preshave oil - yeah it works

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.

I use some by Crew on my chin if honing time is drawing near. My chin still stinks to shave. By some freak of nature I have chin hair growing in every possible direction. Think swirl. I try not to use it to much just because it leave a slight clinging surface, even after a wash. Perhaps I should try a different brand. But yes it can make a difference.

You really need to try Pacific Shave Oil, its all-natural and does what it claims. When I do use oil, this is it!
As usual, YMMV.

Fred

I highly recommend using a pre-shave oil! I have AoS unscented (which actually has somewhat of a minty scent LOL) which I follow up with a hot steam towel. I does wonders for my face...talk about BBS.

I like using it too but I find it interferes with stretching in some areas. The Shavemac site says don't use it, but I haven't heard a good reason why. Maybe someone can chime in here to explain. I have to agree with your results though. The AOS stuff is pricey as is all their stuff. Someone posted a recipe for homemade preshave oil that sounds interesting.
2 parts Castor oil, 1 part olive or almond oil, a couple drops essential oil if you like. Shake and serve!

I use C&M's almond daily and sometmes switch to Somersets. My experience is that I get no irritation or reddening although I do a 3 pass shave daily. I must try mischievous's home formula.

Taking your advice, I bought some of the $3.00 pre-shave oil from Wal-Mart. Now what? Do I use this with shaving soap of by itself?:shrug:

I'm not such a fan of the pre-shave oil thing. For me it was a little messy and didn't effect my shave. IMO, the only thing your beard needs is a good lathering

I used preshaving oils daily for two years , when i started wetshaving( i was still using a mach-3) i noticed is what made the most diference as for getting a comfortable shave.
I really liked at the beginning the art of shaving, it is the thickest and grisiest of them all, therefore giving you the most protection, but! the brush after a few shaves was literally useless, it wouldnt hold any water and the hairs sticked together...there wasnt a bloom anymore...so i had to shampoo the brush...but really was never the same... when swithcing to straights i really noticed handling the razor was dificult, also the stretching part that somebody mentioned early wasnt helping...so i switched to other brands....i really liked the musgo real preshaving oil, great bang for the buck and not as greasy and also i really liked cade from l'occitane,as soon as i developed a good technique i saw was no longer necessary.
So, now i dont use preshaving oil any more, i dont think i need it, i follow instead a big aftershave regime instead and my face is better than ever, after i am done shaving, i do the following:
1-rinse my face well with really cold water
2-spray all over my face a generous amount ofhome made mix of rose water and witch hazel.(i let it soak and then rub it in)
3-Apply alcohol based aftershavetaylors,musgo,floris ,floid,bay rum(whatever i am in the mood for)
4-i apply an aftershave balm, i like unscented the art of shaving the most( i think has the bestnourising properties of them all).

I follow all the steps inmediately one after the other,taking advantage of the moisture of the previous step...let me explain...the alcohol based aftershave spreads and soaks in a lot betterin the previously wet face from the rose water...and then the balm does the same, you need less amounts and all goes in simply in a better way.

I think i hijacked the thread...sorry, but since doing this i dont (i used to be a huge advocate of shaving oils) use shaving oils anymore.

So my final thought is...preshaving oils help to correct mistakes, if you are gonna have a quick careless shave, by all means use some, it will help, also if you are using a disposable blade or one that is rough....
But again, if your blade is sharp, you got good technique and time, and you have a good aftershave....skip it,it will only mess up your brush(untill you shampoo it of course...) and like the good lynn said in his video , can lead to an accident...seriously.
Hope it helped.
And if you are gonna use them, please try.
AOS sandalwood (yummy)
Musgo real , natural scent, lighter but still very protective and you get 3 times the amount than anyone else, $22 ml, a full bottle of 100ml, hands down the best qualitty.
And cade l'occitane, just very very luxirious with the best scent.

Personally, I like both T&H pre-shave oil as well as Nancy Boy PSO. The Nancy Boy is thick and offers good protection, all though it's a bit greasy. The T&H absorbs quickly but does a good job of hydrating my beard and offering protection. For me, the oils have helped improve my shaves and protect my skin and have not affected either of my brushes in an adverse way.

funny this thread came up..

i also was browsing the local walmarts, my dad always makes walmart a plural (old people).

anyways i just thought id try it. i used it tonight. it seemed to help out, the razor seemed to glide a bit smoother. And the smell was actually kinda nice.

i did everything else the same, soaked my face in a hot towel, lathered my face, soaked my face again, then rinsed, applied the 3-4 drops of shave oil in my hand and applied to my face, rubbing it in.. then i lathered my face with soap over the oil.

it seemed to work great, i can't say it was closer or not, but it just seemed more comfortable.

