The Shave Oil Project

Hi Guys,

For the last month or so I have been experimenting with Pre Shave Oils. I never used them in the past and I though I'd give it a go.

I have used several brands and I have gotten similar positive results. The closeness of the shave is not that much different. I always get a close shave with a properly honed blade but I have to say that post shave my skin is a LOT less irritated and much softer. I can definitely feel less burning when I splash on my aftershave as well which means I'm doing less skin damage. I'm sold on it for sure.

I have noticed that just about all the oils are composed of Castor and Olive oils with a few drops of "this and that" for scent or color. Straight shaving and restoring is a hobby that I am really enjoying so why not make my own custom to my skin?

I have seen a few recipes in the forums that range from a 1:1 ratio to a 5:1 ratio. I plan to do a little trial and error to see what works best with my skin, however I'd like to do this somewhat logically so my question is:

What characteristics do Castor and Olive oils bring to the party? Is one more for softening the hair vs providing lubrication vs conditioning or protecting skin than the other? Anything else that I should keep in mind while developing my blend?

Thanks.

Doug

Hi, I`ve been looking into mixing my own pre shave oil aswell. I have been extensivly researching the benifits of diffrent types of oil and essential oils.

The Oil Cleansing Method - A simple, cleansing facial massage for clear skin!

you may find the above article quite informative, While not written about shaving it does explain quite well the properties of castor oil and why it is mixed with other oils.
The article also explains how "the mix" will be diffrent for different people depending on skin type.
While it is my understanding from what i have read about diffrent "base oils" castor oil is usually a staple as it offers clensing properties, it clears pores and keeps skin moisturised.
This is important as the act of shaving can dry skin severly. While most of us like to keep our face wet for several minuites before shaving to soften the hair, often with soap on our face. This will draw alot of moisture from our face (think of your fingers when you`ve had a good long soak in the bath this happens to your face too.) and provide less lubrication for the razor. This is why we use a pre shave oil, It acts as a barrier preventing all the moisture from seeping out of our skin, and replaces any that does, as well as offering lubrication for the razor.

I have been thinking of mixing essential oils with my pre shave oil aswell.
This then opens up a whole world of possibilitys, not only for scent, but you have have that cool menthol feeling, or maybe a warming tingle?
There is also a plethora of health benifits that can be gained by adding a few drops of essential oil to the mix, lavender aswell as a pleasant aroma offers anti bacterial/fungal properties.
Neroil, has many of the properties claimed by top selling make up to "firm skin and restore youth"
Aromatherapy Essential Oils, Organic Essential Oils, Natural Skin Care, Hydrosols and much more Has a wide range of various oils and a good explination of there uses, after trawling throught it for 10 minutes you will probably have half a dozen oils you will want to add to the mix.


Sorry for the long winded reply, hope it helps.

Ian

I've done it, It's basically a pain in the ass, it's easier just to buy it, IMHO, but more power to you. I used Discount and Wholesale Fragrance Oils, Essential Oils, Massage Oils, and More @ Wellington Fragrance
They even have some exotic oils I believe under Carrier and Massage oils, it should tell you what's what. You're in the City, You probably have places everywhere to buy it locally....
You'll need at least one EO, if you want a fragrance, which makes it nice. Stay away from FO's, they just don't seem to work as well, you have to use a lot more.
Hope this helps....

Between castor and olive oil, I figure oil is oil. One comes from a bean, the other from an olive. The only difference in these oils is the viscosity. I imagine the ratio has something to do with the way you want the oil to feel and shave.

I don't think I will be too worried about an oil drying my skin out, since I usually apply a non-oily aftershave, such as a balm.

I just started, and I'm currently experimenting with different ratios, and right now I'm on 1:1. If my face becomes dry because of oil (seems like a strange correlation), then I'll adjust the castor down.

Jake

I bought a cheap little bottle of preshave oil at a pharmacy in the UK.

Ingredients: Sunflower oil, Menthol, Lavender oil, Eucalyptus oil

I was kind of suprised at the sunflower oil, but it works pretty well. I do like the menthol.

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Originally Posted by snakyjake

Between castor and olive oil, I figure oil is oil. One comes from a bean, the other from an olive. The only difference in these oils is the viscosity. I imagine the ratio has something to do with the way you want the oil to feel and shave.

I don't think I will be too worried about an oil drying my skin out, since I usually apply a non-oily aftershave, such as a balm.

I just started, and I'm currently experimenting with different ratios, and right now I'm on 1:1. If my face becomes dry because of oil (seems like a strange correlation), then I'll adjust the castor down.

Jake

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Actually, they are quite different chemically. The fatty acid chains in castor oil are almost entirely ricinoleic acid, while olive oil contains mix of fatty acid chains dominated by oleic acid. Ricinoleic acid is unusual in that it has a hydroxyl (OH) group on the twelfth carbon in the chain and it is this hydroxyl group that gives castor oil its unusual properties.

