Okay all you fine member's of badger and Blade...and especially you new guys that like to hang out in the Shave Clinic. In the Shave Clinic we do a lot of meet-and-greet, but we often forget there is a wide, wide, world of shaving out there. So today I am going to bring to you...How to Make Your Own Pre-Shave Oil!
First of all...why a pre-shave oil (PSO)? For some PSO does nothing for them. For me, I find that is softens my skin and conditions it for the fabulous shave ahead. PSO provides nutrients for my skin and leaves my face moisturized. You can refer to one of the Pre-Shave Prep Wiki Pages here: http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Pre-shave_prep
So let's get started. A PSO can be as simple as just using olive oil on your skin, or it can be a very complicated concoction of various oils and vitamins. In the link above you will find several recipes/formulas for PSO that work for some members. I have one that I have started to use that I seem to like just fine. Here is the recipe/formula that I use:
1 Part Avocado Oil
1 Part Sweet Almond Oil
1 Part Jojoba Oil
1/2 Part Vegetable Glycerin
1/2 Part Orange Flower Water
So why do I use these? Here are the properties as it relates to skin care or my formula.
Avocado Oil - Enhances the skins ability to generate collagen, moisturizes the skin, hastens the healing of wounds and burns in addition to relieving and healing rashes
Sweet Almond Oil - Moisturizes, is an anti-inflamitory agent, absorbs into your skin rapidly, helps reduce wrinkles, and helps reverse damages caused from sun exposure.
Jojoba Oil - Moisturizes, cleanses, fights against acne contains iodine that helps prevent bacteria), firms up skin to help against wrinkles.
Vegetable Glycerin - There a re a host of reason to use Vegetable Glycerin, but the main reason I use it is because not only it is a moisturizer, but it also is a kind of "seal" to keep in the moisture. It also helps other ingredients absorb into the skin.
Orange Flower Water - This has other skin benefits like a toner, but I use it because it's an emulsifier to help with mixing the various ingredients.
Okay, so now that is out of the way...here is what I used:
I really used some of the least expensive ingredients I could find. The Avocado oil was really the most expensive is actually the cheapest ingredient per ounce. The Jojoba oil I found at Trader Joe's for a very reasonable price. Actually the least expensive Jojoba oil I have found (even cheaper than TJ Maxx). The Sweet Almond Oil I found at Wal Mart, as well as the condiment bottle. The Vegetable Glycerin was purchased at Whole Foods. All of these things can be found elsewhere, so just look around. I use the 5 ounce measuring cup because there are several units of measure on it to include ounces and teaspoons, which make it easy to for small "parts." They are only about a buck at Wal Mart. You can use the small shot glass like measuring cup and pour into another container if you would like.
Take your ingredients and measure them into the cup. I added the Orange Blossom Water last. You can see from the below picture (before Orange Blossom Water was added) and you can see almost layers of oil. The Orange Blossom Water will help limit separation.
So now everything is in the cup. I go ahead and pour it all into my condiment container...make sure everything is closed...and shake it up. I use the condiment container because it is easy to squeeze small amounts into my palm before a shave. Now the finished product looks like this:
After application it soaks into the skin in a few minutes. After my morning shower, I will apply the PSO on my face and then go fix my coffee, take some vitamins, and pat my black lab(ish) dog Allie on the head. By that time it is almost entirely soaked into my face and I begin to face lather for my morning shave.
So this is my how to on making your own PSO. You don't have to use my recipe, but making your own is much cheaper than buying. I looked at some PSO from Art of Shaving (I had a small bottle of the lavender PSO a while back that someone gave me) and the ingredients are nothing more than Grape Seed oil, Castor Oil, and Lavender Essential Oil. And the cost is very high if you buy it from them. For the cost of buying a bottle AoS PSO I bought all of my ingredients together and I have enough oils to make about a gallon of PSO.
Also of note, if you are a guy or gal who likes things that that smell, you can add essential oils to your PSO to make it smell good. Some essential oils have good skin properties to them also. Word of caution though...add only a few drops and then try. You can always add more, but you can't take it out. Too much might burn the face or just leave you smelling weird all day. Do not use fragrance oils for PSO...you could end up with a nasty rash.