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Originally Posted by drfred

You really need to try Pacific Shave Oil, its all-natural and does what it claims. When I do use oil, this is it!
As usual, YMMV.

Fred

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Having tried both, I actually prefer the shave-secret. They are both good products however. Still, I think I could take the shave secret stuff and a razor and not *need* anything else on a trip, if pushed into a corner...
John P.

I have in the past used REN shaving oil. This is an excellent shaving oil that works very well. It lubricates protects and nourishes the skin. I find it useful when I have dry skin.

This said, I now use Floris shaving soap and find it stands alone and doesn't need extra preparation or oils or after creams etc., to give a fine shave. I'm not saying a little pampering now and then doesn't make me feel good, but in all honesty, water, a good soap, a good brush and a sharp straight razor is all it takes. If these four items don't work in harmony or you have dry skin, a good shaving oil can overcome the imbalances. For example, hard water, dry skin, soap that dries out to quickly, a poorly honed or stropped razor, a bad shaving brush that doesn't get the soap into and under your bristles.

IMHO.

Just a clarification. I would never use an oil that stays on the surface of your skin. This indeed would make proper stretching difficult if not impossible. A good preshave oil is quickly absorbed into the skin, where it supplements your bodies natural sebium and softens the hairs. You can test an oil quite simply by massaging a few drops into your hands. If your hands feel greasy afterwards, then the oil is not being absorbed. If they simply feel soft and moist, then you have a good oil.

I'm using Proraso or Prep pre shave on an almost daily basis and I love it, the days I don't I very often get razor burn or other skin irritations. I have also used non-alcohol based After Shave balms as pre-shave, like Nivea or Lumene... with VERY good results!

My 2c on this topic... ;)

After a lot of experimenting my conclusion is that I really really don't like using pre shave oils. The "high quality" oils that I have tried (AOS and Musgo) actually caused the blade to drag more than with just plain water/soap/cream. YMMV :shrug:

With respect, AOS is not high quality oil. It is IMHO a poor product. You describe it perfectly. It is also grossly overpriced.

REN and the T&H product do not have a tacky oil feel at all. They lubricate and nourish the skin and provide glide for the blade. They do not clogg up your blade. They will leave a residual deposit in your sink which will wipe off easily. This is because oils float on water. They don't harm your brush.

But if you don't have dry or sensitive skin, they are not going to add much value to your shave and they are unnecessary.

Concerning pre-shave oil, although I am a newbie to straight shaving, I use oil it every time before I shave. Presently, shaving with a MACH 3 waiting for new straight to arrive.

I spoke to a salesman in an Art of Shaving (AOS) store and he stated that one drop is all you need of their pre-shave oil. I use the unscented one. Also, it may be my imagination, but I think the oil has cleared up or smoothed out some of my acne scarring I had when a teenager, some 10 long years ago that has been with me ever since. I guess could also be the badger brush or shaving cream, both of which I am using for the first time.

Try Olive oil . But only one drop......It's a little cheaper.

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Originally Posted by English

Try Olive oil . But only one drop......It's a little cheaper.

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Oh yeah! Have been using Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a couple of years and it really does the trick and much more inexpensively. Many shaving-specific products are primarily formulated from olive oil.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by English

With respect, AOS is not high quality oil. It is IMHO a poor product. You describe it perfectly. It is also grossly overpriced.

REN and the T&H product do not have a tacky oil feel at all. They lubricate and nourish the skin and provide glide for the blade. They do not clogg up your blade. They will leave a residual deposit in your sink which will wipe off easily. This is because oils float on water. They don't harm your brush.

But if you don't have dry or sensitive skin, they are not going to add much value to your shave and they are unnecessary.

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I have used the Musgo Real oil as well with the same negative results. It was my understanding that this was considered "high quality" oil but I could be wrong. Anyway if it is not helping then I am not motivated to spend more money for a product that will gunk up my brush over time. I am glad that some of you guys really like the stuff, but this is a discussion and my experience has been different from the "norm". Just thought that I would share the other side of the story with anyone interested in trying pre shave oil. I am happy with just a quality cream. My skin in very dry and relatively sensative (with touch whiskers) if this makes any difference. The best pre-shave treatment for me is to use conditioner on my beard in the shower for a few minutes before shaving. It really softens the whiskers and makes for a smoother and easier shave.