Thread: Solid shampoo bar as a preshave.

For the last three years, I have been using frequently the plain Ach. Brito Musgo solid shampoo (not to be confused with the Musgo Real one). It is simple, compact, and works well.

After your post, I tried it today as a pre-shave. Shaving also with straights, I know how important a solid pre-shave routine is, but mine does not go as far as pre-shave creams or other elaborate rituals, and I rather wash my face with a sponge and a bath soap or glycerine soaps like Ach. Brito Glyce for that purpose.

Ach. Brito Musgo solid shampoo worked well as pre-shave today and a got a very satisfying shave with Mitchell’s Wool Fat (MWF), which tends to work nicely with my soft local water.
What I noticed right-away was that the solid shampoo produced less lather than the usual bath soap, which is a good thing in my book, because I could do my pre-shave, leave whatever little lather was on my face while I brushed my teeth and then rinsed the shampoo off before the shave. This way I got another “free” two minutes for the shampoo lather to soften my beard before the shave.

The shave was excellent, with a very good glide, but I tend to get that anyway from MWF.
There was a smooth post-shave feel as well but, again, I cannot say whether that was because of MWF or the solid shampoo.
Maybe I should try the solid shampoo in combination with a shaving soap with less lubrication than MWF to see whether the solid shampoo will do its magic.

After the shave, I had a look at Musgo solid shampoo descriptions and most of them mentioned that it is “enriched with glycerine” or even “glycerine based”.
So it’s not surprising that Musgo solid shampoo works well as a pre-shave as it has similarities with glycerine soaps, which can make very good pre-shave soaps.


I may keep using the solid shampoo for a while to get a more complete picture of how well it works, but it is certainly an interesting idea that I never thought of before.



B.

I use the Mistral solid shampoo bar and it's great for that but I'd never use it for shaving. It's not designed for that and there are so many great dedicated shave preps out there I see no reason to even try it.

If that works for you that's great. It's all experiential anyway isn't it? I mean, that's why we're all here; because we like the experience enough to go on the internet and converse with people we have mostly never met about what many people dread doing or at least don't relish the way we do.

For me it's a ritual which I am always trying to tweak towards the optimum. My preshave is normally just a shower but sometimes I will lather it up with hair shampoo or conditioner. Usually it is not really an intentional preshave, just a washing but that's just me.

As I say about any pursuit of enjoyment like wine, tea, cigars, what have you: like what you like because you like it and don't let anyone tell you not to or tell you what you need to like. Conversely: have an open mind and be willing to try things to the extent that they make sense to you. Otherwise you wind up some bitter old man stuck in his ways.

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

For me it's a ritual which I am always trying to tweak towards the optimum. My preshave is normally just a shower but sometimes I will lather it up with hair shampoo or conditioner. Usually it is not really an intentional preshave, just a washing but that's just me.

As I say about any pursuit of enjoyment like wine, tea, cigars, what have you: like what you like because you like it and don't let anyone tell you not to or tell you what you need to like. Conversely: have an open mind and be willing to try things to the extent that they make sense to you. Otherwise you wind up some bitter old man stuck in his ways.

Very well put.

That’s exactly my point, or as a guy in London’s Hyde Park Corner once put it: “I could not fail to disagree less.”

IMO, the purpose of a pre-shave routine is to soften the skin, make it swell slightly by absorbing moisture and soften and stand up individual hairs in their follicles.

There are many ways to get there, a shower, wash your face with soap, moisten your face and apply a pre-shave cream, or wash your beard area with a solid shampoo.

Over the years we discover what works for us and what doesn’t and form preferences, but we should always keep an open mind.
The first time I read the OP’s post I thought the idea strange , but reflecting on it a bit longer I thought I might as well try.

My problem is that as straight shaver I use soaps and creams that lubricate well and to see whether solid shampoo really works I wanted to use a shaving soap with marginal lubrication. That turned out to be harder than I thought, but in the end I used this morning the one from my den with the least lubrication. (This was one of the few instances where I wished I had a puck of Williams Mug Soap left.)

Another excellent shave this morning and I think I may keep trying the solid shampoo pre-shave routine for a while.
Whether it becomes a permanent part of my pre-shave routine is hard to say at this stage…


B.