The Humidity Factor

Since I have been DE shaving I have paid a lot more attention to my skin. One thing that I have noticed is that my shaves tend to suffer when the humidity drops. Down here in Texas, we tend to see 100% humidity most of the year, but when winter finally sits in and the heater is turned up, the humidity drops.

My skin doesn't shave as well and feels dry afterwards. What I have found is that a good shaving oil and a shaving soap that is loaded with creams and moisturizers tend to work better for me than menthols and those loaded with chemicals. Also, soaps that require a lot of water to get a good lather tends to pull the moisture from my skin if you skimp on the water while making the lather.

Palmolive soap and Williams (yes, Williams) seems to do me well during these months. As winter continues I will try other oil and skin moisturizing soaps to see what is a good winter combination to use along with by razor and blade.

Stay warm and keep your skin hydrated. Your shaves will love you for it!

A Week of Great Shaves!

When I started this blog, I called it the ten minute shave for one reason. My wife un-approvingly told me one night "do you realize how long you take shaving every night?" Like a good husband I refrained from saying, "Not as long as it takes you to put on makeup everyday!"

She was right though. I was spending way to much time learning how to become a DE shaver. So I set a goal for ten minutes and strove to reach that goal with every shave. Generally it takes me 12 minutes from starting the lather to finish cleaning everything up. I could make it in ten, but I spend just a little to much time fussing over the last few touch-ups. I don't really care. The extra two minutes makes me feel great about the shave.

This past week I have had some great shaves. What has surprised me is what I have been using to get them. I started by melting a puck of Van Der Hagan Deluxe and pouring it into a twist up container to make a shave stick. Using four drops of Shave Secret to prep, I then rub the VDH stick onto my face and lathering it with a 22mm knot synthetic brush I got from Maggard razors. This makes for a great lather with more than enough for a three pass shave with touch ups. Using a Maggard razor MR1 loaded with a Racer Platinum blade, the shaves were proving to be flawless! Finishing up with Pinaud Clubmans original aftershave and Nivea liquid balm, the smoothness and softness was lasting for a good 10 hours!

It just goes to show you that a great shave doesn't have to cost a lot of money or take a great deal of time!

Cruise Ship Shave

A couple of weeks ago we took a cruise out of Galveston to Cozumel, Belize, and Rotan Honduras. It was a really nice family trip. There is nothing like spending the week with my kids and grandsons! Cruises are nice if you don't mind fighting for elevators with 5,000 other people!

 

While packing for the trip, I knew that shaving would be different, but I didn't realize what a challenge it would be. While packing, I decided to try various shaving soaps and creams on the trip. Along with the Merkur Classic, I packed a box of Gillette Silver Blues, my Arko shave stick, Palmolive shave stick and a tube of Derby Lemon shave cream. I was prepared for anything, or so I thought.

A day at sea

Derby Lemon Shave Cream

The first day out was nice and relaxing. Getting ready for dinner that night I showered and went straight to the shave using the Derby lemon cream with the Merkur Classic and my synthetic brush. The shave was just as good as I would have had at home. The ships water supply came from the same area where we live and performed admirable. Finished up with witch hazel, Clubman's and Nivea cream and I was good to go.

It was the next three days that got my attention.

Salt water, wind and sun

Arko Shave Stick

After spending the day swimming at Cozumel and baking in the sun I showered and was ready for

my shave. I chose to use the Arko shave stick for the shave. This was a bad decision. What ever is in Arko, it did not bode well for my skin. As I got into the shave, the chemicals began to sting and feel uncomfortable. I managed to get through the shave but it was not a pleasant experience. I struck Arko off the list for the rest of the cruise.



Palmolive Shave Stick

After the second day we snorkelled and spent the day on the beach at Belize. Beautiful place with clean clear water. After a day of exposure to more salt water and sand and sun, I chose the Palmolive shave stick for that night's shave. While the shave was still rough because of the harsh exposure I put my skin through I thought the Palmolive stick would be a good choice for mildness. This was a good decision. It did not sting like the Arko did and provided a more enjoyable shave, or at least as best as salt water, sunburned skin could take.

The next day after Rotan, I again used the Palmolive and had a similar shave. Good lather, and protection from the razor. After the three days on the beach we were on our two days at sea with rest and relaxation. The next night I chose to use the Derby Cream again. This time, I experienced the same stinging as I did with the Arko. I couldn't get finished with the shave fast enough. After that experience I finished out the trip with the Palmolive. I was so glad I had brought that!

Back home





Van Der Hagen

After we got back home, I have shaved for the last few days with Van der Hagan Deluxe soap. I thought that with damaged, sensitive skin, I needed to use something that was as mild and natural as I could get. VDH was a God send. As the sunburnt skin began to heal itself, the aloe Vera and Shea butter helped with the healing process. So on my next outing such as this one, VDH and Palmolive soaps will definitely be in the travel bag!