Does anyone else shave with my weird technique using no Cream/Soap?

[Xonic]

So a while back, I posted a thread on how to rip through a really tough beard, or at least, the best way I'd found. One of the weirder aspects of my routine that I've found works for me over the last 3y I've been doing this, is not using any cream or soap.
I've tried nearly all of them I'm sure, different brushes, diferent types of water, scuttle, mug, hollowed out a tortous and mixed it up in his shell, but no. Every time I use lather, I just don't get a close shave and it takes ages, leaves me with a load of irritation.

So now, the only thing I use on my face, is hot water and a splash of trumpers skin food per pass. One splash with the grain, 1 against and maybe one for my lip. This way, I keep dipping the razor in water to moisten up any dry areas of my face and it provides incredible slickness as I go around.
The skinfood is really thin so I can shave incredibly close to the skin, gives me a BBS every time.

Now I'm not sure if this is easier for me than most because I have no eyesight and I shave by feel, as opposed to looking at where the cream/soap lather needs to come off.
It's so quick and efficient, leaves no mess, no time required for lathering it's honestly changed the whole way I feel about the hobby.

I'm curious if anyone else does this, or if not, would you give it a try? granted all skin types are different but I wonder if it would work for others. People talk about the protection lather offers to the skin, but for me it did exactly the opposite. The lather created a barrier to the skin, so I shaved and buffed away and nothing came off properly. Even with the thinnest slickest lather, doesn't compare to the Skinfood.

Anyway, thoughts welcome, I'm curious.

 

[Big_T]

I'm not familiar with Trumpers skin food but I have done this same thing with Jack Black beard lube, it sounds similar to Trumpers.

Quick and easy BBS.

 

[Filudo]

I have used Afta Pre-electric cream + water to shave with blades....it works well.

 

[Big_T]

Another option is Stephan Brushless shave cream. I used it this morning. Just remember to keep it wet with water and it works great.

It's available at Amazon and a few other places.

Amazon.com

 

[abies]

Sounds kinda like a latherless cream? I've used one (EOS Sensitive Skin) and think they're underrecognized but prefer lather just because I like the "washing" aspect of it. But the latherless cream worked well.

 

[Xonic]

Not sure if they're the same as latherless creams, I did try one of those once but again, too thick. Same as king of shaves shaving gel which also didn't need lather. In the end, the skin food was the thinnest thing I could fine that left me a slick face but no barrier.

 

[musicman1951]

Back when I was in the torture business we would often dry shave victims with a multi-blade cart until they gave us the information we were looking for. But so many of my business associates ended up in jail that I decided to follow other pursuits.

 

[Xonic]

Back when I was in the torture business we would often dry shave victims with a multi-blade cart until they gave us the information we were looking for. But so many of my business associates ended up in jail that I decided to follow other pursuits.. I used to do the same thing with electric hair clippers. Used to take days to get anything out of people though

 

[NorthernSoul]

Your method is basically similar to using a brushless shaving cream. These were popular many decades ago from brands like Noxzema and Barbasol. There are quite a few brushless creams available these days, from Cremo, Jack Black, Barbasol, Stephan, Gabel's, and many more.

Here are the instructions for using Cremo Original:

• Rub skin with water for 30 seconds
• Lightly coat wet skin with almond-sized squeeze
• Use virtually any blade
• Shave
• Add water as needed to keep it slippery
• Fight the burn

Seems a little light on the shave prep, but that's what they say.

 

[Butch Waxx]

I believe this guy does while down in the Outback.

 

[Xonic]

Your method is basically similar to using a brushless shaving cream. These were popular many decades ago from brands like Noxzema and Barbasol. There are quite a few brushless creams available these days, from Cremo, Jack Black, Barbasol, Stephan, Gabel's, and many more.

Here are the instructions for using Cremo Original:

• Rub skin with water for 30 seconds
• Lightly coat wet skin with almond-sized squeeze
• Use virtually any blade
• Shave
• Add water as needed to keep it slippery
• Fight the burn

Seems a little light on the shave prep, but that's what they say.

