you find that the tend-skin followed by the Ogala splash dries your skin out excessively? I have a severe ingrown problem, so I've ordered some Tend Skin, but I'd imagine that it can dry your face out quite a bit. What would you recommend to follow the tend skin to keep my neck from drying out too much? I don't really care about fragrance, just results.

[Darnell]

Darnell,

Do you find that the tend-skin followed by the Ogala splash dries your skin out excessively? I have a severe ingrown problem, so I've ordered some Tend Skin, but I'd imagine that it can dry your face out quite a bit. What would you recommend to follow the tend skin to keep my neck from drying out too much? I don't really care about fragrance, just results.

Tend Skin has some moisturizer in it. (It's not "just" alcohol and aspirin.) If you don't care about fragrance, you might be able to get away with just using Tend Skin after a shave and nothing more. Ogallala has oils in its blend, so that does not dry skin out either. Although results vary based on the season. You can't go walking outside with those in 30 degree weather and expect your face to stay moist . You live in MD and it's Spring. With the humidity and warmth there, I doubt you'd need anything additional for "moisture".

Although I find using something after any alcohol based product helps sooth any burn, in addition to my wanting some fragrance. If you have a day where you shave and have some razor burn, obviously the Tend Skin is going to stir that up a bit. So using something after the Tend Skin drys is going to help sooth things a bit. But keep in mind, if you use a "light" amount of something after Tend Skin, the Tend Skin will probably perform fine. But if you use a lot of a product after the Tend Skin, it may wash the Tend Skin out. Which would eliminate Tend Skin's benefits. For a "severe" problem though, try just the Tend Skin alone, you want to get the full benefit. Of course you'll have to do your own trial and error to get the setup that works best for you.

I've started using Tend Skin with The Shave Den After Shaves Splashes and Milks I mentioned, since I got a bunch of Shave Den sample After Shaves Splashes and Milks. Today was the first day, Tend Skin + Shave Den Milk seems to work fine too and The Shave Den stuff has allantoin. But I probably won't use any more of the Milks till winter, since they leave the skin a little oily. The Shave Den just has an amazing selection of fragrances. I used Tend Skin + The Shave Den Aftershave Milk Cool Water Type today. Their "Cool Water Type" fragrance smells JUST LIKE Cool Water cologne. I'm really enjoying it. So tomorrow I'll be using Tend Skin + The Shave Den Aftershave Splash Cool Water Type. I think someone can probably get away with a "little" of whatever they prefer, so long as Tend Skin is well applied as a base first after shaving.

Some days I still find I might get a few bumps that might want to get started. In those cases I go back to using Tend Skin alone at night and things clear up after a night or 2 of using Tend Skin both day and night. When I use Tend Skin at night I use it alone. Typically I only use Tend Skin (plus something) after shaving and nothing at all at night.

And of course you know, the only way to get rid of an already existing ingrown is to pull it out.

[Darnell]

If you happen to need something other than a witch hazel based splash for moisture after using Tend Skin, instead of a spalsh after Tend Skin, the "best" IMHO would be Geo F. Trumper Skin Food. But if you just want something off the shelf, I'd recommend the Neutrogena Men Razor Defense Post Shave Lotion. The Neutrogena has allantoin. For a "severe" problem, something with allantoin might work best if you need something on top of Tend Skin. Of course you'll have to discover what's best for you .

[Darnell]

Just checking in, to mention that using Tend Skin + The Shave Den Aftershave Splash has been the absolute BEST. I mean, unparalleled. The Tend Skin followed by a splash with allantoin, I'm bump free, and go days without any. Been days since I had to remove an ingrown. (Could be a week since, I've lost track.) And I'm not using anything at night.

I've enjoyed most Shave Den splashes I've tried, except the Egyptian Spice fragrance. Something in that Egyptian Spice makes my skin burn.

[Darnell]

Quick follow-up. I've found my best results with the aftershave products mentioned when ALSO using my Omega Shave Cream. I've noticed if I use my Razorock Artisan soaps I don't have as good results. So be sure you find a shave soap/cream that works well along with the aftershaves you use. Basically, for my needs regarding ingrowns, the thinner stuff seems to work betther than thicker stuff. Omega works for me better than the Tallow in Razorock Artisan soaps.

So for me, it's Neutrogena Pre Shave Scrub, Omega Shave Cream, after shaving Tend Skin, after it dries apply The Shave Den Aftershave Splash.
That method keeps me from having ANY ingrowns.

