I'm a newbie, don't know anything. Need to preface this with that. Also, zero connection to any manufacturer or retailer or anyone or anything in the shaving-products space. I have a light, silky beard (although it's mostly gray now) and sensitive, irritable, easily damaged skin on my face.
So I was at Wal-Mart the other day looking for some Nivea Balm and I happened to see Shave Secret on the shelf for like $4-5. I thought, oh, yeah, a few people talked about oil as a pre-shave. So I bought it.
Tried it the first day as a pre-shave, with lather on top of it. Not experienced enough to notice much, especially because I keep changing too many variables (can't help myself). Then I looked at some reviews and discovered, to my surprise, several in which the reviewer was shaving with JUST the oil. Read the instructions, and that's what the manufacturer suggests. So I thought, okay, that's weird, but I'll try it.
So I think I'm on my fourth day with just the oil and man, do I like it. Yes, it's true, the experience of shaving isn't as much fun DURING THE SHAVE. But it makes my face feel great THE WHOLE REST OF THE DAY! I feel like I couldn't cut myself if I wanted to, I get zero blood or redness or irritation, and my face feels just great all day long. Kinda like exercise or meditation...it's not all that fun to do, but it makes you feel better every OTHER hour of the day.
It's super easy. Get out of the shower, towel off, re-wet my face and hands; six drops on one palm, rub palms together and work into whiskers. Wait one minute for it to soak in. You do have to keep track of where you've shaved, because there's no lather to tell you, and you have to use hot water to rinse the razor because the oil will stick to the razor and blade with cold or warm water. If your face starts to get dry just splash on a little more water. I just do one pass WTG and go over some of the trouble spots a second time. My shave is not particularly close but it looks fine all day.
When you're finished...don't do anything. A splash of cold water if you feel like it. Blot face dry, and THE REMAINING OIL IS ITS OWN AFTER-SHAVE BALM! I love that.
Clean-up consists of...washing my hands. I wash and dry the razor and blade. I do find that I have to wash off the blade--just grip the edge between thumb and forefinger and pull outward. That gets any residue.
Still experimenting with razors and blades; the oil seems to have different requirements than shaving with lather. This morning I used the Gillette Tech with a German Wilkinson Sword blade. That worked fine. On the first two shaves I used alum to check for irritation but didn't feel a thing.
Shaving of any kind has always been rough on me. I would put it off for two or three or sometimes even more days because I knew I'd pay for it with a roughed-up, sore face that would feel tight and dry for half the day. I would alternate between carts and an electric because neither ever felt good. Never liked shaving, or the shaves I got.
This is painless and pleasant, I can do it every day, I still look clean-shaven by evening, and for once I'm getting zero damage and zero irritation. Quite the contrary in fact, my face feels fantastic.
I'm still willing to experiment, but for now I can't see giving this up.
Just wondering if this method has any other fans out there.
MtB
So I was at Wal-Mart the other day looking for some Nivea Balm and I happened to see Shave Secret on the shelf for like $4-5. I thought, oh, yeah, a few people talked about oil as a pre-shave. So I bought it.
Tried it the first day as a pre-shave, with lather on top of it. Not experienced enough to notice much, especially because I keep changing too many variables (can't help myself). Then I looked at some reviews and discovered, to my surprise, several in which the reviewer was shaving with JUST the oil. Read the instructions, and that's what the manufacturer suggests. So I thought, okay, that's weird, but I'll try it.
So I think I'm on my fourth day with just the oil and man, do I like it. Yes, it's true, the experience of shaving isn't as much fun DURING THE SHAVE. But it makes my face feel great THE WHOLE REST OF THE DAY! I feel like I couldn't cut myself if I wanted to, I get zero blood or redness or irritation, and my face feels just great all day long. Kinda like exercise or meditation...it's not all that fun to do, but it makes you feel better every OTHER hour of the day.
It's super easy. Get out of the shower, towel off, re-wet my face and hands; six drops on one palm, rub palms together and work into whiskers. Wait one minute for it to soak in. You do have to keep track of where you've shaved, because there's no lather to tell you, and you have to use hot water to rinse the razor because the oil will stick to the razor and blade with cold or warm water. If your face starts to get dry just splash on a little more water. I just do one pass WTG and go over some of the trouble spots a second time. My shave is not particularly close but it looks fine all day.
When you're finished...don't do anything. A splash of cold water if you feel like it. Blot face dry, and THE REMAINING OIL IS ITS OWN AFTER-SHAVE BALM! I love that.
Clean-up consists of...washing my hands. I wash and dry the razor and blade. I do find that I have to wash off the blade--just grip the edge between thumb and forefinger and pull outward. That gets any residue.
Still experimenting with razors and blades; the oil seems to have different requirements than shaving with lather. This morning I used the Gillette Tech with a German Wilkinson Sword blade. That worked fine. On the first two shaves I used alum to check for irritation but didn't feel a thing.
Shaving of any kind has always been rough on me. I would put it off for two or three or sometimes even more days because I knew I'd pay for it with a roughed-up, sore face that would feel tight and dry for half the day. I would alternate between carts and an electric because neither ever felt good. Never liked shaving, or the shaves I got.
This is painless and pleasant, I can do it every day, I still look clean-shaven by evening, and for once I'm getting zero damage and zero irritation. Quite the contrary in fact, my face feels fantastic.
I'm still willing to experiment, but for now I can't see giving this up.
Just wondering if this method has any other fans out there.
MtB
Last edited:
