Later On

My morning shave is now a daily (save Sunday) search for the perfect Creamy Lather. I picked De Vergulde Hand because the container looked as if it would helpful in working the lather back into the brush. And I chose my Plisson Chinese Grey brush because it is somewhat coarser than the silvertip brushes, and I thought it might work the soap and lather more along the lines of boar and horsehair.

I did indeed get a very nice lather, though it didn’t quite hit the sweet spot. Still, it was better than my regular lathers. I want to try this with Klar Kabinette soon.

Three passes with the Pils. I tend to have Pils problems on my upper lip: the blade angle—the blade emerges almost flat from the head—combined with my slight familial tremor can readily inflict a small cut, and I got one this morning. Not bad—that’s what My Nik Is Sealed is for—but I think this is why I’ve sort of being unconsciously avoiding the use of this razor. But that makes it worse: lack of practice. I will be bringing it more frequently into the rotation. OTOH, I have yet to have a nick from, say, the Feather premium stainless razor, which is significantly less expensive than the Pils.

I had read something about the Weleda balm and wanted to give it a go. Not bad, for a balm. The manufacturer reports:

Organic jojoba seed oil absorbs quickly to protect your skin without leaving an oily film. Biodynamic^® aloe is rich in vitamins, minerals and enzymes that nourish and soothe razor burn. Myrrh has mild antiseptic and astringent properties that calm small shaving wounds. Your face feels soft, smooth and relaxed. Now that your close shave is no longer a close call for razor burn, you can go on being as smooth as your clean-cut face.

I actually buy it from Vitacost.com because of the discount. They also list the ingredients:

Ingredients: Water (aqua), alcohol, buxus chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, glycerin, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), glyceryl linoleate, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) extract, commiphora myrrha extract, sodium beeswax, magnesium aluminum silicate, chondrus crispus (carrageenan), xanthan gum, fragrance (parfum), limonene, linalool, benzyl benzoate, geraniol, citral, farnesol and evernia prunastri extract.

Free of: Synthetic additives, fragrance, artificial color, preservatives, and raw materials derived from mineral oils and animal testing.