are too many shaving products unnecessary?

• are too many shaving products unnecessary? by mouse404 on 20 May, 2009 13:43
• all the different aftershaves, pre shaves, lubricants etc....
  
  i mean do they REALLY help, honestly ive had some better shaves when i didnt use any pre shave or anything like that. im starting to think all the companies are trying to get money any way they can. i am not saying none of these products help, im simply implying that maybe all u need is a good cream/gel, maybe a shaving brush, a razor, and maybe an aftershave depending on how sensitive your skin is.
  
  i know alot of people who have a razor and a shower,no cream or gel at all..........and thats all they use to shave their head.
  
  i just want to find that perfect shave! lol
  
  
• #1 by BuzzKC on 20 May, 2009 14:07
• I know its different for everyone but I get great results with regular bar soap and a schick xtreme 3 in the shower. smooth as glass.
• #2 by Rev Sly on 20 May, 2009 14:35
• I would switch from the bar soap to a shaving gel or similiar product as bar soaps tend to have adverse effects on your scalp. Don't get me wrong, in a pinch you could use that combo but would not recommend it for an extended period of time. I use head slick from HeadBlade and have also used the Bald Guyz shaving gel both of which have given me a good shave.
• #3 by DogStar Guy on 20 May, 2009 15:28
• Just a beginner here...
  But I do agree in a sense that there can be too many products.
  
  Having said that I am convinced a "pre-oil" application goes a long way to make a head shave easier and less irritating.
  
  I think I am also a believer in Witch Hazel as a "final rinse". But that is certainly optional. Keep in mind I do have sensitive skin so I am extra concerned about being to harsh with it.
  
  Dragging a knife edge around the scalp is by it's very nature "harsh".
• #4 by Chaplain Mike on 20 May, 2009 16:30
• At the start I was really caught up in all the product stuff.  Not having a lot of bucks at the time, I picked up a HeadBlade, Head Slick and Tea Tree Anti-bump lotion.  That has been the extent of my routine from the start.  I think if there are things you like to use, go for it.  But, it doesn't take an arsenal of product to be sly.
• #5 by SBG Math Guy on 20 May, 2009 17:51
• It really depends on the company to be fair.  Bald Guyz for example has done a great deal of research for years so all their products are amazing.
  In any case, probably the most important step in shaving is to moisturize after you shave.   I agree with Mouse that there are so many items out there that are not really useful.  For example, there are so many shaving creams/gels that are supposed to be designed for "sensitive skin" but most of them fail to do the job.
• #6 by SLYinKC on 20 May, 2009 20:38
• I don't think that you need alot of products.  But for me a good shave gel (Bald Guyz preferrably) and a good razor (Fusion is my current choice) are essential.  The rest is all stuff that I can live without if I have to.
• #7 by schro on 20 May, 2009 20:46
• I commented on this in another thread, mouse.
  
  The exfoliators out there may be good, but do they provide anything more than a bar a soap and a washcloth or a shower sponge thingie?
  
  A good shave gel, razor, and after shave moisturizer are all that go on the SchroDome.
• #8 by darkknight1 on 21 May, 2009 07:55
• Everyone is going to have different opinions on what works, and what doesn't.  For me, the extra stuff just seems to make sense.  Like shave lotions, prewash, and exfoliants.  Take the Headshed for example, I feel it does make the shave smoother, and easier. And I combine it with Headwash when in the shower. But I  also recently tried St Ives Apricot Scrub, as an alternate to the headshed, because all the posts I read were suggesting it.  Then there are the moisture gels, or plain old aloe vera gel. It all depends on what you want to spend, and what you feel you need.  I use all sorts of products, and in my book, I thinks it is all worth it. 
• #9 by mouse404 on 21 May, 2009 09:05
• reason i bring this up is because i feel that using alot of products might be the reason y i get some irritation or bumps.
  
  i went into "the art of shaving" store yesterday at fashion show mall here in las vegas, and the guy(not a sly lol) told me to find a shaving cream that has no fragrance or alcohol in it. he gave me samples of their shaving cream too.  he also told me that he uses the gillette fusion. i bought a $55 shaving brush and even though they had alot of "superior" versions of the gillette razors(mach3s and fusions), i went to a walgreens to pick up a gillette fusion, its the only razor ive yet to try.  the guy at the shaving store also told me that "bump stopper" actually does not rid the bumps but just results in them going down short term but actually leads to all the other little bumps that u have the next day. he said that wich hazel was a good product and to add a good mosturizer/lotion.
• #10 by Irishdeerhunter on 21 May, 2009 10:31
• After nearly 18 months of research (trial & mostly error ) I believe that a good razor (Mach 3 in my case), a shaving foam/gel (Men's shaving system, sensitive with aloe in my case) free of alcohol products, salicyclic acid, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) (these are added to everything inc shampoos, soaps and shaving creams/gels as a foaming agent) plus a moisturizer (Aveeno in my case) that contains none of the listed ingredients above is all you need most of the time.   
  
  I also use cuticuria soap every second or third day to cleanse the scalp and sometimes use witch hazel post-shaving as a nice antiseptic.
  
  As Math Guy said earlier, just because a product says 'sensitive' doesn't mean it's sensitive. Go for products that contain the least amount of ingredients or are natural like witch hazel, aloe vera, etc. So, read the ingredients list especially if you suffer from sensitive skin.
  
  The end result is my noggin has improved greatly by following the aforementioned guidelines.    
• #11 by TANK25 on 21 May, 2009 13:24
• I like the fact that there are so many products to choose from.I found what works for me and I have not bought any new products since.
• #12 by GaryT on 29 May, 2009 13:24
• Yeah, I do think that alot of the companies out there are really trying to snooker us!! I use a lot of different products always searching for something better.
  
  But as mentioned in another thread, I recently went camping for a week and I usually never shave while camping. But, I then found that my wife threw in my Mach III, "just in case." So one day in the shower I decided to see what I could get for results. I simply took the bar of Dial soap, lathered it up as best I could be hand and had at it. It turned out to be a terrific shave!! Really showed me how many products I use are fun and do differing jobs at shaving my head. But now I know that they are not as needed as I thought they were!