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do you guys use preshave

I finally found ONE thing that works very well for me cremo beard scruff softner or the beard face wash softens up the tug quite a bit does nothing for the slickness though and IMHO the soap does that just fine and it should as that is its job :)
use it more like a wash and then rinse and start my shave leave it on while prepping

This works better than a shower even
I have gone through one whole jar already and go back and forth have not said much over the months as sometimes I wonder and chalk it up to lucky or new blade
today was super smooth even with a blade that yesterday was getting tugy


Other things I tried that I cant decide if they work ?
maybe the best besides the cremo is just putting shave soap I am going to use on early let sit for minute or so while I prep my razor and prep lather ?

proraso green Have to get some white and see what I think it might help ? Just not sure

also the conk soap I just rub and I think it helps a tiny touch

need to try noxema used to use it in the 80s :) good be fun retro fun

also want to try the cube from PAA

NOW that all said with just water or after shower I do have better days and worse days that is why I often think my preshave days was it just a great shave day ? and the difference of the others besides the cremo have all been subtle at best that is why I just do not know


I do like the simplicity though of just water rub some soap I plan to use and leave on then wash off lather up and go ! Simple no extra product
 
I do use a pre shave soap but not sure if it helps or adds anything to the shave. Started with the Musgo Real Glyce soaps which are really cool but sadly many of the scents are discontinued like Classic and Oakmoss. I leave most of the lather on the skin just a slight splash then lather on top. They are suppost to add a extra layer of glycerin and slickness plus clean up the stubble as well as hydration but just about any soap could be used but many recommend a glycerin based soap or one with extra added oils.
 
So been using the cremo day after day now for bit and today had dry face ? BUT I also used a dif balm the brickell ? Not a fan of the brickell anyway so its going to the box of misfit :) and going to continue with the cremo again I do know it helps the shave BUT if its the thing drying my face I will know soon since my early testing was always just on and off to compare ? Hmmmmmmm
either way no worries finding what I love and more important WORKS to give the best comfy shaves is my goal and have a lot of fun along the way
 
Yes:
•A bar of olive oil soap will do for me.
•A bottle of pre- shave from Executive Shaving will also work.
 

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I have quite sensitive skin. I use the Proraso white or green pre-shave cream and it works well for me. I prefer the citrus scent of the Proraso white.
Sometimes i use coconut oil as a pre-shave and i also made a mix of 1/3rd aloe vera, 1/3rd olive oil, 1/3rd castor oil, works ok-ish but i prefer the Proraso pre-shave.

As someone said before, when i use shave gel, a pre-shave is not necessary because the gel is so slick. The cheap Aldi shave gel works very well for me. The scent is just meh, but hey its about 1€ for a can only and gives a nice slick lather and i don't have to use a brush either, just apply with the fingers.

I really want to try that PAA Cube, would that not be too soapy thus drying the skin? I already tried a glycerine containing soap as a preshave, it was slick but gave me a very dry feeling after shaving.
 
So, I just shaved with the PAA preshave cube and PDP bergamot and thyme shave soap. I have been going back and forth with myself on if I think preshave is really needed. I've come to the conclusion after a few shaves of using preshave soaps (leaving them on the face, not rinsing off before I apply my shave lather) that preshaves don't necessarily hurt, but they are not necessary to get a good shave. They can help if you use a shave soap that isn't as good at lathering as other shave soaps. Now, I am still gonna wash my face with a preshave soap and rinse it off. That is something I think any wet shaver should do. Cleaning their face getting it ready for a shave is a positive thing in my book, but you don't need to apply a preshave and keep it on your face if you are already using a good quality shave soap that lathers pretty good. There was a guy named nickshaves on youtube who said preshave isn't necessary as your shave soap should be able to perform on its own without any issues and I think he was dead on saying that. I'll still use my PAA cubes, stirling metholated preshave soaps, and proraso green preshave cream from time to time, but I think most of the time I shave, I will just wash my face, rinse it off and immediately apply my shaving soap lather.
 
