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17 years old with acne. Shaving inflames my whole face and wrecks everything. How do I shave with acne?(r/wicked_edge)
For acne, I recommend:
a. Use a high-glycerin soap such as Whole Foods 365 glycerin soap with vitamin E (that’s one of several glycerin soaps they offer), $2/bar, as a pre-shave beard wash. Wash beard at the sink using your hands, then rinse partially with a splash and apply lather.
b. Rinse razor head in high-proof rubbing alcohol before and after each shave.
c. After the final rinse ending the shave, glide a dry alum block over your wet skin, then set block aside and clean up around the sink, put stuff away, etc., with the alum on your beard. After a minute or two, rinse the alum off, dry, and do your usual aftershave. This step is particularly helpful: alum is a mild antiseptic.
d. Use a fresh towel for every shave. You can buy thin, 100% cotton, lint-free towels called “barber towels” or “bar towels” for under $20/dozen. They’re easy to launder and a fresh one for each shave helps a lot. Here’s an example. You can also use surgical towels, like these. A wet towel is a microbe incubator.
e. Buy a bunch of pillowcases from a hotel supply house and use a fresh pillowcase every night.
These are some basic tactics. I think switching to a DE will help, and the alum is a big help.