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Pre Shave Rituals & Routines

I've done some backed reading and come across a few mentions of products but I didn't want this post to just be another "recommend me something" post... although... do you see value in pre-shave oils/gels? What have you liked/not liked?

That said, curious to hear what your actual process is. I'll go first -- it's pretty vanilla.

- Typically I shave after shower. While I shower, my bowl is filled with warm water and brush bristles are soaking.
- During shower, I use a face scrub (currently finishing a tub of Jack Black and have a bottle of Viking Revolution to start)
- After shower, pour out the bowl, gently wring out the brush and make lather
- Paint, shave

I ask about routine and pre-shave products to see if I can find a way to avoid neck irritation. It's a 100% of the time occurrence. And I am already limiting myself to two passes and not going ATG.

I am sure my technique still needs some refining and I need to figure out which razors work best for me (I am in the early days of "try 'em all" atm).

Safety razor shave #5 will be in a few hours for those that have followed along in my journal.
 
Hey @Elliot

I'm at about the same stage you are, experience-wise and I've been reading up on this subject too. @Chan Eil Whiskers's preshave routine seems both thoughtful and chess-like in that he's thinking a few moves ahead. In discussions about with him about it, he described this as a routine evolved to support more sensitive skin so something like this might work super well to manage your neck irritation.

@BobbyB's preshave routine also caught my eye, I think it's cool he's applying the preshave soap with a brush (I'm not that cool yet) and letting it sit in his beard for a while. I've been doing that with preshave soap now when I can't take a shower first and it makes a difference.

I also found the Wiki preshave article(s) have a ton of great information and was well worth the read.

There are others here much wiser than I about this but I suspect a post-shave balm could really help with that neck discomfort. It's not cool you are dealing with that so consistently.
  • If I've taken a shower and need to move fast I just apply a shaving soap stick directly and start face lathering.
  • If I have more time and am brush loading, I use the PAA Tube first to get a thin lather going then face lather shaving soap right over that.
  • If I'm not showering (like in the evening, say) I'll apply The Tube and go watch some short video, letting the soap soak in @BobbyB style. Then I'll face lather or apply bowl lather right on top of the preshave soap that's sorta dryish at this point.

And if it's the weekend and I want to rock a King's Shave, I go full on @Chan Eil Whiskers style :). But I'm lucky in that I don't have very sensitive skin, it seems so I have some flexibility to take occasional preshave shortcuts.
 
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thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Don’t let @flask28 fool you — even uncool people can use a brush for pre-shave as no one has stopped me yet. I’ve recently been stealing shaving tips from @Ron R and @GAW9576 and recommend others see if identical thefts are beneficial for them as well. I’m forgetful and capricious so I thieve and rethieve as necessary.

Here’s the prep:

I found that brush washing my whole face with CeraVe hand bar (5-10 second load on brush) with a dab of aloe Vera gel just before the lather is applied for my shave is far superior to the hot towel method for my self. I still occasionally like to use the hot towel but only a few times of year if that.
Bar of CeraVe lasts about 8 months using a light brush load(does this stuff kick up a lather) and is easy on my eyes and the whiskers get fully hydrated also with the aloe Vera gel( A small dollop on the beard area only). Cheaper than using regular hand soap more than likely and a lot easier on the eyes using regular mass produced hand soaps! I have even shaved with CeraVe as my main shave soap once and the results where OK also.
I found shaving first then showering after wards better for my self , I was under the thought it was better to shower first then shave but I found the opposite for myself. Showering almost felt like it dehydrated my face skin from the chemicals they have to add to the water to keep it safe for consumption.( nothing is written in stone.)
View attachment 1601434 View attachment 1601435
Have some great shaves!

Here’s the advice for minimizing irritation:
So I had to go digging for a quote before I could post yesterday's shave. A member that goes by ShadowsDad on another forums was giving another member some advice. Here is what he said. "Very little pressure is NOT the goal. No pressure is the goal. If your skin deforms under the razor you have too much pressure. I told a friend that for quite some time and he was about to give up. But before he did he had the inspiration to actually put what I'd been telling him into practice. He called me up to tell me that he'd just had the best shave of his life. In his exact words, "When you say no pressure you really do mean no pressure, don't you?". Yup, when I say no pressure that's exactly what I mean."

