Witch Hazel

[Jonnybc]

The different flavours of Witch Hazel you have in the US aren'y available here so I have to use the plain ordinary stuff which I scent with essential oils. I got home from work on Friday and splashed some on my face but used a little too much, I mopped up the excess with some cotton wool and the amount of grime that came off my face onto the cotton wool was unbelievable. I did my whole face using 3 peices of cotton wool and it felt really clean, the cotton wool on the othe hane looked revolting, I never knew my face was so dirty aster a day at work!

Does anyone else cleanse their face with Witch Hazel? If not I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

[tam.audio]

I love Witch Hazel. I use the Thayer's Rose variety, it really helps when my face gets greasy mid day or before I go out at night.

[KUJO]

I use Thayer's Rose Witch Hazel after shaving. It's a great astringent, anti-spetic, and overall great smelling end to a shave

[woodbane]

I think you'll find there's a lot of gents on this board that use Witch Hazel, most notably Thayer's. I am one them.

I make my own home brew of 2oz Witch Hazel, 5 drops Lavender Essential Oil & 2-3 drops Peppermint Essential Oil and put it in a spritzer. Applied to face after shave = VERY refreshing!

[NMMB]

...Does anyone else cleanse their face with Witch Hazel? If not I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

On especially warm and humid days (or days when I am especially warm and humid despite as a result of my activities) I have taken to using Thayers W/H as a late afternoon, early evening pick-me-up/ cleaner. I also use it as a toner at night after I wash my face. I am especially fond of the lemon (smells clean, but not like "Mr. Clean", as you might expect from a lemon product) and the rose (but SWMBO hates the rose so I don't use it that often).

[woodbane]

On especially warm and humid days (or days when I am especially warm and humid despite as a result of my activities) I have taken to using Thayers W/H as a late afternoon, early evening pick-me-up/ cleaner. I also use it as a toner at night after I wash my face. I am especially fond of the lemon (smells clean, but not like "Mr. Clean", as you might expect from a lemon product) and the rose (but SWMBO hates the rose so I don't use it that often).

Really! I found the exact opposite with the lemon - I thought it smelled just like furniture polish, just goes to show...one mans treasure......

[NMMB]

Really! I found the exact opposite with the lemon - I thought it smelled just like furniture polish, just goes to show...one mans treasure......

Actually, I recall you mentioning that in a previous post... but it just doesn't have that ultra-fake, chemical scent that I associate with lemon-scented cleaners. It reminds me of lemonaid, actually... but not as sweet.

[woodbane]

Weird huh? Never mind, I dig my own homemade concoction just fine (see above).

[water]

Anyone know of any "every day" (read Wal-Mart, etc) stores in Canada where a person who does not live in a metropolitan centre would be able to purchase Thayers?

[NMMB]

Anyone know of any "every day" (read Wal-Mart, etc) stores in Canada where a person who does not live in a metropolitan centre would be able to purchase Thayers?

Water, where are you located? I'm in Ottawa and have found it locally in one of those small, local natural food stores (in my case it was Rainbow Natural Foods). You may also consider looking at GNC; I've heard it mentioned that GNC carries the good stuff, but I didn't see it at the GNC that I visited (perhaps they don't have Thayes at GNC stores in Canada or something). You could also consider checking out some small, independent pharmacies (even if you don't find the Thayers, you may find some other cool gear). Hope this helps...

[water]

Thanks NMMB. I am sitting on the edge of the cold North Atlantic.

I called GNC this weekend but they do not carry it here. Also tried a couple of local drug stores but no luck. The search continues...

[NMMB]

... I am sitting on the edge of the cold North Atlantic...
...The search continues...

James,

I miss the cold North Atlantic... I come from Newfoundland and spent most of the last decade in Nova Scotia. In fact, the ocean is one of the few things that I miss being here in the nations Capital. The ocean and JustUs coffee (roasted in Grande Pre, Nova Scotia ... or is it Grand Pre? I never remembered how to spell that).

Good luck with the search... and hey, if you get really stuck perhaps you'll be able to convince some member to mail some Thayers WH to you... though, with the rates charged by Canada Post it would make the WH much more expensive. Perhaps you could consider going to large Chain Drug Store, picking up their store-brand stuff and scenting it with EOs... some people swear by this...

[vox_rox]

James,

Good luck with the search... and hey, if you get really stuck perhaps you'll be able to convince some member to mail some Thayers WH to you... though, with the rates charged by Canada Post it would make the WH much more expensive.

I simply do not understand why we Canadians are relegated to Internet purchasing almost everything we need to wet shave. I have found one store in Calgary that sells Thayer's W/H, and it's quite pricey there, but I have no choice, and I now really like what it does for my face after a shave. Shave Cream? Foggedaboudit! The same store, a natural food store, also sells some Tom's of Maine products, but not the shave cream. In fact, the Canadian distributor doesn't evne have it on their list, and the woman at the store actually tried to convince me that it must be discontinued.

As for hardware - nada. No local suppliers of safety razors, blades, nothing. The local Crabtree & Evelyn sells their own sellection of shaving creams, soaps, balms etc., which are admittedly good products (though I find the smell pretty overpowering), and they have a small selection of brushes, that's it. That's all. Oh, and a couple of tacky-looking Trac II handles, like that's someone's idea of a wet shave. Puhleeeease!

