It is great to see your progress as you're figuring things out!
Hang in there!
WW
Hang in there!
WW
akamarcus' DE shave journal
- Thread starter akamarcus
- Start date
Have you considered using a non-alcohol based aftershave that may help with the irritation. Witch Hazel helps should help with the redness/irritation, it's cheap and effective.
- Thread starter
- #23
Thanks - I didn't even know what witch hazel is for. I'll probably buy some non-alcohol AS when I am running low on what I currently have.
- Thread starter
- #24
Day 13 of shave journal:
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (1st use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 30/90 second load/face lather, 5/20 second additional load/lather with each pass.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, followed by a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash
Summary: A nice comfortable shave. My goal right now is to get an irritation-free 3-pass shave.
Verdict: Shaving with a fresh blade is really nice.
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (1st use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 30/90 second load/face lather, 5/20 second additional load/lather with each pass.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, followed by a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash
Summary: A nice comfortable shave. My goal right now is to get an irritation-free 3-pass shave.
Verdict: Shaving with a fresh blade is really nice.
- Thread starter
- #25
Day 14 of shave journal:
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (2nd use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 30/90 second load/face lather, 5/20 second additional load/lather with each pass.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, followed by a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash
Summary: Least neck irritation yet after a 3-pass!
Verdict: Today, I used even shorter strokes on my neck than I thought I needed, and it worked really well in keeping my neck from getting irritated. I also used tiny strokes to do some touch ups.
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (2nd use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 30/90 second load/face lather, 5/20 second additional load/lather with each pass.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, followed by a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash
Summary: Least neck irritation yet after a 3-pass!
Verdict: Today, I used even shorter strokes on my neck than I thought I needed, and it worked really well in keeping my neck from getting irritated. I also used tiny strokes to do some touch ups.
- Thread starter
- #26
Day 15 of shave journal:
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (3rd use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 30/90 second load/face lather, 5/20 second additional load/lather with each pass.
Shave: 4 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, ATG on cheeks, followed by a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash.
Summary: No irritation on my cheeks or jaw line, slight irritation on my neck.
Verdict: For me, it seems like short strokes are the key to an irritation-free shave, especially on my neck. I think I may brave an ATG pass on my neck in a few days.
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (3rd use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 30/90 second load/face lather, 5/20 second additional load/lather with each pass.
Shave: 4 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, ATG on cheeks, followed by a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash.
Summary: No irritation on my cheeks or jaw line, slight irritation on my neck.
Verdict: For me, it seems like short strokes are the key to an irritation-free shave, especially on my neck. I think I may brave an ATG pass on my neck in a few days.
- Thread starter
- #27
Day 16 of shave journal:
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (4th use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 30/90 second load/face lather, 20 second additional lather with each pass and 5 second load on last pass.
Shave: 4 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, ATG on cheeks, followed by a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash.
Summary: 3 weepers (1 upper lip, 2 neck), but only slight irritation on my cheeks, moderate irritation on my neck (4 day-old blade).
Verdict: My wife commented on how close the shave is. Regardless of the irritation on my neck, it is a pretty close shave.
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (4th use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 30/90 second load/face lather, 20 second additional lather with each pass and 5 second load on last pass.
Shave: 4 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, ATG on cheeks, followed by a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash.
Summary: 3 weepers (1 upper lip, 2 neck), but only slight irritation on my cheeks, moderate irritation on my neck (4 day-old blade).
Verdict: My wife commented on how close the shave is. Regardless of the irritation on my neck, it is a pretty close shave.
How is your lather's slickness and density? I see you build your lather in approximately 2 minutes of time, if it's thin that may be contributing to your irritation.
- Thread starter
- #29
It's quite thick, primarily because I spend 30-60 seconds adding soap to the brush. It is never too watery when I have face-lathered; I have always added more water to get the right consistency because it is always too dry when starting. I find that is also slick enough as long as I don't shake the excess water off of the razor when I rinse it.
Maybe my use of the word "irritation" is inaccurate. I call it irritation when I see pink spots around hair follicles. The more pink I see, the more severe the irritation. Am I using this word correctly?
I would call that irritation. I'm just trying to figure out the cause and thought maybe the lather was the culprit. If that's not it, maybe it's the pressure, angle of the blade, or too many passes (3-4) at this point.
- Thread starter
- #31
I would probably say that it's too many passes. I think I have the blade angle down because I almost never get irritation on my cheeks, even with 4 passes. I will try to use a little bit less pressure.
- Thread starter
- #32
Day 17 of shave journal:
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (1st use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 30/90 second load/face lather, 30 second additional lather with each pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 4 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, ATG on cheeks, followed by a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash.
Summary: Mild irritation on my neck.
Verdict: A pretty good shave with only a little irritation.
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (1st use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 30/90 second load/face lather, 30 second additional lather with each pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 4 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, ATG on cheeks, followed by a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash.
Summary: Mild irritation on my neck.
Verdict: A pretty good shave with only a little irritation.