Relatedly, a tip on using a thin coating of glycerin from @cpcohen1945 who might think I only stole the idea of coating safety razor threads with petroleum jelly to prevent galling from him:

I have tried using "uber-lather" -- lather with some extra glycerin added. I've tried that, and it's been OK. I _think_ the glycerin increases the film strength of lather, and maybe it lasts a little bit longer. It might help reduce razor burn irritation. As my technique improved, I used it less, and finally gave it up.

Here’s to a future free of an irritation/neck beard dichotomy!
 
Good question sir! And already good answers as well. I read your post again and there are three things that might assist in getting irritation in the first place - as you mentioned you get it 100% of the time. It may not work for you, but you won’t know until you tried.

  1. Do not shower before shaving. I know it opens up the pores and so on, but I get a less comfortable shave after s shower. Shaving while showering is better in that sense for me, but I rarely do it.
  2. No pressure. Zero. You are following this rule already I imagine but I am stating it nonetheless. If you have to use pressure check the blade first. Maybe you need a sharper one. Or exactly opposite a milder one.
  3. Shave cold. Everything cold. Keeps the pores more tight and still moisturises the whiskers. My irritation went practically out the window when I switched to cold shaving.
My own routine is a cold splash followed by Proraso Green and then I paint on my lather with bowl lathered soap or I do a face lather. I have been scaling down on the Proraso and currently find no real difference. When I have more stubble I still use it. Post shave is a cold splash, A/S and balm.

Hope this helps (and the other advice too).

Guido
 
Main thing for me is to wet my face a couple of times with hot water, followed by a mentholated pre-shave cream. The menthol acts as an underlying local anesthetic during the first pass and is largely removed by the second, closer pass. Over the past several years, I've mostly used Vitos pre-dopo barba in the pre-barba sense of things to achieve this. The Proraso equivalent also works well in this way.
 
Over time I have dabbled with pre-shave oil, face lathering, heated lather bowls, different blades and obviously my technique has improved over time.

To specifically address the OPs problem I agree that technique is the variable with the most impact, but obviously can't be changed quickly, ie it is what it is. Beyond that, moving to a more forgiving blade made the most impact in reducing irritation. I like Shark blades for their only medium sharpness.
 
face scrub
This stood out to me. As someone who can only tolerate modest amounts of abrasion without irritation, I only wash the top half of my face before shaving. I figure between the exfoliation of the brush and blade, I don't need additional scrubbing. I used to face lather exclusively, but more recently I find that beginning the lather in the bowl lets me apply as much pressure/whipping/effort as I desire, before transferring to my face with a more gentle hand. I have pre-lathered with a brush in the shower, but the added brush contact just caused me discomfort without improving the shave.

I have to be particularly cautious because I shave daily and have delicate skin, so these efforts may be needless for you. Occasionally I use inexpensive soaps (Arko, Cremo) as a pre-shave glaze with lots of water + hot towel, but neither of these contain oils or humectants like glycerin (a la @thombrogan / @cpcohen1945 ) soon I'll be trying the PAA non-mentholated cube. I don't care much for the numbing of menthol, the reduced sensation interferes with blade feedback.

I think having well-moisturized skin is an overlooked factor. Heavier creams (HydroBoost, CeraVe cream) have certainly improved my daily shaves. I know you're more of a balm user than alcohol-based aftershaves, might be worth looking into a heavier cream for a PM moisturizing routine (if you don't want to wear a heavier product throughout the day).

