Irritation while shaving

[NorthernSoul]

There aren't blades made out of Teflon (PTFE).

However, most blades, as I understand, have a Teflon coating (whether or not stated on the package) and that is just to make them more comfortable by allowing the blade to glide over the skin. However, that might be questionable for many blades as the application of the coating is usually sputtered on instead of being smoothly applied and makes the shave rough for the first use while the coating wears down. Also, the glide effect is more from its top/bottom side and not the sharp edge which does the cutting. Assuming a good amount of Teflon remains on the side of the blade that could help reduce the amount of metal contact against the skin, but the cutting edge, sans Teflon, will still be in contact.

Most blades are PTFE coated which is usually well tolerated by the body. PTFE is even used in some medical applications inside the body.

Sputtering is a process often used for depositing very thin metallic coatings. The material must be electrically conductive. This can produce quite a fine surface finish, such as mirror reflectors, so sputtering can produce a smooth surface finish. In razor blades, sputtering is used for depositing very thin layers (a few atoms thick) of chromium, platinum, etc on a blade edge.

PTFE is commonly sprayed on as a fine mist, then baked on at high temperatures. This occurs after any metallic coatings have been applied.

 

[Miyagisan]

I did some research and I noticed there's other carbon steel brands like Tiger, has anyone ever tried them?

 

[psfred]

Tiger Carbon blades (especially the three hole ones) are intended for hair shaping, not shaving. You CAN shave with them, but you likely will not enjoy the process, they are not sharp enough.

Treet makes a number of different carbon steel blades.

 

[Miyagisan]

Tiger Carbon blades (especially the three hole ones) are intended for hair shaping, not shaving. You CAN shave with them, but you likely will not enjoy the process, they are not sharp enough.

Treet makes a number of different carbon steel blades.

Which Treet is good?

 

[psfred]

The Black Beauties are coated so they last a bit longer and are good. I've not tried any carbon blades so I'm not a good resource. I've not heard bad things about any of the blades Treet makes, given that they are carbon steel and don't last very long.

Dry them after shaving, else they will be too rusty to use by the next day.

 

[Dimitri]

What about PTFE (Teflon) are they’re any good??

I can only shave with PTFE/Teflon coated blades. If I try shaving with non-ptfe coated blades, I get irritation. Bic Chrome Platinum and Personna Comfort Coats are my main blades with the Bics being my number one pic.

Have you tried Proraso Blue? It's their other sensitive skin shaving cream. They don't advertise it as such, calling it their "protective" line instead, but it's made with Aloe and Vitamin E instead of oatmeal and green tea like the white. The matching aftershave balm works very well as well. Nivea "sensitive cool" aftershave balm, the one with seaweed extract, also works extremely well. My skin isn't as sensitive as it used to be, but it can still get irritated quite easily if I use creams or afterstave products with very high fragrance content or, as I mentioned, non-ptfe coated blades.

 

[WThomas0814]

I also have very sensitive skin, paired with coarse old man whiskers. I learned a lot here, much of it sadly after I spent enough money to balance the US budget on razors, blades, soaps, etc. You've received a ton of advice from many wise gents, so, this will likely be redundant, but I offer the following anyway:

Prep is crucial. I learned that a pre-shave shower makes a huge difference, having shaved pre-shower for my entire life. I think your regular bath soap will be fine for face washing in the shower, but, I use PAA's Cube 2.0 because I have it.

Pre-shaves help. PAA's Tube 2.0 makes any soap slicker and helps the razor glide.

Soap... there are a billion good soaps out there, so, you will have to find one you like and that works for you I like cheap soap and I like tallow. The only soap I use now is Arko.

Brushes are subjective. I love boar and have never experienced brush burn, but, it is often discussed here. To me, a well-soaked boar (soaked while I shower) is plenty soft. I find badgers and synthetics too floppy for face lathering, but others swear by them.

Blade choice is very personal. Keep trying samplers with your razor until you find a match. I tried 20+ blades, ultimately settling on Personna Lab Blue. They just work on my skin and in all of my razors.