So, if you're Canadian, pay the shipping, pay the GST plus the $5 surcharge at the border, pay in $US, pay it all, just so that you can get the same shave that should be your friggin' birth rite!

And get used to phrase: "Sorry, no, we don't carry that product."

Peace,

Pierre

[letterk]

I simply do not understand why we Canadians are relegated to Internet purchasing almost everything we need to wet shave.

Maybe one of you enterprising Canadians need to start a wet shaving store/website?

[guenron]

I simply do not understand why we Canadians are relegated to Internet purchasing almost everything we need to wet shave. I have found one store in Calgary that sells Thayer's W/H, and it's quite pricey there, but I have no choice, and I now really like what it does for my face after a shave. Shave Cream? Foggedaboudit! The same store, a natural food store, also sells some Tom's of Maine products, but not the shave cream. In fact, the Canadian distributor doesn't evne have it on their list, and the woman at the store actually tried to convince me that it must be discontinued.

As for hardware - nada. No local suppliers of safety razors, blades, nothing. The local Crabtree & Evelyn sells their own sellection of shaving creams, soaps, balms etc., which are admittedly good products (though I find the smell pretty overpowering), and they have a small selection of brushes, that's it. That's all. Oh, and a couple of tacky-looking Trac II handles, like that's someone's idea of a wet shave. Puhleeeease!

So, if you're Canadian, pay the shipping, pay the GST plus the $5 surcharge at the border, pay in $US, pay it all, just so that you can get the same shave that should be your friggin' birth rite!

And get used to phrase: "Sorry, no, we don't carry that product."

Peace,

Pierre

Are you sure you don't live in Oklahoma?

[Cliff]

I do the same as you John. I buy the Thayer's unscented and add mint EO to it, creating a Mint Witch Hazel. A little bit of EO's goes a long way, the first batch I made, I used too much EO and it was overpowering - had to throw it. Now I use a few drops and I'm there.

Cliff

[rtaylor61]

I simply do not understand why we Canadians are relegated to Internet purchasing almost everything we need to wet shave. I have found one store in Calgary that sells Thayer's W/H, and it's quite pricey there, but I have no choice, and I now really like what it does for my face after a shave. Shave Cream? Foggedaboudit! The same store, a natural food store, also sells some Tom's of Maine products, but not the shave cream. In fact, the Canadian distributor doesn't evne have it on their list, and the woman at the store actually tried to convince me that it must be discontinued.

As for hardware - nada. No local suppliers of safety razors, blades, nothing. The local Crabtree & Evelyn sells their own sellection of shaving creams, soaps, balms etc., which are admittedly good products (though I find the smell pretty overpowering), and they have a small selection of brushes, that's it. That's all. Oh, and a couple of tacky-looking Trac II handles, like that's someone's idea of a wet shave. Puhleeeease!

So, if you're Canadian, pay the shipping, pay the GST plus the $5 surcharge at the border, pay in $US, pay it all, just so that you can get the same shave that should be your friggin' birth rite!

And get used to phrase: "Sorry, no, we don't carry that product."

Peace,

Pierre

Sounds like Utah! But at least you have a C&E Store!

Randy

[Suzuki]

I have just joined the board as I have been an off and on wetshaver for several years.

Having read the reviews of Thayers, I am going to add some to my daily routine. Living in Toronto, I should be able to get it somewhere (the local independant drug store stocks the brand, but not the lavender) - I will have to try some natural food/drug stores.

For the others in Canada - I share your pain about the difficulty getting wetshaving supplies - what about considering group buys from the US or Europe to amortize shipping/duty? I know that non-liquid items that weigh up to a pound and fit into a padded envelope can be sent pretty cheaply (i.e. blades, razors, soaps, etc).

[vox_rox]

Having read the reviews of Thayers, I am going to add some to my daily routine. Living in Toronto, I should be able to get it somewhere (the local independant drug store stocks the brand, but not the lavender) - I will have to try some natural food/drug stores.

In T.O., you should have very little difficulty getting Thayer's, there are many placed to look. As for other creams, hardware etc., you may have somewhat better luckthan other locations in Canada, but the people there are dealing with the same distributors, so some items may still be hard or impossible to find. But T.O. is like Canada's New York, so you have a much better chance of finding supplies then I do, even in a large, albeit Redneck town like Calgary.

For the others in Canada - I share your pain about the difficulty getting wetshaving supplies - what about considering group buys from the US or Europe to amortize shipping/duty? I know that non-liquid items that weigh up to a pound and fit into a padded envelope can be sent pretty cheaply (i.e. blades, razors, soaps, etc).

This is BRILLIANT. Of course we still need to find someone who wants to be the clearing house for these orders. We also would need to find a supplier as well which, in my mind, is still the large hurdle.

letterk mentioned up top about opening a mail order shop based in Canada for wet shaving supplies. This actually sounds like the best way to go, if only I had several thousand dollars to throw around with no gaurantee of success.

Although, I might throw together a business plan with some cash flow forecasts to see how feasible it might be. It could work, especially if the mass hypnosis plan works. Stay tuned for those plans. I would call them evil plans, but really it's for everyone's on good, so I'll just simply refer to them as slightly subversive.

Peace,

Pierre

[letterk]

Since I was one of the original business advisors, I expect a percentage of the profits