The reasons for my experiment
I have been using Almond oil (Massage Oil base) as a pre shave / post shave rub for a few days and I have been really impressed with the results. My skin has been silky smooth and well moisturised and I have had no irritation at all. So today I decided to shave with just oil and no lather. Yep almond oil only. I was considering using EV Olive oil but I like that on Salad leaves so I decided to stick with Almond oil. Almond oil has no real smell either it is used as a massage oil base to which essential oils are added. So you could add a smell if you like.
The Prep
I showered and washed my face well with a little soap, I left my face wet on getting out the shower and added 6 drops of Almond oil to my wet palms, rubbed them together and then massaged my face.
I then stropped my razor 30 passes on Latigo and 30 passes on English bridal leather.
The Shave
As I picked up my 6/8 Bismarch I felt unsure. I let my hand pass over my chin to make sure I had some slip left and the oil hadn't been absorbed by my skin. My skin felt oily but not greasy or slippery.
I had read that splashing warm water on would improve things so I had a quick splash with some warm water and started to shave.
It was quite a strange sensation as I could see the hairs bring removed, but the sound was different, more muted. I thought I would struggle knowing where I had shaved but it was obvious, in fact as easy as shaving with lather. I had to modify my skin stretching a little as it was difficult to pull my skin in the oil zone, but as I could see the hair being removed I decided not to worry too much, after all this was an experiment. Another thing I noticed is you could shave and then go over again, the skin was still lubricated. So I worked WTG the XTG and ATG in sections instead of the whole face in passes, a hybrid approach I guess. It was nice to be able to work in sections and see the results. What I noticed was if you wanted a bit more slip you just dipped your free hand in warm water and just swiped it over the area and the slip returned. I guess the oil and water separate giving cushion and slip. Warm water helps here too. My razor stayed really dry, not slippery, it removed hairs and oil and what seemed a tiny amount compared to shaving with lather, and I only needed to wipe the blade 3/4 times for the entire shave. The other thing was I shaved one side of my face completely before changing hands.
I often have trouble with two pockets of stubble on my neck. I use scything strokes to remove them with lather. I used the same approach today, but I could actually see what I was removing. I used the tip to cut in several down/across passes and watched the hair being removed. I made several fine passes it was like cutting lines with the lawn mower. Normally with lather this is done almost blind.
The After Shave
I finished with a warm towel and a quick wipe around the shave area of my face. My skin felt smooth and supple and moisturised. No irritation at all. I did not feel greasy or oily, much different to what I imagined. I reached for an alcohol splash and applied it liberally and expected a sting, but nothing but cool….. WHat!!!!!
In the end I ended up with a DFS, I had missed a couple of areas behind my Stach, So because of user error I can't claim a BSS, but pretty close, and my neck as smooth as.
The Clean UP
Your skin is not left feeling oily or greasy and there is no clean up. Six drops of oil, most of which is wiped away on to a wet face cloth. A quick hot water rise of the cloth with hand soap = no more oil (there were only six drops to start with) and amaizingly no hairs in the sink. No brush, bowl or skuttle, and no lather to remove from the ears. I wiped the blade on a dry towel and then stropped it again. I added a couple of drops of almond oil to the blade and the job is a good un.
The Summary
- A tiny amount of oil goes a very long way 6 drops only from a dropper bottle bought in the drug store for $2.
- If you need more slip just add warm water
- you can shave a whole area in different directions or your whole face adding nothing else but water after the oil.
- You can see what you are doing and what the blade is removing(Great or folks with ornimental facial hair or beginners)
- Your skin is left feeling great, with no irritation
- It takes the lightest of touches to remove hair. No pressure require and you can see whats happening.
- I already miss my Wee Badger…lol...
Ok so it's early days, but Im going to try this for a couple more weeks to see how it goes and see if my skin breaks out with all this extra oil. So far it's looking good,but only time will tell.
Give it a go, even if you do it just once, it's great to see what your blade is doing and how small or how large an area of stubble it will remove depending on how you angle the straight. Watching the effect of the changes in blade angle in both directions was an education.
