Gel: Pre or Post?

Continuing to examine what appears to be the essence of apple's health benefit, jelly-maker's homemade crabapple pectin, I tried the way of knowing that had previously revealed the nature of pumpkin juice: sebaceous filament extraction on the nose. The results were even more striking. Whereas pumpkin had made it easy for the follicles to stretch and release the nasty green goo, pectin changed the crud itself, into something that slipped more easily from the pore.

Much more easily. My little spoon extractor looked like it was filling with applesauce, evoking exactly the kind of disgusted satisfaction that nose squeezers crave. But I didn't even think my pores were that bad! It's not like they were wide open and dark. I've been on top of this for awhile. I only have to do the pumpkin juice and extraction once every month or two. Day to day, I take a skilled, shaving-like approach to cleaning the pores, with a slightly exfoliating microfiber cloth or a square of dry toilet paper, using skin tension behind the strokes.

This stripping was way beyond the standard of what a man would find necessary, more like that of women who wear makeup, perpetually dissatisfied with the natural look of a nose. And my first impression was that it was just not good for the skin, as abrasion-like intrafollicular damage was evident in places. But it told me that whatever malic acid may do as an AHA, apple does not have the lamellar reorganization ability of pumpkin. I gave the healing a jumpstart with a brief application of pumpkin juice, followed by "Psoriasis" salicylic acid creme (Dollar Tree).

This morning, not surprisingly, I decided that cured Witch Hazel would be enough of an oil cleanse! But I tested my tolerance by going straight to PdP No. 63. Ruby and a worn Personna Platinum Chrome gave a close shave that wasn't entirely comfortable, though not bloody. I cleaned it up with alum. Then, feeling I might suffer some burning, I made a balm of pectin, applied thin, followed by a couple drops of Vit. D shaving oil.

The same bulking up effect of the fiber, with the oil, made this very soothing and smoothing. I think this must be the operating principle behind "skin food" and post-shave gel balms. Which raises the question: is it only because that stuff costs $30 a jar that people don't use it as protection during the shave?

To me, post shave gel represents the same old, tired dynamics of cartridge marketing: the idea that shaving is supposed to be strongly exfoliating, and one should prioritize smoothness to the touch over burn avoidance. But I can imagine going with oil and bentonite pre, and possibly bulking it up with fiber after.