To Exfoliate Or Not To Exfoliate. That Is The Question?

I don't know if this is breaking news or not, but "exfoliating" my head before I shave seems to give me a much smoother and closer shave with less irritation. It also seems to give the full chrome dome without the dreaded stubble for longer.

Do others out there exfoliate? If so, do you everytime you shave? I have heard that daily exfoliation is too rough on the skin, do you think that is the case? Any opinions?

Exfoliating prepares the scalp and makes the headshaving process easier since it removes all the dead skin cells from that area. The blade will glide rather than pull as you shave across your head and the resulting shave will be closer and smoother. There are all sorts of products out there, but this homemade combo works fine for me.

BJ's Exfoliator
1 tbs baking soda
1 tsp hydrogen peroxide
Mix into a paste and apply to skin.
Let dry and then wash off with cool water.

My suggestion is to thoroughly wet your head with luke warm water. After you mix the baking soda with the peroxide gently message it into your scalp (and face, if you want to, avoid the eyes). Let it dry and then with wet your hands, giving your scalp another go at it, removing and washing away any residue.

I use this twice a week as a pre-headshave.
It's very soothing, gets rid of the dead skin cells
and leaves my head soft and smooth.

I'm gonna give BJ's recipe a try.

I mix white or brown sugar and oil; like almond, grapeseed or jojoba. Mix the two and viola! A natural exfoliator.

Soapbuddy wrote:I mix white or brown sugar and oil; like almond, grapeseed or jojoba. Mix the two and viola! A natural exfoliator.

Soapbuddy's exfoliator is a "sweeter" recipe and probably less caustic to the skin than John's. Are those oils readily available?

Geodome wrote:

Soapbuddy wrote:I mix white or brown sugar and oil; like almond, grapeseed or jojoba. Mix the two and viola! A natural exfoliator.

Soapbuddy's exfoliator is a "sweeter" recipe and probably less caustic to the skin than John's. Are those oils readily available?

If you have a health food store near you, at least one of those oils should be available.

Soapbuddy wrote:If you have a health food store near you, at least one of those oils should be available.

Thanks for the advice Soapbuddy. I'll check my local store this weekend. Of the three oils that you mentioned is there one that you prefer over the others?

Geodome wrote:

Soapbuddy wrote:If you have a health food store near you, at least one of those oils should be available.

Thanks for the advice Soapbuddy. I'll check my local store this weekend. Of the three oils that you mentioned is there one that you prefer over the others?

You're welcome.
I like jojoba, as technically it's a plant wax, not an oil. If your skin is dry, then I would go with the almond oil.

I bought the jojoba oil and some brown sugar this morning. Before I give this go on my head, what ratio of the two do you suggest I use? (1:1, 2:1, etc)

Geodome wrote:I bought the jojoba oil and some brown sugar this morning. Before I give this go on my head, what ratio of the two do you suggest I use? (1:1, 2:1, etc)

Try 1:1

Soapbuddy wrote:
Try 1:1

Great stuff. Just the right consistancy. Since I've been using this mixture, I've been achieving a much closer and smoother shave.
Exfoliating does make a difference. The shave even lasts longer and for some reson there's less scalp irritation. Thanks Soapbuddy.

Geodome wrote:

Soapbuddy wrote:
Try 1:1

Great stuff. Just the right consistancy. Since I've been using this mixture, I've been achieving a much closer and smoother shave.
Exfoliating does make a difference. The shave even lasts longer and for some reson there's less scalp irritation. Thanks Soapbuddy.

You're welcome! Glad to hear it's working for you.

I bought jojoba oil made by the Now Vitamin company at my local GNC. It smells like a sack of oats or grain that you buy to feed horses. I tried getting my money back, but was told that there's a no return policy on opened bottles. The sales clerk recommended that I add a tablespoon of hair conditioner to it. That should help mask the smell.

Skully wrote:I bought jojoba oil made by the Now Vitamin company at my local GNC. It smells like a sack of oats or grain that you buy to feed horses.

I use jojoba oil to condition my beard. The key to jojoba is finding the refined version, which is odorless, but more expensive. The Now jojoba that you bought was most likely unrefined. Imagine putting that stuff on my beard.

Skully wrote:I bought jojoba oil made by the Now Vitamin company at my local GNC. It smells like a sack of oats or grain that you buy to feed horses. I tried getting my money back, but was told that there's a no return policy on opened bottles. The sales clerk recommended that I add a tablespoon of hair conditioner to it. That should help mask the smell.

I bet you bought the unrefined. How much did you get?

I use this scalp treatment approximately twice a month.

Jojoba, Vitamin E & Tea Tree Scalp Oil


Moisturizing regularly is the first step to a healthy scalp care regimen. Apparently the active essential oils of tea tree work to accelerate the healing of scalp and combat drieness. The jojoba oil and vitamin E replenish and stimulate natural oil production. The natural germicide found in tea tree is a calming antiseptic for itchy scalp.

That Jojoba Oil + Tea Tree Oil "together" in the same product.
Now that's something I have to try.

[quote="Webmaster"]That Jojoba Oil + Tea Tree Oil "together" in the same product.
[quote]
Excellent product

The weather has been rough on my head the last few weeks. Went to the local store the other day and bought an exfoliator by Thalgo, that I hope will reviatlize my dome.

Isn't the process of shaving, exfoliation.

cyclops77 wrote:Isn't the process of shaving, exfoliation.

Yes it is.

Using an actual exfoliator takes away dead skin cells and allows for an even closer headshave.

SlimJim wrote:Using an actual exfoliator takes away dead skin cells and allows for an even closer headshave.

I've been using my wife's apricot scrub and my head's as smooth as a baby's bu##.

Want to get your head super smooth? Just prior to your shave, scrub your head with borax for approximately 2 minutes. Then rinse it off and shave. Gets my head smooth as glass.

Marco wrote:Want to get your head super smooth? Just prior to your shave, scrub your head with borax for approximately 2 minutes. Then rinse it off and shave. Gets my head smooth as glass.

I would be VERY careful with borax. Borax, which is also known as Boric Acid and is sold under the brand name "20 Mule Team," is often touted as safe and natural. While it is a naturally occurring mineral, that doesn't mean it is without dangers.

Borax is often recommended as a "safe" pesticide, fungicide and cleaner, but it is officially classified as a poison. Government sites recommend that people who work with Borax use gloves and handle it with caution. Studies have linked it to reproductive problems in some lab animals, as well as a host of serious disorders at higher levels.

Google a MSDS sheet for borax.