Exfoliating scrub Vs metal blade

I started to use an exfoliating scrub on my face about a year ago when I was trying to find a solution for my excessive ingrown hairs. I bought several different types, some were expensive and yet I saw minimal benefit. They are also supposed to make your skin glow again as they scrub off all the dead cells leaving new, radiant skin.

I did find the solution eventually to my ingrown hairs, namedly single blade shaving with quality products. However, I continued to use the exfoliating scrub every week as a habit and with the impression that it was good for my skin. Whilst 'scrubbing' it feels like the little particles are scratching my skin for a short while, then I wash it off. My skin then feels tight, dry and itchy and I need to apply a heavy layer of moisturiser to compensate.

I made the mistake once of shaving just after exfoliating and suffered the worst razor burn since using that rubbish sanguine razor (an earlier post). It must have been because the natural skin oils had been scrubbed off.

A few weeks ago, the weather was really dry and I looked in the mirror to see a scaly area above my left eyebrow. I do suffer from mild psoriasis and this definately wasn't psoriasis, plus I only usually get it on my chest & arms. I used moisturiser on it intensively but it was still there every morning when I looked in the mirror.

Then, I was shaving one morning and using my shavette loaded with half a Tesco blade to shape my beard when I decided to try and scrape that scaly bit. I wet it with warm water and rubbed my shavestick on it lightly and scraped it off with the razor. I was amazed at how much skin came off! Next morning there was no more scaly skin.

I decided to use the razor to exfoliate the whole of my face where I don't shave. I have been doing this every week now and my skin has never looked smoother and more radiant. Plus there is no more post exfoliating dryness and itchiness.

I have now banned myself from using those nasty scrubs which do nothing apart from scratch and dry your skin. I was inspired partly by this video on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCZLjRs0068

So once a week you shave your whole face? I have to admit that there have been times when I rinse my face and I find dead skin floating in the sink. I might give it a go.

reminds me about the japanese shaving youtube video....

i hope you don't exfoliate your eyelids with the new method.

TstebinsB said:

So once a week you shave your whole face? I have to admit that there have been times when I rinse my face and I find dead skin floating in the sink. I might give it a go.

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Yes. Once a week I will get out of the shower and rub a glycerine shave stick lightly across my wet face and rub it in with my hands slightly. I then pass over my face carefully with the shavette (no, I don't do my eyelids!). It is amazing how much dead skin will come off and my skin never looked better. I no longer have the flaky patches that were resistant to moisturisers, and the post-exfoliation dryness caused by the facial scrub.

The hardest part was the left side of my nose ( I am right handed), but now I have mastered that. It is also surprising how easily the blade glides across the skin as there is no hair to give resistance. If you have any experience with a single edge razor I am sure you will find it easy.

After I finish shaving, between the warm water rinse and the cold water rinse, I will often rub my face up and down with my index finger. TONS of dead skin comes off. If I go a few days without shaving, there's so much that it seems like I just removed my entire face.

I don't have much of a problem with dead skin on my forehead, so I don't think I'll go for your routine, but I can see what you mean.

After all the shaving is done, I rinse, scrub the entire face with the lathered brush, take in the aroma one last time, rinse, and then continue with the post-shave routine. Works great for me.

I use Baxter scrub for my T-zone every other week. No need to scrub the areas you shave. This routine works best for me. I would not use a razor for my forehead unless I had hair growing there.

Austin said:

I use Baxter scrub for my T-zone every other week. No need to scrub the areas you shave. This routine works best for me. I would not use a razor for my forehead unless I had hair growing there.

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Some guys do that when the moon is full...