It's basically what I do with mine, I never found anything else made a difference really and believe me I tried it all I didn't try too many brushless shaving creams just a couple and offfhand can't remember what they were, but I never thought they gave me as close a shave. maybe I will check some more out although I have a huge amount of Skinfood to get through and one bottle lasts me about 6 to 7 or even 8 months at the moment if I've calculated correctly.

 

[euro]

My brother never used any shaving cream.

 

[NorthernSoul]

It's basically what I do with mine, I never found anything else made a difference really and believe me I tried it all I didn't try too many brushless shaving creams just a couple and offfhand can't remember what they were, but I never thought they gave me as close a shave. maybe I will check some more out although I have a huge amount of Skinfood to get through and one bottle lasts me about 6 to 7 or even 8 months at the moment if I've calculated correctly.

Some of these creams are quite a bit better than others but price doesn't seem to correspond with performance.

A 16 oz. tub of Stephan Stay Smooth Cream costs about $5-6 at a barber supply store.

A 6 oz. tube of Jack Black Beard Lube costs about $18 at a department store, so eight times more expensive. It's considered a "premium product". Whatever.

 

[ButterfaceX]

It is the old, whatever works best for you and your skin is happy & healthy...
For me, my dad has been making shave ( all types) soaps for decades.
So it is just hard coded into my traditional shaving process.
Plus it is a part of zen shave for me...

BFX

 

[BigJ]

Interesting option! (Unfortunately, I cannot comment from personal experience.)

But, I cannot argue with success!!

 

[abies]

Looking at the ingredients for Trumpers Skin Food, maybe this is like using a preshave as the shave? Is a preshave still a preshave then?

 

[Xonic]

Looking at the ingredients for Trumpers Skin Food, maybe this is like using a preshave as the shave? Is a preshave still a preshave then?

Well yeah this is the thing. I don't have a preshave because i just use Trumpers and that's it. I'm not claming it's the be all and end all and I know a lot of people love the soap, the different smells the lathering etc. I was just curious as to my knowledge no one I've met goes quite this bareback. I shall be doing it again in about 45 mins after my row

 

[Roedeer]

Looking at the ingredients for Trumpers Skin Food, maybe this is like using a preshave as the shave? Is a preshave still a preshave then?

Using a "pre-shave" oil plus a coating of mediocre canned foam, I got a pretty good shave. This was before I got back into shaving soaps.

I think I was really having a thin-layer oil shave, and using the canned foam as a progress marker.

Oil is good, but will get messy if you use much of it.

 

[Hercule]

I note that Indian street barbers shave their customers dry.

 

[blethenstrom]

So a while back, I posted a thread on how to rip through a really tough beard, or at least, the best way I'd found. One of the weirder aspects of my routine that I've found works for me over the last 3y I've been doing this, is not using any cream or soap.
I've tried nearly all of them I'm sure, different brushes, diferent types of water, scuttle, mug, hollowed out a tortous and mixed it up in his shell, but no. Every time I use lather, I just don't get a close shave and it takes ages, leaves me with a load of irritation.

So now, the only thing I use on my face, is hot water and a splash of trumpers skin food per pass. One splash with the grain, 1 against and maybe one for my lip. This way, I keep dipping the razor in water to moisten up any dry areas of my face and it provides incredible slickness as I go around.
The skinfood is really thin so I can shave incredibly close to the skin, gives me a BBS every time.

Now I'm not sure if this is easier for me than most because I have no eyesight and I shave by feel, as opposed to looking at where the cream/soap lather needs to come off.
It's so quick and efficient, leaves no mess, no time required for lathering it's honestly changed the whole way I feel about the hobby.

I'm curious if anyone else does this, or if not, would you give it a try? granted all skin types are different but I wonder if it would work for others. People talk about the protection lather offers to the skin, but for me it did exactly the opposite. The lather created a barrier to the skin, so I shaved and buffed away and nothing came off properly. Even with the thinnest slickest lather, doesn't compare to the Skinfood.

Anyway, thoughts welcome, I'm curious.

We have another member here at B&B who also have no eyesight and @parham has been working to get lathering with soap and brush working and he has made some great strides towards that goal. I am not sure if you want to go that direction, but it might be something worth trying.