- Thread starter
- #33
Day 18 of shave journal:
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (2nd use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second additional lather with each pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, followed by a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash.
Summary: Got plenty of soap on the brush with a full 60 second load. It makes quite the difference. I also made sure to have enough water on the brush when face lathering. Changed XTG1 to be outside to inside on cheeks, top to bottom on jaw line and neck; XTG2 has changed to inside to oudside on cheeks, bottom to top on neck.
Verdict: Still mild irritation - need to work on my technique, but I did realize I was applying too much pressure, so I have something new to experiment with tomorrow morning.
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (2nd use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second additional lather with each pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, followed by a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash.
Summary: Got plenty of soap on the brush with a full 60 second load. It makes quite the difference. I also made sure to have enough water on the brush when face lathering. Changed XTG1 to be outside to inside on cheeks, top to bottom on jaw line and neck; XTG2 has changed to inside to oudside on cheeks, bottom to top on neck.
Verdict: Still mild irritation - need to work on my technique, but I did realize I was applying too much pressure, so I have something new to experiment with tomorrow morning.
Good catch on the pressure!
All SORTS of things to pay attention to.
I'm back from the endurance ride, so hope to get back in the swing of things with a nice long shave later this afternoon. ;-)
WW
All SORTS of things to pay attention to.
I'm back from the endurance ride, so hope to get back in the swing of things with a nice long shave later this afternoon. ;-)
WW
- Thread starter
- #35
Thanks for the comment and for following my journal! Hope you enjoyed your shave!
- Thread starter
- #36
Day 19 of shave journal:
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (3rd use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second additional lather with each pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, touch-ups, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash.
Summary: No blood today; couldn't see any irritation either!
Verdict: Previous to today's shave, I have been applying too much pressure! I followed through this morning with my experiment of eliminating all pressure I was applying to the razor, and it worked! There was no visible irritation after 3 passes and the after shave splash barely tingled at all.
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (3rd use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second additional lather with each pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, touch-ups, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash.
Summary: No blood today; couldn't see any irritation either!
Verdict: Previous to today's shave, I have been applying too much pressure! I followed through this morning with my experiment of eliminating all pressure I was applying to the razor, and it worked! There was no visible irritation after 3 passes and the after shave splash barely tingled at all.
- Thread starter
- #37
Day 20 of shave journal:
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (4th use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second additional lather with each pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, touch-ups, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash.
Summary: 3 weepers on my neck, most likely caused by the 4 day-old blade, since I was being very careful about the pressure, stroke length, and direction.
Verdict: The least irritation I've experienced on a 4 day-old blade.
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (4th use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second additional lather with each pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, touch-ups, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash.
Summary: 3 weepers on my neck, most likely caused by the 4 day-old blade, since I was being very careful about the pressure, stroke length, and direction.
Verdict: The least irritation I've experienced on a 4 day-old blade.
- Thread starter
- #38
Day 21 of shave journal:
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (1st use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second additional lather with each pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 4 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, ATG, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash.
Summary: No blood, no visible irritation, but that AS splash stung a bit on my neck.
Verdict: I'm getting used to short, light strokes, but I need to rinse my blade more often I think. Will work on this starting tomorrow.
Preshave: Shower with 2 minute exfoliation and hot rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (1st use), Omega 11648, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second additional lather with each pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 4 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, ATG, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Gillette Cool Wave Aftershave splash.
Summary: No blood, no visible irritation, but that AS splash stung a bit on my neck.
Verdict: I'm getting used to short, light strokes, but I need to rinse my blade more often I think. Will work on this starting tomorrow.
- Thread starter
- #39
Day 22 of shave journal:
Preshave: Just a face rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (2nd use), Whipped Dog 20 mm deep-set silvertip, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second additional lather with each pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 4 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, ATG, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer!
Summary: 2 weepers.
Verdict: Tomorrow I'll spend more time on the shave. The brush is amazing at lathering, and a bit softer than my boar brush.
Preshave: Just a face rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (2nd use), Whipped Dog 20 mm deep-set silvertip, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second additional lather with each pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 4 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, ATG, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer!
Summary: 2 weepers.
Verdict: Tomorrow I'll spend more time on the shave. The brush is amazing at lathering, and a bit softer than my boar brush.
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- Thread starter
- #40
Day 23 of shave journal:
Preshave: Just a face rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (3rd use), Whipped Dog 20 mm deep-set silvertip, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/bowl lather, 30 second additional lather with each pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer!
Summary: 2 weepers.
Verdict: Tried bowl lathering today. This silvertip is amazing! Spent a little bit more time today, worrying too much about getting that close shave caused the 2 weepers.
Preshave: Just a face rinse.
Gear: Gillette 40s style Super Speed, Astra SP (3rd use), Whipped Dog 20 mm deep-set silvertip, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/bowl lather, 30 second additional lather with each pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer!
Summary: 2 weepers.
Verdict: Tried bowl lathering today. This silvertip is amazing! Spent a little bit more time today, worrying too much about getting that close shave caused the 2 weepers.
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