What's new

do you guys use preshave

and do you think it actually does anything? It could be pre shave oil, pre shave creams, or pre shave soap. I noticed myself that I have been getting little to no cuts or weepers when I use an aggressive de and when I use a pre shave soaps like PAA's cube 2.0 and stirling mentholated pre shave soap. I have shaved without using pre shave soaps and I would usually gets a few cuts here and there, so in my experience, using preshave does help at least with me. It's supposed to be a lather booster as well. I can't say for certain if it boosts your shave soap lather as my shave soaps usually lather pretty good on their own. My shaves are smoother using either pre shave cream (proraso green) and pre shave soaps like PAA's cube and stirling mentholated pre shave. I was wondering if anyone else has had better than usual shaves using pre shave than without. Also, happy easter guys!!!
 

garyg

B&B membership has its percs
I started shaving earlier, and have since returning to wet shaving fallen into may rabbit holes, but never the pre-shave stuff of any ilk. They just never worked for me, I had no improvement and have skipped the step & expense ever after.
 
I used Proraso but Finished it and haven’t replaced it yet. It definitely makes a difference. Ive tried a couple of preshave cream washes but I think Proraso is better than those. My missus got me a small tin of Nuage pre-shave oil and it’s not bad but, I don’t particularly like the oil scum it leaves on the sink or on my hands, when I’m away to wave a straight razor at my face. I think it would block a safety razor too. I’ll probably get more Proraso green preshave and won’t experiment much more with preshave.
 
For me, the Proraso pre-shave noticeably improves cushion/protection when used with Proraso cream. Used with other products not so much. The Proraso green pre-shave is the only one I've used, just FYI.

Pre-shave oil with lather on top makes for a worse shave, again in my experience.
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
I made my own pre-shave oil.... based on the ingredients of the ones recommended here.... It was a big fail... just gunked up my razor.

Then the other day, Tomo and APBinNCA recommended I try Baume.be and APB suggested I try their pre-shave. He said: "I won't live without it.".... so I figured, what the heck and bought some along with Baume.be shaving cream.... I have to say... this stuff is a gel, not an oil... goes on so smooth... and my razor glides like skates on ice.

I do realize, I didn't do this scientifically... I combined two products having never used either. I will have to experiment with the the pre-shave with a soap I already know.... but I just love the Baume.be combination.
 

Eben Stone

Staff member
I use preshave because I dont shower before shaving so I'll take all the pre shave prep I can get.

I've tried Proraso red and PAA cube.

Proraso red makes a noticeable improvement for me. It supposedly adds slickness, softens whiskers, and toughens skin. Its not slicker than Southern Witchcrafts, DG, or B&M, so I just use it to soften my whiskers and/or toughen my skin (I leave it on for about two minutes while I bowl lather then rinse it off before lathering).

PAA cube also makes a noticeable improvement for me. If you need a lather booster this is it. The lather literally doubles in volume a few seconds after the brush touches the preshave layer on your face (I only tested this with PAA CK-6). Its kinda interesting to experience the first time. Its like extra lather just magically oozes out of the bristles. I tried it this way a few times then stopped lathering over it (I prefer wet and almost runny lather, this makes it too thick and gunky). Just like the Proraso, I only use it to soften my whiskers (I rinse it off before lathering).
 
Last edited:
I get a better shave with preshave oil. It doesn't seem to work for everyone but it does for me. I wet my face, wait a few minutes, rub the oil in, wait a few more minutes, then lather up and shave. The waiting is important. I haven't noticed any difference in different oils, though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nav
I think the right pre-shave helps to have a better first pass. I'm a daily shaver and use the PAA Cube 2.0 as pre-shave with every shave. It adds a little CK-6 slickness to whatever soap I'm using and a small amount of soothing menthol.
 
I find it useful if I do a shave without a shower. Otherwise I like it as an added layer to the experience, but not all of the time. On a hot day and I want a good menthol kick on top of everything else, Proraso green pre/post all day. I also really like the smell of Proraso White pre/post. Necessary? For me, no not really. Do I like it? Yes.
 
I use the bloom water as a pre-shave.

Basically, I put a small portion of ARKO in a bowl, cover it with about a finger of the hottest water I can get from tap, let it soak for 10 minutes, and then massage the resulting slippery water into my stubble. At this point I have a slick coating and very thin lather on my face that is actually good enough to perform a one-pass shave with some touch-ups.

The bloom water (my pre-shave) is a byproduct of this process, as I mostly do it to soften the soap and make it easier to load the brush with.
 
I find it useful if I do a shave without a shower. Otherwise I like it as an added layer to the experience, but not all of the time. On a hot day and I want a good menthol kick on top of everything else, Proraso green pre/post all day. I also really like the smell of Proraso White pre/post. Necessary? For me, no not really. Do I like it? Yes.
I concur, more of a like than a necessity.😊👍💈
 
Yes, I use it relatively regularly. My skin is temperamental and sometimes I'll get out of the shower and realise my face is quite dry or irritated. Pre-shave oil (when used correctly as preshave and not face lube) is very effective for me. It moisturises my skin and adds a layer of protection that feels like it smooths out the blade. If I ever shave ATG nowadays, I'll use it before my 3rd pass. Sometimes, I just want to add some menthol so I use proraso green preshave. Again when applied correctly, its moisturising and adds a bit of 'under-slickness' and absorbs really well without interfering in the lather. A lot of people have problems with preshave because they use it wrong imo. There's thread after thread of people who used motor oil as preshave and ofc complained that it doesn't work. for oil, buy the right stuff and you only need a few drops, applied to a WET face. For cream, all you need is a pea or two, applied to a WET face. Too much has inverse benefits.
 
No , I never have ev tried it , for me , a good hot shower does the trick for softening up my beard before a shave .
 
Yes, I've tried several different ones along the way. I've used the Cube, Ice Cube, Ach. Brito Glyce with Lime, standard glycerine soap, also Noxzema. I don't use the oils, though.

The idea with pre-shave is to clean the face and begin hydrating the beard. I prefer to use it most of the time. You don't necessarily need a special product for this. If showering right before shaving, it might not be needed.
 
I have been 20 years without using any preshave whatsoever. I bought 2 PAA's preshave bloc (charcoal and Mentholated) that I use rarely here and there. I'll never buy them again as it doesn't do anything for me, except the very little cooling that the Mentholated one provided.
 
Top Bottom