Any Pre-shave That Works?

[lasta]

Good point.

I'm usually a face latherer since I find it more practical. I am going to be traveling a lot, so carrying a bowl in my dopp kit won't really work. Would palm lathering work?

Yes

 

[Whilliam]

I believe Noxzema works as a pre-shave, so I use it. Same for Pantene Hair Conditioner. That, of course, leaves open the more telling question, "does any of this really work?"

I'll continue to experiment. Just got a sample bar of Stirling's Pre-Shave soap, so I'll start with that, maybe today. Then, I suppose, it will be on to The Cube.

(FWIW, I've also tried straight dimethicone, which is an ingredient in most hair conditioners. Meh.)

Ain't shaving fun?

 

[Atlantic59]

Thanks for suggestions.

Have you noticed an increase in glide and protection when using this oil?

You've probably noticed there is not a uniform consensus on how effective pre-shave oil is. The best thing is probably to try it and see how well it works for you.

You still need to hydrate your whiskers first to soften them. You only need around 4-6 drops of oil spread between your palms and rubbed into your wet face. You need to give the oil a minute or two before lathering over it. You are not painting on a thick layer of oil, BTW. You are not supposed to create an oil slick on your skin. The primary lubrication for shaving comes from your lather.

It seems people that do well with pre-shave oil are often those that have sensitive or dry skin, that have some issues with razor burn or ingrown hairs.

I suspect people who are using super-fatted artisan soaps may not benefit as much because they've effectively got pre-shave oil already in their soap. So, if you have leather-like skin and you are using Uncle Mike's Unicorn Tears Soap with 12 Rare & Exotic African Fats, you may not notice much difference.

I have been using the Cube or Ice Cube pre-shave soap. If you look at the ingredients, you can see it's basically a glycerin soap base with a lot of oils and moisturizing ingredients in it. It seems to boost the lather for most of my shaving soaps, and I get noticeable post-shave effects from it. In effect, my pre-shave oil is already embedded in the Cube.

 

[23HN117]

I made my own using 30mL castor oil+ jojoba oil (15mL each) and a few drops (5-8 drops each, cant remember)of tea tree oil and pine needle oil. I'm sure I found the recipe somewhere online but cant remember the website.

 

[DaveHStone]

I am looking to add more glide and slickness to my shaves. What pre-shave product would you recommend?
Thanks.

To add "more glide and slickness" use a better shaving soap.

Hint: A&E kaizen 2 base, Stirling are your "best friends".

Me, I use PAA Cube (menthol & charcoal) to wash my face, either pre or post shave, I love it. Love the scent, love the feel, the chill it gives. Do I need it for a "better glide"? Absolutely NOT, it adds zero glide to my Stirling, A&E and other top-notch soaps, like MdC and SV, that I have in my regular rotation.

 

[Marco]

Plenty of piping hot water works very well all the times for me.

 

[Ivo4u2]

Good point.

I'm usually a face latherer since I find it more practical. I am going to be traveling a lot, so carrying a bowl in my dopp kit won't really work. Would palm lathering work?

Paa has pre shave soap in a stick for travel. And cubes are rubbed on to And you can lather that up on your face too.
you can always scratch a bit of soap on a saucer and lather in that or your hand

 

[Tirvine]

In my experience the place to introduce glide and slickness is when lathering, not at pre-shave. My pre-shave routine has always been hot water splashed on the face and neck. The amount of glide and slickness provided by the soap or cream is affected by the amount of water used. Assuming you like your soap or cream, I would suggest tinkering with the amount of water you use to lather. Also, remember to attend to the water when doing subsequent passes. Although my loaded brush standing on its bottom beside my sink has ample lather for passes two and three, I get better results when I dip the tip ever so slightly in hot water before re-lathering. Different brushes affect the outcome as well. If you are not happy with your soap or cream, I found I got better lather with some than with others. I am one of those Martin de Candre fans, but I also got better lather from Pre de Provence than from Taylor of Bond Street, Art of Shaving, or any of the others I have used over the years. The limited creams I have tried (Taylor, Art of Shaving, and Crabtree & Evelyn) seemed as if they should provide more slickness and glide, but they did not seem to yield much difference once worked into lather.

 

[jhe888]

I like Proraso's green preshave, but not so much for extra slickness but for the nice jolt of menthol that it has.

A good soap is plenty slick for me. I'm not really looking for more lubrication with a preshave.