If oil was in fact oil, you could substitute castor oil for olive oil in your salad dressing (don't, unless you want to spend some time in the toliet being sick).

Great info. Also read that castor oil is anti-inflammatory and that because it has a lower molecular weight, it absorbs into the skin easier/quicker. I believe I notice the absorption rate because my face absorbs the oil quickly. The aborbtion is good because it doesn't make my face oily, but I'd like to keep the oil on my skin longer while shaving...which I may add more olive oil for this reason. So far, this is good stuff.

this is a great thread. I really like using pre shave oils, and would be interested in making my own. Awesome research and info guys

You guys have inspired me. I have some castor oil from my soap/lotion making endeavors as well as some really nice avocado and olive oils. I think I'll start messing with these using castor as the base.

Advantages of using shaving oil?
It can prevent nicks and cuts on your skin because the razor glides smoothly on the skin due to the oil. There is less of irritation after the shave as the skin is moisturized properly. You need not wash off the oil as it will soothe your skin and leave it feeling soft. Using oil for shaving gives a perfect clean shave which the best of the shaving gels and creams are not able to give.

I'm using unscented mineral oil with aloe and vitamin E. I definitely feel BBS smooth now.

I have thought about doing this, but never looked into it. I have been thinking though about this stuff they sell at Walgreens that appears to basically be a pre-shave oil for your head, I think it's made by Head Slick. I figure this would be a better bet than buying an expensive one and finding out I don't like it or something. Another thing I thought about was using baby oil which is basically the same thing the above poster is currently using (mineral oil). This seems like it would be a very cheap alternative to buying it. Any thoughts on that?

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Originally Posted by wolfmanXIII

Another thing I thought about was using baby oil which is basically the same thing the above poster is currently using (mineral oil). This seems like it would be a very cheap alternative to buying it. Any thoughts on that?

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That's what I use: unscented (but there still seems to be a scent), aloe, vitamin E. So far, better than olive oil and castor oil.

Musgo shave oil (almond oil + grapeseed) is a close second favorite. It is lighter, absorbs quicker; but not as slick...barely. I've been going back and forth between the two.

If you don't want baby/mineral oil ($), I highly recommend Musgo ($$). Perhaps making your own (almond + grapeseed).

For $3-4...doesn't hurt to try baby oil (unscented). Get the generic to save money, not J&J.

Jake

Sorry if this seems irrelevant at all, I just wanted to report on the whole baby oil thing. I tried it out, but to be safe I tried with my safety razor first (being my first time using a pre-shave treatment I didn't want to oil my hand up and slip with my str8). The baby oil really worked wonders; I had almost no irritation after a two pass then one touch up pass shave and my skin feels great. I believe the irritation that I did have however was due to two things:
1. I had a few days growth so I probably should have used the beard trimmer before whacking at it with a safety razor.
2. The baby oil caused the shaved hair to clump and clog the safety razor because it wasn't just rinsing off of the blade like it normally would. Half-way through the shave I literally had to disassemble my razor and clean everything.

All in all I think it works well, I'll have to try it with my str8 though because it is not safety friendly, at least with my beard and razor it isn't so YMMV.

For your #2 point: You don't have to use oil on the first pass. Reduce your beard, then apply oil.

Even though it is nice to not have to shave for a few days, I find it becomes a lot more work and irritation when I do shave after a break. Therefore I shave every day. When I do want some sort of break, I just shave with less passes.

Jake

Thank you for the tips Jake, I'll have to try out the whole using shave oil AFTER the first pass. Sounds about right to me. As for shaving everyday, believe me I wish I could with the amount of growth/thickness of my beard after only one day. I find that when I do it though my neck gets really irritated. However I'm guessing that it's not just a skin issue, I'm sure my technique could use some work as well. I'll work my way to that point someday hopefully. Thanks again!

Oil makes the shaving detritus glom together, clogs a safety razor or adheres to a straight blade. Unless one used a water-miscible oil, a hot water rinse can't clean the blade, and it has to be wiped. Otherwise, oil is a godsend to those of us who shave daily.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by snakyjake

Between castor and olive oil, I figure oil is oil. One comes from a bean, the other from an olive. The only difference in these oils is the viscosity. I imagine the ratio has something to do with the way you want the oil to feel and shave.

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If you truely believe this I suggest you try substituting castor oil for olive oil in you salad dressing (actually, I don't recommend this unless you want to experience some very bad side effects).

Castor oil is quite different from other vegetable oils, and this is due to the high percentage of ricenolenic acid in its make up. Look it up and you will see that the chemistry of this oil is substancially different from that of other fatty acids.