Pre- Shave Oil

[shavingguy]

Hi all- I am new to DE razors and my new style of shaving. I get a lot of ingrown hairs so I was desperate to try something that would get rid of them. I recently saw The Art of Shaving store at my mall so I went in and got a Merkur Solinger razor and their small kit of pre shave oil, cream, and after shave to try. So far I am loving it and my ingrown hairs are going away slowly.

After I finish my starter kit from The Art of Shaving, I want to get some better stuff. I was thinking of the Proraso for shaving cream and Trumpers skin food for after shave. My question is, can Trumpers skin food also be used as a pre-shave oil? I have heard some people say this but wanted to check here. Are there other better pre-shave oils that are good?

 

[Casca Dura]

You can get a really good pre-shave oil at Walmart believe or not. It's called Shave secret.

http://www.shavesecret.com/

Most other pre-shave oils are either too thick or too expensive. If the price doesn't bother you, American Crew actually has a nice oil that I've used as a shave oil (not just pre-shave).

http://www.americancrew.com/products/shave/lubricating-shave-oil

 

[Omp]

I remember seeing a thread here where someone had gone for a straight shave at G.F.Trumpers and the barber had applied skin food between each pass.
So I guess that's a yes.
There are lots of pre-shave options ranging from using nothing at all (just making sure your prep is good with shower, hot towels, etc) to making your own oil.
My personal preference so far is for eShave. Anthony Logistics was too sticky for me.

 

[mars]

I think it is highly debatable that Proraso and skin food are "better" than AOS. You may like them better and they may be more affordable...

 

[jasonb8736]

Like many things in life, you can spend as much as you wish. I've been DE shaving for about a year now and I've purchased a fair amount of products that all seem to work well. So far, Proraso white preshave gives me the most "bang for my buck." I find it makes my shaves go smoother and it's quite affordable.

Good luck!

 

[Mason_07]

I also recently picked up a bottle of the AOS pre-shave oil. I'm two weeks in to using it, and WOW, what a difference! Irritation, razor burn, etc.. are a thing of the past. The razor glides very smoothly over the skin. I also seem to notice that my blades last longer!? Not sure if it's because they come up against less resistance thanks to the oil...but I got 8 shaves out of a Feather last week. I am not crazy about the AOS bottle since you have to be very careful not to pour too much (you just need several drops) @ $22 per tiny bottle. The Shave Secret linked above looks very interesting!

 

[MRoney]

I have used the AOS stuff, liked it so much that I made my own, used airplane "nips" bottles to keep it in, small opening, and I made a quart for like $10. My brother has the AOS stuff and his lid cracked, I can replace my bottle for like 4 bucks at a liquor and I get a free drink with it. Could work to give you a smaller opening if you want. Welcome to the wet world!

 

[Marco]

My question is, can Trumpers skin food also be used as a pre-shave oil? I have heard some people say this but wanted to check here. Are there other better pre-shave oils that are good?

Yes, Trumpers Skin Food can be used as a pre-shave treatment and, afterwards, as a post-shave balm too. As about pre-shave oils, I really like T&H and would like to try the brand new Simpsons. Proraso pre-shave cream is also a very solid, inexpensive choice.

 

[spacegoast]

When I first started, I was using the Proraso Pre-shave cream (white jar) and thought it was pretty good. gave me a nice tingling sensation once applied.But after each pass, I always found a good deal of it built up on my razor. It bothered me because it doesnt just wash off like lather does. Just a quick dip under running water is all it should take, but not with Proraso. Recently, I picked up Floid Preshave Oil and so far I like this stuff much better than the Proraso. It washes off very easily and also has a nice fragrance to it. Doesnt feel overly oily either (to me anyway.)

 

[ChrisTWB]

A big +1 on the Truefitt and Hill. I tried a bunch of them including the cheapo stuff at walmart (which isn't bad for being so cheap but you get what you pay for, don't forget). Truefitt and Hill' just seem to work the best and it leaves your skin soft (not shiny or anything, just soft). The funny thing, I haven't used it in months (haven't used any preshave oil in months) and just used it this morning and said wow.. that worked well.

