Thread: Pre-Shave Oils

So to follow up from my previous post. I'm a research scientist so I'm going to write this in semi-formal style. Enjoy (ha).

Materials and methods: I made my oil as follows: 3:1 ratio of castor oil: extra-virgin olive oil, with a few (5-6) drops of tea-tree essential oil. I decided to use an old glass spice jar that had contained whole cloves as my container. This was intentional for two reasons: oil of cloves is an essential oil that acts as an analgesic and in my opinion has a good smell.

This oil was applied to [my] damp face before both straight- or cartridge- shaving. Negative controls include not shaving and positive controls include straight- and cartridge- shaving without oil. No other controllable variables were introduced during testing. Uncontrollable variables include: temperature at time of shave, sharpness of my straight-blade, and amount of time allocated for shaving.

Results: Disclaimer first: I've only been straight-shaving for a few months, and I'm still not quite a "pro." I still cut my chin and adams apple regularly.

That said, there is a noticeable difference between oil vs no-oil just as I discussed with cartridge shaves. The frequency, duration, and extent of the appearance of "razor-burn" was significantly less (qualitatively significant, not statistically significant) in oil conditions for straight- and cartridge- shaving versus no-oil conditions. No-oil cartridge-shaving gives the worst razor-burn redness, with noticeable bump formation that I assume must be due to in-grown hairs.

The only difference between oil straight- and oil cartridge-shaving conditions is the redness that occurred. With straight-shaving this was gone within a few hours. With cartridge-shaving the redness did not go away until a few hours after second-day facial-scrub exfoliation I normally use to prevent ingrown formation. However, I experienced very little overall redness in these conditions as compared to no-oil conditions.

I did not do a direct test of homemade vs. store-bought oil, but it seems on par. However this is very anecdotal.

Furthermore and on an unrelated note, the tea tree and clove essential oil combination is refreshing but not overpowering. The analgesic effect of the clove oil appears to be fairly efficient for superficial cuts (mostly to my chin) that do not draw blood.

My rate of in-grown hairs has dropped exponentially since starting straight-shaving, and but I cannot discern a difference between oil/no-oil conditions for straight-shaving specifically with ingrowns. Razor burn is definitely different with and without using oil during straight-shaves.

Discussion: Pre-shaving oil appears effective in reducing the occurrence rate of razor-burn and overall "shaving discomfort" in both straight- and cartridge- shaving. The prohibitive price of name-brand shaving oil is unnecessary as these oils often contain blends of readily available and inexpensive off-the-shelf oils. It is possible to construct a similarly effective pre-shave oil using inexpensive store-bought oils such as castor and olive, for a fraction of the price.

For example, The Art of Shaving sells 2 fl oz bottles of pre-shave oil for $22. Comparatively, a 32 fl oz bottle of castor oil costs $10, a 51 fl oz bottle of extra-virgin olive oil costs $20, and a vial of essential oil costs $5. These ingredients at a 3:1 castorlive oil ratio are good for the equivalent of 21 "equivalent bottles" of AoS oil. Thus costing approximately $1.66 per "equivalent bottle", a 13x price reduction.

Indirect conclusion: sensitive skin sucks and I'm destined to have razor-burn no matter what I do or how I shave.

I hope this pseudo-scientific approach to the matter is helpful for future reference. This is one thing that you should (please) DIY.

aerjnt, thanks for you recipe.

Questions:

What made you decide on the ratio between castor oil and olive oil?

What made you decide on those ingredients?

Originally Posted by sidneykidney

My apologies.... but I am waiting for new glasses to arrive and only half-read your thread title correctly.

I thought it said 'Pre-Shave Girls'



That is all.

God knows, I'm in favor of those, too! Nothing says "Relaxed and ready to shave like a pre-shave girl!"

Shhh! Don't tell the wife!

Originally Posted by Stuggi

I'm looking into shaving oils at the moment, and one that caught my eye was the one made by T&Hill. One that I've got a sample of but haven't tried yet is the Art of Shaving stuff, which if it turns out to be good I'll also consider using.

Any comments on oils or recommendations?

I'll be curious to read your thoughts about the ArtOfShaving stuff. I was in their store at Union Station in D.C. not long back and it was a VERY nice upscale retail affair. Sorta made the necessarily high prices on the products rather obvious. Still their lavender and lemon oil scented products were downright alluring.

I've got one of their wee sample boxes, and if it turns out to be good stuff, I might have to use that $25 off card they gave me for one of their $100 full kits, although that still strikes me as breathtakingly expensive, (like my-wife's-cosmetics expensive), which makes me need to go out and make Tim Allen noises just to remind myself I'm a male.

Originally Posted by BobKincaid

I'll be curious to read your thoughts about the ArtOfShaving stuff.

i just bought AOS Lemon scented PSO. very nice but i've only used it once.
it's quite thick once i rubbed it & worked it into my beard, lathering was no problem and the shave was smooth.

Since I started shaving I've always had issues with irritation mostly on my neck I've tried many of the above mentioned oils. Most work very well. I decided to make my own so I can customize it any way I want, not to mention the cost is about 1/10th. I mixed 2:1 Castor to Olive Oils and added a few drops of Rosemay EO for smell. (It's a very refreshing smell) I find it works great. Less irritation, smoother skin and a more comfortable shave.

The reality is that everyone's skin is different so try as many options as you can and see what works for you.

Go with T & H, you will not be disipointed.

I've used the pre-shave oil from Anthony. There really was not a difference for me between using the oil and not. The shave felt the same, but the oil did stay on afterward. I actually had to wash my face because I didn't like the feel. That being said...anyone want to buy some Anthony pre-shave oil?