Thread: Understanding Pre-Shave Oil

I use Shave Secret (very cheap from WalMart). I don't know if it adds anything or not but I like the smell.

The routine:

- hot shower
- rub in Shave Secret on wet face
- lather (usually Mama Bear)
- shave

I have tried pre-shave oils and can't see much difference,i have tried it about every way you can,applying oil then lathering,oil only and so on,but maybe i'm not applying enough or too muchany way i gave up on it which is too bad because i have probably a life time supply of it

Like so many other things with wet shaving... Shave oil is a preference choice. I have found that it makes the first pass easier and more comfortable for me. For others it will not make any difference. My face will grow old world hard wood for whiskers if I am not careful. It is that Southern European thing.

Through some trial and error (more error, but I least I tried to learn) I now know that I take a long hot shower and I wash my whiskers when I wash my hair. When I get out, I use preshave oil. Then I prepare the rest of my shaving gear.

Letting the oil soak in for the few minutes helps make the first shave more smooth. For my second pass I will only relather my face. But this is only my opinion and my ritual.

The hard part is there are few "cookie cutter" answers. The cool part is each shave is as unique and as personal as you want it to be.

I enjoy a pre-shave oil regularly.
I use it as a skin conditioner and not as a lubricant. A few drops messaged into my face before I strop and lather.
I find it helps keep my face moist and supple in the 5 minutes from shower to shave in the dry winter months.

I'm with Razorfeld on the hair conditioner. During my shower I use some hair conditioner to rub into my beard and find that it helps soften my whiskers, leading to a better shave. Pre-shave oils have never done it for me. The ones I've tried are just too oily.

I used preshave oil when I started and I believe that it helped cut down on razor burn as I learned the proper angle. Now I only use it when my face is dry or if I'm doing a pampering session with a steaming towel and everything.

Originally Posted by mdwright

I use Shave Secret (very cheap from WalMart). I don't know if it adds anything or not but I like the smell.

The routine:

- hot shower
- rub in Shave Secret on wet face
- lather (usually Mama Bear)
- shave

Same here. To the aroma, I'd add a wonderful sensation. Shave secret here too. I don't need to re-apply. 1 application and lather, etc, is fine for a 3pass for me.

If you do a search, you'll find alot of interesting threads. As a newer shaver, I took any possible chance I had to give me the edge up on the quest for the DFS and BBS shave.

Originally Posted by MWS

I enjoy a pre-shave oil regularly.
I use it as a skin conditioner and not as a lubricant. A few drops messaged into my face before I strop and lather.
I find it helps keep my face moist and supple in the 5 minutes from shower to shave in the dry winter months.

Pretty much my practice. After washing my face, I work in some Neutragena oil to replenish the oils lost when washing and to reduce drying. It's absorbed before I lather, so it's about skin conditioning rather than slickness.

I have used AOS pre-shave oil for years, but that was with a cartridge shaver. Now that I have moved into straights, I also find it is too thick. I am now using the Anthony brand oil. It has eucalyptus and mint oils, smells great and feels good. I find it does make a difference on at least the first pass, as well. I haven't experimented with multiple applications yet; that is a very interesting idea. Love the ideas and suggestions that have come up here!

I use them and actually like them a lot. I was suspicious of the oils when my wife decided it would make a good insertion into my 25 year routine. They are thick (maybe not all but mine is). I did not like how it slicked my hand prior to using the razor but I've adjusted the application process to eliminate the issue as we'll. after a couple weeks I noticed the shave is smoother. It's a slight and perhaps barely noticeable nuance but the oil in combination with the lather makes my skin glide against the blade better. It's "polish" per se and not necessary but I like the shave and my skin when it's done.