[Optionyout]

I'm 100% coconut oil. Tend Skin dried out my skin so bad I'd be flaking for weeks afterwards. Coconut oil is moisturizing, and absorbs into the skin.

[petr]

D, how are you applying the tend skin? Are you splashing it on slapping on with the hands or as a spot treatment? If I splashed it on my face you could hear my screams from here.

[Optionyout]

I was dabbing it on with a cotton ball. But it was so drying. I just don't understand the science either. Curly and coarse hair with sharp tips will grow back inward. A dry surface is like miracle grow. Tend skin doesn't straighten the hairs nor does it dull the tips. Shaving correctly and not below skin level(slick skin and no pulling) and keeping the skin properly moisturized has been my ticket to success.

[mistercitizen]

This is an interesting thread. I've been experimenting with Tend Skin off and on because I will get red razor bumps on my neck after shaving. It seems like when I use an AS balm or even Thayer's WH, the bumps get red and worse. Tend Skin seems to get rid of the bumps, but dries my face and neck out something fierce. I'm trying to find the balance right now. Last weekend, I basically gave myself a chemical facial treatment with Tend Skin by applying it every hour for a about 5 hours straight. The next day my face was red in spots.... but smooth and no bumps. The day after that I used Nivea Facial Scrub and got all the dead skin off. Today (a couple days later) my face and neck are pretty much clear. My shaving technique is not good enough yet though so every time I shave I am bound to get a few bumps. I would need to use the Tend Skin everyday (and maybe I should) to keep the bumps in check.... but it just doesn't seem like that would be good for my skin (I have relatively sensitive skin). Seems like using the Tend Skin and then a moisturizer is somewhat counter-productive because I have always thought that razor bumps stay as a result of too much moisture. Maybe I'm wrong about this. At any rate, if I don't get rid of the bumps somehow before my next shave then I just aggrevate them further and they never go away. I'll keep an eye on this thread and keep experimenting for the time being.

Ben

[Optionyout]

I guess I should have mentioned the routine that works beautifully for me. I shower and make sure I scrub my face well with a salux cloth. Then I get out, splash my face with cold water and apply preshave oil. From there I cold water shave, generally wtg and XTG, rinse with cold water, and rub face with an alum block. After a couple minutes I rinse off alum, dry my face and apply coconut oil. No more bumps or ingrown hairs. I also must stress the least amount of pressure possible while shaving because you don't want to damage the skin or cut the hairs too deep.

[Darnell]

D, how are you applying the tend skin? Are you splashing it on slapping on with the hands or as a spot treatment? If I splashed it on my face you could hear my screams from here.

I'm splashing it on, rub some in my hands and slapping it all across my face. Like I said in one of my earlier comments, I apply it while my face is still a little moist to deading the burn a little. I mentioned in an earlier comment how using it on a totally dry face is very painful just after shaving...

With my naturally oily skin, I've had zero issues with my face being too dry. Even when I was using Tend Skin with nothing else for a few days when I first started using it. Now using the Tend Skin + The Shave Den After Shave splash, the after shave offers a little of its own moisture too. I've found using both products offers the best results for me. When winter comes, I expect a little drying and I'll use my Geo F. Trumper Skin Food to remedy that. Already tested that causes no issues.

The same thing won't work for every man. We're all different. I'm just very glad I found a combination that works perfectly for me.

[sellit697]

I'm taking some of Darnell's advice here and just ordered some of the products to try out.

But just to add some of my own findings having suffered from bad ingrowns and razor burn - I found the following things to make a huge difference for me:

• 10% Glycolic Acid + 2% Salicylic acid pads. You can find a brand called Glycolix on Amazon. I use the pads in the evening after washing my face with Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing face scrub, and then the same routine in the morning when I first wake up. This has caused the largest improvement in eliminating my ingrowns (and it has only been a week of use so far).
• Washing my face before bed and when I woke up. Amazing, I know. As a guy I never really worried about it, but this was a huge improvement, and before I even tried using the above pads. I use the Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing face scrub, which I find exfoliates the best of the things I've tried.
• A soft bristle tooth brush. Yeah, simple. I found it really helped exfoliate my skin, and I did it mostly in the evening before bed. I've largely stopped using it since using the Glycolix pads listed first, but I think it helped a lot in combination with just the face scrub.
• (Minor for ingrowns, but cured razor burn) I switched to using a DE (Muhle R89) on my face only, and then the Mach 3 for my neck. My neck has hairs that are very close to the skin in some parts, and I found the Mach3 allowed me to make less passes and remove the hair completely. However, on my actual face I found the Mach3 caused tons of razor burn and ingrowns. So I just accepted using two different razors for the face and neck.

