Spencer Frankel
Member

Razor: ATT SE1
Blade: Feather AC Professional (4)
Soap: Wolfpac Pine-o-mite
Brush: TF Custom Synthetic
AS: Nivea 2 Phase Aftershave Lotion
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Great photo Steve
That's why I use Jojoba oil post shave as it is supposed to be the closest approximation to our own skins oil. But it still raises the question of whether it would be better to use a low pH alternative to shaving soap. Got me thinking now - just when I was about to go and make a batch of shaving soap too.The pH of skin products is an interesting item. Traditional hydroxide saponified hand/body/shaving soaps are usually in the 9.5 - 11.0 pH range. I had a very valuable discussion with @alfredus when I had been making soap for about 6 months on the subject of soap pH at one of our Adelaide meetings. I had a few soaps I had made plus Proraso, Mike's B&M and a couple of others and they were all correctly made with full saponification of fats with a pH around 10. As @alfredus pointed out my comparison was just that and I agree as it was by no means a scientific methodology. I loaded the same brush with the same production of lather with the same amount of water and then filled the pH meter cap with lather and took a reading. Each sample was similar to the others in the shaving soap tests I did.
"Apparently" it takes 3 - 5 hours for the skin to return to its normal pH range in many people.
"Normal healthy skin has potential of hydrogen (pH) range of 5.4-5.9 and a normal bacterial flora. Use of soap with high pH causes an increase in skin pH, which in turn causes an increase in dehydrative effect, irritability and alteration in bacterial flora. The majority of soaps and shampoos available in the market do not disclose their pH."
"The surface of the skin is slightly acidic, giving rise to the concept of the acid mantle.[1] Studies have shown that potential of hydrogen (pH) of skin increases in proportion to the pH of cleanser used. Increase in pH causes an increase in dehydrative effect, irritability and propionibacterial count.[2,3,4] Changes in the pH are reported to play a role in the pathogenesis of some skin diseases. Therefore, the use of skin cleansing agents with a pH of about 5.5 may be of relevance in the prevention and treatment of those skin diseases.[5,6] Unfortunately, pH is not mentioned in the labels of many products."
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There are a few both liquid and bar 5.5 pH cleansers to use after removing your lather if you feel you need them.
Steve
I had decided to buy the Colonial General (al) head a couple of weeks ago, which is a big deal since I am always hesitant to pull the trigger.![]()
I strongly prefer my Colonial General aluminum head