 

[Tommy Boy]

I used to use AOS oil and found it to be great, but expensive, so I looked into other options.

One other thing you might want to consider is making your own. I have a few different oil types that I use, dependent upon the type of soap/cream that I choose that day. I found that they have performed just as well as the high-end stuff - and I can create my own options. I keep three small jars - each has the same basic recipe:

Two parts Olive Oil
One part Grape Seed Oil
One part Jojoba Oil

The next step is to add a some essential oil to each individual container to spice-up the blend.

Cooling mix: Add a few drops of peppermint, menthol and eucalyptus
Almond mix: Add a few drops of almond essential oil
Bay Rum mix: Add a few drops of Bay Rum essential oil

You can find all of these oils and essentials a your local "natural" grocery story - we have Sprouts here in AZ.

Hope you find this helpful......

 

[the10thdan]

Is there a thread on the forums that discusses pre-shave oils & cream/soap combinations?

The reason I ask is I use Trumper West Indian Limes SF as a pre shave and post shave oil.

It works great with MWF and Trumper Spanish Leather, but produces an average lather when paired with Proraso

 

[chrisf8657]

Taconic Pre-Shave oil is good - it costs half as much as AoS, and it is unscented (tho it smells like Lemon) - so no heavy clove smell that wont go away forever like Shave Secret.
You can find it on Amazon for $13.99

 

[savagejoerude]

Shavingguy just remember YMMV. I am a staunch believer in Shave Secret and at $4.00 a bottle what do you have to loose. It is a part of my routine every shave.

I will also throw this in. If you are getting ingrowns you may be using too much pressure or you may be going over the same spot too many times. You may have to adjust the angle of your pass. More side ways VS. up and down. Some fellows can't get BBS on their necks. Some noobs try too hard and get irritation.

I have recently switched to Single Edge razors and have left irritation behind. This took some research as the technique is slightly different and many SE' razors are VERY aggressive.(The OCMM for one). Some are not. The Gem featherweight is a great starter SE. And of course that opens a whole new AD to your already entrenched AD's....lol

Good Luck and HAPPY SHAVES !!!

 

[djm2]

Cade makes a very nice, but $$, pre-shave oil.

 

[fsturnz]

Haven't tried it myself, but it's on my to-do list: I read in another discussion about plain ol' Noxzema as a pre-shave treatment being similar to Proraso white, but for much less money.

 

[N2theBreech]

At various pointd I've used Noxema, Shave Secret, Proraso, and now AoS. AoS is the only one I've stuck with. When this bottle is gone, I plan to make my own.

 

[The Dean]

I really can't go without pre-shave oil. It is one of the big breakthroughs I have had in shaving. I started with AOS unscented and it is still my favorite. It is thick--I like that--and very lubricating. It's a bit pricey but a small bottle lasts me a very long time.

I will use Shave Secret in a pinch and sometimes use Pacific Shaving oil. Both are a bit on the thin side for me, and they don't seem to offer me the same level of protection and comfort as the heavier oils. Nice packaging for travel, though.

I also bought a bottle of Anthony Sport from Amazon as it was fairly inexpensive. It works fine but smells pretty weird. Another one that smells weird to me is King of Shaves Kinexium. It is slick, but I didn't find it as effective.

Of course YMMV on all of this. That is a given.

And, yes I suppose I could go out and buy the ingredients to make my own and save a few $$--but I'm not doing that. That's why I will never be rich. I ain't broke, but I'm badly bent.

 

[striker6]

Proraso Pre (green and white) all the way...

 

[cursethis]

When I first started, I was using the Proraso Pre-shave cream (white jar) and thought it was pretty good. gave me a nice tingling sensation once applied.But after each pass, I always found a good deal of it built up on my razor. It bothered me because it doesnt just wash off like lather does. Just a quick dip under running water is all it should take, but not with Proraso. Recently, I picked up Floid Preshave Oil and so far I like this stuff much better than the Proraso. It washes off very easily and also has a nice fragrance to it. Doesnt feel overly oily either (to me anyway.)

+1 on the Floid Preshave

I love that stuff. Proraso green pre/post-shave doesn't work nearly as well for me as Floid.