Thus concludes my adventure and your instruction into Pre-Shave Oil. I hope you have enjoyed.
First of all...why a pre-shave oil (PSO)? For some PSO does nothing for them. For me, I find that is softens my skin and conditions it for the fabulous shave ahead. PSO provides nutrients for my skin and leaves my face moisturized. You can refer to one of the Pre-Shave Prep Wiki Pages here: http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Pre-shave_prep
So let's get started. A PSO can be as simple as just using olive oil on your skin, or it can be a very complicated concoction of various oils and vitamins. In the link above you will find several recipes/formulas for PSO that work for some members. I have one that I have started to use that I seem to like just fine. Here is the recipe/formula that I use:
1 Part Avocado Oil
1 Part Sweet Almond Oil
1 Part Jojoba Oil
1/2 Part Vegetable Glycerin
1/2 Part Orange Flower Water
So why do I use these? Here are the properties as it relates to skin care or my formula.
Avocado Oil - Enhances the skins ability to generate collagen, moisturizes the skin, hastens the healing of wounds and burns in addition to relieving and healing rashes
Sweet Almond Oil - Moisturizes, is an anti-inflamitory agent, absorbs into your skin rapidly, helps reduce wrinkles, and helps reverse damages caused from sun exposure.
Jojoba Oil - Moisturizes, cleanses, fights against acne contains iodine that helps prevent bacteria), firms up skin to help against wrinkles.
Vegetable Glycerin - There a re a host of reason to use Vegetable Glycerin, but the main reason I use it is because not only it is a moisturizer, but it also is a kind of "seal" to keep in the moisture. It also helps other ingredients absorb into the skin.
Orange Flower Water - This has other skin benefits like a toner, but I use it because it's an emulsifier to help with mixing the various ingredients.
Okay, so now that is out of the way...here is what I used:
I really used some of the least expensive ingredients I could find. The Avocado oil was really the most expensive is actually the cheapest ingredient per ounce. The Jojoba oil I found at Trader Joe's for a very reasonable price. Actually the least expensive Jojoba oil I have found (even cheaper than TJ Maxx). The Sweet Almond Oil I found at Wal Mart, as well as the condiment bottle. The Vegetable Glycerin was purchased at Whole Foods. All of these things can be found elsewhere, so just look around. I use the 5 ounce measuring cup because there are several units of measure on it to include ounces and teaspoons, which make it easy to for small "parts." They are only about a buck at Wal Mart. You can use the small shot glass like measuring cup and pour into another container if you would like.
Take your ingredients and measure them into the cup. I added the Orange Blossom Water last. You can see from the below picture (before Orange Blossom Water was added) and you can see almost layers of oil. The Orange Blossom Water will help limit separation.
So now everything is in the cup. I go ahead and pour it all into my condiment container...make sure everything is closed...and shake it up. I use the condiment container because it is easy to squeeze small amounts into my palm before a shave. Now the finished product looks like this:
After application it soaks into the skin in a few minutes. After my morning shower, I will apply the PSO on my face and then go fix my coffee, take some vitamins, and pat my black lab(ish) dog Allie on the head. By that time it is almost entirely soaked into my face and I begin to face lather for my morning shave.
So this is my how to on making your own PSO. You don't have to use my recipe, but making your own is much cheaper than buying. I looked at some PSO from Art of Shaving (I had a small bottle of the lavender PSO a while back that someone gave me) and the ingredients are nothing more than Grape Seed oil, Castor Oil, and Lavender Essential Oil. And the cost is very high if you buy it from them. For the cost of buying a bottle AoS PSO I bought all of my ingredients together and I have enough oils to make about a gallon of PSO.
Also of note, if you are a guy or gal who likes things that that smell, you can add essential oils to your PSO to make it smell good. Some essential oils have good skin properties to them also. Word of caution though...add only a few drops and then try. You can always add more, but you can't take it out. Too much might burn the face or just leave you smelling weird all day. Do not use fragrance oils for PSO...you could end up with a nasty rash.
Thus concludes my adventure and your instruction into Pre-Shave Oil. I hope you have enjoyed.
