Thread: Shave using oil only?

Is this possible? I have sensitive/allergic skin, and the lather seems to be irritating the skin.
I spoke to someone who uses a cartridge razor, with oil only. His skin looked amazing (that's why I asked him). He didn't have the closest shave ever, but his skin did look very healthy.

I feel that the lather irritates the skin a lot, especially when I apply the second layer, after the skin has been exfoliated a bit.
Is i totally crazy using oil only, or do people actually do it?

That would be like Ancient Greeks and Romans shaved.
As far as I can remember you need to:
1. Warm your whiskers with the steam towel
2. Warm the oil (not too high because the oil is very sticky and keep temperature for long time)
3. Apply small quantity of oil and rub it in your face
4. Re-warm your face
5. Add more oil so your skin will be _covered_ by oil not just oiled.
Start shaving very carefully.
Use the napkin to clear the razor - water wouldn't clear it well.

That was the procedure I try with Grape Seeds Oil.

Thanks. I will probably try that. But first I'll visit the local mens-grooming shop to see if they have a mild and allergy friendly soap and aftershave balm :-) right now my skin looks really weird with red areas across the face.

No problem.
I just share it to you not push you in it 8-)
I have friend who is historian by profession (not only by education like me). She specializes on the ancient Greece and its colonies in Black Sea coast.
As a hobby she work over the restoration of the daily routine of people who lived near here (we got 4 archaeological places with ancient cities near here) in 2 500 000 years ago.
So we eat sometimes very old food 8-) and listen for the really old music. And I can shave like Socrates.

Proraso and TOBS both make sensitive skin formulas that I think work great. The white tub from Proraso and I think the other is a dark blue tub if you search any vendor that carries it. Just another alternative to the oil. I don't know if I could shave with just oil..I used to use pre shave oil but I always felt like it was to tacky for me and hinders the glide.at least for me.

Good luck and hope it helps.
Anthony

My barber uses oil only on the second and third passes. I've also made my own preshave oil based on some recipes I found online.

Certainly. Actually, one can have a good shave with just water (cold or hot), a sharp blade and a light touch.

Since I'm learning and trying to help my face survive the process, I'm trying the TOBS pre-shave oil. So far I'm using it with the SRD 100% Pure Essential Oil Shaving Soap (Vetiver), and then TOBS Jermyn Street Aftershave Cream to put out the fire...

I was somewhat surprised at how thick the TOBS pre-shave oil is. I rubbed it into the places where I get the worst burn and cuts. I didn't get lot of burn this time, but got more cuts. Probably my own fault, though, at this point. I could see possibly shaving with oil-only with my Atra Plus cartridges, but not anything else! I've had to shave with water-only on occasion with an Atra Plus, so I know it's possible.

I have shave my face in the past with a straight with oil.
I picked olive oil.
It seems to me cleaning the oil/hair off the tool to shave with is only easy with a
straight razors.
Cause you can wrap it off on nice and soft toilet paper.
A really soft paper don't seem to stract the blade.
I going to try and see if i can get the hair/oil of a safety razor blade by dipping
the whole thing in a container of oil cause the hair should fall to the bottom.

I'm sorry but I have to advise against using even a little oil.

Straight shaving is nothing like a cartridge shave: you need to stretch the skin for each straight razor stroke that you take. If your face is oiled up everywhere when you do that, you will at some point lose grip and that sudden movement will result in you cutting yourself.

Don't risk it I say. Take it easy and sample as many soaps and creams as you can. There are plenty of people here with sensitivity to just about anything from soap/cream scent to the ingredients (e.g. lanolin), but manage a perfectly good shave with at least one soap or cream. It's just a matter of spending a bit of time to find out what works well for you. Believe me, it's possible.