Razor choice is also very personal. Over time, I concluded that I prefer very light weigh, mild razors. After going through MANY razors in stainless, bronze, and brass, titanium now accounts for 99% of my shaves. I'm slowly working through selling off everything else.

A good post-shave routine will help recovery enormously. Cold water + Alum right after shaving, then a witch hazel toner. My skin tends toward oily, so I don't use a balm, but many gents here do.

Aftershaves are fun, but, there is probably no real benefit if the rest of your routine is spot-on. Some do make my face feel great, though. PAA and Fine make some really good ones.

Chase the shave, not the gear. The most beautiful razor or best-smelling soap are useless if you end up with rashes and bumps. You should look forward to every shave and enjoy every second of it.

Cheers!

 

[Frito Ray]

Give soap a chance to dissolve the oils from your beard. Doing so will give the whiskers a chance to absorb water and soften them up considerably. Just lather up and let it sit there for at least a minute or two, then massage in a bit of water then shave.

If you don’t get a chance to shower before shaving, then take the time to wash your face with soap before you lather up.

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To check if your brush could be a contributing factor, bowl lather your soap/cream then just paint it on your face. Use your fingers to massage it into beard. Try it for several shaves in a row and see how things go.

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Someone mentioned beard mapping. It’s a good idea to avoid shaving against the grain(ATG)…at least until you figure everything else out. A simple way is to drag a cotton ball across your stubble and feel in which direction it glides or drags.


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I encourage you to take a look at Helicopter’s blade testing thread. He has been testing many, many, many blades for sharpness and durability.

When reading the graph, notice that blades that require more force to cut through the substrate on the first pass than subsequent passes means that they are more heavily coated.

Some enjoy sharper blades, some milder.

Blade Sharpness Research Project - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/blade-sharpness-research-project.652790/

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Not all DE blades are ment for shaving, most will be clearly labeled and marketed as such. Some are ment for the textile industries, paint scrapers, etc..



Good luck.

 

[Ouelljas]

Greetings Gents!

Today I did an amazing shave, 9.5/10, I had over shaved under my lip and I did a small cut!! But I did a cold water shave, and it worked!!!!

Thank you for the great advice,, I truly appreciate it and thank you!


The tools I have used

Cetaphil oil control face wash
Simpsons shaving soap
Rockwell 6c (plate #2)
Rockwell stainless steel blades
Cerave AM lotion and sunsceen


Blades I would like to try are ( Muhle, Treet, Merkur, Gillette Nacet, Gillette 7 o’clock Super Platinum, Gillette 7 O’Clock (orange), Feather, Shark, Astra (blue), Derby, Bic, Dorco)

I’m going to purchase Stirling Unscented and After-Shave Unscented.

Sir, I might be a little late in replying to this, but I can highly recommend Stirling’s Sheep Unscented soap. It is a fantastic soap base that can take a lot of water and stays hydrated while on your face. Great slickness and cushioning, you’re not sacrificing one for the other. Superb post shave feel. At 20 Canadian dollars for me, it punches way above its price. Every bit as good as my Saponificio Varesino, which is considered by many here as one of the best of the top tier soaps.

 

[No1Up]

Same situation as me. My neck is VERY sensitive. What helped me..

PAA the cube <—— awesome, cheap, last forever.

I froze a large ice block, I rub my neck before I use the cube and lather up.

Always with the grain!

——-

Shane from Blackland has a video talking about “mild and aggressive”. I think he was right. In short, mild was actually the problem for me. It would leave little stubbles behind just short enough to not be a problem, but long enough to poke the skin on the side causing a lot irritation. The Henson Razor helped a lot, but shaving with the Blackbird just 2 days now and a red spot I’ve had for weeks (couldn’t get rid of it!) is gone! Try going aggressive, but use a light touch!

Shane also has a video revisiting the basics. He covers how to actually hold the razor which has also helped a lot. Turns out I was holding my razor wrong.

So, it could be any one of those things, or all of them. All I know is my shaves have been amazing the last few weeks and I’m now focused more on good aftershaves and scents.