Thoughts requested

[Galibier_Numero_Un]

I know this was a quasi humorous post, but just in case OP missed that, I want to mention that if lather can stack like that and the peaks hold their shape, like shown in the picture, then it's extremely under hydrated.

Yup. Ignore the lather photos mega thread. This may be the single most "disinformation laden" thread on this forum.

One great tip was posted above. When bowl lathering, periodically feel how slick it feels to see if you overshot your hydration (the other extreme).

... Thom

 

[ButterfaceX]

I know this was a quasi humorous post, but just in case OP missed that, I want to mention that if lather can stack like that and the peaks hold their shape, like shown in the picture, then it's extremely under hydrated. Quasi...nope just humor.. You got me and I now I need to hydrate...

 

[SalS]

It's because you no doubt have a combination of good technique and are also lucky in terms of skin type. I watch some internet shavers, and if I shaved as carelessly as they do, my face would be a wreck ... for weeks!

It's not fair to make people feel wrong for having different bodies, and YMMV is real. Yes! We're all different, and yes, technique matters. The latter can't be understated, and is even more critical for people who truly have sensitive skin.

... Thom

My point is that the Henson has to be the easiest razor to use apart from a cartridge razor.

If it's that trivial with no need for prep or technique, then you've a different skin type and your facial hair probably isn't as course as you assume. I've seen people have to put in a lot of effort before they get good shaves that don't tax their skin. Remember, your own person experiences are a sample size of one and there's many skin and beard types out there. Recognizing that isn't rocket science either.

I think most of the problems that people have are related to this obsession with shaving three times or more in multiple directions. On top of brushing in soap and then using alcohol after. One careful pass is all I do with minor touch up.

 

[tejolot3]

I have the lather down good. I lather until I see peaks or looks like whipped cream.

It might still be too dry. Try adding a little bit more water after that, and see what it does. Experiment with the lather. You might be surprised at (1) how different soaps behave differently and (2) how much you can learn just by playing around with the process.

I want to mention that if lather can stack like that and the peaks hold their shape, like shown in the picture, then it's extremely under hydrated.

Yup. Ignore the lather photos mega thread. This may be the single most "disinformation laden" thread on this forum.

One great tip was posted above. When bowl lathering, periodically feel how slick it feels to see if you overshot your hydration (the other extreme).

Basically, we're trying to tell you that you might not actually "have the lather down good". Being able to make your soap look like whipped cream isn't the same thing as being able to make good shaving lather. Seriously, try adding more water. Actually experiment with it. Some forum members even incorporate so much water that it gets sloppy; I don't go nearly that far, but you might be pleasantly surprised by the Proraso green if you set aside what you think A Proper Lather is supposed to look like and instead pay more attention to what it feels like.

 

[Galibier_Numero_Un]

My point is that the Henson has to be the easiest razor to use apart from a cartridge razor.

I think most of the problems that people have are related to this obsession with shaving three times or more in multiple directions. On top of brushing in soap and then using alcohol after. One careful pass is all I do with minor touch up.

Well again, YMMV. An AL 13+ was my first DE razor in four decades. It's by far my least intuitive razor.

The only reason I keep it is (as a former cyclist) it works OK my legs. My wife has grown to hate hairy legs ;-)

Chasing BBS is certainly risky behavior.

I don't understand why people have issues with extended lathering sessions, but following my own advice, I recommend experimentation to see what works for you.

I use Amazon branded witch hazel as an after shave (14% alcohol), but I follow up with some Weleda Skin Food while the witch hazel is still wet.

... Thom

 

[Galibier_Numero_Un]

Basically, we're trying to tell you that you might not actually "have the lather down good". Being able to make your soap look like whipped cream isn't the same thing as being able to make good shaving lather. Seriously, try adding more water. Actually experiment with it. Some forum members even incorporate so much water that it gets sloppy; I don't go nearly that far, but you might be pleasantly surprised by the Proraso green if you set aside what you think A Proper Lather is supposed to look like and instead pay more attention to what it feels like.

Yup, the foolproof lathering method I linked to above is a great guide to understanding the principles.

OP - you'd do well to read that thread. In general, no peaks, please ;-)

... Thom

 

[Captain Howdy]

My point is that the Henson has to be the easiest razor to use apart from a cartridge razor.

