Chipping Away at the Exfoliation Problem

The first flakes of snow fell over Vermont this morning. In my bathroom, I only saw the flakes of paint/plating peel off the clip spring inside my Ming Shi 2000S razor, where it rubbed against a post. After the poor shave with the Merkur OC, I fell back to my Tech, but clumsily dropped the well-worn Ming Shi blade. Now with a Cloud blade, I still wasn't getting skin as smooth as I like, but at least I had the satisfaction of a close shave.

That Tech, with its cheap Yingjili plastic handle, sits ironically on the top shelf in my medicine cabinet with the two other long-handled razors, Ming Shi 2000S and "The Monster" R10 with BD-191 handle. I don't usually consider these other two as preferred razors, but they do appeal to me at times, and so it was today with the Futur clone. I am trying to remain mindful, not to go "aggressive" with hardening skin, yet the appeal (or, a peel) was irresistible.

I amped up that bourgeois vibe with XXX duro and BC Plissoft. None of these Father's Day acquisitions were expensive, but they really do give a luxurious shave! Just a note of appreciation to Italian Barber, once again.  And gosh, what a beautifully scented soap that is: fresh, but gentler than Fresco Verde, invigorating my crusty sinuses in floral lushness. So I can see how the mucosal status might be guiding my daily whim. It's also one of my more moisturizing soaps to the skin, again raising a red flag for skin hardening.

If I moisturize, I don't exfoliate as well; remember the foot experiment? It might be more pliable, but the leather thickens. Perhaps that woldn't be such a terrible thing for one as thin-skinned (on the face) as myself. Perhaps my fear that glycerin will ultimately reduce my natural moisture, and leave me flaking this winter, is holding me back from something great. I'm no longer a regular swimmer, having shifted to running; that should be to my advantage, this year.

The soap didn't irritate at all, today, that's for sure. I was a good boy and stopped after two passes of the razor, too. Instead of a third lather, I washed my face with an exfoliating soap. Asquith and Somerset -- man, would I like to have a shaving soap version of that! Maybe someday, I'll have the $$$ to explore British shaving soaps. I walked away without a balm, but will go back for that. It's not BBS, but it IS really smooth, because I didn't raise the skin texture, and visually, it's clean. I think I might stick with this. Or, at least the razor and the closeness; not sure I can stick with the rich soap.