Best of luck in your experiments.
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
I keep it very simple, rub the damp stick or puck on my face and face lather with a damp brush adding water as needed. But, I have one peculiarity.... Soon after I started shaving I became annoyed at water running down my left arm, dripping off my elbow, and landing on my left house shoe. So, I took to removing my left shoe while shaving and have done so for so long that it feels unnatural to do otherwise. Now, after lathering for the first pass, but before the first stroke of the razor, I will remove my left shoe. If I happen to be barefoot then I will put on my right shoe only. I simply feel more comfortable that way, plus of course, I get better lather, extended blade life, and a smoother and closer shave - try it and see for yourself, or I may have made that last bit up. At any rate I am a one shoe shaver - works for me 👍
 
I shave after showering. No difference in performance if I shave before or after showering besides my whiskers being softer after.

Washcloth with hot water to wet my face, lather, shave, washcloth to wipe off excess soap, repeat 2-3x. Thayers witch hazel left on while I clean my brush/razor and then aftershave. Done.

The only variation is 2 or 3 passes depending on how much time or growth I have.
 
I also shower before shave. I do everything you do so I guess is vanilla🤷🏻‍♂️

But the main difference is I don't scrub, instead I just clean my face with the lather from the shampoo when I do my hair, then I use conditioner at the same time I do my hair, this prepares the whiskers perfectly so when I shave my neck the razor just glides and slices the hairs so smoothly I cant even feel it, so irritation is gone.
 
Shave after shower is a great pre-shave, but seldom fits my erratic (chaotic?) life schedule.

I often use both a straight and a hoe razor (DE, Gem blade, or injector) for different parts of my shave. And I seldom use the same razor(s) twice in a row. So I have time for some good hydration/slickening while I strop and gather gear. No sensitive skin to worry about.

With a boar brush and a 'glycerin' shave stick I face lather/let soak in/wash off with a cloth up to 3 times. Usually 3 times. This fills the 'gather/load/strop/maybe photo' minutes and possibly helps me break in yet another boar brush.

My pre-shave soaps are mainly Col Conk Lime (with menthol added!) and a variety of Mama Bear scents, all made into sticks in screw-up tubes. But I will use non-translucent, unmeltable soap sticks as well. Heck, I even bowl lather my pre-shave some times, but it is just not the same.

All this face lathering works extremely well to smooth the shave for me, but Truth be told, the extreme pampering of the face massage and the deep cleaning of my whiskered areas are a major attraction as well.
 
Hot shower followed by cold shave at the sink.

No oils or other pre-shaves for me. Just splash face thouroughly with cold water, lather up and shave.

Finish up with cold water rinse, couple light pats of lotion and one spritz of cologne. Done. 😎
 
Shave after shower is a great pre-shave, but seldom fits my erratic (chaotic?) life schedule.

I often use both a straight and a hoe razor (DE, Gem blade, or injector) for different parts of my shave. And I seldom use the same razor(s) twice in a row. So I have time for some good hydration/slickening while I strop and gather gear. No sensitive skin to worry about.

With a boar brush and a 'glycerin' shave stick I face lather/let soak in/wash off with a cloth up to 3 times. Usually 3 times. This fills the 'gather/load/strop/maybe photo' minutes and possibly helps me break in yet another boar brush.

My pre-shave soaps are mainly Col Conk Lime (with menthol added!) and a variety of Mama Bear scents, all made into sticks in screw-up tubes. But I will use non-translucent, unmeltable soap sticks as well. Heck, I even bowl lather my pre-shave some times, but it is just not the same.

All this face lathering works extremely well to smooth the shave for me, but Truth be told, the extreme pampering of the face massage and the deep cleaning of my whiskered areas are a major attraction as well.

Wow, I didn't know you had a three pass pre-shave routine - that's fantastic. I'm going to try that next shave!! I enjoy a thorough face scrubbing as well :)
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
I wash my face twice in the shower.... using Cetaphil face cleanser with the PAA Cube 2.0 on my whiskers. I add the PAA Tube 2.0 or one of two other pre-shaves right after the shower..... it sets on my face until I lather up the soap in a shaving bowl. My wife's grandfather taught me, decades ago now, rubbing the soap in (he had never heard of pre-shaves) was the key to a great shave. so I rub the pre-shave in with my fingers, apply the shaving soap with a brush. I guess that's three pre-shave applications but I'm not sure since I leave on the third application.

