Sunday Riley Combats Razor Burn and More

Anyone who has a beard and sensitive skin knows how fragile your face can be after a shave–especially during the cooler months.

Preventing razor burn can be as tough as not scuffing your new pair of all white Adidas. No matter how careful you are, eventually both your skin and the shoes will succumb to external damage and the results will become irritating, both literally and figuratively. By literally we’re, of course, referring to the dreaded razor burn and bumps that results from shaving. Sunday Riley, has a couple of grooming products that can help cool your post-shave sensitivity and provide some serious razor relief.

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Sunday Riley’s skincare duo, Martian and U.F.O., are an unexpectedly great team for combating razor burn and ridding blemishes. They’re not aftershave products per se, so they don’t necessarily eliminate irritation in its entirety, but they do work together to reduce the chances of red-marks over time and help to shorten the duration of skin irritation. With ingredients such as bentonite clay and a tea tree, chamomile infusion, these two products can heal and sooth skin after a close shave.

We tested Sunday Riley’s new Martian and U.F.O. products so y’all know just what to expect before wading in yourself.

Martian ($55)

Sunday Riley’s mattifying gel can be thought of as a mildly antiseptic aftershave. With a nice, lotion-like texture and easy absorption  upon application, it’s best used right after a shower or face wash and after shaving. In terms of quality and effectiveness, Martian’s marshmallow root and witch hazel soothes any kind of irritation after shaving, while the bentonite clay addition is particularly beneficial because of it’s ability to draw out toxins and unclog sebum from pores, while also leaving an all-day matte finish. Martian also instantly adds a cooling-effect to the irritated area and removes excess oils that may only make matters worse. All in all, it aids your beard in growing back healthy and soft. The products does exude a fairly strong, earthy and mint aroma which can be too much for some. It isn’t an unwelcoming smell, though, and it wears off fast.

U.F.O. ($80)

This clarifying face oil also goes on well with a thin and lightweight consistency, but it packs a much more potent scent. U.F.O. contains a 1.5 percent dose salicylic acid, which can be used to eliminate shaving symptoms such as inflammation and redness and can help to fight breakouts. It’s also an effective tool for fighting razor burn with the help of tea tree oil infused with chamomile. These two ingredients avidly seek to heal vexed skin and calm the effects of razor burn. And, as with all moisturizers, U.F.O. helps in the good fight against fine-lines and aging, because no one wants a permanently furrowed brow by fifty.

Yay or nay?

The products are marketed and advertised toward women, but hey, we live in the era of equality of the sexes and, besides, razor burn doesn’t have a gender–so why not pursue any product that can help alleviate such an everyday annoyance. If you struggle to keep razor burn and irritated skin at bay and you currently don’t have a moisturizer or face oil to keep your face healthy, why not give Martian and U.F.O. a shot. After two weeks of using it, the condition of my skin after shaving has gotten better and I haven’t dealt with the lingering effects of razor burn. It’s not a miracle product, but it’s effective nonetheless. Although they’re a bit pricey — $135 for the bundle — you don’t need to use much during application so it will last a long time. After routinely using Martian and U.F.O., it’ll make you want to shave more just to endure the cooling freshness and matte finish it provides. And let’s face it, some of us need that sort of motivation when it comes to grooming.