Face breaking out

Some blades have a coating that makes me break out. Some soaps do it to me too.

Whatever it is you should only change one thing at a time so it's easier to get to the bottom of it and avoid the trouble in the future.

I recommend a Salicylic Acid wash after you shave. This is the best I have ever used:


https://www.cerave.com/our-products/clea...a-cleanser

Some blades have a coating that makes me break out. Some soaps do it to me too.

Whatever it is you should only change one thing at a time so it's easier to get to the bottom of it and avoid the trouble in the future.

100000000% agree with this. Let us know how it is going.

How about a pic of your broken out skin so we can determine the cause?

Pimples are frequent when you use a balm and have razor burn. A lighter touch, not chasing bbs (yet) and witch hazel for AS should do the trick.
Good luck.

Are the breakouts new? In other words, were you having good results for a period before they started? I’d think that would let you know if your technique was alright. In terms of products, if you’re in a position where you can skip shaving for a few days - then go ahead and skip shaving for a couple days and let your skin heal. Then, I’d start over with whatever products you know gave you good results, and slowly start trying new products again after about a week to see if you can suss out the cause. Sometimes it’s sort of surprising what doesn’t play well with your skin - I recently found that my skin doesn’t really like the Thayers Rose Witch Hazel, but the Cucumber works great for me.

I was also first drawn to wetshaving because of breakouts - was recommended to me by a dermatologist actually. I’d say it’s definitely helped, but hasn’t been a magic bullet. Some of us are just predisposed to them. One other thing that can help, unrelated to shaving, is showering before bed if you don’t do already do that, as well as changing pillow cases more frequently.

I did not read all of the replies but I did read your thread. I noticed you used alum. I once tried alum and this is what happened to me.

Before I purchased alum I used an alcohol based aftershave splash. As normal because of the high amount of alcohol (80%) it really stung. Alcohol based aftershaves actually dehydrates you skin. It was originally used by barbers when they shaved customers with straight razors. It was also thought to disinfect the skin. A several years ago I purchased a block of Osma alum and began using it, then use the aftershave splash. The alum block is normally rubbed on the face and neck where your beard was shaved off. Believe me the alum burns just as much as the aftershave splash. The alum also dehydrates your skin, shrinks it and closes your pores. Some people rinse their face after the alum drys some do not. Alum is also an antibacterial. After using the alum for about a week I began to develop a small red rash on my neck. I knew it was not from any of my many soaps or creams because I rotate them every day. One morning my entire neck up to and over my jaw bone had a rash that looked like measles. My skin was nothing but raised red bumps which burnt and was very itchy. I looked so bad that I cancelled an appointment. It was too early to call my dermatologist so I went to the net. To make a long story short, I read that if this happens do not use anything that dehydrates you skin or use an antibacterial. Both of which is alum. I stopped using alum and the after shave and the rash was gone the next day. I now only use alcohol free aftershave balm and I have not had any issues since. It has now been about 4 years since it happened. However, it is like anything else some people use alum and never have any problems, some do have problems. But again, alum closes your pores, shrinks the skin, basically disinfects your skin and stops bleeding from minor nicks. I still use the alum to apply to any nicks that I may get but I do not rub it on my entire face any longer.

The blades could be causing this, definitely, but I guess technique has more to do with it. For starters, try doing two passes instead of three. Avoid ATG passes and just do two WTG or WTG-XTG. Remember our mantra, NO pressure, short strokes.

Face lathering is not for everybody. Some folks have reported having problems with the exfoliating effect of face lathering, and even though I personally believe it is the best method of lathering, I suggest that you either try a softer brush, or try bowl lathering and then work with your brush on your face less time, just enough to straighten your whiskers and work your lather into them. In this sense, a Silvertip brush would be the weapon of choice, but not all of them are good to use with soaps, so I suggest you consider a quality boar brush like a Semogue 1305. Once broken in, is soft as a pillow and it can scrape off the hardest of soaps with no worries.

As for the blades, go with a middle of the road blade, in terms of sharpness. Less sharp doesn't mean better. A sharp blade will cut effortlessly, whereas a less sharp blade will tug, you don't want that. Try different blades maintaining the other elements unvaried, so you can reach conclusions. Astra blades are popular for a reason, as all the different Gillette flavours are.

As for the after shave, I agree wholeheartedly with those who say to stay away from the alum. Go with a quality splash or balm, or both, and remember that Aloe Vera is one of your skin's best friends. I have a night skin cleasing routine that includes washing my face with a quality (artisan made) bath soap, and then using an organic Aloe Vera gel with no alcohol content in it. You may add a hydrating cream after that, depending on how oily (or the other way around) your skin is.

Thank you for all of the suggestions. I'm going to try several of these. The question was asked what type of breakout. It looks like pimples to me. They are on my face and neck. I may just be using to much product. I'm definitely going to back it off some and try some more of these suggestions.

Thanks again.

When I was in my teens, I was told that aftershave could help with pimples. That worked, although it did not completely get rid of my acne. What really had a major impact years later was using different soap and washing my face every morning with a washcloth in the shower. Kirk's Hardwater Castile soap worked particularly well, and Kiss My Face Olive Oil Soap also does the trick. I then shave immediately after showering. Maybe these things will help you, too?

I agree with Tbone#19. There are two soaps I exclusively use. In the morning I shower with Kiss My Face pure olive soap. It has but three ingredients, olives, sea salt and water. There are no fragrances or other additives with the one I use. It is made in Greece and an 8oz bar costs about $4.29. The soap I only use on my face in the shower before shaving is a 100% glycerin soap, unscented with no additives. I purchase this at Whole Foods it is their 365 Brand. A 4oz bar costs $1.99 and because I only use it on my face a 4oz bar seems to last forever. Glycerin keeps your your skin moisturized and sets up your beard. Living in Southern California we have several aloe plants on our property. Once or twice a month I will wash my face with the glycerin soap and cut open an aloe leaf and rub the gel all over my face, let it dry and was it off There are a number of things that aloe does for your skin.