I have old man, coarse and fairly dense whiskers. I have shaved without a shower first a few times. It isn't as pleasant as it is when I shower before I shave. I guess, once again, things differ. I have used the PAA Tube 2.0 before the shower: apply, scrub in with my hands, rinse and re-apply and rub in with my fingers again. It wasn't that bad, but not as good as when I shower first.
 
I'm a little late to the party but jumping in anyway :)


The idea of a preshave oil is to soften the hairs, increase slickness of the skin, and offer a little hydration so the skin doesn't dry out too much. A good oil used properly will achieve this for most people. Everyone's skin is different though so experiences will vary. Also, some oils work better used sparingly, others are better applied liberally. So you might have to try one a few times to find the right amount.

For me, oils make just enough difference to be worth using. I can tell the difference when I don't use one, especially in winter.

My preshave routine is during a hot shower I wash my face with a daily face wash. Then I use Proraso face and beard scrub on the beard area. It's a little redundant but over time I've found that the proraso alone doesn't get the oils very well. And the face wash alone tends to leave me with more ingrown hairs. This two part approach has proven to give the best results for myself.

I have very oily skin that also drys out very easily, specially in winter. So my next step is again a 2 part semi redundant step. First, I use Hydroboost facial moisturizer. Its a nice moisturizing boost before my shave. After I use a preshave oil. I found the using the oil helps keep the shave soap from sucking all that moisture the Hydroboost just put into my face, back out. Shave oils on their own don't add enough hydration to my skin as I need but they do help lock it in. And I do notice a difference in the glide of my razor when shaving with an oil vs without.

After that it's onto the shave.
 
My prep is really indicative of how much I need to remove and how my morning cadence is looking. I shower before bed time, so all I need to do in the AM is perform a facewash. As of now, I do not have a standard morning pre-shave routine beyond that. As an example of needing to shave after 2-3 days; I will use Proraso Single Blade beard balm after my morning rinse and before waking the house and making coffee. My typical shave window is between 9 and 11AM, but often can stretch into lunch hour. At that opportunity, I use either Proraso's Single Blade or standard green pre-shave before proceeding with 2-passes with a straight razor.

Good question sir! And already good answers as well. I read your post again and there are three things that might assist in getting irritation in the first place - as you mentioned you get it 100% of the time. It may not work for you, but you won’t know until you tried.

  1. Do not shower before shaving. I know it opens up the pores and so on, but I get a less comfortable shave after s shower. Shaving while showering is better in that sense for me, but I rarely do it.
  2. No pressure. Zero. You are following this rule already I imagine but I am stating it nonetheless. If you have to use pressure check the blade first. Maybe you need a sharper one. Or exactly opposite a milder one.
  3. Shave cold. Everything cold. Keeps the pores more tight and still moisturises the whiskers. My irritation went practically out the window when I switched to cold shaving.
My own routine is a cold splash followed by Proraso Green and then I paint on my lather with bowl lathered soap or I do a face lather. I have been scaling down on the Proraso and currently find no real difference. When I have more stubble I still use it. Post shave is a cold splash, A/S and balm.

Hope this helps (and the other advice too).

Guido
My preference is to shower AFTER shaving. This serves two main functions:
1) I get a thorough rinsing of the Alum
2) Using Kiehl's Facial Fuel face wash which contains Vit-E, Glycerin, and Menthol which is a perfect segue to my A/S
 
Normally shave after tepid water shower. Tend to take time, at work. And a PAA’s menthol travel tube. “Ship”. This is not the case at home. Hurry hurry, bathroom is needed for others. But taking time for one’s self. In a two out of four household is trying.
 
Shower, or hot rinse.
A fingertip-ful of Proraso Green preshave to clear the head and soften the pass.
Face lather with a stiffish badger.
Four pass straight razor shave for total glass bbs.
Brush teeth.
Alum then Lucky Tiger.
20 mins in total
 
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