Thread: Shaving Oil - do you or don't you?

I keep Proraso and T&H in my cabinet. The only time they are used is when I decide to shave long after a shower where I want a better glide or when I'm honing. When I use it for honing I use a dab near my sideburns so I can get a good glide and a better feel of the edge I produced.

Originally Posted by Wullie

4 pints ain't even a good start.

I know we are going off topic here but as I started the thread I think that's OK. I went to a wedding in Belfast yesterday - now that's not exactly where they brew the famous black stuff but it's not too far away. Let me tell you that 4 pints was just the aperitif. I can honestly say that flying into Belfast across the loughs is breathtaking - you would go a long way to find a more beautiful place or more hospitable people.

Getting back to the subject of pre shaves, I tried the John Allan slick water and haev to report that the shaves have been good. Like Glen indicates in a previous post, maybe some people need this kind of stuff more than others - it seems to suit me.

As f/ using it...I'm experimenting. I tried the AOS sample and was surprised at how thick it was. Yesterday I whipped up a small 3 shave batch loosely following various recipes found scattered here and various other places around the web. 1 part caster, 1 part quality olive, 1 part grape seed, couple drops of glycerin, and a couple drops of sandalwood essence oil. Seemed to work and smell fine.

As a newb, my jury is still out as to whether or not I will find this extra step beneficial to me long term. Time will tell.

I tried some shaving oil (along with the cream and balm) from a sample kit I got from the Art of Shaving, and I didn't like it one bit.

For one the oil likes to attach itself on my sink and razor so it's a pain to clean them both, and the smell (even though it's unscented it DOES have a smell) was like the smell of tanning lotion mixed in with pepper. Like some of the people here I only use hot towels, soap, and water. Though I will be trying out some creams here shortly.

Gentlemen,

Pre-shaves have been controversial for as long as I have read opinions in this and other forums. Simply put, some people like them and some don't, some would not do without them and some couldn't care less. Some like the oils and some don't, some the gels and others not, some . . . Well, that's the argument.

Obviously, some pre-shaves are superior to others. Disregarding the bad ones, you need to use a miniature amount of the product. Then you must take the time to work it in. To massage it in. Lynn notes this aptly. You should not slap it on and 10 seconds later begin lathering. No, that's not the right way of doing it. Like anything else in traditional shaving, pre-shaves application also calls for skill.

I use a variety of pre-shave brands to prepare my beard. For me, it works. Or at least I'd like to think it does. Even if the pre-shave had a minimal effect on my beard preparation, I would still use it. After all, the more colorful the wet shaving ritual the more I like it.

Well said Obie!

I've found often by the time I've had my hot shower and prepped my lather my face is often quite dry (as in the water has evaporated AND the soap from the shower has remved a lot of natural oils) for this reason I kind of like a good shave oil.
I discovered this stuff Welcome to Oscar Natural - Shaving Oil at my lcal (Australian) supermarket and couldn't be happier with.
Obviously it will never replace a soothing lather (I love the riual of mixing up a lather, like a wizard mixing up a potion or something) it smells wonderful, feels good and I think gives me a better result and sems to help the razor glide easier (I'm new to straight shaving, all the help I can get is good at this point).
I don't know that a shave oil makes the difference between a good or a bad shave, but I think it adds something.
It's also quite good I feel for re-applying oil to my strop and for applying a thin coat to my dried razor as an extra precaution against corrosion.
Shave oil is useful stuff I reckon.

Since we all have different complexions and beards, I'd expect everyone to use balms and oils differently. For me, an oil or oil-based balm does nothing if I don't prepare my beard with hot water in some way first. If I do, it seems to help keep my beard softened until I apply lather. The only reason I need to keep my beard softened between the hot towel or shower and the lather is that I like to add a cooling agent to my face like menthol or eucalyptus oil if the lather doesn't have one.

Originally Posted by Doryferon

...Take a look at this video:...

I shave with a straight every day, but shaving videos STILL give me the shivers! And what I want to know is, never mind the shaving oil, where's the LATHER!

Originally Posted by slicey

...I discovered this stuff Welcome to Oscar Natural - Shaving Oil at my lcal (Australian) supermarket and couldn't be happier with...

I used that for a while. It's very nice on the skin, but at the time I thought it interfered with a nice lather on the face. Thinking back now I might have been wrong. Like you, the great thing was it was at my local supermarket...