This is a sponsored post written by us for Nivea for Men’s “Silence the Irritation” campaign. We were paid to write this article, but Nivea for Men did not have any editorial say in the finished piece, and only gave minimal direction on form and theme.
One of the most common reasons men hate shaving, especially before work on those dreary Monday mornings, is that they end up feeling their razor’s burn, rather than a smooth and properly shaved face. This is a surefire way to start your morning off on the wrong foot, and it’s a shame because it’s such an easy problem to fix. Nivea for Men recognized this common problem, and released a line for men who want to silence the irritation of their razor and get the most out of their shaves.
There are three main ways to curb post-shave irritation: aftershaves, moisturizers, and balms. Each one of these serve their own purpose, and knowing when to use them and what to look out for will help improve your shaving routine twofold.
Aftershaves
Aftershaves have been around since before your grandpa’s time, and there’s a reason for it. Most aftershaves act as an antiseptic or numbing agent to help clean cuts and keep the pain down. Most aftershaves achieve this through the use of denatured alcohol, which is particularly drying. Therefore, unless you enjoy walking around with dry skin, you’re going to need to pair it with a balm or a moisturizer.
In particular, the Nivea for Men Energy After Shave Splash is one option for guys who are looking to successfully pair a moisturizing agent and an aftershave. You’ll want to pair up with this Nivea Splash because it contains denatured alcohol and fragrance, both of which will dry you out and are fairly common ingredients in an aftershave. However, what’s unique about this Nivea Splash is that it contains Taurine, which will leave you feeling energized. I was skeptical at first because I thought, “Isn’t Taurine that stuff used in energy drinks? What good will it do if you rub it on your skin?” Well, I did some (albeit minor) research on the subject, and a peer-reviewed study backs up the assertion that Taurine is effectively absorbed through the skin.
But, like I said, you shouldn’t stop with an aftershave. Inevitably your aftershave will dry your skin out, so on to moisturizers and balms.
Moisturizers
So your aftershave just silenced the burning irritation after your shave. Great. But your skin is dried out. Not great. One option to solve this problem is the Nivea for Men Energy Gel Moisturizer. Since balms and moisturizers are generally the same thing, here’s my rule of thumb: if you didn’t cut yourself, use a moisturizer; if you did, use a balm.
Sometimes on those dreary mornings I have just a little too much coffee in order to wake up and my hands just aren’t as steady as they could be–this results in a small cut, almost invariably. However, most mornings I’m cut-free and this allows me to use a moisturizer with my aftershave. The Nivea Gel Moisturizer is a pretty solid option when paired with the After Shave Splash. The Gel Moisturizer absorbs very quickly, picking up where the Splash left off, and moisturizes your dry face back to normalcy. Not bad.
Post-shave Balms
Now, on the other hand, if it’s one of those too-much-coffee mornings and you happen to cut yourself, I would recommend a balm. Balms usually contain extra antiseptic qualities to clean and cuts and help prevent infection or further irritation. The Nivea for Men Post Shave Balm is one such balm with antiseptic properties. What’s great about this balm is the antiseptic agent is Chamomile, not denatured alcohol like in your aftershave. This means that you can pair this balm with the Nivea Splash and double up your antiseptic work without doubling up on your dryness.
I used this balm long before this particular article, and it was in fact one of the first post-shave products I ever used back in high school. Nivea for Men seems to have reworked their formula, and they certainly improved it over the last almost-decade. This is a great balm when paired with the Nivea Splash because, much like the Gel Moisturizer, there’s a sort of yin and yang relationship going on within the Nivea for Men line here, and that’s what you want to see in a solid shaving set.
Overall, Nivea for Men is a great way to help silence the irritation of post-shave problems. Whether you need some relief from razor burn, cuts, or simply the act of shaving itself, Nivea for Men has a solution to your woes. Now you have no excuse to complain all day about your bad shave.
