When I started shaving at 14 my face would break out something horrible when I shaved. Generally using a Mach 3 and some standard shaving gel. It didn't let up quickly.
At 24 I ran across a similar article at LewRockwell.com. So, I gave up shaving cream. Turns out I didn't need it. A few years ago I went with a safety razor. I've found that a new sharp razor and wet face are the key to shaving my face good and proper.
I consider shaving cream and antiperspirant to be similar. If you use them every day your body gets used to them. When you're skin is used to the protection of shaving cream it hurts to skip it. If you're used to antiperspirant and skip it you sweat like a pig. So, I skip them. I only use antiperspirant when it is essential that I do not sweat. That is not a problem at my current job so it generally gets used for weddings, funerals, or other tense situations where I've got a tie on.
