Tell me about shaving gel.

I never used shaving gel until recently. For years I used a single-blade disposable immediately after showering. This is fine if I work fast before my face gets dry.

Recently, however, I decided to go with a traditional double-edge safety razor. I'm happy with this, but it requires a little more care and time. So I've been applying a lather to my face after showering - Van der Hagen shaving soap - works fine and lets me not have to rush the job. I build up the lather before getting into the shower so it's ready to go when I get out.

I'm at the Dollar Tree the other day and see some shaving gel for $1. Never tried shaving gel before, but I know a lot of people use it, so I thought I'd give it a try. It was just horrible - maybe worse than nothing. New blade felt like an old one, lots of razor burn. What am I missing? Am I not using it correctly? How could it be that bad? Is it just this particular gel? The instructions just say to wet the face, put it on, and shave. I'm putting it on right after the shower. I've tried several times, but it's not getting any better. I've tried lathering it, but it doesn't really seem to lather, and that doesn't make it any better.

For a lot of things I say "It's good enough. You should use it up and just not buy it again." This shaving gel does not seem to fall into this category and is right now in the garbage staging area, unless I hear about some tips that will let me use it successfully.

If this is in the wrong forum, or is already answered, please feel to move.

Go ahead and give it the final nudge into the garbage can.

Done.

RSC said:

The instructions just say to wet the face, put it on, and shave.

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Shave gel comes out of the can as a translucent colored gel. When you follow the instructions in this way, do you just smear it around your face, such that it is still just a translucent colored gel?

I've tried lathering it, but it doesn't really seem to lather, and that doesn't make it any better.

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Are you referring to using water and a brush in a lathering bowl? If so, I'm not surprised that the results are poor - I don't think it's intended to be used that way.

If I'm not mistaken (and somebody please correct me if I'm wrong), you wet your face, apply the gel to your face, then massage it into your face vigorously with your fingertips. This causes the gel to "lather" (if it can be called that), and change from a translucent colored gel into a white cream. If this isn't how you've been using it, you might get better performance with it this way. However ...

squarerigger said:

Go ahead and give it the final nudge into the garbage can.

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I certainly can't argue with this advice. Gel at its best would have a hard time competing with cream/soap at its worst. But, hey - a buck is a cheap lesson learned!

squarerigger said:

Go ahead and give it the final nudge into the garbage can.

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+1 There is a better way!

I thought about a mixture of other things that might help out that gel. Unfortunately no matter what concoction I thought up, I could vastly improve it by removing the bad gel from the recipe.

Your VDH soap is a much better product on all counts. You can even melt and doctor up your VDH soap.

These guys have it dead on, gel is garbage.