Does this pre shave soften stubble to any significant extent? I know this sounds weird but often put preshave under a first lather, let it sit while I shave my head, then rinse off the lather and pre shave and re lather. So mostly I use preshave for its stubble softening effects rather than lather boosting. Proraso works okay. Preshave washes dry me out in the long term. Does this preshave soften the hair at all for guys who have used it? I shave over the sink and typically just hot water splash my beard for a few minutes and then let lather sit so anything that brings me closer to a hot showers worth of preshave is welcome!
Grooming dept pre shave?
- Thread starter Sethology
- Start date
It definitely does for me, but I won't be buying it again and here's why. I bought the Cube to replace it and love it, I'm a menthol head. YMMV. After my Cube is gone , I will not be spending any $$$ on preshaves. I've learned that with hot water and a good face wash followed by a thorough hot rinse along with a good quality shave soap, my stubble doesn't stand a chance. But that's me, YMMV.
Edit: That’s all without a hot shower, which IMO is the best preshave on the expensive market.
Edit: That’s all without a hot shower, which IMO is the best preshave on the expensive market.
The below opinion might sound harsh but I stand by it.
Preshaves are a crutch for poor soaps and/or weak lather. They are not needed if you use a quality soap/cream and know how to lather it.
As @Dogrescuer stated, a hot shower is all that is needed if you want a "preshave".
Preshaves are a crutch for poor soaps and/or weak lather. They are not needed if you use a quality soap/cream and know how to lather it.
As @Dogrescuer stated, a hot shower is all that is needed if you want a "preshave".
Last edited:
I use preshaves because I don't shower before I shave. I leave the preshave on while I make lather, but I rinse it completely off before applying the lather. I don't need a lather booster because all my soaps are slick and I can make lather in my desired consistency which is Yoplait yogurt. I've tried Proraso Red, PAA Cube, Vikings Blade Black Forest, and GD. I can tell a difference if I use a preshave, so it's doing something beneficial, but honestly I can't say with any certainty which ones are better than others. To me, they are all exactly the same as holding a hot wet towel to my face for 2 minutes. So, I use preshave instead of a hot towel, mostly due to impatience.
- Thread starter
- #5
Hotshowers are definitely superior. But I shower every other day and shave everyday. I find daily showers for me as a thin bald guy to be completely frivolous.
- Thread starter
- #6
I have alot of skin issues that make my coarse stubble even more sensitive to the touch. So I kinda need every advantage I can get. Still, you answered my question so thanks lol
Wanted to try it but agree with @brucered they are for sub par soaps 
have tried quite a few pre shaves and my best soaps (SV and Noble Otter, TOBS) all work best without a pre shave and are superior to any other with pre shave
and do think good soaps should not need it
also like the OP super sensitive skin where I cant use some splashes or some soaps etc...
prep wise IMHO is personal
my worst shaves are after a shower its like my skin gets to soft soap or no soap and face wash wise cerave face wash is so mild and very good stuff but still better to wake up use a soft washcloth with warm water for a minute or so
but the old YMMV is so true and I do think the shave rituals some have is quite extensive and nothing wrong with that as this is a great hobby also like high end espresso machines etc...
some just use bar soap shave and done and again its personal for sure
reckon I go for whatever is best performing for me so if that took a pre shave I would be using it or a shower before hand would be doing that etc...
kinda glad its a bit more simple
also I found doing a 2 pass is more comfy long term than a 3 pass I used to love to do
have tried quite a few pre shaves and my best soaps (SV and Noble Otter, TOBS) all work best without a pre shave and are superior to any other with pre shave
and do think good soaps should not need it
also like the OP super sensitive skin where I cant use some splashes or some soaps etc...
prep wise IMHO is personal
my worst shaves are after a shower its like my skin gets to soft soap or no soap and face wash wise cerave face wash is so mild and very good stuff but still better to wake up use a soft washcloth with warm water for a minute or so
but the old YMMV is so true and I do think the shave rituals some have is quite extensive and nothing wrong with that as this is a great hobby also like high end espresso machines etc...
some just use bar soap shave and done and again its personal for sure
reckon I go for whatever is best performing for me so if that took a pre shave I would be using it or a shower before hand would be doing that etc...
kinda glad its a bit more simple
also I found doing a 2 pass is more comfy long term than a 3 pass I used to love to do
I admit I did my pre-shave product evaluations early on. I did a slew of shower before shaving, no shower before shaving, shower and pre-shaves, no shower and pre-shaves, no shower and no pre-shave, etc., etc..
I don’t know what the results would be if I repeated all the tests and I think I’ll avoid the hassle. For my old man, coarse grey whiskers, the shower with the Cube 2.0 applied in the shower, pre-shave after the shower prior to the actual shave turned out to be the best routine for me.
I found three pre-shaves that have equal performance: the Grooming Department unscented pre-shave; the Baume.be pre-shave gel; and the two PAA products, the Cube 2.0 and the Tube 2.0 non-mentholated. The Cube and the Tube are the most economical. I seem to use the other two if I’m bored or want to feel pampered. <eg>
I don’t know what the results would be if I repeated all the tests and I think I’ll avoid the hassle. For my old man, coarse grey whiskers, the shower with the Cube 2.0 applied in the shower, pre-shave after the shower prior to the actual shave turned out to be the best routine for me.
I found three pre-shaves that have equal performance: the Grooming Department unscented pre-shave; the Baume.be pre-shave gel; and the two PAA products, the Cube 2.0 and the Tube 2.0 non-mentholated. The Cube and the Tube are the most economical. I seem to use the other two if I’m bored or want to feel pampered. <eg>
- Thread starter
- #9
D
Damn! That's alot of prep! I will say my first trial run with the grooming dept preshave seemed successful. It did help get some trouble spots and overall made me feel like I could be a bit more careless with the razor. I'd say thus far its on par with proraso. But it also goes much further for me since proraso is only effective if I use alot of the product
Pampered. That exactly what I'm going for every morning! Love the Grooming Dept and PAA products.
Nothing wrong with that.
I've tried 2 different pre-shaves from Grooming Dept., and I won't be purchasing any more. Hot shower and a good lather of Tabac and I'm good to go.
Grooming Dept pre-shave primary purpose in not to soften your stubble. It's to condition your skin by adding moisture, make it smoother and more flexible. If your skin is good condition in the first place, pre-shave maybe be unnecessary. I've been using GD pre-shave for a couple of years and have tested shaving with and without the pre-shave. I've also used PAA Cube 2.0 for two months and liked okay. After my last little bar was used up, I went back to GD pre-shave.
I'm in the same boat, and as yourself leave the preshave on while preparing to face lather... I'm an early morning shaver and shower after supper typically.
The handful of times I've shaved at night after a shower I'll say resulted in a very smooth shave with nothing else before the soap, so I've no doubt it's probably the best method.
I will also admit that my higher end soaps perform excellent with no pre shave, the cheaper soaps not so much.
I use various PAA Cubes, Proraso Sensitive and a few different oils...the oils giving me the least benefit and only there to mix things up a bit.
I use a couple Executive Shaving Company products in Scotland now and love them... The shipping cost is the only reason I haven't tried their pre-shave oil.... it's water soluble so it doesn't leave that oily film, or so I've read. When I use up my bar shampoo and a few other things, I'll order some when I buy the replacements.
