Reddit reviews T.N. Dickinson's Astringent, 100% Natural, Witch Hazel 16 fl oz (473 ml)

I possess extremely long, extremely thick, extremely coarse, extremely curly hair. Think somewhere between Claudio Sanchez of Coheed & Cambria and the fat guy from Lost except halfway down by back.

Every day, I shower. When I do so, I wet my hair then rub it down with a cedarwood/rosemary shampoo bar (solid-form shampoo composed mostly of saponified shea butter and jojoba oil without any natural-oil-stripping sulfates) and lather it up. I let it sit for awhile, then rinse. After that, I apply a thick coat of dandruff-defense conditioner (liquid form) and let that stand while I wash my body (with a fancy loofa and a really nice bar of cold-pressed, natural soap called "Desert Sands"). I rinse the conditioner out, wring most of the water out of my hair, and then step out of the tub.

I apply a mist of leave-in spray condtioner and let it stand while I shave (using a variety of natural shaving soaps and/or creams with a badger hair brush, a German safety razor, and a number of facial care products including an alum block, witch hazel splash, and moisturizer) and brush my teeth. I finally run a large brush (with scalp-protecting beads on the bristles and a malleable backing to allow it to shape itself to the contours of my head as I brush) through my hair until there are no more knots or tuggy spots..

On work days, I'll throw on my shirt, pull my hair back, then brush it back into a ponytail that I'll hold up with a hairtie. Otherwise I let it airdry into a gloriously fluffy, unbelievably soft, and delicious-smelling mane that encircles my entire head and neck and draws the eye of every woman I pass.

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What else would we use indeed!

I'm looking to change my cleanser, so I don't have a good suggestion for that. For the other cheap things in my routine that have made my skin happy lately:

• Neutrogena sunscreen, which others have mentioned.
  
  
• Witch hazel as a mild toner, which I also like to use for wiping away a little oiliness without full on cleansing in the middle of the day.
  
  
• Stridex pads, which I prefer far more than all the washes and scrubs I used to use all the time.
  
  I also do OCM. So far I've tried pure mineral oil and EVOO (both pretty cheap), and I prefer the olive oil. I'm looking to try castor oil soon.
  
  I understand sufficient water intake and adequate sleep are large contributing factors as well, but I am still super crap at those x(
  
  Sidenote on Garnier: I don't know if it's an issue for you, but I have used 4 different Garnier moisturizers in the past and found that all of them irritated my skin...possibly due to their fragrance? I used to have an oily T-zone plus oily spots on my cheeks under my eyes and I also got the occasional cystic acne, but those problems have lessened dramatically after I stopped using the washes/scrubs and started using the items I listed above. It sounds like we might have somewhat similar skin types, so I hope this helps!
  

He takes a cotton ball and dabs it over the t-zone, or on active breakouts. I would suggest use at night (it smells kind of funny) and see how it goes. Sometimes he uses it morning and night. Glad to help! You can find everything on Amazon! :) Remember to always patch test too. BTW this is the one he uses

https://www.amazon.com/Dickinsons-Astringent-Natural-Witch-Hazel/dp/B00016WW8Q/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1474566537&sr=1-4&keywords=witch+hazel

I don't know if there are any products that prevent it, but one product I use for getting rid of irritated red skin is this, and it's worked great for me.

This would probably work too, and maybe better, but I haven't ever used it.

I use the same cleansing conditioner, that I use on my beard, on my scalp to soften up any hairs for shaving.


Once I shave, I wash my face & scalp with Cetaphil daily facial cleanser


Then I use cold water, followed by Witch Hazel astringent. The proper item for what you're attempting to do with rubbing alcohol.


Lastly, I moisturize with Cremo SPF 20 face lotion

To be honest, you've got a good head and face-shape for shaving your hair completely. Get it clippered as short as possible, I'm not sure if there's anything shorter than 0.5, because fully bald would be in the realm of shaving, and that's going to result in an awful prickly feeling and maintaining a full shave is much more laborious than just a simple full clippering; I have a friend who looks similar.

Hats definitely work in your favour, because you obviously need to protect your scalp and your appearance and demeanor suits the style as it is, but don't be afraid of not wearing hats while in doors.

I'd definitely recommend to switching to flat-brim hats exclusively, like these: http://imgur.com/a/bd2Zo

For skincare, I generally like using Phisohex (https://www.priceline.com.au/phisohex-anti-bacterial-wash-200-ml) on a recently clippered scalp, mainly at the back, it will reduce redness and prevent foliculitis from having it clippered so short. If you're not Australian, and you're probably not, any sort of anti-bacterial face wash will also help.

For your face, I'd definitely recommend using something like this daily: in the morning or at night, but only once a day: http://www.amazon.com/LOreal-Expert-Energetic-X-Treme-Charcoal/dp/B006SXDA7S

After this, tone your face if you're worried about even skintone, some witchhazel is good for this. It's also great for treating minor knicks and scraps from shaving your face: http://www.amazon.com/Dickinsons-Astringent-Natural-Witch-Hazel/dp/B00016WW8Q/ref=sr_1_2_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1457657115&sr=1-2&keywords=witchhazel

After toning, if you want to, use a moisturiser, again something from the Loreal Men range, either for anti-aging or for sensitive skin, depending on your goals.

As for the sideburns, if you're going to keep them, you'd need to go for a full beard if you decide to clipper your head, since obviously sideburns can be attached from above or below, but I'd really recommend you clipper the top as short as possible.

I use a combination of witch hazel and Murad Acne Spot Fast Fix. I use witch hazel for my neck after shaving and Murad for the odd pimple. Haven't met a blemish either couldn't handle.

Sometimes it helps to start by shaving with the direction of hair growth, at least the first few times. Although it doesn't cut quite as close, this will give you less ingrown hairs and allow your legs to become accustomed to being shaved. After you do this the first few times, you can start going against the grain if you feel the need. Follow up with lotion. You might also want to buy a bottle of witch hazel (here's an Amazon link but it's available at any pharmacy, usually next to the rubbing alcohol and peroxide) and wipe your legs with it right after you shave: this can help prevent razor burn and ingrown hairs, although I'd be lying if I said it didn't burn like hell sometimes (it's quick though.)

Buy a good razor. It doesn't necessarily have to be expensive, but the cheap disposable ones always nick and cut the everloving shit out of my legs, so I use some Schick thing instead (and change the blades fairly regularly!) Replacement blades aren't exactly cheap, but you won't need to replace them nearly as often as you would a facial razor.

Lastly, one of my favorite tricks is to use conditioner instead of shaving cream. It glides much more smoothly and just seems to work better for me (a lot of people use this trick though.) You can just get a bottle of the cheapest Suave or VO5 conditioner, it doesn't really matter. It really works great though and you don't have to worry about a metal can of shaving cream getting rusty in the shower.

EDIT: one more thing. Don't shave over the same spot over and over again. Every time you shave over the same spot, you're scraping off more of your skin and that equals razor burn. Just give it one or two passes and if you miss a hair then just leave it and move on. After a couple-few weeks your legs will have adjusted and you can get a little more aggressive.