Just some thoughts and maybe some things that might help others :-)

[Optionyout]

I think the Mach 3 is a mistake. It pulls the hairs then cuts and will cause ingrowns, not alleviate them. I've always found changes in routine typically work short term but make things just as bad if not worse in the long run. It'll come down to the same major elements and tweaking the minor ones. It's all about technique and as you get better with your pressure, directions, and the right blade and shaver combo for your type skin and hair.

[Darnell]

...

• Washing my face before bed and when I woke up. Amazing, I know. As a guy I never really worried about it, but this was a huge improvement, and before I even tried using the above pads. I use the Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing face scrub, which I find exfoliates the best of the things I've tried.

...

I didn't want to mention it, because I assume every man here is perfectly clean 24 X 7 . Really, I just didn't want to offend anyone by suggesting anyone was unclean. But yes, washing the face anytime it appears oily is a big help. If the oils build up on the face, the hairs go downward, along with general irritation issues. I usually re-apply the Tend Skin + an allantoin based after shave when finished any face cleaning within the first 12 hours after shaving. So that means usually a refresher mid day or a little later.

I think the Mach 3 is a mistake. It pulls the hairs then cuts and will cause ingrowns, not alleviate them. I've always found changes in routine typically work short term but make things just as bad if not worse in the long run. It'll come down to the same major elements and tweaking the minor ones. It's all about technique and as you get better with your pressure, directions, and the right blade and shaver combo for your type skin and hair.

Totally agree the muti-blade razor is probably not a good idea. When I have an area that is hard to chop down, I get a more aggressive razor. That's why i stick with adjustables and had to eventually move up from the Merkur Progress to the Merkur Vision.

[Darnell]

So given I have found Tend Skin works well, but never liked being without a nice fragrance. I was using Tend Skin and then later applying an after shave. But I had been wondering, what if the folks at Tend Skin made scented versions, that would be nice.

So I decided to try and make my own. I took a small after shave sample bottle and filled it 75% with Tend Skin and then the remaining 25% of the bottle I filled with Ogallala Bay Rum - Bay Rum and Sandalwood fragrance. The result has been a nice smelling after shave that works just as well as the original Tend Skin. The Ogallala Bay Rum frangrances are so strong, it outshines anything. And so even when partially mixed with Tend Skin, all you smell is the Ogallala Bay Rum fragrance. At least it works very well with the Bay Rum and Sandalwood fragrance. I've been using this mix as my after shave for some weeks now and I'm very happy with the results. No nasty Tend Skin post application smell and all the results I'm used to from Tend Skin.

[Funkadelic]

Im going to buy a small bottle of this tomorrow. I hope this is the magic elixir....

[Darnell]

Been a while since I commented in this thread .

I found with time, although mixing Tend Skin with another after shave works fine for killing its smell. It works best when mixed with a scented after shave that contains allantoin. So 75% Tend Skin + %25 any after shave with allantoin is the best combination for After shave.

Also, I changed my shave cream and that was the icing on the cake for removing my razor bumps. After I found the "75% Tend Skin + %25 any after shave with allantoin" combo was the best after shave, I'd have smooth days and some days where I might see a bump or 2 crop up. I changed my regular shaving cream from Omega to TOBS (Taylor of Old Bond Street, Avacado) and I'm amazed that daily my area under my neck is just "smooth" .

So I'd recommend if the after shave combination I mentioned is not working for you. Try a different cream or something else in your routine may need adjustment.

[Funkadelic]

Thanks for the info
Interesting. Guess I will have to keep that in mind, regarding changing to another brand of Shave Cream. Right now, Im using Prorasso White soap, and just purchased Prorasso Green. My routine, is shower, then apply Prorasso Pre-Shave balm sensitive skin, then mix my lather. Shave, then apply Witch Hazel, then Neutrogena Post Shave balm for sensitive skin.
I found Tend Skin today at Sephora. Website says its $20/bottle 4oz or $24/bottle 8oz. As I get to the till she scans it and tells me is $42. I get her to check cos i though it was $24, so the manager comes over and says they will honor that price since the bigger bottle somehow was placed behind the wrong placard.. Big score!