Which aftershaves actually work?

J

jhclare

Joined
Saturday July 11, 2009
Ok, every now and then I get a less that average shave, with irritation on my right side of neck, even now after 18 months of doing this.

Sometimes for example, I do exactly what I did the shave before, which was stellar. Same razor, blade, soap, brush, prep.... some days just give a bad shave, who knows!

Anyway - I'm after an aftershave that actually works on those days. That is - I don't care about price, packaging or scent. I'd like a bit of moisture, but not overly so.

I want the aftershave to really soothe and reduce/eliminate the redness.

I currently have Nivea Sensitive ASB, Men-U Moisturiser Lift, Proraso Pre/Post, GFT Limes Skinfood.

Now, after an hour or so after applying any of these, the redness is gone or at least reduced. But what I want to know is - would the redness have gone down by itself had I not applied anything?

Do these balms really work, or are they just a marketing ploy? I've noticed sometimes that if I apply a second time, say 15-20 minutes after the first application, that they actually increase the redness again! Surely this is not a good sign.

Is there a balm or splash that REALLY soothes and reduces redness almost immediately after applying?

Could it be that the best thing for aggravated skin, is to apply nothing at all?

Thanks!

John
 
Clinque post shave healer soothes.

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Perhaps a little more so than the Nivea. Plain Aloe Vera juice, if you can get it, might work just as well.
 
I find Liz Earle A/S balm the best for this and for a splash you can't beat Proraso.
 
Witch Hazel, or something with Witch Hazel in it (the Proraso spash does, if I recall correctly) will ease the redness a little quicker than applying nothing.

Ian
 
I got a really bad rash this weekend ( a shaving rash, ok!?), and I found Aloe Vera gel calmed it down a treat. I kept it in the kitchen for burns, but now I have a tube in the bathroom also. Its cheap ( Holland and Barrett - couple of quid a tube?) and works well.
 
Proraso - a\s & balm
Speick as above
Superdrugs own a\s
Aqua Velva

but after having a 'mare shave at the old man's a while ago (feckin BiC disposable) i used both his Proraso balm and their Razor Burn Repair
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it worked a treat
 
Liz Earle ASB
Clarins ASB
L'Occitane ASB

For a soothing splash I like Musgo Real - leave a few drops of water in your hand to prevent it getting too tacky.
 
jhclare said:
But what I want to know is - would the redness have gone down by itself had I not applied anything?
Click to expand...

There's an easy and very inexpensive way of finding out!


But as it sounds like you're ready to part company with some shekels, I'd recommend Proraso AS Balm, or/and alum. By all accounts, Speick makes a very good and well-regarded splash.
 
If it's really bad...Pre-shave oil used post-shave does it for me every time. Can feel a tad greasy dependant on product, but it does soothe a nippy fizzer.
 
I always reach for DR Harris milk after my worst shaves. Best product I have found so far.

I also agree that pre-shave oil is very good as a post shave healer. use it for touch ups and works as a soothing balm too. Perfect!
 
DR Harris Milk works well, as does a Rose water / witch hazel toner. Also picked up some razor burn cream on sale from The Body Shop, half price at £4 and it works not too bad.

Musgo is a nice moisturising aftershave and as Boab mentioned you can't beat Proraso. I haven’t tried the one Hando referenced but I want to.

In the end I just try to be sensitive to when a shave is going that way, sometimes you can predict when you have an increased risk, rough shave the day before, so I try to balance it by selecting a good soap or mild blade.

Would it go down on it's own?, yes I think it would but slower and with a bit of annoyance from the heat of the rash.
 
I always use Nivea ASB, ISIS ASB or Simple ASB.
They work. I once forgot to put some on when i hadnt been shaving with a DE long, and it was fine for abit(but not long!) then burning. So it was upstairs and put some ASB on which stopped it.
 
Proraso splash
Witch hazel & aloe mix
Aqua Velva mixed with 444asb is fantastic.

The latest stuff HM is using would do the trick, you certainly would'nt be to worried about a bit of irritation.....see sotd..mental
 
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