I use two pre-shave oils that I make. They are both 50% grapeseed oil, 25% jojoba oil, and 25% sweet almond oil. One bottle gets scented with lemon essential oil and the other gets scented with peppermint essential oil.

I like them. I like both the scents in the morning. I believe that they have a positive effect on my skin. The oil sits on my skin for the couple of minutes it takes for me to finish my body dry down and to whip up the morning's lather in my scuttle. So the benefit to me is both olfactory, and overall softness of my skin long term.
 
To answer the question, let me first start with my experience of shaving oil:

I switched from canned goo to shaving oil when using Gillette mach3 carts and the impact was transformational!

Goodbye irritation and daily bright red rashes! I actually started enjoying shaving and the carts lasted longer also.

So I am already a huge believer in shaving oils.

As a pre shave, no doubt they help me in dry winter months. The purpose of shaving oil is to make the skin supple, not to add glide to a slick lather.
If the skin is in good condition, the shave will be closer and more comfortable.

I use 3-4 drops in winter months when my skin is as dry as a desert!

In warmer months, there's no need as the humidity/sweating keeps the skin very supple.
 
I have quite sensitive skin. I use the Proraso white or green pre-shave cream and it works well for me. I prefer the citrus scent of the Proraso white.
Sometimes i use coconut oil as a pre-shave and i also made a mix of 1/3rd aloe vera, 1/3rd olive oil, 1/3rd castor oil, works ok-ish but i prefer the Proraso pre-shave.

As someone said before, when i use shave gel, a pre-shave is not necessary because the gel is so slick. The cheap Aldi shave gel works very well for me. The scent is just meh, but hey its about 1€ for a can only and gives a nice slick lather and i don't have to use a brush either, just apply with the fingers.

I really want to try that PAA Cube, would that not be too soapy thus drying the skin? I already tried a glycerine containing soap as a preshave, it was slick but gave me a very dry feeling after shaving.

Soap is inherently alkaline and the drying feeling you describe is what I experienced with pre shave soaps.

I gave up on them and went back to my pre shave oil (mix of grapeseed, sweet almond, Abyssinian oils).
 
I've found that Proraso pre shave or Noxzema can help create thicker lather. This mainly helps with soaps/creams that are a bit on the thin side though I never found it necessary. I tried a pre shave oil once, but didn't like the feeling of using something I would normally associate with cooking on my face. :lol1:
 
I use Eucris skin food, applying it right before lathering, and I find it makes a huge difference in the smoothness of my shave. I would almost go fas as to saying it adds a certain slickness that makes the blade really glide. But that’s my two cents worth.
 
Yes I do.
I use the Proraso green or sometimes the Cypress & Vetyver pre-shave cream and it works very well for me.
It's a standing procedure for my shave preparation routine.
When using a DE-razor, I usually begin with some drops of baby oil which I massage well into my facial skin.
 
I'm new to the whole experience and have only just started with my first pre-shave oil. I simply went with one that had a lot of strong reviews on Amazon, called Viking Revolution. I guess it works fine, but I don't know what to expect. It works exactly as intended/advertised. Curious to read up and see if there's anything subjectively better.
 
I'm new to the whole experience and have only just started with my first pre-shave oil. I simply went with one that had a lot of strong reviews on Amazon, called Viking Revolution. I guess it works fine, but I don't know what to expect. It works exactly as intended/advertised. Curious to read up and see if there's anything subjectively better.

I don't know anything about the VR pre-shave. However, I've tried their Peppermint & Eucalyptus shaving cream and I don't care for it. There's a lot more eucalyptus than peppermint in it, and the performance is sub-standard in my opinion.
 

Chef455

Head Cheese Head Chef
Nah. When in doubt refer to post #2...

Started shaving in the late 1970s; never used a pre-shave product. Don't intend changing now. :)

As for their alleged magical properties: I don't think they do anything more than what that a decent lather should, other than empty your wallet.

YMMV.
 
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