Thread: Pre Oils, creams, after shaves

Im new to the world of straight shaving. I have a relatively coarse beard and I was wondering if any one could recommend any personal favorites in the Oils, creams, after shaves dept for a closer, more comfortable shave.

Thanks.

I like Feather pre-shave or shaving cream with a hot towel. Or just a hot towel, actually!

Welcome to str8s and SRP. I have oily skin, so I prefer alcohol-based AS. I have Taylor of Old Bond Street (TOBS) #74 and DR Harris Bay Rum which are my wife's favorites. Dominica Bay Rum is another AS she appreciates and it's very affordable. I really like Pinaud Clubman AS. They are inexpensive and smell like an old barber shop. Pinaud AS are my wife's least favorite.

I also have TOBS Aftershave Balm (Gel) in Sandalwood for those times when my face needs a little TLC. Most balms are too oily for me but TOBS AS Balm works for me on an occassional basis. This would be nice if you have dry skin and there are other fragrances. I've heard good things about Geo. F. Trumper's Skin Food, but never tried it.

Is your skin oily, dry, sensitive to specific items? Answer this and you can begin to experiment.

Enjoy!

Dave

+1 on the hot towel. I like a hot towel before and after my shave. First before I lather. Second after the shave, followed by cold water splash, towel dry, and AS.

Dave

A great pre-shave oil can be made from equal parts olive oil and Castor oil. In fact, if you add a little essential oil to that mix, you get what the same pre-shave oil for which the Art of Shaving charges $11 an ounce.

I would recommend an after shave Balm at first until you figure out how your skin reacts to the shave.


-Rob

Thanks all for the info.

Dave, my skin is dry, since I sleep with a fan on ALL the time and my neck more so then anywhere else is sensitive, but I think that has a lot to do with getting used to shaving straight.

Currently (since it came free with the package) i only have Col Conk mug soap, that doesnt seem to give me a very good slide, nor is it overly comfy.

Thanks !
Matt

Originally Posted by mmelch19

Thanks all for the info.

Dave, my skin is dry, since I sleep with a fan on ALL the time and my neck more so then anywhere else is sensitive, but I think that has a lot to do with getting used to shaving straight.

Currently (since it came free with the package) i only have Col Conk mug soap, that doesnt seem to give me a very good slide, nor is it overly comfy.

Thanks !
Matt

Matt, you should avoid alcohol based AS and go with the balms. Maybe some of the guys with dry skin will tell you what they like.

Col. Conk's soaps are okay, but my favorite is Geo. F. Trumper's Sandalwood. I've heard very good things about Mitchell's Wool Fat Shaving soap and DR Harris soaps. I intend to try them very soon. I only have experience with one shaving creme that my wife got for me from The Body Shop. It is very nice. You might try a creme.

Dave

Iv'e been using proaso preshave cream for just over a year now & for me it works better than any of the oils I've tried. It gets used for most of my shaves & I usally follow up with either Trumpers skin food or Proraso post shave milk. These are the part of my shaving routine that never varies now I just try different shaving soaps & creams.

some people try hair conditioner simply because that's what the goal is - condition the hair. And actually, although it may seem ghetto, the "shave secret" preshave/shaving oil at walmart is great product to try out. I actually really like the scent, and it's super cheap, i.e. >$3.

If you want to try a shave oil just to see what you think, I'd give the shave secret a try or the olive/castor oil combination Rob mentioned. Either way is cheap.

I've been using Trumpers Lime skin food for about 3 months now as both a pre- and after shave and I heartily recommend it - I do all the showering/face washing and hot towel business as part of my prep as well and rub the skin food onto my stubble before brushing the lather on. If nothing else, it smells fantastic, but the skin on my face is in great condition most of the time since I've been using it (I say most of the time because my fourth foray into straight shaving has left me with a bit of a rash along my jaw line but that's either the edge or more likely my technique). Apart from that, I use Trumpers Limes soap and TOBS sandalwood soap and both are great.