I've really been struggling with my shaves lately. I've been questioning if DE shaving was for me. I've been using either a EJ DE89L or a Weber razor most of the time. I have been using a DE for roughly 6 months, shaving usually every other day. I'd always get that 'just shaved' feel and I wasn't truly feeling like I was getting great shaves, but that has recently changed...
Now I'm getting a lot better shaves than I was a few weeks ago. What has changed? A very mild razor. Which razor? A Gillette Tech. A lot of people talk about how mild the EJ DE89L, but let me tell you, the Gillette Tech is even milder, and it has made a huge difference in my shaves. Now I would say I have very sensitive skin, the kind of sensitive skin where I'm not able to go against the grain or even across the grain without getting irritation. Now with the EJ DE89L and the Weber razor I would always be getting some kind of pulling, and I've tried a lot of different blades. With my Gillette Tech, for some reason I don't get as much pulling which is fantastic. I usually only do 2 passes with the grain and touchups, and that's enough for me. My goal isn't to get BBS, it is mainly to get irritation free, comfortable shaves. The only downfall of a very mild razor is that I've had to do a little more touching up than I usually would have with say my EJ DE89L, but that isn't a big deal.
If you're a guy with sensitive skin and you've been struggling like I did, give some vintage Gillette razors a try. Even something like a flare-tip or superspeed shave similar to Techs in my understanding. I've bought a good amount of soaps and creams to help with my sensitive skin, but in the end, if you are using an aggressive razor, a soap or a cream isn't going to change it that much IMO. It feels like I'm starting over in a sense because now I get to try all of my blades all over again, as well as all my soaps and creams.
I've definitely learned a lot from browsing these forums, so I'd like to say thank you to all those who have helped me out. There is definitely a lot more for me to learn and experiment with (the fun is just beginning), but I feel this is a small victory for me.
Now I'm getting a lot better shaves than I was a few weeks ago. What has changed? A very mild razor. Which razor? A Gillette Tech. A lot of people talk about how mild the EJ DE89L, but let me tell you, the Gillette Tech is even milder, and it has made a huge difference in my shaves. Now I would say I have very sensitive skin, the kind of sensitive skin where I'm not able to go against the grain or even across the grain without getting irritation. Now with the EJ DE89L and the Weber razor I would always be getting some kind of pulling, and I've tried a lot of different blades. With my Gillette Tech, for some reason I don't get as much pulling which is fantastic. I usually only do 2 passes with the grain and touchups, and that's enough for me. My goal isn't to get BBS, it is mainly to get irritation free, comfortable shaves. The only downfall of a very mild razor is that I've had to do a little more touching up than I usually would have with say my EJ DE89L, but that isn't a big deal.
If you're a guy with sensitive skin and you've been struggling like I did, give some vintage Gillette razors a try. Even something like a flare-tip or superspeed shave similar to Techs in my understanding. I've bought a good amount of soaps and creams to help with my sensitive skin, but in the end, if you are using an aggressive razor, a soap or a cream isn't going to change it that much IMO. It feels like I'm starting over in a sense because now I get to try all of my blades all over again, as well as all my soaps and creams.
I've definitely learned a lot from browsing these forums, so I'd like to say thank you to all those who have helped me out. There is definitely a lot more for me to learn and experiment with (the fun is just beginning), but I feel this is a small victory for me.
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