Does anyone face lather and use a pre shave oil or lotion? Would the actual face lathering ruin the pre shave?
Face lathering and pre shave oil
- Thread starter DaveNJ74
- Start date
Greetings Dave,
I am far from an expert, but as I don't think face lathering would ruin the pre-shave oil or its effects. If anyone with more experience knows for sure, please feel free to correct me but as I understand it, the oil is designed to soften the beard and to be absorbed into the hair and follicle. Once the oil is absorbed and softens, it's there until at least your first pass.
I personally use the T&H pre-shave oil with either the T&H Trafalgar or Proraso and haven't noticed an issue when face lathering.
I am far from an expert, but as I don't think face lathering would ruin the pre-shave oil or its effects. If anyone with more experience knows for sure, please feel free to correct me but as I understand it, the oil is designed to soften the beard and to be absorbed into the hair and follicle. Once the oil is absorbed and softens, it's there until at least your first pass.
I personally use the T&H pre-shave oil with either the T&H Trafalgar or Proraso and haven't noticed an issue when face lathering.
+1
Likewise, I also use a pre-shave oil and face lather and haven't noticed an issue.
One caveat, I probably spend 45 secs to a minute massaging the pre-shave oil into the beard and maybe that makes a difference.
I face lather with soaps - still using a bowl for creams - and, when I do use a pre-shave, I use Castle Forbes because it is water based and doesn't gunk up my brush or my razor. Massage it in and let it sit before lathering and you will be just fine.
- Thread starter
- #6
Ok, thanks for the replies, I was asking because I would assume the face has to be wet when face lathering and when I apply my pre shave ( T&H ultimate comfort or Castle Forbes ) my face isnt exactly wet. I didnt want to disrupt the pre shave from doing it job. 
Have you tried face lathering without preshave oil? I do every day and have never felt the need for the oil.
I use a preshave oil and/or cream regularly and face lather.
I wash my face, apply the oil/cream, put a hot towel over it (most of the time although not always), and then face lather. I have been doing it for years.
--james
I tried a new preparation technique yesterday and got maybe my best shave so far. There were a lot of new things in the prep and I am hoping the oil had a lot to contribute. I got the AOS pre-shave oil as a Christmas present and decided to figure out how to work with it. I had tried another brand before and saw no improvement.
I recall using some Origins PS oil sometime before and it too gummed up my razor.
Old technique:
1) Shower
2) Between the wash and rinse, apply Proraso PS cream. I was thinking that having the Proraso on while spending a few minutes in the steam would make an improvement.
3) Face Lather and shave. I am part of the Cade challenge and I am still trying to get a great lather. The lathers have been good and I had a good shave, just not exceptional.
New technique:
1) Wash hair and rinse
2) Wash face
3) Apply AOS PS oil and work well
4) Use a back scrubber and scrub back
5) Apply Proraso PS cream
6) Rinse all except face.
7) Face lather and shave.
New stuff affecting the shave.
1) New Razor = Gillette Slim set to 4
2) New blade = Thai Super Thin
3) Cade and its related lathering difficulties.
The new technique with the steamy AOS & Proraso, Gillette Slim, Thai Thin, and questionable Cade gave me my best shave so far. Incredibly smooth.
I am still at a loss as to what to attribute the improvement and I will continue to experiment.
Today will be a shave without a shower and I am going to try the AOS PS, then hot towels, followed by Proraso
It's possible that all the steam and sweating caused the AOS to run off, but I don't know.
I recall using some Origins PS oil sometime before and it too gummed up my razor.
Old technique:
1) Shower
2) Between the wash and rinse, apply Proraso PS cream. I was thinking that having the Proraso on while spending a few minutes in the steam would make an improvement.
3) Face Lather and shave. I am part of the Cade challenge and I am still trying to get a great lather. The lathers have been good and I had a good shave, just not exceptional.
New technique:
1) Wash hair and rinse
2) Wash face
3) Apply AOS PS oil and work well
4) Use a back scrubber and scrub back
5) Apply Proraso PS cream
6) Rinse all except face.
7) Face lather and shave.
New stuff affecting the shave.
1) New Razor = Gillette Slim set to 4
2) New blade = Thai Super Thin
3) Cade and its related lathering difficulties.
The new technique with the steamy AOS & Proraso, Gillette Slim, Thai Thin, and questionable Cade gave me my best shave so far. Incredibly smooth.
I am still at a loss as to what to attribute the improvement and I will continue to experiment.
Today will be a shave without a shower and I am going to try the AOS PS, then hot towels, followed by Proraso
It's possible that all the steam and sweating caused the AOS to run off, but I don't know.
I face lather with Valobra without pre-shave oil because I've found I don't need it.
- Thread starter
- #11
Yes I did but I tend to get better results with the pre shave oil so I hate to deviate from that regimen.
I've used Musgo Real pre-shave oil and a variety of creams which I face lathered and have never had any problems.
I have started using Shave Secret oil. I pat my face dry, then apply the shave oil. After working it in and pausing for a bit, I wash my face again and start face lathering. Seems to work well, but there are so many variables in the wet shaving process that it's hard to isolate the effects of just one.
I generally face lather, sometimes applying soap to my face with a stick and then brushing, sometimes lathering with the brush alone. The preshave oils don't do much for me. I use preshave lotion regularly -- EJ, Proraso and most recently Noxzema. They all work great with face lathering of all types, as well as bowl lathering.
+1 ... T&H is the only PSO that works out of the half-dozen or so that I experimented with. Expensive, but worth it.
I went through several months of trying different PSOs, and came to the conclusion they are more trouble than they are worth. So I haven't used one in about 4 years. A glycerin soap like MRGlo or even Neutrogena or Pears does just as good a job, and is cheaper and easier to deal with.
IMHO, I found that PSOs worked better for me as an additive to lather, instead of coating my entire beard in a separate prep-step. I got the best results just adding two or three drops on top of the puck before I load the brush, or a drop or two added to a snurdle of cream.
To the OP: If you do use a PSO, it makes no difference whether you face or bowl or palm lather. Just make sure that whichever PSO you choose will rinse out easily, so it doesn't gunk up your brush or razor.
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