My skin is so dry, help!

My skin is ALWAYS dry post-shave. I know that is what aftershave products are for, but recently my skin has been so dry it feels irritated after a shave. My skin is slightly dry before I even shave, so post-shave it is even worse. This seems to be my biggest problem right now, probably due to the cold weather. I only shave WTG and use fairly mild razors so I don't think it's b/c I'm being too aggressive.

Anyone else suffer from extremely dry skin? What can be done? What works for you?

Winter here is also very dry to the point of becoming flaky. I use an alcohol free ASB and it helps a lot. I like the Nivea men sensitive. I also started to use Mitchell's wool fat soap and it also helps a lot.

You might also want to look for a facial moisturizer if your skin continues to be really dry.

Geo F Trumper's skin food. Best scent (fades really fast) ever, and makes face feel great. It seems kinda pricey, but just takes a little dab. I like the lime.

Macca root shave cream from The Body Shop is very nourishing..

If you are having problems with dry skin try a preshave lotion or oil. That will help hydrate the skin before a shave, thus less irritation. For those days that my skin suffers from being dry I like to use my regular aftershave followed up with nivea or aveeno unscented ASB ten minutes or so after applying my AS.

Mystic water soaps are a fantastic hydrator.

+1 for any glycerin post shave (eg geo thumper skin food or Baxter post shave balm), be sure to put another layer of lotion on top so the glycerin has something to pull moisture from.

Olay age defying face wash....Shannon's Soaps shave soap (Aussie Ice is amazing).... Lucky tiger after shave tonic...."Simple" brand replenishing face lotion (local drug store). Those products will set you free. I haven't had a dry spot or flake all winter. Good luck!

Grape Seed Oil as a post shave.. Very effective, cheap, and doesn't clog pores....

I'm a fan and everyday user of AS Shave Milk from The Shave Den. I always buy the 1 oz. samples because that way I can sample several different scents each order and it's only marginally more expensive ($1) than buying the 4 oz. bottle. Colorado is dry all year round, but in the winter it is extremely so. Shave Den's Shave Milk has been wonderful!

I've started using raw shea butter on my face when it feels particularly dry or irritated. It the same stuff that's in shaving some soaps and creams, and it's supposed to have healing properties. I've been using it as a body lotion for a while, so when I started wet shaving, I figured, why not try it on my face? It goes on pretty thick and heavy, but it absorbs after a while. I wear it overnight, and my face feels much better the next day. I'm lucky that you can get an 8 oz. tub of it around here on the streets of Harlem for $3. Not exactly typical for the shaving crowd, but it's great stuff, and the price is right.

You should try a moisturizer after your shave.
Actually, you should also use it the days you don't shave.

For me AS lotion isn't enough to handle my dry skin so I use Bulldog Moisturizer every morning after my shave.

It's cheap, it works and I really like the scent.

how much water do you drink each day?

Ceri said:

how much water do you drink each day?

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+1 for out of the box thinking

Preshave Oil, and aftershave that contains glycerin(Aqua Velva). No more dry face. Just SMOOOOOTH and healthy.

During dry Minnesota winters I've been using Mitchell's Wool Fat and Myrsol Emulsion. The lanolin content in both products has served me well for two straight winters.

I find Nivea Sensitive balm helps my winter dry skin.

Ditto to most of what was said so far.

Another thing you might consider, if it applies to your situation, is to change your brushing technique.

I usually prefer to face lather with a stiffer brush, but during the really dry spells, I switch over to a softer brush and gently "paint" my face rather than actively pressing the brush into my face.

Hope this helps.

I have the dry skin too. Winter sucks here in Peensylvania, especially this year. Lots of snow and temps at 0 or below. Believe it or not, wets shaving has been beneficial. I just tried MWF for the first time last night as well as using the Nivea Senesitve balm. It really helps. Wet shaving is much better than my electric Braun

bananhunden said:

You should try a moisturizer after your shave.
Actually, you should also use it the days you don't shave.

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+1 ... I will usually dose myself with Witch Hazel after I wash my face in the morning and before I go to bed at night. It doesn't matter if I have shaved or not.

In addition, I put a small metal cup of Witch Hazel on my baseboard heater every night. It evaporates and fills the room and greatly helps to clear up my cold/flu symptoms. Runny nose, congestion, clogged sinuses, etc. And I've noticed an overall improvement in my skin, too. I had a lot of dryness this winter, up until about six weeks ago when I started this WH trick.

Does the dryness happen year round, or just in the winter? And doesn it affect other parts of your body, like hands and arms? If so, you might want to see a dermatologist and see if there is a prescription med that will help.

i had the exact same problem. I would use tons of AS balm and face lotion with little help. What I did was go back to basics - less pressure. I realize I was getting complacent and started using too much pressure especially on the checks and neck. Try lighting up on the pressure and go back to basic. I aslo found that Cetaphil Intensive moisturizing cream (w/ shea butter) is an awesome unscented lotion. Going back to extreme less presure solved a big portion of my problem. BTW I am an everyday shaver.