OUCH! Getting Rid of Shaving Irritants

Think of it. Daily most men, and even a few women, drag sharp blades across their sensitive skin, tearing away millions of hair strands from their native follicles, usually cutting themselves in the process and even at best, severely irritating their body-enveloping organ. What a ghastly event, repeated hundreds of millions of times around the globe!

Cheer up. There are a number of products available on the market for men and women who want an irritation free shave.

The list is long. Products like face washes, aftershave lotions and special creams are there to keep you free from wounding your skin. However, before you choose a lotion, cream or gel make sure that it suits your skin.

Some may want to consult a dermatologist before starting on a shaving product. There are many prescription products that may save you from shaving uneasiness. Absent this approach, we recommend that:

SHAVING CREAMS. Forget about cheap brushless commercial creams. They are thin, even the ‘best’ of them and will leave your face feeling raw. Brushless, easy as it seems, is not an option for healthy shaving. Attitude is everything. Commit yourself to making shaving an ‘art’. Search sites like www.barclaycrocker.com for the world’s best shaving creams, which come in tubes, tubs and blocks and will make your shaving experience the high point of your day.

BRUSH. Yes, a good shaving brush is mandatory. When you work in the lather for a minute or two, your skin will respond in ways you have never experienced in your ‘pre-brush’ lifetime.

Then, when you use a razor, your skin will be supple and yielding, and your shave will be close, clean and non-irritating.

RAZOR. Straight razor days are, thankfully, behind us. As a

Species, we’ve moved on. There are now 3 and 4 blade razors on the market, some with built in vibrators which actually work to

Make your shave closer than any in the history of civilization. Use one of these.

AFTERSHAVES. Beware of alcohol based products. They will dry your skin and cause further irritation. The best creams we’ve found are the so called ‘E’ creams, natural creams with vitamin E

Extract in the mix. These creams heal the skin and soften it.

INGROWN HAIR. These are frequently found around the bikini area. If your skin is vunerable to this problem, consider banishing shaving and opting for waxing . When the hair is waxed, the entire shaft of hair is removed at the root, preventing tiny stubble from growing  underneath the top layer of skin. If you insist on continuing shaving, look for a lotion containing a slight analgesic to prevent ingrown hairs.

Proraso – Ludovico’s Tuscan Treasure

More than a  half-century ago a Tuscan entrepreneur named Ludovico

Martelli set out to enhance the art of shaving. Methodically he created and produced a world class line of shaving products, with PRORASO shaving cream as it’s cornerstone. When one opens the  distinctive green package it’s an easy step back into an age before the advent of foams and gels*, when shaving meant taking out quality time and really ‘taking care’ of oneself.

The Proraso factory in Florence is the oldest of it’s kind, a Tuscan proudness. As Martelli himself reflects,” We believe that the coherence of our products helps us, as well as the Quality-Price ratio we offer.

A kind of continuity from generation to generation, even if the products themselves have changed very little over the years. We saw them on the bathroom shelves of our grandfather and father, as we now see them in the locker of the husband, son or boyfriend.”

To the uninitiated, hear it now - the PRORASO brand is not a limited option. The company offers a wide array of scents with it’s shaving cream, including the new ‘Eucalyptus’ and ‘Green Tea’, now available in shave cream pots..fresh and invigorating. Further, as eucalyptus is antiseptic and antibiotic, it is helpful in reducing facial breakouts. Green Tea and Aloe is exceptional for use on sensitive skin. Looking out over the entire product line, there is a complete range of items from Pre-Shave to Aftershave Balms and Splash..even Shave Foams for convenience and Styptic Gel for those occasional nicks and cuts.

Proraso also offers  remarkable value in  a shave-brush made for them by Omega in Bologna, Italy. The brush stands 5″ high with a silver color base. The brush area is 2 ½” high and, when wet, tapers at the top for excellent application of soap.

It may be your time to take a trip on-line - to the heart of Tuscany and the soulful essence of Proraso, one of the world’s great shaving institutions.

*Fast-Shaving foam was invented in the 1960s.