I have for some time now been shaving using just lather made from shaving cream, but I thought I would try pre-shave oil to see what would happen.

For my first experiment, I picked up a small squeeze bottle of Shave Secret at the local Walmart. This is actually marketed as a shaving oil, but since it is made up of essential oils, and claims to be rapidly absorbed, I figured it should work well. It's also quite inexpensive, at roughly US$3.00.

Following the instructions, I used about five drops to coat my face before lathering with my regular cream. I must say, it does make a major difference. My shave (I always only do a single pass) is much closer and my skin feels much softer and less dry. I'm guessing this shave may last for two days.