Why You Should Use After-Shave In Your Skin Care Routine
If You're Not Using An After-Shave, You're Crazy -- Here's Why
How do you know which product to pick?
LAB SERIES Executive Director of Product Development Justina Mejia has found that “freshly shaved skin requires special care and ingredients. To rehydrate the skin and rebuild the barrier, products with humectants (such as glycerin and sodium hyaluronate) and barrier rebuilding ingredients (like murumuru butter and coffee seed extract) are imperative. In addition to restoring moisture and rebuilding the barrier, calming and soothing ingredients (such as caffeine, sucrose, and sea whip extract) are a must. Ensuring these ingredients are in your products will help reduce any post-shave skin complications.”
Fadi Mourad of Dollar Shave Club believes the best after-shaves to be ones that don’t contain denatured alcohol, as it leads to further drying of the skin. “A good moisturizer applies lightweight, immediately absorbs, and contains soothing, healing, and protective ingredients.”
He says, first and foremost, to look at the ingredient label. “Look for natural oils, butters, proteins and extracts near the top of the list. That will indicate these ingredients are in the formula at good levels.”
What ingredients would those be? Mark Herro compiles a list to look for: aloe vera, chamomile, tea tree oil, calendula, witch hazel, lavender, jojoba oil, grapefruit seed extract, rose oil distillate, and various vitamins.
There are also some ingredients Mark believes should be avoided, including high concentrations of alcohol, camphor, or eucalyptus; and parabens, grapefruit (if you’re going to be outdoors a lot); and lemon oil (if you have sensitive skin).
Founder of Miami Skin Institute Dr. S. Manjula Jegasothy says, “When choosing an after-shave formulation, I advise men to focus first on the vehicle. For example, if you have oily skin, get an astringent solution, and if you have dry skin get a lotion. In addition, newer formulations also contain anti-aging ingredients like growth factors and Vitamin C, so if guys are interested in preserving their youth, after-shave may help in this regard as well. Hypothetically, the miniature cuts and nicks on the skin’s surface may create “channels” through which larger molecules may penetrate, so applying anti-aging ingredients after shaving may [help].
Are there any shavers who shouldn't use after-shave?
Dr. Jegasothy says, “Those who should not use after-shave include individuals who have extremely sensitive skin or those who have a known allergy to witch hazel or any of the ingredients listed in the product ingredient list.”
Justina Mejia agrees: “If you tend to have sensitive skin or are prone to breaking out, try shaving less often and/or using less products on your skin, which can cause your pores to clog. I suggest keeping it simple and using a cooling gel cream that pulls double duty: soothing freshly shaved skin and replenishing moisture.”
- Shaving