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Try this for prep: Stephen Stay Smooth
It's made in Florida, has a pleasant, "coconutty" fragrance, light blue cream, and very inexpensive. You get a huge 16 ounce tub for somewhere south of $4 bucks. It is sold as a brushless shaving cream, and claims to be the "world's smoothest shave". I have shaved with it, and it does provide a good shave. But I've got all these other goodies to shave with, right!
So here's what I do. In my opinion, it works very well to soften up and condition the beard for shaving. Cost per shave is very cheap, considering that the big tub lasts me a good solid 3 months used every day.
Stephens has lanolin, and I know that some guys don't like lanolin. Fortunately, I don't have any problems with the lanolin, and I think it helps condition the beard. I wet my beard and hold a very hot wet washcloth over the beard for a few seconds or so, then I rub the Stephen into the whiskers and leave it while I get the other stuff ready, strop the razor, or whatever, then I again apply the hot wet washcloth to the area, and then I lather up with my shaving cream of choice for the day. I get a very good shave every day.
Another thing I have learned is that distilled water used in soaking the brush and preparing the lather, whether soap or cream, has dramatically changed the quality and quantity of lather, for the better.
I buy mine at Williamsport Barber Supply online for $3.25 a tub, and they have a special - buy three get one free. Shipping's around $10 or so for the 4 big one pound tubs.
In the year before I started using this stuff as a prep, I had used 4 of the little $16 tubs of Prep Pre-shave, and no doubt, it is excellent, but now I've got enough of this Stephen's stuff to last another year before I have to order another 4 tubs of it. Plus, I really look forward to the good fragrance it has. The fragrance goes away as soon as I rinse it off before i shave.
Well, that's what I do guys! Just thought I'd throw it out there.
Great Product...everyone should try it
I do love this stuff...it does wonders. Here's my regimen:
1. Use Woody's pre-shave creme: 1-2 minutes
2. Wash it off
3. Rub Stephan's Conditioning creme on beard and message into beard: Let sit for 2-3 minutes
4. While waiting, I prepare my lather (uberlather: glycerin, soap, creme) and leave it warm in an electric water heater.
5. Strop my razor (50 linen, 50 leather)
6. Lather on top of Stephan's Conditioning Creme
7. Shave (1st pass)
8. I re-lather for 2nd/3rd passes
9. BBS shave
The only thing that I found negative about Stephan's Creme is that since it contains mineral oil, it does affect the lathering capacity on my 2nd/3rd pass...I found that I need to wash and thoroughly clean brush before 2nd/3rd pass
Other than that, fantastic product...BBS shave every time :)
-Robert
Word of caution with Stephan's creme as AS
Hi Kirk,
I don't know if I would leave that stuff on the skin after a shave, for a whole day...remember, Stephan's has mineral oil in it...it's probably one of the reasons it's slippery. Leaving mineral oil on your skin will end up trapping dead cells and toxins and prevent proper "breathing" of your skin. Mineral oil is an oil, not a moisturizer...just because it feels oily, doesn't mean your skin is moisturized...Quite a contrary.
What I would do is to wash your face with warm water to get everything off (including Stephan's) followed by cold water rinse and then your usual AS balm and moisturizer on your skin...Voila!! Done...no fuss, clean. Skin is happy, you are happy. I found Trumper's skin food and moisturizer to be wonderful in doing this. Another fantastic moisturizer is NancyBoy's facial moisturizer.
Cheers,
-Robert
Quote:
Originally Posted by
exarcher
I have some too, its a post shave treatment too, directions say to rub in the remaining after the shave.. It does smell good, & is quite slippery.
kirk