Hot shower or bath. Then, hot wet towel followed by PAA cube. Then Grooming Dept pre-shave rubbed in well with a bit of water. Finally, I rub in a couple of drops of Art of Shaving Oil. Love that combo!
With that in place, almost any decent soap works well.
Dab of conditioner, worked well into the bristles after a warm water face wash. Gives a very nice slick base, and I may use this in preference to pre-shave oil.