I think most of the problems that people have are related to this obsession with shaving three times or more in multiple directions. On top of brushing in soap and then using alcohol after. One careful pass is all I do with minor touch up.

Certainly nothing wrong with a one pass shave. Though I'd wager doing multiple passes has more to do with necessity than obsession in many-most cases. DE razors are, indeed, designed to be multiple pass shavers and some beard types flat out demand at least two passes for DFS+...that or buffing, which emulates the same effect as multi passing. Again it's back to some beards being more "coarse" than others, among other variables.

 

[Brutus]

Pre shave is a warm shower, I always clean my face with Dove Soap and a "Buff Puff" type of pad. Poraso pre-shave and then I do a decent lather with Either the Poraso Red, TOBS sandalwood, or Cella. I have the lather down good. I lather until I see peaks or looks like whipped cream.
I have come to the conclusion that Poraso Green is not a good fit for my hair type (as well they say on their website that Red is for course hair) which kinda stinks because I like the scent. I LOVE the sandalwood.

And thanks for the reply and kindness.

Have been thinking about your issue for a while, and some members have already given you solid advice. Based on your answer, I believe that it is unlikely that your pre-shave is the culprit.

One of the good suggestions was to change only one variable at a time and see over several days whether that change makes a difference.

To that I want to add, get a sense from various reviews what the consensus of shavers is regarding tools (razors) and consumables (creams) that you are considering. Disregard the top (praise) and bottom (condemnation) 10% and see what most members agree on and stick to reviews on shaving forums. Vendor reviews and reviews on Amazon are typically not very useful.

I have neither experience with the Henson nor with Cremo, but Proraso (albeit their pre-shave) was one of only two products in the last 20+ years that I had a reaction to.


In this sense;

1. I would concentrate on one razor, where there is a broad consensus that is a solid, mild performer.
2. Concentrate on one shaving cream/soap where a similar consensus exist.
(Based on my previous experience, Proraso dropped out of my rotation a few years ago, but there are other solid creams. You could look at Palmolive creams, even if they are a bit hard to find in North America, or some of the UK made Taylor’s of Old Bond Street tubs of shaving cream. Their classic range that has lovely scents; you might want to look at these: Lavender, Sandalwood, Mr. Taylor’s shaving cream with its up-market barber shop scent.) If you are not allergic to it, creams with lanolin can help the blade glide over your skin, but too much lubrication (e.g. most LEA creams) can be counterproductive as it makes it harder to hold the razor.
3. Do not chase a BBS shave. BBS shaves are nice to have, but one needs to have a mature technique to achieve that without irritation. It is better to limit oneself to three passes and aim for a DFS shave and let time lift you eventually to BBS shaves.
4. With blades, go for blades where there is a similar broad consensus that they are not overly aggressive and work well. Astra Green (PLatinum) and Blue (Stainless) blades spring to mind, but there are others.
5. After the shave, avoid for the time being aftershaves with alcohol, as they may exacerbate skin irritation. Use instead alcohol-free shaving balms that are kinder to the facial skin.
6. And if you should end up with an irritation after all, baby creams are your friend.
Go for one with zinc as it helps the healing process. It has a whitish appearance, so you may have to apply if sparingly before leaving the house (unless you want to look like a mummy), but you can use more at night.
7. Lastly, use a light touch.
I cannot stress this enough.
Go by the rule that if you think you have a light touch, try to get away with an even lighter touch and see what it does. Especially if your were used to cartridge or electric razors before, it may surprise you how much stubble a barely noticeable touch with a DE razor can remove.


Hope this helps…



B.

 

[tejolot3]

7. Lastly, use a light touch.
I cannot stress this enough.
Go by the rule that if you think you have a light touch, try to get away with an even lighter touch and see what it does. Especially if your were used to cartridge or electric razors before, it may surprise you how much stubble a barely noticeable touch with a DE razor can remove.

Good point. I don't promote the "zero pressure" mantra but, having said that . . .

Whenever I've decided to use less pressure than usual, to just letting the weight of the razor head be all the pressure, to get as close to zero pressure as I can manage—I've not once found myself thinking afterward, I should have applied more pressure. No, in fact, every single time I've found myself thinking afterward, Wow, that actually worked. And it is one thing that helped me move to an irritation-free stage of my shaving journey bac in the day.

