Thread: Preshave oil

I use the Casswell-Massey "1752" Sandalwood pre shave oil. Very thick and does a good job. Where can I get some Castle Forbes at? Thanks

Originally Posted by rrp1501

I use the Casswell-Massey "1752" Sandalwood pre shave oil. Very thick and does a good job. Where can I get some Castle Forbes at? Thanks

Vintage Blades sells a small bottle of Castle Forbes pre shave which is great if you want to try it. That's what I got.

I'm new at this, but I found pre-shave oil to be of great benefit in the shave. I even reapply after the first pass. I'm cheap. so I made mine with 1 part olive oil, two parts castor oil with essential oils added. However, the oil has made my soap funky. It no longer dries out and is kind of sticky. I read one comment that the oil might harm the brush, too. Anyone else have this happen?

I have never liked preshave oil. It left a greasy feel on my face and gunked up my brush..

If you are going to use a preshave oil (and I do on occasion), you should not use more than 4-5 drops. This should be plenty to form a thin film over your face and to soften the beard hairs. Most of the problems people have noted (greasy feel, gunked up razor and/or brush) are due to the application of excessive amounts of oil.

You can use any oil, but you will get the best results from one that is easily absorbed into your skin. Most of these "oils" are actually liquid waxes, examples include lanolin and jojoba. Common oils such as olive oil are fats, and will be less well absorbed. If your skin feels greasy after application, you probably have the wrong oil.

I've just used EVOO as a shave oil in the past and as a blade buffing lubricant on my touch ups.

Worked better than any Preshave oil I have ever used. And it's better for your skin than most shave oils that cost an arm and a leg. This was with my DE razors though, not with my straight. I am unsure how that'd effect the blade.