Thread: A note about Silicone in place of Shaving Oil.

I remember reading on the forum about a whole variety of substances that can be used as a shaving oil/ lubricant to allow the blade to glide nicely on the skin without causing exfoliation. At one point someone mentioned Silicone based lubricants as a possible option, but it was quickly shot down by most because of the fact that it is water-proof and might prevent hairs from absorbing water and softening from the lather and hot water.

Recently I decided to do some research on this simply because I am familiar with these lubricants, know they are the best, and am curious about what they would do to my shave. Sure enough, Dow Corning recently did a study on Silicone Lubricants and their effects on hair during thermal treatments (blow dryers and such)... the silicone actually protected the hair and the skin from any form of damage AND it locked in the moisture that was already in the hair, keeping the hair soft. I am really curious now as to what this would do to my shave. If it locks in moisture, imagine lathering, hot toweling, rinsing with hot water, and then spreading the silicone to lock in the moisture and keep the hair soft. I hope I don't sound weird, but tomorrow morning I am going to try it and give a full report. Let me know if you guys have any thoughts!

Safety Note: I will be applying the silicone with a brush to prevent it from getting on my hands and making the razor slip through my grip.

I'm sure you already know this, but there is a food grade silicone. If I was going to try, I'd use that one..I don't know about using it as pre shave, but you seem to have done research on it. Post your results.
I've read that large doses of silicone can be toxic, and since pre shaves work best when used on a regular basis, this would be cause for concern, so be careful....
Pre shave oil works best when used on a regular basis, even Olive Oil....

I am very curious as to which form of silicon your using. Spray? or perhaps one of the silicon based "personal lubricants"?

By all means, let us know how your shave goes!

Originally Posted by zib

I'm sure you already know this, but there is a food grade silicone. If I was going to try, I'd use that one..I don't know about using it as pre shave, but you seem to have done research on it. Post your results.
I've read that large doses of silicone can be toxic, and since pre shaves work best when used on a regular basis, this would be cause for concern, so be careful....
Pre shave oil works best when used on a regular basis, even Olive Oil....

quick, warn all silicone breasted ladies!!
probably silicones can be toxic, but maybe on ingestion or only certain kinds?

Yes, you can use the appropriate silicone (most likely polydimethylsiloxane) as a lubricant; it will function in much the same way as a preshave oil. Like preshave oil it will trap water in the hairs (assuming they were properly hydrated before application) and provide lubrication. Most silicones are also very effective antifoaming agents and foam breakers so you may see some negative effect on lather quality. This is also true of preshave oils since oils are also antifoam agents (though not as effect as silicones).

FYI, there is a difference between silicone and silicon. Silicones are polymers that contain the element silicon but also contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Silicon is an element; number 14 on the periodic table.

I was the one who stared that post last year. I use sex lube with dimethicone in it and it works fine. I apply a few drops to my face before the lather and rub it in well.

Didn't Dow-Corning go bankrupt after all those lawsuits from women who had those implants. They claimed the liner ruptured and the leaking medical grade silicon caused all kinds of toxic effects.

Hey everyone! I tried it this morning and here are my results.
I'll break the results down into three categories.

The Good:
-I got a very smooth shave and BBS on my cheeks for the first time ever! (I am a newbie, remember.)
-Near BBS everywhere else.
-The silicone doesn't wash off easily which meant it stayed on the blade and prevented the need to reapply.
-The blade really did go smoothly and the silicone really did lock the moisture into the hairs, keeping them soft.

The Bad:
-As MasterRolf predicted, it did kill the foam. This actually made me really angry because I had a beautiful lather that just faded into nothing on my face.
-Silicone does dry a bit, but still stays soft and smooth. I had to keep splashing water on my face to keep it super slick. The lather would have solved this, but it literally killed my lather.

The Ugly:
-With normal lather you get gobs of foam and hair that you can just rinse off. With Silicone you get globs of silicone and hair that don't wash down the drain without a bit of soap and a good rubbing.
-Did I mention it killed my lather? Cause it did... it was such a beautiful lather...

In regards to the concerns about health and safety. Here is a quote from a "sex education" website... tee hee:

How can silicone be so safe when leaking silicone breast implants can be fatal? Let me explain what happens regarding implants. Theoretically, silicone breast implants should be safe because the silicone gel encapsulated in the breast form is inert, right? Even when leaking, they shouldn't interfere with any of the body's chemistry. The problem is this: the loose silicone in your blood system while inert is still a foreign body. It isn't absorbed into your blood like saline. Your white blood cells recognize the silicone and try to fight this invader. If the silicone adheres to a bone, your white blood cells attack the bone. Silicone lubricant never hits your bloodstream. It's in your digestive tract and protected by skin no matter which orifice you put it in- even if you swallow a little. In fact many gel capsules you buy from the pharmacy are packed with silicone lubricant.

Now, I too see the part where it says, "loose silicone in your blood system... is still a foreign body." However, I am pretty sure that a leaking breast implant with large amounts of silicone is different than the fraction that could potentially get into my skin/ bloodstream if I nick myself. The company "King of Shaves" actually makes a silicone based shaving lubricant, so I assume my assumption is correct... even though its a lot of assuming.

THE conclusion:
-While it seems that it works quite well, I was so saddened by my lost lather that I am not sure if I will do it again. I am going to keep this for possible future use, perhaps once I truly have begun to become proficient in all parts of SR Shaving. It is also a bit harder to cleanup than the time that I tried Olive Oil (which worked just as well... and tastes delicious.)
-Overall it is another great option.

Credit to those who try and thanks for sharing your experience.

Pabster

I shaved this AM with a silicone lube and a safety razor (sorry for invading your site).
I shave in the shower and put on the sili-lube after I have soaked the face for a bit.

1. Very slippery and hard to get off hands
2. Had to disassemble the razor to get the hair/lube goop out of the razor

That being said, I got an incredible shave. However, for clean up's sake, I may just go back to silicone based cream (Men-u or Billy Jealousy Hydroplane w.o any oil.

Paul

Originally Posted by BeauEnigma

I remember reading on the forum about a whole variety of substances that can be used as a shaving oil/ lubricant to allow the blade to glide nicely on the skin without causing exfoliation. At one point someone mentioned Silicone based lubricants as a possible option, but it was quickly shot down by most because of the fact that it is water-proof and might prevent hairs from absorbing water and softening from the lather and hot water.

Recently I decided to do some research on this simply because I am familiar with these lubricants, know they are the best, and am curious about what they would do to my shave. Sure enough, Dow Corning recently did a study on Silicone Lubricants and their effects on hair during thermal treatments (blow dryers and such)... the silicone actually protected the hair and the skin from any form of damage AND it locked in the moisture that was already in the hair, keeping the hair soft. I am really curious now as to what this would do to my shave. If it locks in moisture, imagine lathering, hot toweling, rinsing with hot water, and then spreading the silicone to lock in the moisture and keep the hair soft. I hope I don't sound weird, but tomorrow morning I am going to try it and give a full report. Let me know if you guys have any thoughts!

Safety Note: I will be applying the silicone with a brush to prevent it from getting on my hands and making the razor slip through my grip.