 

[BabyBudaNedly]

I know this was a quasi humorous post, but just in case OP missed that, I want to mention that if lather can stack like that and the peaks hold their shape, like shown in the picture, then it's extremely under hydrated

Get your face wet, apply a thin layer of Cremo, then apply a lather of Proraso.

If you're using a bowl, make a nice wet lather of Proraso in the bowl before you wet your face. If you are lathering on your face, just lather the Proraso on top of the Cremo and let them mix.

The Cremo is 10x slicker than the Proraso. It only works when it is wet. It works better when it is warm. A nice warm lather of Proraso on top of the Cremo will keep it wet, keep some warmth by your skin, and help guide you visually as you work your way across your face.

I wouldn't use Proraso green tube cream without a pre cream of some sort and you don't need to either. Cremo serves the role of pre cream with excellence and would be my first choice. I am not a fan of the Proraso pre cream; Cremo works better. I am not a fan of the proraso tube cream; I won't buy it again; most things work better for me, including artesan soap, Arko, Cella soap, even canned Barbasol.

Great idea Inwill try that!

 

[BabyBudaNedly]

Aw

Have been thinking about your issue for a while, and some members have already given you solid advice. Based on your answer, I believe that it is unlikely that your pre-shave is the culprit.

One of the good suggestions was to change only one variable at a time and see over several days whether that change makes a difference.

To that I want to add, get a sense from various reviews what the consensus of shavers is regarding tools (razors) and consumables (creams) that you are considering. Disregard the top (praise) and bottom (condemnation) 10% and see what most members agree on and stick to reviews on shaving forums. Vendor reviews and reviews on Amazon are typically not very useful.

I have neither experience with the Henson nor with Cremo, but Proraso (albeit their pre-shave) was one of only two products in the last 20+ years that I had a reaction to.


In this sense;

1. I would concentrate on one razor, where there is a broad consensus that is a solid, mild performer.
2. Concentrate on one shaving cream/soap where a similar consensus exist.
(Based on my previous experience, Proraso dropped out of my rotation a few years ago, but there are other solid creams. You could look at Palmolive creams, even if they are a bit hard to find in North America, or some of the UK made Taylor’s of Old Bond Street tubs of shaving cream. Their classic range that has lovely scents; you might want to look at these: Lavender, Sandalwood, Mr. Taylor’s shaving cream with its up-market barber shop scent.) If you are not allergic to it, creams with lanolin can help the blade glide over your skin, but too much lubrication (e.g. most LEA creams) can be counterproductive as it makes it harder to hold the razor.
3. Do not chase a BBS shave. BBS shaves are nice to have, but one needs to have a mature technique to achieve that without irritation. It is better to limit oneself to three passes and aim for a DFS shave and let time lift you eventually to BBS shaves.
4. With blades, go for blades where there is a similar broad consensus that they are not overly aggressive and work well. Astra Green (PLatinum) and Blue (Stainless) blades spring to mind, but there are others.
5. After the shave, avoid for the time being aftershaves with alcohol, as they may exacerbate skin irritation. Use instead alcohol-free shaving balms that are kinder to the facial skin.
6. And if you should end up with an irritation after all, baby creams are your friend.
Go for one with zinc as it helps the healing process. It has a whitish appearance, so you may have to apply if sparingly before leaving the house (unless you want to look like a mummy), but you can use more at night.
7. Lastly, use a light touch.
I cannot stress this enough.
Go by the rule that if you think you have a light touch, try to get away with an even lighter touch and see what it does. Especially if your were used to cartridge or electric razors before, it may surprise you how much stubble a barely noticeable touch with a DE razor can remove.


Hope this helps…



Awesome I appreciate the time you took!

 

[BabyBudaNedly]

Basically, we're trying to tell you that you might not actually "have the lather down good". Being able to make your soap look like whipped cream isn't the same thing as being able to make good shaving lather. Seriously, try adding more water. Actually experiment with it. Some forum members even incorporate so much water that it gets sloppy; I don't go nearly that far, but you might be pleasantly surprised by the Proraso green if you set aside what you think A Proper Lather is supposed to look like and instead pay more attention to what it feels like.

Will do.